New Blogger!

New blogger here!

Name's Christena (That's pronounced Christina)

Just a little about me:  24 year old Canadian, with a gluten intolerance, who with the barest of details works a desk job.

Back story to jogging:

Desk job.  Sit for 8ish odd hours a day at a desk.  Go home and sit.  Sleep.  And rinse and repeat.

I decided to try jogging in May (2012), all my previous exercise attempts after acquiring said desk job(s) have more of less failed (the gym and I are not good friends).   The point of exercise is obviously to be healthy and fit (and you know, get in shape and look good and all that jazz too if that's an angle you're looking at as well), there are so many different options = that it really comes down to finding something you like, enjoy and works for you. 

So far for me, that has been jogging. 

I joined a learn to run clinic (its set up to get you ready to run 5km) offered at a local running club - I dragged along one of my cousins because I was too intimidated to go by myself.  As far as I can tell the learn to run clinic is set up the same way as the couch to 5k just with a different name (marketing!). 

It was a 10 week clinic, we met 3 times per week and ran/walked.  The clinic is set up that you have to run 3 times per week otherwise you just aren't going to be where you should be at the end. Each week you run a little more.  The first week was 1 and 2's X7 (which is code for running 1 minute, walking 2 minutes a total of 7 times.  Every week the running would increase and then walk a minute, a certain number of times.  The clinic was based off a 20 minute session.  Meaning by the end of the clinic (week 10) we were running for a total of 20 minutes. 

As a part of the clinic (that I had to pay for) one evening a week we met and prior to our run our instructors would talk, or have some sort of professional talk to us about different things important to running, such as: safety, clothing, shoes, stretching.

I suffer from shin splints when I run.  As in, say every swear word I know shin splints.  If it wasn't for this clinic I would have quit running.  Also, I have learned that I do much much better running in a group than on my own (they keep me motivated).  Everyone has a different running style, and some people run better/prefer on their own.  I am not one of those people.  Maybe at some point I will want to run more on my own, but right now I focus more on the runs with the group.

(I should possibly also point out that the running club offers two free runs per week to who ever shows up in town).     

In July (2012) I ran my first 5km race (google tells me this is 3.1 miles).   Except really, I ran 2.5km and walked the rest.  Shin splints are the worst thing ever.  But I did it.  I showed up and I finished the 5km - I could of quit but I didn't.  At the end of the day its a bigger deal to me to show up and do what I set out to do (this race, running) than how fast I did it or anything else.  I mean, I could be sitting at home doing nothing!

I rejoined the learn to run clinic when it ended in July.  I needed to build up my endurance before I set any other running goals for myself.  And like I said - shin splints.  I'm constantly battling to remember to stretch every day for those.   The clinic just finished this week.  For the most, part the club has it set up so that at the end of each clinic there is some kind of race happening.  It isn't mandatory to join a race just because you did the clinic (money!) but the races are a good incentive to stick with the clinics and see the progress you have made.

On Sunday (Sept.30/12) I am going to be running in a Run for the Cure (this one is for breast cancer).  It is marketed as a fun run, so you aren't being timed.  You have to keep track of that yourself - if that is your thing.  You can run or walk 5km or run or walk 1km.  I am going to be attempting to run the full 5km (again, google tells me this is 3.1 miles). 

I will make another post after the race!