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.
Comments
Ojoru
So glad to find your blog, and I truly enjoyed reading it. You are an excellent writer! I am starting W1D1 Monday. Always been a couch potato, but I did recently join the gym. I try to go 3 or 4 times a week, but like you, have trouble sticking with anything that I'm not naturally good at. Running is at the top of the list of things I don't like, but suddenly feel the urge to do. So...thanks to you, a couple of other bloggers, and the C25K page on Facebook, I am going to become a runner at the ripe ol' age of 46, weighing in at a fluffy 192 lbs. Oh, by the way, you are the only one I've shared that number with besides my daughter & sister. My main goal is to be healthy. I am 3 years from the age of my dad when he had his 1st heart attack, and I see scary similarities in how he lived then, and how I live now. So...changes are taking place. Your blog is one of my new inspirations! Keep up the great work...YOU CAN & WILL DO IT!
Connie