Run Baby Run.

I set a goal when I was eighteen to run a marathon by twenty-two. Unfortunately I ran into health problems that left me unable to exercise at all for over two years. Now that I'm able to exercise again with no worries, I have reset my marathon goal. At this moment I am already twenty-two. It's my goal to run a marathon by twenty-five.

I've started running with my friend Michelle at different locations around our city. So far we're still working on a five kilometre route. It's SO far away from the twenty-six miles that make up a full marathon. 

I got myself some new Nike running shoes- the 2017 edition of the Nike Flex shoe. I absolutely love them and would recommend them to anyone. They're very comfortable and contour to my foot while still providing great support. I also invested in some new running pants, a light weight jacket from The North Face, and some sports bras from Sportcheck. 

Before running I like to fuel up with food and water. I'll drink a bottle of water and eat a meal with complex, slow releasing carbs about an hour to two hours before my run. Usually I have oatmeal. After a run I load up on vegetables, protein and, of course, water. 

The five kilometre route we're trying to master at the moment is a little walk-on-to island in our downtown area. Running around the entire island is just over five kilometres. Our first time around the island took us forty minutes as we had to stop and walk a couple times (and of course take nature pictures). 

We decided that our first race will be a charity run in our city that raises money for our local palliative care centre. We're entering in the five kilometre race! 

I'm loving getting back into running. I love the way it feels when I finish a run and my breath comes back to me and my legs are a little shaky. Endorphins are the best drug.

I'm excited to get back into running and share this journey with you all. Thanks in advance for your support. Any tips for getting back into running would be great!

Become a Runner in a Summer | Fitness

Every summer I get back into running and it reminds me why I love to run. I always regret falling away from running during the school year/winter months- hopefully this year I won't stop when it gets cold! 

I feel like getting back into running is really hard. I mean, the last time I ran (last summer) I was making my best 5km times and now I can barely do a 60 second interval... very discouraging. However, also very motivating because I know where I can get to!

Using my fitness plan from last summer, combined with new knowledge and goals I have put together a weekly plan to get back to a place where I can consider myself a runner.

Here it is:

Monday: 

run 45-55 minutes + brisk walk 35-40 minutes

Tuesday: 

optional cross training day

Wednesday: 

run 35-40 minutes

Thursday: 

run 30 minutes + cross train 30 minutes

Friday: 

complete rest day

Saturday: 

run 35-40 minutes

Sunday: 

cross train 45-55 minutes

For the runs I'm not just jumping the gun and running for the whole time frame. I'm using the app Couch to 5K to coach me through the runs and build my endurance back up in a healthy way.

Week 1: 

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

alternate 60 seconds jogging, 90 seconds walking

5 minute cool down walk

Week 2:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

alternate 90 seconds of jogging, 2 minutes walking

5 minute cool down walk

Week 3:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

two repetitions of the following: jog for 90 seconds, walk for 90 seconds; jog for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 4:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds; job 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes; job 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds; jog 5 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 5:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 8 minutes, walk 8 minutes, jog 8 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 6:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 5 minutes, walk 3 minutes; jog 8 minutes, walk 3 minutes; jog 5 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 7:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 25 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 8:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 28 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 9:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 30 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 10:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 32 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 11: 

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 35 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 12:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog a 5k route- try to make good time

5 minute cool down walk

As far as warmup and cool down, the times are VERY short and should be extended. Before running I do a 10-15 minute warmup of dynamic stretches. After my run I will walk around my back yard for about 10 minutes and then spend about 15-20 minutes stretching out my muscles/doing a bit of light yoga. It's so important to not skip warmup and cool down! 

On my cross training days, I will either power walk, go for a bike ride, or go for a swim at the YMCA- whatever I feel like that day!

I'm so excited to get back into running- I'm already two weeks in and I feel great! I have SO much energy and I feel so much healthier than I did before. I think running can be so daunting but if you take it one run at a time and listen to your body so you don't push yourself way too hard, it's such a joy!

Are you a runner? Do you want to be a runner? 

Let me know about your running experience- good or bad- in a comment!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo