My weight has inched up by almost 20 pounds since I first became pregnant with C. in 2006. Having a baby by c-section at age 39 really did a number on my body. Plus, there is no denying that I am getting to the age where I have to make some decisions about what’s going to happen to my health and my body over the next few decades. I can no longer skate by on generally good genes and the random, blessed luck of good health. Changes are coming to my body as I hit middle age. I can feel them, and at this stage of my life, I’ve watched enough friends and family members precede me into the second half of life that I know I what choices I face. My intent is to choose a healthy heart and strong bones. And frankly, I want to be free of these 20 extra pounds around my middle. I like cute clothes, and very few of mine fit at the moment.
I have been using the excuse that we might have another baby to put off deciding how I will proceed with getting into shape. But now I know that we may not, and even if I do go through another pregnancy, I have to start making a commitment to regular exercise. I can’t keep delaying. It’s just plain stupid and irresponsible of me. Plus, have I mentioned that my husband is 12 years younger than I am? Yeah. There’s that.
I could join a gym or yoga studio, but I hate to spend the money when I am not sure I would ever go. We already bought an elliptical machine that I hate using – I hardly ever set foot on the thing. My favorite thing to do – riding horses – simply isn’t a practical regular activity for me at this juncture. The result of all this excuse-making? I continue to do nothing.
So I am thinking about trying running. It’s simple. It’s free (except for shoes), and it obviously offers great, rapid results. I even have a greenway that snakes through my neighborhood. Perfect for running. I have tried running a few times in the past – mostly when I was in my twenties – and I almost immediately suffered from terrible shin splints every time I gave it a go. I am nervous about that.
My grandmother took up running at about age 60 after a lifetime of being completely non-athletic. She quickly dropped at least 35 pounds she had been carrying around for decades, and re-revealed the tiny, lithe body she had had as a very young woman, before becoming a mother. Surprising everyone who knew her, she became a real runner – entering and winning races, and continuing to jog around town into her late 70s. After that, she kept walking until her body gave completely out.
So yeah, I am thinking about giving running another go. Because really, I do have to start doing something.
If the shin splints still bother you, you could try biking instead – not as jarring.
walking at a fast clip (3 miles an hour or more) is great cardio exercise and usually won't cause splints. Get some darned good shoes that you use only for exercise so they last longer.
the last comment was from becky mom of willie.
Yes! I agree with Becky that brisk walking will put you at a much lower risk for injury. If you've started and stopping running several times, it may just be that you don't like running–and if you don't enjoy a particular form of exercise, it's much less likely that you'll keep it up. Race walking (sometimes spelled as one word: racewalking) is a great way to burn calories and firm up. See http://www.racewalk.com/defaultRW.asp and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racewalking for starters. I can tell you from experience that if your elbows flap out like chicken wings while you're doing it, then you're doing it wrong!
I recently got back into running after doing it on and off over the past several years (but never truly consistently). I could never do more than a 5k and even that was sometimes a challenge. The solution? My cousin got me into run-walking. We jog for 5 minutes then walk for 2. She did a half-marathon that way last summer (and it turns out that there are several running schools of thought that advocate the run/walk). We started out doing 4/2s and moved up to 5/2s – obviously you can change it up however you want. I am now able to run for longer, and further and am training for a half-marathon this spring. As for the shin splints, it could also be your shoes and/or not warming up enough. I get terrible calf tightness in the wrong shoes. Anyway – good luck – your story about your grandmother is inspirational and I hope my running peels off some unwanted pounds for me!
Katie,
I have been running fairly consistently since I was about 13 (yikes, that is almost 30 years). Fortunately, except for the hard-training years of high school track and cross country, I've been almost completely injury free. (Dog bite doesn't count). I think the big secret to my "success" is proper fitting shoes and avoiding cement surfaces. Sidewalks are really hard and jarring; especially for someone prone to shinsplints. If you can, run on trails or grass or your local track if it is rubberized. Mix it up with biking or swimming too. Don't feel like you have to train for a marathon. I've been very happy with the fitness levels I've been able to maintain just by running 3 or 4 miles 5 times a week. As an added bonus, I feel more mentally alert when I'm running consistently and I don't have to feel guilty about a scoop of Ben & Jerry's. You can do it, Katie!! You'll love the results and you'll feel so proud when the nurse takes your blood pressure and says, "Oh, you must be a runner!"