Pinch My Salt

Food, Recipes, and Photography

Confession

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Near Innsbruck, Austria

So, I started jogging.

That’s my big confession.  Not much of a confession, you say?  Ok, here’s my confession:  I can’t jog.  Not good enough for you?  Well, I can’t do push-ups either.  Not one.  Not even the girlie kind on my knees.  I don’t like to tell people that because as far as I can tell, I’m pretty much the only person in the world who can’t even do one measly push-up.

But back to the jogging.  I really can’t jog.  Even in Junior High, back when kids were still encouraged forced to exercise in school, and Ronald Reagan wanted me to be able to jog a mile around the school track, I couldn’t do it.  I wasn’t overweight.  I just wasn’t a jogger.  And I couldn’t do enough sit-ups either.  So I hated P.E. class and I hated that Presidential fitness program because it always seemed like I was the only one who couldn’t run the mile, who couldn’t complete enough sit-ups, who couldn’t do the pull-ups.  And if push-ups had been part of that program, I guarantee you that I wouldn’t have been able to do enough of those either.

That stuck with me.  Those exercises weren’t part of our daily school P.E. regimen so I never had a chance to improve or see that it was possible to get in better shape and to actually score well on those fitness tests.  Instead, I labeled myself ‘non-athletic’ and trudged through five more years of Physical Education classes, dreading fitness tests and hoping I would never be singled out.

Does it sound like I’m blaming Ronald Reagan for the fact that I’m out of shape?  Well, I’m not.  I think we need fitness programs in schools now more than ever.  I just wish I had come away from those junior high P.E. classes with confidence and knowledge of how to improve my athletic ability instead of feelings of inadequacy.  But I guess Junior High is all about feelings of inadequacy anyway.

So, back to present day.   After years and years of believing that I just can’t do it, I decided to start jogging.  Being married to a bad-ass Navy EOD Tech for 8 years, I’ve become quite familiar with the inside of a gym.  I’ve slowly overcome most of my “I just can’t do it” feelings that used to be associated with all sports and/or fitness equipment.  But jogging and push-ups are two things that I just haven’t conquered.  And yes, there is still some shame and embarrassment attached to it.

So why am I announcing this to thousands of strangers?  Accountability, for one.  If you all know that I’m working towards a goal of jogging for 30 minutes straight, perhaps I’ll be less likely to give up when the going gets tough.  But the other reason I’m sharing this is that I  know I’m not the only person in the world who can’t jog and I’m probably not the only one who can’t do one stupid push-up (I’m hoping that at least one of you will admit that and make me feel better about my shocking lack of upper-body strength).

I’m not saying that everyone should be out there jogging.  It’s a personal choice.  For me, it’s something that I’ve always wanted to be able to do.  I have no desire to turn into a competitive runner, but I would like to be able to go for a jog with my husband.  I want to be able to complete a 5K and get one of those ugly free t-shirts.  I want to burn more calories and I want a healthier heart.  Also, I want to lose some of the weight I’ve put on since moving back to the United States.  And I don’t do diets.

So I’m going to share with you the walk/jog program that I started a few weeks ago.  There are several versions of this type of program out there; they are generally 10-12 weeks in length and move you gradually from walking to jogging with the end goal being 30 minutes of nonstop jogging.  After 3 weeks of doing this, I’m really not sure if this particular program is a good fit for me, but I’ve decided I’ll just repeat week three until I feel like I’m ready to move on.  I’m not gonna lie, week three really sucked.  But I’ve decided that it’s not important how long it takes me to complete the program, as long as I eventually do finish it!

Bud Coate’s Ease into this Running Program

Before you start: get your legs ready with eight days of walking:  Walk for 20 minutes a day for the first four days, then increase to 30 minutes a day for four more days.

