My New Goal

As an Occupational Therapist, I set goals for the clients that I work with everyday.  I set long term and short term goals.  I know that goals need to be measurable, functioncal and achieveable.  I have been thinking about setting a goal for myself for awhile now. The thing about a goal, is that you need to set it and then work towards it, but you also need to be MOTIVATED to accomplish the goal.

Long Term Goal: 

I will run a 5k by the end of August 2011.

Short Term Goals:

1.  I will find a running plan that I want to try, by June.-Goal Met
2.  I will by new shoes before I start running.-Goal Met
3.  I will start the running plan by June.-Goal Met
etc, etc,

I found the running plan, Couch to 5k.  I did that for three days this spring on the treadmill and then life got in the way.  This past week, I found a running plan that gets you prepared for a 5k in three weeks.  I thought that I should start this plan sometime this week. 

I started running tonight. I was prepared to following the first week of The Plan and within the first 10 minutes of The Plan, I decided that The Plan SUCKED!  I guess the plan didn't suck, I am out of shape.  So I adapted The Plan, this is something that we as OT's do a LOT of-adaptation.  I adapted The Plan to walking quickly for 5 minutes then running/jogging for 5 minutes for 45 minutes.  There were many things "running" through my mind while I was running.  For every negative thought, I tried to come up with a more positive one......

-  It's really not easy pushing a stroller while you are running.
+ I get to spend some quality time with my son.
-  My "saddlebags" are sore.
+ One day I will have smaller thighs.
-  This really sucks!
+  If I can run to the end of the street, I can walk.
-  It's really hard for me to breathe right now.
+ I am getting an arm workout in, while pushing this darn stroller.
-  I haven't actually ran in about 14 years, darn I am old.
+ If I keep this up, one day I will be in a size 8 again!

It pretty much went like this for 45 minutes!  It was a very LONG 45 minutes.  We finally got back home and released E out of his stroller.  I had to walk for a few more minutes to cool down, so I walked while E ran on the grass.  It really is amazing, how much that boy picks up and remembers.  While he was running, he made sure that he was breathing VERY heavy with his mouth open (just like mom), he had to "spit" a few times-because he had "eaten" some bugs (just like mom).  It brought a smile to my face through the dripping sweat.

Once we got back into the house, I told E that we need to stretch.  He decided that I needed some music while I stretched.  I think that this is something that they do at daycare.

He pulled out all of his musical instruments including his whistles, drums and turkey calls.  Yep, turkey calls!  It was a good way to end my first run following "The Plan."  I am already thinking when I can run again.  You know, it takes doing something for 6 weeks to make it a habit (or someting like that) and I am planning to run The Shawn Silvera Memorial 5k in August, so I guess I need to get going!