Confessions From a Runner-Turned-Walker

Today I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner Blog for some fitness talk. I'm definitely no expert when it comes to fitness. I hated P.E. when I was in school, so of course everyone was shocked when I joined the basketball team in the 8th grade. It turned out to be a disaster, and not because of my lack of athletic abilities. I finally convinced my parents to let me get my ears pierced for my 13th birthday. Of course those earrings had to stay in my ears for weeks so the piercings could heal. I had to be extra careful, too, because my mom developed keloids after getting her ears pierced, and I was trying my best not to have the same thing happen to me. Well, little did I know that no jewelry was allowed on the basketball court, not even my newly pierced ears with the small gold balls! Needless to say, I was a bench warmer the entire season.

Fast forward to high school. I decided that I wanted to join the cross country team during my sophomore year. Actually, I didn't really want to join. I only did so because a guy I had a major crush on was on the team! (By the way, that never worked out!) I found that I was a decent runner. It didn't require a lot of skill... you just run until you feel like you're doing to drop! 

After high school, I didn't run much anymore. In fact, I didn't really have any sort of exercise regimen. A couple years ago, I decided to get back into running. I whipped myself into shape and completed a 5K run, which made me feel like a million bucks! I kept doing 5Ks and running 3-4 times per week. But then I had an injury last summer. It wasn't caused from running, though. I fell on some wet tile at my parents' house, and although I didn't know it at the time, I later found out that I had a torn ligament in my foot and a bruised bone. The doctor told me I couldn't run or really be on my foot much at all for the next few months!

This was right after I completed my first 5K since high school  (November 2011). I was especially excited that I was randomly assigned the number 84, which is my birth year!

It was difficult to get used to not exercising or running anymore after I'd become so accustomed to it again. Just recently, I started walking. My foot still isn't completely healed, so I have to take it easy. I do go for long walks (several miles) and walk as quickly as possible to get my heart rate up. I have sneaked in a couple short jogs, but then I pay for it later and have to ice my foot! I hope to eventually be able to run again, but for now, walking is the next best thing.

I will say that it's super hard to get back into a routine after you've gotten out of it. I've found that the best solution is to just put on your workout clothes! If I come home from work and change into them, I'll always go work out. But if I'm not already in my clothes, it's so easy to relax and settle in for the night without exercising. 

For those days when I don't have time to dedicate to a long walk or other activity, I simply do some housework! You can get a pretty good workout mopping, vacuuming, scrubbing your shower, or whatever else you might need to do! And I look at it this way: any physical activity is better than none!