Each week of the program, do your run/walk workouts on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Take a rest day or an easy walk on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

WEEK 1:  Run 2 minutes, walk 4 minutes.  Complete 5 cycles.
WEEK 2:  Run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes.  Complete 5 cycles.
WEEK 3:  Run 5 minutes, walk 2 ½ minutes.  Complete 4 cycles.
WEEK 4:  Run 7 minutes, walk 3 minutes.  Complete 3 cycles.
WEEK 5:  Run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes.  Complete 3 cycles.
WEEK 6:  Run 9 minutes, walk 2 minutes.  Complete 2 cycles, then run 8 minutes.
WEEK 7:  Run 9 minutes, walk 1 minute.  Complete 3 cycles.
WEEK 8:  Run 13 minutes, walk 2 minutes.  Complete 2 cycles.
WEEK 9:  Run 14 minutes, walk 1 minute.  Complete 2 cycles.
WEEK 10:  Run 30 minutes.

Note:  You may stretch out this schedule to include 2 weeks at a certain level if you feel tired after completing one.  Do not be tempted to shorten the schedule.  Remember, you are aiming for 30 minutes of uninterrupted running, not a distance.  Run as slow as you need in order to reach the goal.

From Complete Book of Running, Amby Burfoot, editor, 1997, Rodale Press

As I said, there are plenty of walk to jog programs out there.  A very popular one is the Couch-to-5K Running Program.  That program promises to have you running 3 miles in just 8 weeks.  Another is the 12-week Beginning to Run plan at Eat Better America.  Speaking from experience, I think a 12-week plan is more realistic for those of us who have never been joggers.

Regardless of which plan you choose to follow, remember that you can always repeat a week if you aren’t ready to move on.  The point of these plans is to ease yourself gradually into jogging, not push yourself too hard, become discouraged and give up!  Do you like how I’m assuming some of you will want to do this with me?  Come on, you know you want to!

Well, if you do want to give this a try, here are some tips/suggestions:

  • Get some new running shoes.  I’m serious.  Go to a running store if possible and get the right shoes for your foot.
  • Get a heart rate monitor.  I know not everyone can afford to run out and buy all this fancy new gear.  But heart rate monitors have really come down in price and I think it will help with your motivation. By using the heart rate monitor, I’ve been able to see improvements in my heart rate before I can actually feel a difference.  It has definitely encouraged me even if I haven’t seen much improvement anywhere else.
  • Run on the right surfaces.  A treadmill is actually a really good place to start.  You are in a controlled (read: air-conditioned) environment, you can keep a water bottle within arms reach, and you might even be able to watch television.  But if you don’t have access to one, or are too embarrassed to start your huffing and puffing in front of people at the gym, try running at a school track or find a flat running trail.  Just try to stay off hard surfaces such as concrete.  That means no sidewalks!  Running is hard on your joints, hard surfaces make it even worse.
  • Quit being self-conscious!  Don’t worry about what other people think.  Everyone has to start somewhere.

Now for the push-ups.  I don’t have a specific plan.  I’ve been back at the gym for about a month and am slowly building my strength up with weight training.  My goal is to do ten push-ups by the end of the year and I am confident that it won’t be a problem.  I’ll let you know when I complete my first one (I’m about halfway there).

Now let me tell you about that beautiful photo at the top of this page.  When we lived in Sicily, we had the opportunity to travel to several other countries in Europe.  That photo was taken on a weekend trip to Austria.  My husband was in Stuttgart, Germany doing some training and I flew up there to meet him for our wedding anniversary.  We drove to Innsbruck, Austria for the weekend and this photo was taken on a day trip to a place called Walderalm.  See that little road leading into the Austrian Alps?  That is where I like to imagine I am jogging when I’m on the treadmill at the gym.  And next time I visit Austria, I think I’d like to jog down that trail instead of walk.

And who wouldn’t want to run when at the end of the trail you can sit down at this table and enjoy fresh cheese from the dairy, a cold beer, and the view of snow-capped mountains all around you.

