Nadia and I went on our first run together this week (since she’s more than six months I can take her with me).
It felt amazing. But I’m not the runner I was…ooo…15 months ago.
(Generally if you’re a runner before you get pregnant, you can run during your pregnancy…but circumstances led my doctors to ask I quit my workouts. And now I’m way out of shape.)
But this week, I laced up.
Sandra + Nadia's first run together
I started with 30 minutes, running five blocks then walking one. I wanted to make it fun and something I knew I could achieve. By the end of the run my legs were spent and I couldn’t stop smiling. It feels good to be back. I decided to go with intervals – not only as a good way to get back into shape, but also because a University of Guelph study found that “interval training burns fat and improves fitness more quickly than constant but moderately intensive physical activity.”
My goal over the next few weeks is to increase the speed of my intervals. Eventually I’ll rotate between interval training and 45-min runs. I want to lose a few more pounds and then tone. So I’m also doing 100 ab exercises a day. I run M/W/F. Then do resistance/weight training on Tue/Th: lunges, squats, push-ups, etc.
If you’re starting to run, start with a manageable goal.
Run 10 min then walk for one. If that’s too much, trim a little time off the run, add more to the walk. If it’s not enough, bump up the run time. Essentially by the end of your workout you want to be tired but not disappointed that you didn’t do what you set out to.
Looking for more motivation – add music.
Put together a set of songs: start with a medium pace, build to a high and then slower for your cool down. I include songs that I loved when I was a teenager – they always put a smile on my face in the middle of my workout and get me going. My fave lately: Walking on Sunshine! Cheesy…but I get a great sweat-on.
