Surgery to 5K

About a year and half ago I read an article about a workout program that helped people who were non-athletes train to run a 5K race (just over 3 miles).  It’s starts with walking for 30 minutes a day, three times a week.  Then each week you add running/jogging to the 30 minutes and decrease the walking time.  The plan I was working on started with 60 second intervals of jogging 3 times in the 30 minutes and then went up from there gradually over several weeks.  I did get so I was doing what my sister calls “Wogging” a fairly slow jog that to some might appear as walking.  In October 2011,  I completed my first official 5K race in just less than 50 minutes.  Over the next few months I completed 2 more in about the same finish time. 

While I was training I was posting my struggles and success in this endeavor on facebook.  Many people stated they were encouraged by me, proud of me, jealous of me.  Some asked me how I stayed motivated.  In the end my answer was that I had always that I had assumed I would quit before I actually accomplished completing a 5K.  In the end I stopped running.  When I look at why I stopped, it wasn’t that it got too hard or that I didn’t like it anymore, it was that I was frustrated at not being able to better my time, I was feeling trapped by my body and its inability to progress to what I considered an acceptable 5K time. 

Fast forward to today, I am a few weeks post weight loss surgery and in my mind I want to start running again, I want to become a true runner, not the fat girl wogging down the street that people think “wow good for you fat girl”.  I just want to be seen as a runner, not the fastest but not the last one to cross the finish and not the one who everyone screams you can do it…because they are afraid you’ll quit.

I am not allowed to do strenuous activity for 60 days post surgery and a week ago I decided to see if I could walk a mile.  I did it but it took every bit of energy I could muster.  This was a little disappointing for me because pre-surgery I could walk 2 miles fairly easily. The logical, educated part of my brain knows that I had surgery, that my body is adjusting to the significant change in the food volume I am eating, that I am losing weight rapidly and this changes my stamina.  The driven, goal focused part of my brain however is frustrated….

So stay tuned I hope in February to start training again and by spring to have a 5 K lined up to run.  I’ll let you know how it goes…this will happen folks…you can count on it.