Day 1: The Beginning

Good morning!
I just got back from the gym. I could easily be exercising outside, which someday I sure hope to do so, but I figured for this challenge or at least the beginning, that it'd be easier to start in a controlled environment. And it is the middle of July.

Today's plan was simple:

Walk 4 min, Run 1 min.

I only did that twice, and then went on the Elliptical trainer for another 10 minutes. While I feel disappointed in myself, I also feel proud that I did even that. I've been sitting on the couch for the majority of my life, so it's not like I'm going to be able to run a 5K all of a sudden. Slowly and surely, that will happen someday.

Today it was about testing the waters for me, and just getting started. The hardest part is always starting things. Now I have to keep going and continue to improve. It is such an improvement that I even made it out of my house today! And I'm proud of myself for doing something and starting this. These things take time, and by making the effort and commitment, I will be able to see how well it turned out on Day 100. Things can only go up from here.

What inspires me is to know that I had the choice this morning to stay in bed when the alarm went off and then to sit on the couch all day or I could go make something of myself. I chose the later, when most people I know would choose the former. And while there are so many people who do hours of exercise each day while I only managed to get in 20 minutes, I remind myself that those 20 minutes are a start, and that I need to build slowly; most people don't get in 1 minute of exercise a day, let alone twenty, so already I've achieved something.

For this challenge I am using the walk/run method, which many marathon runners use to train. There is tons of information out there about it. These are the sites that I've been using most often as sources:

About.com's Running expert Christine Luff 

Runner's World (Runner's World is also a magazine, and they have also come out with a book about beginning running, which I bought awhile ago for research and inspiration. It's worth the buy. Check it out. Runner's World Complete Book of Beginning Running)

Map My Run also has information about running, but is primarily a site full of maps to help you coordinate your route, giving you the precise distance of your run.

While I am not planning to change my diet this week, I am going to start looking around at different options and ways that I can change it gradually. Being a runner includes having an excellent nutrition, so it is something to look into and configure. My diet lately hasn't been much of anything since I haven't been real hungry, but it is something that I know I need to work on and get past. Food has always been an issue for me, so in part that's why I would like to take it slow and work towards it. However, just like running, it's not something that can happen magically. Rome wasn't built in a day.  And that is the whole point of my challenge. Slow and steady wins the race. I look at the entire picture and get overwhelmed and then when it doesn't happen automatically I get discouraged and give up. While it may not be fast and at the pace I'd quite like, I also have to be realistic during this process.
I can do this.  I will not give up.

Until tomorrow.