#runner.

@puffleri

homework is an important task.

though seokjin has had his fair share of hatred for it as a student, its significance in one’s study habits should not be undermined. more homework also means more things to work on in the spare time that he doesn’t get paid for. still -- written work is few and far in between for those who show up regularly to do any practical work. 

it’s those who don’t go that end up having to catch up even more, and seokjin hates it as much as they probably do, which is why he does not allow extensions unless it’s for a valid reason ( read: near-death scenario ).

but he doesn’t give them attitude for it, and given the week he’s had, it’s no surprise that he finds himself on a perfectly good saturday afternoon weeks before the holidays with a student in his office, helping him sort out the tangled bunch of christmas lights his wife dug out of the basement somehow. they’re wizards, he had argued, but she had been insistent on it. ( she had also helpfully pointed out that he could use magic -- he, instead, trudged out with the boxes of tangled christmas decorations, and chose to ignore this. ) a happy wife brings about a happy life -- something like that.

You used to run. You'd go out and practically prance for three, five, or ten miles at a time and it felt great! It was easy and you were in great shape.

This is what you feel like

Fast forward and you took a break from running for whatever reason, an injury, lingering sickness, or you just didn't have time. You didn't lace up for six months, maybe even a year or five (or ten or twenty)!

Now you want to get back into it because let's face it, running is awesome. However, when you go out for that initial two or three mile jaunt (because you're still in decent shape) its really tough. You can easily run for five minutes and then you're breath starts to get ragged and your calves and hamstrings are ON FIRE. Running sucks! Then you go home and you have no desire to run again because its just not what it used to be.

This is how you feel after

This is a really common scenario. Once you stop running for any real amount of time (longer than three to six months) you're going to get out of shape really quickly unless something has replaced running for you. Typically you'll gain a bit of weight, be less active, and your general endurance is going to suffer.

The good news is, endurance is a surprisingly easy thing to train! You'll find it comes back quickly and you'll be back to your original status in no time at all.

However, there's no point in rushing things when getting (back) into shape. Start slow, enjoy your runs, and really assess your fitness levels. The benefit of these beginner C25k type programs is that, for the average person, its really hard to hurt yourself. They intentionally start of easy and steadily ramp up your mileage and intensity until you've built up an okay running base.

My personal method of choice has been the 10k Runner app. It's essentially a Couch to 10k program set over fourteen weeks. In theory, after doing the three-ish month program, I'll be able to run for an hour (or about six miles).

10k Runner

Once that base is built I can start playing with my runs more and do more variation and races and all that fun stuff.

I love running.  Call it "runner's high" or whatever you would like but I only get that feeling twice--when I'm running and when I'm helping the less fortunate.  Personally, it's when I feel the most "spiritual" or in tune with myself and the world.  I feel whole.  It's also the one thing I do to alleviate my stress.

Training for and completing a half marathon went on my bucket list a couple of years ago but it wasn't until I went to Africa that I decided I wanted to do this goal in 2013.  I met people who were so similar to me but wiser and more experienced with life.  One of the gentlemen I met, who I would consider an awesome person, told me that a half marathon was just the beginning.  Beginning of what, I wasn't sure.  2013 rolled in and since I don't believe in making resolutions (because I'm a believer of the trans-theoretical model of change) and running was on my list of things I'd like to do more of this year, I figured, why not try to complete a half marathon?  Or maybe even two?

In January, just as I was about to start my half marathon training, I got into a car accident.  Running and working out became no-no's because it could trigger my whiplash to hurt my back, particularly my lower back.  The one thing I could do to de-stress myself, I wasn't allowed to do.  It wasn't until early April when I got cleared to start running and working out.  I had 7 weeks to train and train I did.  I committed myself to making sure I followed the training schedule.  Did I wanna quit along the way?  Heck yes.  Did I want to just stop?  Oh yeah.  But I didn't.  Did I train and eat as healthy as I wanted to?  Nope.  But I did the best that I could.  

Learning how to pace myself and last for 21.1km was a struggle like no other.

I am a 5km to 10km racer.  It's what I do, it's what I breathe.

Race day, I knew I would at least last 16km but the other 5km, I wasn't too sure.  At kilometer 5, I was still pacing myself to last while others were passing me, which was extremely discouraging, but I sticked to my pace.  At kilometer 10, I could feel a blister beginning on my right foot.  The one place I forgot to put anti-blister on.  At kilometer 15, I hit my wall earlier and longer than expected.  It lasted a total of 4 kilometers.  4 kilometers!  At kilometer 18, I told my body that 3 kilometers was a long enough wall.  I told my body that regardless of how it felt, when I hit kilometer 19, I was going to hit overdrive.  Whether or not my body liked it.  At kilometer 20, I started overtaking like I've never done so before.  Before I knew it, I was done.

Something to take off my bucket list.  Something to be proud of.  Something I accomplished for me.