A Heartfelt Thank You

Each year, as is the practice for many Christians, I make a sacrifice for Lent in an effort to bring myself closer to Christ and his ultimate sacrifice of love. Other than close family and a few friends, I tend to keep my Lenten resolutions to myself. This year, I have decided to share my personal journey with you.


A couple of months ago, Brad had a conversation with his mom regarding his brother. Brad and I have asked Bruce to do a lot of things for us over the past few years that are the direct result of some unfortunate decisions on our part. Mainly, we bought a house in one place, got jobs in another and then could not sell said house. Bruce has helped us maintain the property. From the conversation with his mom, Brad got the impression that Bruce felt like he was being used. Whether that is how Bruce feels or felt, I don't know, but it did get me thinking.


Bruce has been very helpful, someone that Brad and I appreciate having in our lives. I realized that our appreciation for him and sincere gratitude has not been adequately expressed. I decided then that I needed to send him a thank you card. And, more importantly, this would be a card from me, not "Brad and Tiffany."


The idea to send the thank you card came a few weeks before Lent. As Lent approached and I prayed on what I should "give up" or "take on," I decided that a Thank You project would be my Lenten resolution. Forty Thank Yous in Forty Days. In my lifetime, there are people that have made their impact - both great and small - and I want to express my gratitude for them. What better time to start than right now? The old saying of "why put off for tomorrow what could be done today" comes to mind.


As a part of my Lenten resolution, I am blogging about my experience. I want to share this with others for two reasons. Mainly, I want to publicly give thanks to all the individuals who have helped shape my life through their good deeds, talents, thoughtfulness and selflessness. The second reason is a little more altruistic. I am hoping that someone will read this and decide to thank someone that has affected their lives in a positive way. I have heard it said that "I'm sorry" and "I was wrong" are two of the hardest expressions to say; I would argue that "thank you" is on that list.


Let us take a moment to express our thanks and appreciation for the people in our lives. We wouldn't be where we are or who we are without them. And so, my project begins ...

Blogging not going so well

I had a feeling this would happen because I'm not so good on follow-through these days. I have grand ideas and then I just don't execute them. I'm the kind of person who has a ton of energy in the beginning of a project and then just twitter out because of a lack of patience.

Take rowing. When I rowed Crew, I much preferred the 2k sprint races than the longer 5k races. I think that's because I just get bored or distracted (or both) part way through and then I lose my concentration. After that, I start making mistakes and drifting off to other thoughts. It was really a test in my determination and focus to row 5k races. And I think that was good for me. I was determined to do my part as a part of the team, so I worked hard and really tried to keep my mind focused.

In life, I prefer sprints.

And that is why I need to challenge myself to do something that is more than a sprint. Sure, there are several things that make up my life now that are "marathon" - my marriage, my children and my bills - but those are things that just are. Just by living and existing, I'm doing those things. Ok, well paying my bills is something I have to work towards in some way through paying them. But just by having them, they will exist without any effort on my part.

Anyways, my thoughts were that training for a marathon run would be something long term that would take great effort and determination on my part. I know that it's a huge challenge because the idea of running for more than 10 minutes just bores me. But that's the idea, right? It's a challenge. It's not something I can start and be over with after an hour, a day, a week, etc. This will take months - probably a couple of years to do. ...Man, do I have that in me?

I did a 2 week boot camp at my gym. I loved it and it really challenged me. But after the first week of it, even that was boring me!! Why? Every day was something different that I knew would kick my butt! But, it bored me because it was a routine I was getting into. Wake up early, go to gym, come home, shower, go to work. And I knew every workout would be hard. There was nothing to shake it up.

...speaking of which, my gym is doing another boot camp this month. I want to do it, but they cost $130 for 2 weeks! In this economy and with the strains on our finances, that's a lot of money for 1 hour a day for 10 days of working out. I can't afford that! Especially not just after Christmas.

So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about my ambition to train for a marathon. Right now, it's on hold until I can get some other parts of my life in order.

