Subscribe:
Hi, I'm 
Life Lessons From My Running Experiences – Part II
Continuing from where we left off …
Second Lesson:
The first week of C25K consists of walking 5 minutes in the beginning and alternating 1 minute jogging with 1.30 minutes walking for 20 minutes (for all three days). Yeah, that’s total of 8 minutes of jogging in a span of 25 minutes.
First day was like a breeze. Because of the time I had given to building strength, this run was easy for me. Finally I could run. Even though it was just a minute at a time … it was eight minutes in all. That got to count for something. I was elated. Excited. I felt strong and powerful. I wanted to repeat the experience.
I thought of doing this run every day rather than every alternate day as suggested. This is natural. You find you are good at something, you want to do more of it. And then when you have a worthy goal, you are ready to push and bear anything. You just want to reach your goal … faster.
Bad idea. At the fifth run, my knee started complaining. I did complete the run but with some difficulty. My knee became a cause of concern. As I searched online, I found what I already knew – you are not supposed to run hard everyday. It puts a strain on your body and will cause injury. Even those who run everyday, alternate their runs with hard and easy.
Balancing hard runs with rest is important, else your body won’t be able to take those runs any longer. Balancing hard runs with rest is the key to build endurance and run long distance and time.
Balance. Why do we keep forgetting about this simple little concept? We take good things in our life for granted and stretch them beyond their capacity. What makes us think that they wont snap and break?
It’s not just our body that I am talking about here – you know that. It’s the same with our relationships and our mental strength. Why does it take the first sign of crack to stop us from doing what we are doing and start doing the right thing? Don’t we know that any crack, any injury means that we went too far – We didn’t just stretch, we actually damaged the good thing in our life.
Hard runs & rest. Isn’t that what the path to success is all about? You work hard to get what you want. You step back to rest & relax. Without putting in required effort, success is not possible. Without rest, success is short lived.
Food For Mind:
- Our body can take lot of hits. Do you stretch it beyond it’s capacity – do you work yourself till you fall sick?
- What comes easily to you – working hard or resting? How can you balance both?
- Sometimes we stretch ourselves too thin. Do you need to take better care of yourself?
- To wait till our body complains/gets injured seems to be a stupid way to judge how far we can go. Where else do we do this?
- Do you take for granted that if there is no fighting or complaining, you are doing everything right in your relationship? Do you wait for the first sign of crack to appear?
- When people snap fast – with irritation, impatience or anger, does it mean that they are cracking and need rest – does it mean that they are due for some care?
Take Home:
- Working hard is not enough. Resting is also important. Path to success is long … work hard and then rest hard.
- Don’t take advantage of the capacity to stretch. Don’t give any reason for a crack to appear anywhere in your life.
- When we start something new in our life, it is easy to get carried away. In our enthusiasm and excitement, it is easy to forget that we need some resting period as well. Remember to pause after working hard.
What did you take home from this?
For those who are interested, here’s the link to The Couch To 5K Running Plan.
Like the article? Subscribe for Free Get new articles directly in your Inbox / RSS Reader.
Avani,
I have read your blog on and off here, but first time commenting here. I too have done some training too much, too soon and other times, none at all. Balance will be to do a little everyday.
I like your blog very much.
Zengirl´s awesome post ..Healing the hurting heart
Zengirl, thank you for commenting & complimenting. I appreciate both. Balance seems quite elusive at times, doesn’t it?
Avani, I found you on Cheerful Monk and thought I’d check you out. You have a very nice blog I must say. Very thought provoking and worthwhile. I will certainly be back. You seem to have written some other very interesting posts and I would like to read more of your work.
gaelikaa´s awesome post ..Wedding Story
Gaelikka, am glad you dropped in to check out my blog. You are welcome over here. Would love to hear your thoughts on articles that you read over here.
Avani, what a great post!
I definitely can relate to a few things you shared.
great post and I’m glad you can relate! It is refreshing to read your blogs! ~Sharmila
‘You find you are good at something, you want to do more of it.’
