A lot of my patients run. For exercise. On purpose. I've never really understood why. Personally, my policy has always been to only run when being chased. I've always thought there were really only two kinds of people on this earth; normal people and people who run. Humor is a great cover if you're in denial. Truth is... I don't run. Because I can't. There, I said it. I can't run.
For as long as I can remember, I've hated running. Hated it. The leg cramps, the crippling side-stitch, the searing lung pain. I just didn't get why anyone would inflict such pain upon themselves. Sure, I was always able to sprint short distances fairly well. I've always been pretty active and played sports, but the long distance running thing just didn't work form me. I figured I just didn't have a "runner's physique". Whatever that is.
Over the past 20 years of practice I've dealt with a lot of athletes. Soccer players, football players, volleyball players, weight lifters, cyclists, swimmers, and of course, runners. In many cases I find it clinically necessary to have a patient rest while they heal, then slowly ease back into their workout. Normal people accept this and comply. People who run, don't. They either laugh at me or just look at me like I'm one of those horrible people who steals money from sweet little old ladies. I do have to admit that I've always admired their dedication. I'll even admit that maybe I'm a little jealous of their mysterious abilities. And I concede that I've always secretly wanted to run, I just couldn't get past that whole pain thing.
Evidently there are 2 schools of thought in training a beginning runner. Either suck it up and run through the pain - which studies have shown that 99.99999999999999999% of people who try this approach quit after 1 day - or, slowly break-in your legs, your lungs, and your liver in a less side-stitch inducing manner. Makes sense to me, but how? This is where the Couch-to-5k program comes in. A patient recently told me about it and I looked it up online at C25k.com. It was developed in the 90's by avid runner Josh Clark. I found several running websites, including coolrunning.com, where the system is recommended and over and over read stories of people like me who hated running that were now able run 30 minutes at a time without stopping or walking. In 9 weeks no less! Besides the websites, there are even iPhone Apps to keep track of times and progress. I'm using one called "Get Running" that incorporates the C25k training regimen into an easy-to-use interface that allows me to listen to my own music while it keeps track of my time. At the correct intervals a voice-over tells me when to walk or run. It also tells me when I'm at the half-way point so I can turn around. Very cool. Of course, you can do it without the App, you'll just need a stopwatch to time your intervals.
So here's my challenge to you. It's January, the perfect time to start an exercise program. If you're like me and hate running it's time to overcome. Get off the couch and do it! I'll be giving updates on my blog and would love to have you join me in my quest to actually enjoy running. Feel free to leave comments and give updates of your progress.
Let's make it an epic year together!