Day 2, Tuesday November 11

It's Veterans' Day! And I started my day with a fitness Boot Camp at my gym. I walked about 15 minutes before the session began and then got my butt kicked! phew! The goal of the 45 minutes (give or take) was to keep moving and do 100 push-ups. I think I did 85-90 of the 100 push-ups. It's a start! And we did a lot of jogging - broken up by sets of 10 push-ups - so I count that towards my beginning runners plan.

According to the plan, today I was suppose to walk 30 minutes. Well, I got half of the walking in and some cardio ... so it's a compromise.

I have gotten a cold-type illness as a result of early morning and running last night in the cold, so that made my workout and my day generally blah. I have a sore throat and feel like the sides and back of my neck are swollen and congested. Hopefully, this does not last long and I am generally healthy for my 2 weeks of Boot Camp.

Day 1 Monday, Nov 10

It's Day One of my training regimine. And it went so-so. I was surprised after the third one-minute running segment how hard it is! I mean, one minute of running does not seem like much at all. But it was. The fourth and fifth minutes seemed easier, but they were also labored. I guess it goes to show how rough cardio has become for me over the past couple of years of a pretty sedentary lifestyle.

It was positive that I got out there. It was cold, right at sundown and I had my kids and babies with me. Because of the cold, I only did 5 or 6 of the 10 one-minute runs. Then, I spent about 10 minutes carrying an almost 30 pound toddler girl to the car. As Brad said, I got my weight lifting in. :-)

I may not have completed the task, but I got the first step done. And they say that getting started is the hardest part.

Running

I have officially entered the blogosphere. I have decided to start a blog to keep track of my (meager) attempt at many things in life. At the moment, that's running! Yes, running. No, I have not actually started running, but I have thought about starting a running routine. And that's the first step, right? I have even gone so far as to create an account on RunnersWorld.com and download their beginner's running plan. To hold myself accountable, track my progress and share with the world one woman's attempt to run, I have started this online journal.

So, the plan starts on a Monday. Today is Thursday. I will begin on Monday. But which Monday will that be? ;-) The goal is to begin this coming Monday, November 10. Right now, I have the motivation and the drive and I do believe I'll actually follow through. ...but we'll hold off on the "Go Me's" until I do it.

My ultimate goal in this attempt at running is to run a marathon. And maybe not an actual marathon. That would be cool. But I want to at least be able to run the length of a marathon at some point in my life. I know that my Dad participated in two marathons when he was younger and I have always admired that about him. Maybe, one day, we'll share that same "life accomplishment."

I know that I'm not going to run a marathon next month. Please, I'm starting from like -100 when it comes to running and running abilities. That is why I'm going to break it down. My first mini goal is to run a solid mile. ...and we'll go from there.

Below is the training schedule I will be following for the next two months. I will update each day with my time, running location, distance and any other interesting information from my running (or walking) experience. **Remember, this schedule is credited to RunnersWorld.com.

If you are a novice runner, like myself, feel free to comment and we can begin this journey together.


Week 1
"Sit as little as possible. Give no credence to any thought that was not born outdoors while moving about freely."
--Friedrich Nietzsche
Wk
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
Run & WalkRun 1 minWalk 2 minRepeat 10X
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 1 minWalk 2 minRepeat 10X
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 1 minWalk 2 minRepeat 10X
Run & WalkRun 1 minWalk 2 minRepeat 10X
Rest
Training tip: To fuel up for your workout, have a piece of fruit or an energy bar about 2 hours before you lace up your shoes. An hour later, drink 8 ounces of a sports drink. The drink will ensure that you are fully hydrated, and also that you have sufficient sodium and potassium for a healthy workout.

Week 2
"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."
--William Faulkner
Wk
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
2
Run & WalkRun 2 minWalk 1 minRepeat 10X
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 3 minWalk 1 minRepeat 7XRun 2 min
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 4 minWalk 1 minRepeat 6X
Run & WalkRun 4 minWalk 1 minRepeat 6X
Rest
Training tip: Always walk 2 to 3 minutes for a warmup before you begin your workout, and walk another 2 to 3 minutes as a cooldown afterward. Don't stretch before running. Save it for after your workout or in the evening while you're watching TV.

