c25k: w2d2 DONE

Can I just write again how much I love having the Garmin FR60 as a ‘partner’ for my sessions? It is really exciting to track HR (especially as my cardio fitness improves), calories, distance, speed, and pace.

Midway through the week of workouts and my peak and avg HR during the workout has gone down, despite an increase in running time over last week. My heart is getting stronger! I am beginning to feel as if I can hold a conversation during the jogging segments, which is great cardio progress.

Here are my technical stats for this session: Garmin Connect

I ran this morning’s session in haymarket at 7:30am, making laps around the fields on the grounds of an elementary school across the street from Literary Elly May’s home.

One more session for w2 to go (on Sat) and then I graduate to week three which means 3 minute runs. Truth be told I am a bit panicked about increasing from 1.5 minutes to 3, but will give it my best shot.

This is probably my first go in all my life with sticking with something I wasn’t naturally great at from the outset and practicing to get better and I have to say it is exciting. I’ve always operated under my Dad’s “wisdom” of only embracing tasks and activities I am gifted in. Some sort of wacky division of labor/specialization for efficiency theory he fixed in his mind and took to illogical extremes. What it meant in practical terms was that I had to drop out of dance classes as a kid b/c I showed no aptitude for dancing. It meant my Dad never came to my softball games the year I played because we lost the first 3 and he deemed it a waste of his time and a mismatch between my talents and chosen activities. I think it is the right time in my life (all 34 years of it) to ditch his cockamamie theory and put myself out there and try things that I *want* to try. And if it turns out I’m not so good at the outset it I won’t worry about looking stupid or “being inefficient with my talent”. Instead I will practice, working to get better, so long as I am interested in pursuing the activity and if it turns out I am really lousy even with practice THAT’S OK. I give myself permission to enjoy things, even if I’m not so good at them (super happy bonus though if I turn out to be good at them with some practice).

This is America - land of bravery and freedom. This is not old school Europe where we cast people in chosen roles and tasks based on aptitude testing and confine/consign them to those roles indefinitely.

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