Skip to main content

Building Endurance

The worst part about starting exercise after a couple of years not doing any..was my inability to go for very long. I lacked endurance and stamina. I still am not where I want to be when it comes to both. And while you may think they are the same they are not..at least not to me anyways. When I think endurance I think of the ability to push through things, especially pain, and finishing what you start. When I think stamina I think of the ability to go harder for longer. But some people categorize them as one and the same.

When I went to the gym for the first time, at 220+ pounds, I could only walk on the treadmill for 12 minutes before the shin splints got so unbearable I thought I was going to break my leg. That is to be expected for someone that is obese. You muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, everything that makes you move is under a tremendous amount of pressure. Their way of fighting back is to cause pain and make you stop. But you have to endure and push yourself to go further. Every time I went back to the gym I made myself, regardless of how much I wanted to stop, or how much it hurt, walk a little further on that blasted treadmill. Today I can run for 20 minutes straight at a 5-7 mph pace on a 2%incline, but as far as walking...that I can do for 60-100 minutes on a 10% at a 3.5-3.8 mph pace! Imagine after only 11 months, I have improved that much. And even still today I challenge myself to go to further lengths. I couldn't run for more than 15 seconds less than 4 months ago, and I completed my first 5k in 38:17! I slowed down long enough to catch my breath, but kept going.



Building that ability to keep going is where my stamina comes into play. By training my body to last longer I can push myself in more demanding sports. I have a goal to run a half marathon by May of 2013. The only way I will be able to do that is to challenge my ability to run for longer distances. While a 5k might seem like a lot now, I plan on it looking like an inch worm in a few weeks. On Monday I did 5.5 miles in 55  minutes on an 8% incline. Had I done it on say a 2% incline, it would have taken less time. A half marathon is just over 11 miles. If I am at 5.5 now, I will be at 11 in no time. It is all about your mental as well as physical ability to challenge your body. If you don't challenge it you will never know what it is capable of.

So don't sit there and let the idea of exercise intimidate you, you are only hurting yourself if you don't do it. Start small, walk from your house to the mail box as fast as you can, and build your endurance. Then when you feel like you can endure the pain a little longer, go for it. I know if I can do it so can you, the only person holding you back from your fitness goals is you!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chobani, Bondi Bands, Allergies ...Oh My!

So recently I have had the amazing privilege and joy of trying out a couple of awesome products. I cannot wait to share either! GIVEAWAY TIME! I received a case of Chobani Flips to review...and as we all know yogurt is a staple in most healthy diets...especially mine. I have been a Chobani nut for over a year now. It is one of my favorite and most filling snacks, not to mention the protein ! It is a quick and easy breakfast if needed, or an awesome post-workout snack. And now that it is summertime it is super refreshing on a hot summer day! There were so many yummy types to try...and I could not wait to dig in! There were two of each, so 12 in total! They are fair in calories, low in sugar, and taste great. The day I got the case I did a little jig, and then hunted down a spoon. The first flip I sampled was the Almond Coco Loco ...                           IT WAS DIVINE!!!...and my favorite! Se...

You Don't Know What Loss Is

***Disclaimer- There is some not so friendly language and thoughts here. FYI. I have one to share today that has been rattling around in my over productive brain for a few weeks now, basically since we attended Nora's bond hearing back in March. We thought we were prepared for that day, and once again, we were proven wrong. I keep waiting for this to get easier, as people love to remind us. I keep waiting for time to heal us, when time just keeps passing us by... I thought that the hardest thing about that day was having to look at the woman that is accused of murdering my nephew . To see the actual hands that threw his little body across the room moments before his life ended. To see the hands of the monster that could have sat him in a play pen, and dialed any one of our telephone numbers, but instead tossed John to his death. But those hands were cuffed, and as much comfort as I could get from that, I was disgusted by another sight. The sight of the woman sitting behind ...

Little Heart Broke Apart

I broke my bracelet tonight, and sat in my front yard and cried as I looked relentlessly for all the little, tiny pieces. That little blue beaded bracelet broke my heart when it broke and flew across the yard. That little blue bracelet brought on a wave of heartache that I have buttoned up for the past couple of months. We continue to put on our brave faces. Tell everyone that we are doing okay, that we are getting by. And in all reality we are.  The world continues to spin.  Life continues to move us right along. After what seemed to be an unusually rough week, this just defeated me emotionally. When that bracelet broke I was painfully reminded of why I wear it everyday. Angela made that little blue bracelet for me shortly after John was killed. She made each of us one. It's made of beads that are layered to resemble angels. For our little angel. This happened at ten in the evening in the darkest part of the yard. As I was frantically searching the grass ...