The Tuesday Night Running Group

I've been on this "I want to run" kick lately.   I found a post on kijiji about a running group that is free, and it meets at 8:30pm on Tuesdays.   Which is pretty much the perfect time for me.  I can get the kids to bed, or at least 2 of 3, and then go.  Which leaves Harold with just one bedtime, and then some free time for himself (assuming that the last bedtime goes well, and also that the other two stay in bed...it's a gamble).    I found the add, and messaged her, and BAM!  the first night was starting just a couple of days later!  I made it on time for the first meet up!   The timing was really kind of perfect.  I'm so happy that it worked out this way.

The first session was last night.  I was pretty nervous.  I've done a "learn to run"f before (years ago) and it felt hard, and it progressed much faster than I could progress.  This was great!    We did a 5 minute walk to warm up, and then we did 8x (1min run, 2 min walk).   It was perfect.  I was tired by the end, but I could have squeezed out a bit more.  My tummy was getting tired near the end though, and I don't think I'd have been able to do much more while keeping my tummy tight.  I kept trying to remind myself "tummy tight".

Now the best part.  Before we started, we were talking about our history and telling Chrystal our running background/history/lackthereof, and I thought I should tell her about my diastasis.  I was a little hesitant.  I've really not met many people who know about it, and if they do, they don't think it can be helped.   I said (and I hope it wasn't insulting.... I just really didn't expect that she'd have a background in this) "I'm not sure if you know a lot about diastasis?"  AND SHE DID!!!   Then words are flying around like "transverse" "holds you together" "no crunches" "bellybutton in" "tummy tight"  AHHHHH!   I was floored!  And SO happy!    Getting near the end she was actually reminding me a couple of times to hold my tummy tight.   She's fabulous!

Oh...and perhaps really motivating... pardon me for noticing, but she's long and lean and gorgeous, so...it's a bit of a kick in the pants to be jogging next to someone who looks fantastic.  It's kind of like posting a picture of your goal weight (except... she's way beyond my goal weight...and height) on the fridge to remind you throughout the day...except... the picture is running beside you.  Haha!  Ok..I'm weird.

Anyways, the running felt great!   My knees really hurt the first running minute...then we talked a little about form, and to try not to heel strike, but do more of a forefoot landing pattern, which I knew, but wasn't really getting.   SO. MUCH. BETTER!   My knees thanked me almost immediately, also,...I kind of felt like I was flying.  It was so much easier.   I felt light and bouncy...well..as light and bouncy as one can be at 40lbs overweight.  

About half way through, I knew I'd hit that happy point.  I felt amazing. Perhaps that's one small benefit of being so out of shape, you don't have to do nearly as much to reach that endorphin rush. :P

My knees are complaining a bit today, but overall I feel pretty good.   I hope I can keep it up.  Knowing we're meeting up again in a week will give me the kick in the butt I need to actually get out on my own, so that I'm not the only one who hasn't kept up.