Week 3
"Obstacles are those frightening things that become visible when we take our eyes off our goals."
--Henry Ford
Wk
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
3
Run & WalkRun 5 minWalk 1 minRepeat 5X
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 5 minWalk 1 minRepeat 5X
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun6 minWalk 1 minRepeat 4XRun 2 min
Run & WalkRun 6 minWalk 1 minRepeat 4XRun 2 min
Rest
Training tip: Hold your arms comfortably at your sides while running, aiming for maximum relaxation. Bend them 90 degrees at the elbows, and move them forward and back at your waist. Bend your fingers into a relaxed grasp, and don't let your hands sway back and forth across the middle of your torso.


Week 4
"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
--Theodore Roosevelt
Wk
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
4
Run & WalkRun 8 minWalk 1 minRepeat 3XRun 3 min
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 9 minWalk 1 minRepeat 3X
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 10 minWalk 1 minRepeat 2XRun 8 min
Run & WalkRun 11 minWalk 1 minRepeat 2XRun 6 min
Rest
Training tip: In hot, sunny weather, wear sunscreen, sunglasses (to relax your facial muscles), and a visor or cap to keep the sun off your face. Expect to run slower in particularly hot, humid weather, and take more walking breaks as necessary. Run in the early morning or late evening if you can.

Week 5
"Sweat cleanses from the inside. It comes from places a shower will never reach."
--Dr. George Sheehan
Wk
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
5
Run & WalkRun 12 minWalk 1 minRepeat 2XRun 4 min
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 13 minWalk 1 minRepeat 2XRun 2 min
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 14 minWalk 1 minRepeat 2X
Run & WalkRun 15 minWalk 1 minRun 14 min
Rest
Training tip: On occasion, skip your running and walking workout and do a cross-training workout instead. Bike for 30 to 40 minutes, try the elliptical trainer in a gym, or join a circuit weight-training class. The break from running will refresh you, and you'll learn new skills while developing new muscles.

Week 6
"You can have anything you want, if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, if you hold that desire with singleness of purpose."
--Abraham Lincoln
Wk
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
6
Run & WalkRun 16 minWalk 1 minRun 13 min
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 17 minWalk 1 minRun 12 min
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 18 minWalk 1 minRun 11 min
Run & WalkRun 19 minWalk 1 minRun 10 min
Rest
Training tip: Running is a great way to build strong bones, but you also need plenty of calcium--1,000 milligrams a day, or 1,500 milligrams if you're over age 50. Drink a glass or two of low-fat milk per day, or enjoy a cup or two of low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese. Dark green, leafy vegetables are another great calcium source.


Week 7
"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."
--T.S. Eliot
Wk
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
7
Run & WalkRun 20 minWalk 1 minRun 9 min
Run & WalkRun 20 minWalk 1 minRun 9 min
Run & WalkRun 22 minWalk 1 minRun 7 min
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 24 minWalk 1 minRun 5 min
Run & WalkRun 26 minWalk 1 minRun 3 min
Rest
Training tip: Beginning runners often develop shin splints or sore knees. These pains should pass quickly if you treat them immediately with ice packs after your workouts. Put a bag of frozen peas on your shins or knees for 15 minutes. If the pain persists, take several days off before beginning your training program again.

Week 8
"One cannot consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."
--Helen Keller
Wk
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
8
Run & WalkRun 27 minWalk 1 minRun 2 min
WalkRun 20 minWalk 1 minRun 9 min
Run & WalkRun 28 minWalk 1 minRun 1 min
WalkWalk easy 30 min
Run & WalkRun 29 minWalk 1 min
Run & WalkRun 30 min
Rest
Training tip: For clean air and healthy lungs, try not to do your workouts at the side of a busy street or during rush-hour traffic. Find low-traffic streets where any exhaust will be dispersed quickly. Even better, as often as possible, try to run in greenbelts--in parks, on bike trails, around reservoirs, and the like.Success may come quickly to you as a beginning runner, but the race is never won. Run for life.