RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
As we grow older, two things are certain: The quest for vanity morphs into a perpetual pursuit to evade obesity. And, a mission to maintain a good quality of life, by staying healthy.
EASY LAUNCH:
Let me start you off easy. When you wake up tomorrow, make yourself a shot of coffee, drink a big glass of water, strap on those running shoes, and just head out. Do not hesitate for a second, just head out.
Step one completed successfully!
WEEK ONE — TWO:
If you are a complete beginner, your first goal is to do an easy one mile. Go around the block. If you have a smart watch, even better, so you can keep track of your miles. But remember, this is about running, not walking; not even about brisk walking. So, start running. Slowly! Think of it as a jog, but just a bit faster than jogging in place.
Yes, you can slow down and walk as many times as you want, then start running. It is normal, in the beginning, to slow down and walk more than ten times, within that one-mile track.
Keep this up for two weeks.
WEEK THREE — FOUR:
Running for two miles is your next mission (slowing down and walking momentarily, as many times as you want). This is when you start mapping out your route. When you go more than two miles, many of you will notice that you might have to go around and around in circles. See if you can be creative and go just a bit outside of your immediate community. In South Florida, where I live, there are many communities, especially by the beach, where you can go around, and still not complete five miles! But in smaller communities, be creative.
WEEK FIVE — SIX:
This is it. Your next goal is running 3.1 miles. 3.1 because that’s 5k! 5k is significant because a lot of marathons start at that entry level. You are now an athlete! Don’t worry if you can’t run continuously the whole gambit. You are still expected to walk/run.
CAUTION:
I hate to ruin our smooth ride here, but you do know that if you have a medical condition, you need to very carefully monitor your health, and not to overexert, right? RIGHT? The reason I make a big fuss about this is because I am a heart patient. And for that reason, I monitor my heart rate very carefully. Of course, you must be aware of your limitations, and proceed thusly. By the way, here is the calculation to estimate your maximum heart rate:
HINT: Do not exceed 80% to 85% of your maximum heart rate.
According to the famed Mayo Clinic, start by subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you’re 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum heart rate of 175. This is the average maximum number of times your heart should beat per minute during exercise. So, 80% of that is 140 beats per minute.
BEYOND WEEK SIX:
It’s all great news from here on. By now you are so used to the routine that you are an old hat. The trick is to do this daily! In the seven-day week, you will certainly face some trials with your schedule. So, by making a seven-day routine, you are sure to complete five of the days.
Are you thinking that we are done? Come on now, it can’t be that easy. There is a lot more to this. Fundamentally, we are done here, but in order to make this endeavor a success, lets dive into some more details.
STRETCH:
Too much has been made of the stretches. There are hundreds of videos on it; each more complex than the other. Just do some simple stretches for like five minutes, and then start running.
The pre & post-run stretches.
Here are three that I practice:
1) Knee/Thigh Stretch: Grab the front of your foot and slowly pull back to your buttocks. Hold it for ten seconds. Repeat for each leg.
2) Hamstring/Calf Stretch: Extend one leg out, with the heel on the floor, and toes up, and slowly put a little pressure on the calves. Repeat for each leg.
3) Toe Touching Stretch: Stand straight, then while keeping your knees slightly bent, slowly reach out to touch your toes with your fingers (you have done this before, right)?
KNEES:
Even if you are in your upper twenties, you might experience some knee issues. Before running to get a knee surgery, try the knee compression trick. Buy a pair of knee compression wraps. I use the UFlex Athletics Knee Compression, available for under $20. Avoid the ones that you must wrap with a Velcro; I have found those to be uncomfortable to wear. The compression wraps are great, so you can wear them for a few days, then just throw them in the laundry. And they are as good as new again!
GEAR:
Good news. Running gear is cheap.
Shorts: I use the Champion Men’s Mesh Shorts, which is less then $15.
Shirt: I use the Augusta brand shirt, made with moisture wicking material; under $15.
Socks: I use the Reebok low cut performance socks; around $25 for eight.
Shoes: Be careful here. Use running shoes. Not tennis… Not hiking… Not dress sneakers… But running shoes. They are inexpensive and light. I use a basic version of New Balance, costing less than $75.
FAMILY TIME:
Want to ensure success? Involve family or friends. If you have kids (not too young obviously), it will be well worth the one less hour of sleep, if you want to get your health engines started, before school (or work). Physical activity will be a part of the family routine.
In conclusion, just like anything worth doing, you will have challenges. You will experience aches and pains. You will have scheduling conflicts. You will suffer through days of unmotivating melancholy. Fear nothing. Fight through them. When I was researching this article, I ran the title, “Run for Your Life” by my son. He said, “I don’t like it, it looks like something is after you”. Yes, my son, something is after us. The temporal linear march of Life. But we can make it into a good thing. If you are not healthy, and seek to achieve your ideal weight, this is it. And if you are healthy, do not take your health for granted. Life will overtake you; take the fight to it. Run for your life!
Shaun Ajani, author, has over a decade of consulting experience for fortune fifty companies, such as Motorola, Washington Mutual, and ABN AMRO. He has written many books and articles on business theories & global change, and has appeared in all the major television networks to discuss his business theories and the foundation. His background is in Business Analysis & Aviation; specializing in Gap & Regression Analysis, in Project Governance. Shaun is certified in Contract Law and Project Management, and holds a business degree from University of Houston. Shaun served as the Regional Communications & Media volunteer for the Aga Khan Foundation for ten years. Shaun lives with his family in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area.