View from the Dairy

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sara says

    I HATED the presidential fitness program. Not only did we have to run the mile (I could only make it about halfway before I walked), but we had to hang from a bar with our chin resting above the bar, which I couldn't do either. Not even for a second. I've always wanted to be a runner, but I've always felt so very, very awkward. It doesn't help that I look like a lumbering oaf, but perhaps I'll give it another go. The beginners program I have, however, starts you out at running only 30 seconds during each burst, and walking about four minutes, then gradually increasing the running. I'm pretty sure two minutes straight would give me a coronary at this point.
    Reply

  2. Aimee says

    Great post! You are doing a good thing here, keep it up. I've recently attempted to get into jogging, so I'll be dragging my (inflated food blogger's) butt around and thinking of you. Happy trails!
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  3. Mel says

    Good Luck :) I managed to pass the presidental fitness dealies but it was never on the pushups and running - I was always surprised I passed it to be quite honest. I've never been a runner and I have tried VERY hard. I made it a goal to be able to run that stupid mile without walking once and come in in less than 9 minutes. By the end of the school year I made it but I always crawled away from the track feeling sick to my stomach and light headed or with a headache. I ended up tossing my cookies many times at the end of running it - but I was determined to do it. At the end of the year I mentioned my frustration to my doctor and he said I probably never should have tried to run - I should have been happy with a fast walk. He said that women have more space in their body cavities for having babies, and that I was probably one of the ones that had some extra space so things were getting jostled too much, plus low blood pressure = sick no matter what. I still think he was saying that to make me feel better so over the summer, still determined, I tried training that year with my dad who is a Marine and runs every day. I wanted to be able to go on runs with him sort of the whole bonding deal. He tried to teach me to breath and about pacing and all that stuff, which does help (I also found spotting like in ballet helps you know the "just make it to that tree up there") but talking with him he told me his secret was also developing a pace and a kind of funny run for longer distances which reduced physical effort for longer periods but allowed a quick leap to sprinting when necessary. I guess the summary of all this is: 1 - get your hubbie to help you out with the breathing/pacing/way of running deal it makes a difference 2 - everyone has their own pace - some of us are sprinters, some of us are dawdlers don't try to force yourself to what you think is expected - challenge yourself to go beyond but listen to your body 3 - Don't give up - modify if you have to, but don't give up. I don't run/jog but I walk & bicycle to get the heart rate up & have added a Wii Fit to the whole routine. It has jogging and pushups, in addition to the infamous hula hooping and yoga btw ;)
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  4. Nicole says

    Thanks for all your great comments and support, everyone! After posting this, I immediately regretted it (I always feel nervous after sharing personal things). But once I started hearing your responses, I felt a lot better and now I'm really glad I shared this! Sara: I couldn't do the chin-up thing either! You're right, the plan I'm doing is a bit tougher than some of them out there. I added links to a couple other ones, and I've read through even more. I started lifting weights and doing lots of cardio a couple weeks before starting this particular walk-to-jog plan and it's still been really tough for me (so I'll just be repeating the weeks that I have trouble with). I thought about switching to one of the other ones, but decided to just see this one through at my own pace.
    Reply

  5. Amanda Mae says

    congrats on running! maybe you will get to the point where you love it, become addicted to it! some people do... the runners high. by the way, that location is INCREDIBLE! I WISH i could run around there! amazing! ps - i couldnt do a push up, ever, until the last couple of weeks - i learned to in yoga class... and now i can do a whole ONE push up before collapsing on the floor!
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  6. Phoo-D says

    Congratulations on starting this up! It is no small feat. I don't run very fast, and still remember those dreaded Presidential Fitness tests. I would come in dead last every time. However for me the worst part was the rope climb. I would jump as high as I could and grab on- then that was always as far as I got. =) You might check out some basic yoga to help with the push ups. I find that the plank yoga position helps my arms get in shape to the point where I can then do girl pushups easily. Mr. B and I are both starting a exercise regimen this week to try and shed some BBA induced rolls. Fun stuff.
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  7. Kat says

    Good luck and stick with it! I always hated, hated, /hated/ running, but I wanted to be able to do it because it's more convenient exercise than swimming. I started with a run/walk sort of system last August. Getting up to doing three miles continuously (and consistently) was the hardest part. And now I'm training for the Chicago marathon in October!
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  8. Andrea says

    Awesome Nicole! (I think it was you and me together not being able to do the fitness things in school!) Similarly, my military hubby had to lose about 40 lbs when he switched branches of service! So now he's in great shape... andI gained all the weight he lost! But I'm starting a similar journey. I couldn't run a mile either and now I can jog about 3 miles. And I just started a fitness bootcamp 3x week that is helping strengthen me (because now with just running, my knees started killing me). I haven't lost much weight yet, but it does help to know I'm leaving a healthier legacy to my little girl! You will meet your goals! We should run/walk together sometime!
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  9. addy says