I can’t seem to ‘not go overboard’ when I love things, and want to immerse myself in the passion of the moment! I am such a dreamer and creative person so if I get in a spell, I can be so dedicated and focused to a task that I won’t get up (to even eat lunch) until I’m there! Nothing else matters more to me!
The downfall is that I feel bad awhile later; I count it a worthy sacrifice! Maybe I shouldn’t.
You really got me thinking when you shared this part as well:
‘Why does it take the first sign of crack to stop us from doing what we are doing and start doing the right thing?’
I don’t know. I am not sure why it takes me getting out of balance to get back into balance. I wish I knew this. I can be out of focus or way on one side for no more than two days and then I am regrouping and prioritizing and getting it together again! I wish I could just learn to stay in harmony and balance properly in the first place! lol
Jen´s awesome post ..When the Ache Goes Away,..We Want to Remember..9-11-09
Jen, you and me seem similar in this department. I too go overboard in things I love. At times like these, mandating basic things in life is the only way I manage to keep things balanced and not harm some other area of my life.
Good stuff. Today I reminded myself that pushing my mind to new limits is the key to renewal.
J.D. Meier´s awesome post ..The Power of Patterns and Practices
JD, I agree. A mind not pushed becomes too dull and boring. There’s no fun in that.
I do like the idea of balance. Very good post. Take away is don’t take good things for granted.
Nilesh, am glad you liked the post. To not take good stuff for granted is a constant reminder we all need.
There’s an old saying: Balance is everything. In my experience in live I found this to be true. We should know when we’re having too much and we should be aware of our lack.
Walter´s awesome post ..Deciding point: conquering limitations
Walter, I agree. Balance is everything seems to be universally true. Nothing in extreme is good for you.
Balancing is important because it is during rest that the muscles build and repair. It sounds like you have a very sensible plan for running.
k
Kaushik | beyond-karma.com´s awesome post ..Days of Our Discontent — Finding Answers
Kaushik, the plan is great. I keep reading so many success stories with this plan, it’s encouraging and good to know that for so many people this plan made running possible.
Yes, our bodies are amazing, it pays to listen to them. I do try to push mine a bit but not too hard.
I don’t think I have ever worked it until I fell sick, no. Except maybe for freshman week antics in college when you had to go with the crowd and get up ridiculously early, do crazy things all day and yell in exuberance a lot. Not my cup of tea! But I was a sport.
I think when we snap because of irritation we are not living with a flow of balance in our lives and must learn to just be and allow. And make that a life practice.
I do feel a little stretched too thin these weeks, so am going to have to clamp down on “just saying no” to future projects. The new school year can be busy.
Another super post, thanks.
Jannie Funster´s awesome post ..It’s All Picnics And Cartwheels Until The Fire Ants Bite
Ah! Jannie, you are lucky. I can’t even count for times when I work myself sick. It’s as if I use my future energy to help me with current project. And once project is over, I feel the drain and strain and just want to sleep.
Hey Avni,
Great post and here’s a little something that not many people do but is a very simple step. Just as you may put an event or meeting into your calendar; why not close up a chunk of time as ‘me time’ and so nothing gets in the way of that. It’s a very simple technique and very effecitive in making sure you get rest.
Great Blog.
Amit Sodha – The Power Of Choice´s awesome post ..How To Let Go And Move On Quickly
Great site Avni. My first time here and well worth finding you.
Your post reminds me of how earlier this year I started training in Janaury for the London marathon. I did too much training too quickly and by early February had sore knees!
Of course I had over-trained and in the end needed physiotherapy and 4 weeks rest.
Rather than pulling out of the London marathon, I walked the whole way and finished in 7 hours 25 minutes:-)
I finally achieved one of my lifelong ambitions – now to run it one day!
Arvind Devalia´s awesome post ..Be Special to Find the Special One
Arvind, you are inspiring. Inspite of getting injured and needing physiotherapy, you chose to walk the entire marathon. That’s huge. A lot of people would have given up. I am sure you will soon achieve your ambition of running all the way. Am glad you found me.