I have never been much of a runner. In Middle School I remember running a 14 minute mile, walking half the time. I'm not sure why this is either. I can walk or hike all ALL DAY. I can even do sprint/walk intervals for 40 minutes straight, but ask me to run for more than 10 consecutive minutes (still not reaching a mile all these years later) and I'll be red-faced and huffing and puffing while coming up on that 9th minute, ready to start walking the rest of the way.
I've even set a goal to jog for 3 miles, and gradually tried work my way to it over a month's time. By the third week I realized that I jog too darn slowly to reach the 3 miles in a reasonable time, otherwise I would be jogging for an hour just to log in 3 miles. So then I said to myself, "Thats OK. This is a big goal for me. I will be proud to jog for 30 minutes straight and I don't care how far I go."
Almost three months later, on the stinking treadmill at least 4-5 days a week, 10 minutes is all I've got and I STILL can't run a mile in that 10 minutes. Hmmpf.
So you can imagine how I felt when I read this headline in the local paper a while back. But once I started reading past the photograph caption, I started feeling a little bit better.....I guess while 91 year old Mr. Lauderback was in highschool and then while attending the University of Oregon in the mid-1930's he tried out for track and awaited a varsity letter that never came. He ran too slow. Near the age of 43 he started running a mile every day for 20 years. At 65, he was running a 6 minute mile. Then at 91 he broke the world record for the 1 mile run in the 90-94 age group! He ran a mile in 10 minutes, 52 seconds! Better than I did when I was 12, better than I can do now at 30. And now here he is running up the 1 mile, 500 foot incline of Pilot Butte in the local Pilot Butte Challenge in under 19 minutes! I have yet to walk up that old volcano since we moved to town.....but now I have hope knowing that time is on my side, even if it takes me another 10 years to run a dang mile in 10 minutes or run for 30 minutes straight. So I decided that this is the guy I want to be when I grow up.
October 23, 2008
I Want To Be This Guy When I Grow Up
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4 comments:
I had to post these comments for myself so I can read them for encouragement and to remind myself that there are some really wonderful ladies in my life :)
Hi Jessica,
I tried to leave a comment on your blog but it was saying blogger is currently unavaiable, so here's my "comment":
Okay that old man is amazing! I want to be like him too when I grow up. You are amazing as well Jessica! Girl, give yourself credit for running at all! I am so impressed you are doing what you are doing on your own. I've never been that dedicated! And don't be too concerned with time- I usually can't set time goals for 5ks or jogs as it stresses me out too much. I just keep it simple- like that last 5k my goal was to just be able to keep on running (no walking). At one point I felt like a turtle and there were speed walkers passing me! But I got my goal and it felt great (no matter how slow I was). But then again, I probably just don't like to set time goals because I am a bit of a slacker and I think I'd be crushed if I tried to compare my time with all those "regular runners" around me.
Wish I was closer. I'd love to have you as a running buddy. I hear Bend is really hard with the altitude, so make sure you shave off at least 5 minutes off your time of course because of that ;). You could come to where we all live and totally kick all our butts I'm sure with those heavy duty lungs Bend conditions you with.
Thanks for sharing! -Anna
Laura, you are amazing! Thank you again for pumping me up and giving me faith in myself. Sometimes I feel almost shy when people say such nice things about me - but I'm taking a step out of the box and sincerely saying thank you :)
Hi Jessica!
A rut? The very fact that you are running at all is the opposite of being in a rut. You're awesome!
If you want to be faster and run longer, there are lots of ways to train. Look up any running site and you'll find a gazillion theories, tips and programs for runners and walkers of every age, body type and ability. So my short advice to you is that--there are plenty of physical and scientific ways to get better at running. Do some research and try some programs that fit your lifestyle.
But really, I think you just need to keep your head up, have faith in your body and feel good about where you are at right now. There's no secret to running, which is why I love it; all you have to do is put one foot in front of the other.
I started running in middle school and until three years ago I never ran more than 5 miles or 45 minutes. I always wanted to run a marathon, but couldn't wrap my head around running more than what I was used to. I didn't think my body could handle it. Then someone said to me, why don't you just try 6 miles sometime? At the time, 6 miles seemed so scary and difficult. But I tried it. Slowly. I told myself I could go as slow as I wanted, I just had to finish so that I would know what six miles feels like. I did it and realized that my body could handle it. So maybe one day I could handle 7 miles. I gradually added more and more mileage over 3 years and ran my first marathon on October 12.
I think you should be proud of how far you've come. If you want to run 3 miles, you can. Of course you can. If your head and heart want it, your body will follow. Just keeping putting one foot in front of the other. Maybe you'll only run for ten minutes every day for the next five years. Who cares? You're still running. One day you'll run for eleven minutes. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next year. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you are taking care of your body and your mind and you should feel fabulous about that!
Best of luck to you, Jessica. Your boys are so darling--I'm very happy for you!
Hey Jessica - you are amazing just having the desire! Me, not there! I have never had a competitive bone in my body, except for the driver passing me in the left lane! ha ha
Loves,
Aunt DyAnn
Hey Jessica,
I hear ya, I have always "dreamed" of being a runner but I just can't seem to do it. Not that I have tried THAT hard but I have ran around the block:)
I wanted to say though that I saw this guy set this record this summer at the Masters Classic in Eugene! My husband throws shot put and we were at this competition, I was so inspired! It was so cool!
Years ago when I was living in Eugene I used to hike Mt. Pisgah all the time and the first time I tried to make it up the mile long hill I thought I was going to die! About half way up I was ready to give up and then here comes this 80 something year old man trekking down the hill. I couldn't believe it, I was 25 at the time and couldn't even breathe. So I kept going and I hiked that hill several times a week for the next couple of years and was in the best shape of my life. Turns out that "old man" hiked Pisgah every day until he passed away at 90 something and now there is a bench at the halfway point dedicated to him.
xoxo Kila
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