Tuesday, June 29. I have finished Week 4 & started Week 5. By the end of this week, I "should" be able to jog for 20 minutes straight. No walking!! Wowza! Tomorrow, I do two 8 minute intervals. And this is where I give thanks to my most awesome & super comfy running shoes.
Yes, a word about running shoes. I would feel horrid if I didn't mention them - the one piece of equipment necessary to running. OK, not necessary if you buy into the whole "running barefoot" business. If you do, then skip this part - you're braver than I am! I'll preface this by saying that I have flat feet (born that way) & a bad back (courtesy of a horse I got launched off of in 1993. My doctors gave their blessing to this endeavor as long as I got a "proper pair of shoes." What do I know about running shoes? Squat. What do I know about shopping? Plenty. Enter "Fleet Feet Sports" in West Hartford, CT. They were recommended by my marathon-running gym buddy. So, prepared to spend a million dollars, I went. The staff is SUPER nice. The girl who worked with me watched me walk around the store in my "normal" shoes (Converse All Stars, baby!) and then in a series of running shoes with all sorts of bizarro, Japanese sports car sounding names. She was prepared to make the run on their treadmill. Luckily, I avoided that! She never mentioned prices. Just watched me walk, gave me other pairs, asked me which ones felt best to me. We both agreed on the pair I bought. Asics. Cost? Just one Benjamin Franklin. Much less than I expected to pay. My feet don't hurt when I jog...neither does my back. Even if you're 100% healthy, find yourself a "Fleet Feet" type place & get the right shoes for YOU. It's important. Get over it.
Conclude PSA. This week, I chose an "anthem" for this C25k experience. Many will laugh. I don't care. It is Ricky Martin's "Cup of Life." I like the full Spanish "La Copa de la Vida" version, but the spanglish one is in my iPod. It's got a great Latin beat & inspiring lyrics, especially good for a slug like me. In an oddly timely coincidence, it was the official song of the 1998 World Cup. So there, scoffers. I will leave you with my favorite lyrics from my new "anthem" & promise a discussion of my C25k playlist next week.
Do you really want it?
The cup of life, this is the one. Now is the time, don't ever stop.
Push it along, gotta be strong. Push it along, right to the top
No one can hold you down if you really want it.
Just steal your destiny right from the hands of fate.
Reach for the cup of life 'cause your name is on it!
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Shoes are the most important item of clothing you own. Never put cheap shoes on them. (And cheap doesn't mean inexpensive.) You only have one set of feet. Take care of them. They have a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteBe good to your feet and your feet will be good to you.