Don't Die With The Music In You
So there I was, running away on the treadmill (7.5k this morning, faster than I've ever run that far too), and the New Radicals came on my iPod, you get what you give. One of the lines in this song is very similar to the title of a book by Aussie rugby coach Wayne Bennett, "Don't Die With The Music In You". So I've kind of picked that idea up and run with it. Or at least jogged a little.
Two thoughts came to mind. The first is something I was musing about briefly in yesterday's monster one year review post. I spent 26 years (well, not all of them, but lets say 8 since I turned 18 then) half wanting to exercise, but being afraid of failure. Other people waste their gym memberships, and so would I. Other people yo-yo diet, and so would I. There is no point losing weight because I'll put it back on. Of course, I'd never tried, but I was accepting failure as inevitable, based on other people. I didn't know what abilities I had, what my motivation was like, whether I'd stick to it. I suppose, in a way, I still don't know whether I'll fall off the wagon in a month, a year or a decade's time. But I at least owe it to myself to give it a try. Imagine realising that I'd been able to lose weight this easily (relatively speaking, it's not easy, but far easier than I expected) only when it was too late to do anything about it. That would be worse than trying and failing. At least if I fail, I know I've tried, and that I've done all I can to do this for myself.
The second thought relates to all the other things that some people think they can't do because they're overweight. I know I'm partially guilty of this one myself, with my wetsuit fear that has so far stopped me taking advantage of all that free scuba diving I have access to. But really, subject to any genuine health or safety concerns (no point bungee jumping if there isn't a rope that won't snap…), why wait? If you can physically do it, why not just do it? Sure, you might look a little silly, or some idiots might comment, but why should that stop you doing something you've dreamed about. If you want to swim with a dolphin, do you think it cares if your swimming costume bulges a little? If you want to do something but are put off by the fear that maybe you can't, that they don't have equipment big or strong enough, why not ask? I'm as guilty of this as the next person, but I've finally realised that you can only regret things you've wanted to do but haven't done, not the things you have, no matter how big a fool you looked.
Maybe the fact that there are (or at least were, hopefully there are no more) people born and bred in this city who were prepared to blow themselves, and their surrounding passengers, to bits in the name of hate has rubbed in the fact that there's no point waiting for tomorrow to do things if there's a chance that tomorrow will never come.
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A quick update on the 10k training. Having temporarily ditched my new trainers because I got a horrible blister on my right foot when I ran 6k in them on Saturday, I'm back in my old ones, which rub my left toes. They felt far better, probably just because they've been worn in, and I ran 7.5k in them this morning, as I felt like I needed a long run after a couple of days trying to wear the new trainers in without running very far in them. It's looking promising for the 10k. What I did this time that I didn't do before the 5k was carry on at my current 5k treadmill pace after I got to 5k - before I was slowing down a lot for anything above 5k and using it almost as an extended cool down before getting into the proper cooldown programme. Today I ran the first 6k at the same pace, and the extra 1.5k a little slower, but still faster than I was running the extra before. If that makes sense. It felt good, despite the remnants of the blister, so I might try switching my trainers again next time I run while still trying to wear in the new ones on non running days.
Two thoughts came to mind. The first is something I was musing about briefly in yesterday's monster one year review post. I spent 26 years (well, not all of them, but lets say 8 since I turned 18 then) half wanting to exercise, but being afraid of failure. Other people waste their gym memberships, and so would I. Other people yo-yo diet, and so would I. There is no point losing weight because I'll put it back on. Of course, I'd never tried, but I was accepting failure as inevitable, based on other people. I didn't know what abilities I had, what my motivation was like, whether I'd stick to it. I suppose, in a way, I still don't know whether I'll fall off the wagon in a month, a year or a decade's time. But I at least owe it to myself to give it a try. Imagine realising that I'd been able to lose weight this easily (relatively speaking, it's not easy, but far easier than I expected) only when it was too late to do anything about it. That would be worse than trying and failing. At least if I fail, I know I've tried, and that I've done all I can to do this for myself.
The second thought relates to all the other things that some people think they can't do because they're overweight. I know I'm partially guilty of this one myself, with my wetsuit fear that has so far stopped me taking advantage of all that free scuba diving I have access to. But really, subject to any genuine health or safety concerns (no point bungee jumping if there isn't a rope that won't snap…), why wait? If you can physically do it, why not just do it? Sure, you might look a little silly, or some idiots might comment, but why should that stop you doing something you've dreamed about. If you want to swim with a dolphin, do you think it cares if your swimming costume bulges a little? If you want to do something but are put off by the fear that maybe you can't, that they don't have equipment big or strong enough, why not ask? I'm as guilty of this as the next person, but I've finally realised that you can only regret things you've wanted to do but haven't done, not the things you have, no matter how big a fool you looked.
Maybe the fact that there are (or at least were, hopefully there are no more) people born and bred in this city who were prepared to blow themselves, and their surrounding passengers, to bits in the name of hate has rubbed in the fact that there's no point waiting for tomorrow to do things if there's a chance that tomorrow will never come.
-------------------------
A quick update on the 10k training. Having temporarily ditched my new trainers because I got a horrible blister on my right foot when I ran 6k in them on Saturday, I'm back in my old ones, which rub my left toes. They felt far better, probably just because they've been worn in, and I ran 7.5k in them this morning, as I felt like I needed a long run after a couple of days trying to wear the new trainers in without running very far in them. It's looking promising for the 10k. What I did this time that I didn't do before the 5k was carry on at my current 5k treadmill pace after I got to 5k - before I was slowing down a lot for anything above 5k and using it almost as an extended cool down before getting into the proper cooldown programme. Today I ran the first 6k at the same pace, and the extra 1.5k a little slower, but still faster than I was running the extra before. If that makes sense. It felt good, despite the remnants of the blister, so I might try switching my trainers again next time I run while still trying to wear in the new ones on non running days.
posted by YP at 10:56 PM
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