Dear Ian,
This email is to explain my comment "at my age" on Twitter and will be emailed as a post to my blog to hopefully encourage others that are "at my age" and struggling to get into shape.
As I write this, you are on another continent relaxing, hopefully. Somehow, our paths have crossed and I am appreciative of that. I don't believe in accidents, so, we will see where this takes us all...It is amazing how technology has allowed people to connect and share their experiences.
Our exchange last night made me realize that while we exchange greetings, we really do not know each other. So this email is an attempt to share with you a little about me.
I am 49 years old and live in California. I weighed 176 lbs when I got married at the age of 27 (22 years ago). Over the years, I would like to think that my job and having a family kept me from exercising. Which of course is not the fact, it just made it more challenging and I chose not to do it. During the last 22 years, my weight steadily increased to 225 lbs, I started taking blood pressure medicine, and overall felt lethargic. While to some that might not seem like a lot, it made me uncomfortable.
Last November after coming home from a business trip, I looked at myself in the mirror and decided enough was enough. I didn't like the way I looked, I didn't like the way I felt, and I didn't like the example I was setting for my children. Thus, the start of this journey called Running & Fitness.
In January, I started running...well, that's an overstatement...I started walking. I couldn't run the length of a city block. I thought, "How pathetic is that?" So, starting from what I call a fitness level of ZERO, I started exercising. The first two months went very well, with some flaring of shin splints. I logged 100 miles. Then I got sick while traveling which set me back most the month of March. I recovered and started back with my training. Feeling that I might have started out too aggressively, I reduced my running back to 3 times a week. My first race was the Sacramento Zoo Zoom on April 19. I ran a 5K @ 30:25 at a weight of 210 lbs. I feel good about that time and feel like I have accomplished something to date.
Since the race, I have been having trouble with my iliotibial band (ITB); the fascia that runs from the hip to the knee (got that from the internet). So, another set back. I am now cycling, doing leg strength exercises, and stretching while I recover to keep my conditioning going. This has been very discouraging. I feel like it is 2 steps forward, 1 step back. I just want to go forward…I am reminded of something I heard on Kelownagurl's podcast, "road blocks are simply a test of your commitment to your goal."
With all this said, I will now explain why I said "at my age". Simply put, my mind does not believe that I am 49, but the body says differently. While I had very good aspirations for this year, I am learning that I need to temper my mind to accommodate my body to assure long term success. I am not in my mid 20's or 30's any more. While the set backs are discouraging and frustrating, I remind myself that slow, steady training will get me to my goal. Chris Russell (cyktrussell) has been encouraging me to get a good base of 3 - 5 mile runs 3 times a week. While I heard and understood what he was saying, I still wanted to hang with the big dogs. This last injury has made it very clear that I need to do as he recommended and also follow the 10% rule for adding distance. The goal is to run in 2010 and beyond, not just the next few months. I have had a paradigm shift in my thinking to be more conservative in my training. If I am at 2 mile base now, and add 10% every other week, I could be doing 10 mile runs by the end of the year. I am ok with that. My goal is to have a base of 5 miles 3 times a week on January 1, 2010. My mind says I can do more than that, but, I do not want to risk my body to injury.
As I talk with all the great people and athletes on Twitter, I do not always think about the days, months, and years of training and conditioning that they all have done to get where they are today. It is not by accident that they run 5k, 10k, 1/2 & full marathons. It is from the long term commitment to their sport and health that have allowed them to continually exert the effort required to finish the race.
I wish you the best in your runs and hopefully, one day, we will have the opportunity to meet.
Your Friend,
Brad (aka: Neumen)
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