Two ways of looking at things

Every other week there is a fitness challenge for the The Biggest Winner. The first was the squat challenge and today was the 1 mile treadmill test.

I am not a runner. I fast walk, I do step aerobics and zumba and other aerobics, but I do not run. The biggest reason for that is that I have bladder issues as I've stated before. Two enormous babies (10 lbs 9 ozs and 11 lbs 14 ozs) have destroyed the super muscle control needs of high impact exercise. For most things, I can modify movements to keep leakage to a minimum, but not running.

So, today I went prepared with my Depends pad on. Yep. I did. I did a 5 minute warm up and then I reset the machine and started running. I ran the first half mile at 5.8 mile per hour pace. My heart rate was pounding at 169 which is HIGH for me. I then dropped it down to 4.5 miles per hour for a fast walk and did that for a quarter mile and my heart rate slowly came down to 158 - still high. I then cranked it back up to 5.8 miles per hour to finish the last quarter mile, but had to slow it first to 5.5 mph and then to 5.3 mph to keep running. In the end, I had a 11:25 minute mile. And yes, my Depends pad was very useful.

11:25. I know that is not a great pace, but for a non-runner who is 30 pounds overweight, I can't be unhappy about it.  I could look at it as: "Man, that is so slow. 11:25 after working out all this time and losing weight? And I couldn't even run for that full mile, but had to stop and walk?  I am pathetic."

But I'm not going to look at it that way. I'm going to look at it as a victory. I just mostly ran a mile. I am not a runner and never have been a runner. I am still also working to get my cardio level back to where it was. I can only see improvements from here on out. But you know what else? When I was 13, 14 and 15 and we had to do a 12 minute walk/run for a grade, I couldn't get a mile in under 12 minutes. I got a D for a grade every year. And at most I could run 2/3s of a time around a track before getting side splitting stitches. I had no idea about pace. I was all or nothing. It was my husband who taught me about pace years later that finally allowed me to run.

The one time I tried to run years and years ago (before kids), it used to give me terrible pains in the legs - not any more. My legs are stronger. I can run pain free.

So, at 43 I can run/walk a 11:25 minute mile. That is better than I have ever been able to do it in my life - better than at 13, 14 and 15. Doesn't that say a lot more than the actual time posted? I think it does!