I ran my first 5 K on May 31, 2015. It was the Color vibe fun run. I know what you must be thinking – “this is not a serious race!” You’re right! It isn’t. The reason I did not register for a proper race is because I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to do it. I decided to run in fall of 2014. At that time I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to run at all.

For the first few weeks after mentally deciding to run, I just walked. Running a race, any race, was a far cry. I started slow…very slow. My first walk was a 2.5 mile one and I walked at 19 minutes per mile – slow, right? I still remember, it was just one of those days. My son was in school, the husband was at work and I had tons of household chores lined up but did not feel like doing any of them. I did not know where to begin. After hours of indolence, I just chucked it all, wore my sneakers and headed out. I walked and walked and walked. Without thinking where I was going. At one point I realized, I’d run out of sidewalk and was actually walking through people’s backyards. By the end of it I knew I could walk…if nothing else. It gave me immense confidence and satisfaction and to my surprise, by the end of the day I got all my chores done as well.

Graduating from walking to running

Graduating from walking to running was a BIG AND DIFFICULT step. For those of you out there who are yet to take this OH! SO! IMP! Step, it is probably a good idea to get an app which helps you train to become a runner. My confidence level about running (as is with most other things) was very low. I wasn’t sure I could even do what the app asked me to. So, while walking one day, I just started running. Boy, was it tough? I could feel my whole body shaking. After huffing and puffing for precisely 30 seconds I had to walk again. But I tried again, as soon as I could catch my breath even if it was for another short 30 seconds. And thus began my ‘running’ journey.

Consistency is key

Again, for those of you who want to start running and are hesitant or even those who’ve tried and felt like running was not for you – don’t give up. What I realized when I was first running was that I had forgotten what my body felt like to myself while I ran. I probably ran for any considerable length of time last when I was 15 or 16 years of age. At 39 both my body and mind had forgotten what it felt like to run. What it felt like to be tired and how to ignore this feeling of discomfort and keep running. For the first few weeks, I would literally count from 1-60 in my head while I was running. The moment I hit 60 seconds I’d stop and start walking. Soon, the 60 became 90 and the 90 became 120. Before I knew it, I was running for 5 whole minutes at a stretch and was doing more than 4 miles with walk and run intervals. I stayed at 4 miles (walk and run) for a long time. The days I’d try to do more, I’d be too tired to do anything else at home. My goal was to integrate my running with all my other activities. Like I’ve said in my pervious posts (Here’s how I do It), this had to be part of my life, part of me. So, I did not push it.

What I did do, however, is keep at it. I would run (over and above my gym schedule 3-4 days a week) at least twice a week. Some days were good and I could do it effortlessly, others were bad where I would have to drag myself home. But I kept doing it…over and over again. Sometimes, I could feel my muscles cramping and giving up. I remembered what a very dear friend (who is a runner) had told me “Run through the pain”. It seemed pretty lame when I heard it for the first time but when you are running and are in pain – tired and exhausted and realize you have a whole mile to go – “run through the pain” comes in handy. I would look directly in front of me and spot a tree or a fire hydrant a few yards away and decide to run till that point and then walk. When I got to that point I would motivate myself to run to the next hydrant or tree and thus continued my journey. From one tree to the next…from one fire hydrant to another. Finally one learns to endure and then embrace the pain.

On days that the weather was bad, I would run on the treadmill. Earlier, I could not run on the treadmill, my knees and back would ache if I ran even a mile on the treadmill but as I gained strength and learnt to endure, the treadmill also seemed to become easier. What especially helped was good music. There are hordes of running music available for download. I listen to all kinds of music while I run. But I simply love listening to Indian classical and fusion music while I run. Here are some of my favorites:-

Lagi Lagi

Bashonar gaan

Aaogey Jab

Caravan

Tumi Ebar

Remember to…

What also helped was the right kind of gear and equipment. When I first started out, I did not have the right kind of shoes. I was wearing sneakers, which were totally inappropriate for running and too tight. I soon learnt that you have to wear at least a size bigger running shoes (for your feet to have wiggle room) than your regular shoe size. I actually got blisters from wearing the wrong shoes. It is probably best to visit a specialty store and get yourself sized for shoes. I went to the Road Runner Sports, simply because it was closest to my home. There are many others out there. They made me run on a treadmill for a few seconds and molded a customized insole for me. These helped me tremendously both in running/walking more miles and doing it faster.

It is also very important to wear the right kind of clothes. For women, a good (and expensive) sports bra is a must. For those of us who have been additionally endowed by God in female body parts, it is the first purchase you should make before starting to run. Running shorts in the heat (60’s can be really hot for a run, anything above 70 and I cannot run more than a few miles) and tights in the cold (50’s is very appropriate) is also a good idea. A good app. (I use ‘runkeeper’, a lot my friends use ‘mapmyrun’) is also a good idea to document how much and how often you are running. Apart from that I carry a bottle of water in my hand while I run. I know there are belts available to put little bottles in but haven’t invested in those. It is very important to keep yourself hydrated while you are running, especially on a hot day.

I registered for the 5 K race in March 2015. At that time, I was not able to run more than a mile at a stretch. But one cold and foggy morning in April, I started running and found I could actually run the whole 3.1 miles (5 K) without having to take any walking breaks at all. I was overjoyed. I had never thought when I started out less than a year ago that I could run for three whole miles. But I did it. Like I say – If I can do it, anyone can!

Go for it people!

Full Disclosure: I am not associated with any of the products or businesses discussed or published in a picture in the above post. They are solely for the purpose of either enhancing my blog or because I truly like/dislike the product or business.