    I can't do it to, i might do a push-up but the second won't be a push-up for shore :P. I hate it at shcool and i still hate it. But at the gym there are many things i can do. I'm sorry that teachers think that everybody can do the same exercise. They don't even know what is better for each one. They don't even do medical exams just to check (i mean, in my country). Anyway :) just wanted to let you know that at least you're not the only one.
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  10. Allen says

    Good for you!!! I wish I had your determination when it comes to exercise ... I really need to start something. Yoga is at the top of my list and I just haven't been able to commit to it. (I'm good at making excuses)
    Reply

  11. jaf says

    i felt like i was reading an entry in my diary when i read this. i try to stay active but shy away from running, push ups and sit ups. i've always wanted to run a 5k. hearing about your goal and progress motivates me. keep us updated on your success. best of luck.
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  12. wendy says

    Good for you! FWIW, I hate running/jogging, but run a half-marathon once a year to say I can do it. (of course my legs kill the next few days b/c I don't train for it, b/c I hate running--did I say that already? :P ) In the meantime, I take lots of spinning classes and recently started hiking on the weekends. I just don't like running and can't get past that mental block.
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  13. radish says

    This is so awesome. As someone who couldn't jog for ten minutes, let alone do 1 push up, I wound up running 3 half marathons, and will now be returning to the sport now that my stress fracture has healed!! Congratulations on jogging and like Lisa said, remember to enjoy it. You'll be SO excited with each new goal conquered!! I promise you, there will come a time when running will make you feel at ease and free and calm - and you'll love it! :) Go you!
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  15. From My Kitchen Table says

    Accountability is the name of the game. It (almost) always keeps me moving forward even when I don't think I can move forward. Best of luck with your running and keep cooking. It's also a key to good health!
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  16. ThisPrimalLife says

    Not to be a pooper because I think it is really cool that you are challenging yourself with a new activity, but one thought: Maybe the reason you aren't good at jogging is due tot he fact that humans aren't designed to run long distances at a steady pace. I don't subject my body to jogging and I am in great physical condition. I lift weights, I sprint, and I walk around a lot because these are the activities that humans evolved to do. Jogging is an invention of the modern world. It puts unnecessary stress on the body for the sake of unnecessary (for most all of us) aerobic training. And to top it off, its not even so great for fat loss! On my blog I recently wrote a post about how much I've always sucked at jogging and how I got into great shape through lifting weights and eating better. If your'e interested the post is called Making the Case for Lifting Weights.
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  17. Nicole says

    ThisPrimalLife: Thanks for sharing your opinion. I'm actually weight training 6 days per week in addition to working up to jogging for 30 minutes (I don't really consider 3 miles to be long distance running). The jogging is a personal goal, and I think I stated that jogging isn't for everyone and that it is a high impact activity that can be hard on your joints.
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  18. Danielle says

    Kudos for sharing your confession and jogging plan on your blog Nicole! I've been procrastinating (like, forever) on awakening my running self since we moved to the US, so I know how hard it is to start. In fact, it is probably the hardest part! Good luck with your journey - you've inspired me to start a plan of my own :) P.S. I can't do push-ups either, although I'm sure some yoga poses (downward dog, cobra) will help strengthen your shoulder and core muscles, eventually making it easier to do the push-up.
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  19. Maureen says

    Good Luck on your running! I too could not do a push up, pull up and barely a sit up. Forget running!! Then, the unthinkable happened. I decided to run a 1/2 marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphomia Society. Just like that. Oh, and I am an overweight 55 year old! I coughed, gasped, and dragged myself through my first 3 mile run! Somehow, after 6 months of training, I actually managed to complete the 13.1 miles! I still cannot do a push up, pull up, and barely a sit up, but I did learn to run! And you will do GREAT!
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  20. ThisPrimalLife says

    @Nicole Sorry if I sounded snooty or judgmental! I didn't mean for my comment to come across that way. I love your blog and your wonderful recipes. I wish you well in all your endeavors - running included! :)
    Reply

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