My Third Wind

 

So, I read a blog about how to decrease overall body fat and furthermore how to decrease the amount of fat carried in the thighs / legs. A convincing source says "marathon cardio" in the form of 45 minute runs 3 times per week is the way to go. The author suggested, if you're not getting the results you want then increase your frequency of 45 minute marathon cardio running sessions.

For those of you who cannot run for 45 minutes straight then you'll need to reduce your speed and gradually work on adding more time to your runs.

This is week one of my cardio marathon runs. I performed run #1 at the new UNC Wellness Center in Cary on their indoor track. I started off nice and slow (as if I had any other choice in the matter). I was a bit nervous because I am nursing a sore ankle right now, an aerial dance injury...

Anyway, so I'm running, got my Nike + system going, got an awesome classic rock playlist going, I’m being careful with my ankle and keeping some steam in the tank so that I can go for the full 45 minutes...

20 minutes in and I still haven't found my rhythm but I’m keeping a decent pace....... Now and kid and his dad join

me

on the track. The kid must be about 9 years old and the dad is probably in his late 30's. They both take off like the wind and start lapping

me

so bad that I wonder if I’m running in place. So I move to the inner snail / slow lane and try to retain my enthusiasm while this baby in a red t-shirt and his pops continue to smoke

me

lap after lap after lap after.... well, you get the point...

Anyway, I try to get back into my zone but I honestly can't help but notice what's going on around

me

. I try to make myself feel better by thinking, "Well, let

me

see them keep up that pace for 25 minutes like I've been and then I’ll be impressed"...

While I was giving myself a self-esteem boosting pep talk I realized, I didn't see the dream team anymore. Where did they go? ... 

As I approached the curve, I saw the red t-shirt kid, with a bright red face, panting out of control and sitting on a bench in a corner. We met eyes and I must say, even though he was just a kid I felt a sense of satisfaction / victory, hahahahaha (Geez, I’ve totally sunken to the point of counting wins against 9 year olds). Anyway, little red t-shirt kid saw

me

looking at him with a smirk on my face and was not at all pleased, lol! He didn't want

me

to jog past him, lol. He immediately hopped off of the bench and resumed his sprint as if he'd never stopped and as if to say, "Take that you big old mean lady!" lololololololol...

He ran outta steam about 6 seconds later but good try kid. Both the boy and his pops were obliterated after less than 10 minutes of running and were consequently keeled over in a corner near a water fountain.

I

on the other hand, had slowly and steadily ramped up. I'd gotten my second, scratch that, I'd gotten my third wind at this point. Even with the extra 17lbs on

me

( :/ ) I felt like I was running light and quietly. I had quick feet and a reasonably confident gait (but not overly confident or too long of a gait). My arms were pumping right with a nice elbow drive back, hips and shoulders were nice, loose and relaxed. My back was straight and most importantly my energy was moving forward so efficiently that it felt GREAT!

This "marathon cardio" run was a great reminder for

me

. I realized many years ago that I actually need to get my third wind on most things to get an amazing rush and to have an amazing performance. When it comes to running, for some reason it has always taken

me

3 miles to truly warm up. Every step before mile 3, I struggle to get my rhythm, breathing, pace and just about everything feels yucky but I push through it anyway. On the other hand, every step after mile 3 is frigging magical. I feel unstoppable, like I'm floating on air, like I’m in my zone, like the fun just started. Unfortunately, I’ve never been a very fast runner which means it takes a while to get past the 3 mile warm up period. It's an investment that I’ve been too lazy to make and as of late I really just forgot about it.

There's something pretty comforting in allowing myself to run 3 "easy" miles. It's low pressure. It takes more time than effort I think. And once it's done I'm totally psyched up to run harder all while having a blast. Marathon Cardio it is…

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