I thought I would take a moment to let everyone know how my new habits are going, with a bow of gratitude to Leo over at Zen Habits.
It does help me to think of behaviors in terms of habits rather than in terms of discipline or in terms of specifics such as, “I’m going to exercise more.” (Which, admittedly, is not very specific.)
Earlier this year, I did start running in the morning. It’s amazing to me that a person can be carfree, run all errands by bicycle, and still begin to gain weight. I joke that I knew I either needed to begin running or quit drinking my one beer in the evening, so I began running.
It’s difficult, in some ways, because I don’t think of myself as someone who exercises. Perhaps it is because I grew up with asthma, and within the rough division between sports-playing-kids and book-reading-kids, I was definitely the awkward, bookish kid.
Now, after I do my copyediting work and email off my results for the morning, I put on my free-box jogging shorts, my Goodwill shoes, and go run around the neighborhood for about an hour and a half. For those of you in Santa Fe, I run up Camino Carlos Rey to Rodeo Road, up Rodeo Road to the Rail Trail, and head back to my house off Camino Carlos Rey via the trail. I don’t know how far it is, but it feels long enough to make it time well spent.
I don’t particularly think of it as exercise, and I still haven’t added in pushups or sit-ups. The running, however, has become a habit. I like getting out in the world early in the day. The shadows of the ants are long on the sidewalks, and I dance around them so as not to crush any. When I turn onto the bike trail, I get a nice view of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
Running is a nice habit to have, and it seems to have sunk in.
5 comments:
i took up running for a while. then my knees started in with aches and pains... a cardiologist told me the knees will go bad with running. so i bike all the time and my knees are doing alright, just stiff in the morning. it is better, i believe, to do things that are easier and longer habit forming. diet is the other factor in weight loss. have you looked into the raw food movement. I'm learning a lot from it. you can see y.t. videos with some very helpful practices towards permanent weight loss and healthier living. good for the enviroment too.
I like your approach to running. Simple. Long may you run…
The photo in your last post reminds me of The Wooden Bowl by Clark Strand.
It is true our metabolism does slow down as we age. I am mid-40s and cannot eat the same size portions as I once did in my 20s. I wish there was some magic to weight loss, but unfortunately there is not. We have to burn more calories than we take in. Period. If we cut out 500 calories or burn off 500 calories per day, over a 1 week period, then we will have lost 1 lb = 3500 calories. I know I am preaching to the choir, but hopefully others will read this too.... Too much deprevation certainly doesn't work either..so I do hope you "Live It Up!" occasionally and have 2 beers in one evening! Best of Luck to You!
Loved running in Santa Fe when I lived there. Did a half marathon this spring, and am now getting into walking: http://thoreau.eserver.org/walking.html
Good decision!
This reminds me of an episode of How I met you mother, where the characters realized that they need to quit the beer or start exercise..
Guess what they choose?
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