I cannot believe this but I’ve started exercising on my own.
My boss, who is an exercise freak, told me that running was the best way to get into shape. So I tried running…but it was SO BORING! Oh, and also very tiring. So I looked into running. And a certain website suggested that beginners start by running 5 minutes and walking 5 minutes and so on to get used to running. This sounded easier so that’s what I’ve been doing. And it’s been GREAT!!!
I get to run for exercise and fast walk while exploring different parts of my city! This regime is perfect for me. I’m going to try to fit in 3 to 4 runs/walks a week and taking pictures every time to motivate myself (i.e. pressure myself to keep up the run/walk). So far so good.
We’ll see how long this lasts 😀
Kaori Square Feet 
Now I know two women who run with the wolves: you and Lina, and you both like pink tekkies (sneakers)!
PS: You know the book “Women who run with the wolves”? If you do, you may clobber me. If you don't, link here.
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Running is fun if you have a good reason. I do it to see how the neighbourhood changes. My old course was not fun as nothing changed. I now run across Sky Tree once a week and I get to see it… not change but at least I can see it.
Oh, the 5 on 5 off is a good start. Once you are into the Lina miles, as Ru knows, you'll be looking at better running shoes, maybe better clothes if necessary, and then looking at marathons/half marathons. I won't though. I'm happy with shorter runs.
PS: Did your fingers magically change colour in the last pic? 😀
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Ha! Dru got it. I kept wondering if you were counting out the number of times you had gone run-walking, and the light was too bright to see the colors clearly in 1, 2, and 3.
I havent run in a long time (other than chasing down a negligent paper-delivery person one morning a few weeks ago. “You forgot my paper.” [I must have my NY Times Crossword]). The thing that was interesting/fun about running from my ancient days was getting a second wind. Once on a beach I started running as fast as I could, really running full blast, outrunning even the wind. It was when I was zig-zag-dodging and leaping over tide-exposed boulders near the waves that I twisted my knee and foolishly kept running. After 30 years sometimes I think it might be getting better. Running? I’m out. Now walking! That’s the best. During a period of unemployment I learned the best way to lose weight: Eat one meal a day and walk for hours. For losing weight that is better than out-and-out completely fasting for days. I have never been able to lose weight by not eating for 5 to 10 days. The weight just comes right back.
Because you are a dancer I wondered if one of these dancercise-ish classes would appeal to you (and/or your pocketbook). If that page is up to date it looks not inconvenient. They have (or had) Hula Hula, Baila Baila, Jelly Belly, and maybe Zumba, among others.
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No, I've never read that book! It looks like an I-am-woman-hear-me-roar type of book…may have to find a copy now ;D
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To see how the neighborhood changes is a great way to enjoy running! I remember hearing from Ru of two sharing a love for the Skytree!
I don't think I will ever be into the Lina miles! I think I'll stick to my 5 on 5 off runs 😉
PPS: You noticed! I did my nails after run #3. hehe.
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Oh, you noticed too! I did my nails after run #3 before the weekend!
I never ran very often either, mostly because I used to be anemic. But now that I'm taking iron, it gives me enough energy to run a bit! I love the feel of the wind while I'm running…but not enough to tolerate being out of breath. So the run 5 walk 5 routine works really well for me 🙂
Have you really fasted for 5 days? I've never been able to fast for even a day…unless I'm asleep. haha.
PS: I thought I'd try out the studio programs at my gym but never got around to it. Figuring out the days of the week and times of the classes was apparently too much for me! But sometimes I do practice hula at home…more for relaxation than exercise though 🙂
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Yup. We love Sky Tree. I was taking photos of it early this evening. I need to put them up soon.
Don't underestimate yourself. When I started running, I was running for only 3 minutes at a time. Really quickly, but very short. I then did 1 km, and then extended it to 2. Then 3. All the way to my regular 5. You never know.
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Oh, so that was a countdown as well as a kind of beautiful peacock tail unfurling. I see that both index finger and pinky got a lavender treatment to bookend your fingers. Now I’m curious about your right hand. Did you do the right index and pinky in yellow to give your hands a kind of complimentary color scheme (opposite colors; i.e. red/green; orange/blue; yellow/purple. Hmm, I wonder what the opposite color of clear would be. It would have to be completely unrelated to color. Something like FISH. Just rambling.)? Oh, but I haven’t seen your thumb yet.
The weird thing about running is that if you go long enough (not so terribly long actually, as I remember) you stop being out of breath: Second wind they call it.
Now that you are taking supplements for your anemia do you run while listening to heavy metal music? Something like Iron Maiden? (Just badly joking here. My apologies). That must be great to have energy at hand you didn’t have as much of before.
Fasting five days isn’t so difficult. After two days the hunger fades so the main problem turns into boredom and the desire to eat not so much because of stomach rumbling but because eating is such a pleasurable and long-held habit. Humans can live upwards of 60 days without food so such short fasts aren’t exactly life threatening. If you are interested in fasting, for you, I would recommend just jumping in and going cold turkey. Wait. That really isn’t fasting, is it? Lucky for you.
But why fast at all? You could be asking. The first time I fasted I was so ill that I had a high-enough fever to hallucinate: 105º F (41º C). I remembered that old wive’s tale of medical advice: “Feed a cold and starve a fever.” And I thought there might be something to that. With such a high fever I didn’t think my body really needed a whole lot of food to process. So I started to subsist on nothing but boiled water. After five days I began to pee black and decided to end the fast. That has never happened again. Even after my single ten-day fast I didn’t pee black. Some people say that our body’s cells use fasting as a time to “dump out the trash.” That is, our cells naturally produce waste products but if the cells are constantly busy taking in nutrients and whatever, and producing energy and whatnot, they can’t properly attend to the “trash” waste products that build up in our cells. Other people disagree with this and say that our cells are fully capable of “trash disposal” fasting or not. I don’t know.
Humans in our long ago primeval history surely went through periods of little or no food regularly. Good or bad, having no food is something we no doubt have systems to deal with. For example, toward the end of the ten-day fast I started to get an increase of energy that was surprising to me. Then I realized it could be a survival mechanism that would enable a starving creature to get out and track down or wrestle down some food.
So is fasting beneficial? I suspect the jury is still out on that, but it likely wouldn’t hurt if “done properly.” So, what the heck, I think once in a blue moon, why not?
So, I hope you find a method you enjoy to stay fit, and watch your step. No twisting of knees allowed.
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Dru, I think you may be right! Yesterday I ran/walked 6km (I usually only do 4-5km) without realizing it! I felt fabulous and found a coffee shop that I've put on my to-visit list 😀
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And next year you'll be doing a half marathon. 🙂 j/k. That might be too much for some.
Glad it is enjoyable.
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Oh my thumb! It's actually multicolored…you'll see it soon, I think 😀
I've heard of second wind, though never experienced it myself. Also have heard of runner's high…I wonder if that's the same thing? But I think what you're saying about the survival mechanism makes sense. Our bodies as so amazing and complex. But I am the type that eats 5 five times a day so I'm not going to try that anytime soon 😀
Take care of your knees too, Tall Gary!
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We'll have to see how this all goes! ;D
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