A neat NSV...

Lately, I've taken up running again. I USED to hate running...but that was mostly because I was going about it all wrong. Thanks to some OH friends and Runner's World website, I think I have made some real progress.

So I've been mostly doing intervals to increase my endurance but have taken to doing a weekly 'test' to see how I do just straight running. More on that in a moment.

In 2006, as a 315 lb. woman in her senior year of college, I needed to fulfill my gym requirement to graduate so I took a running and jogging class. I was scared as hell but I did it! Each week we did jogs and each week then, too, we did a weekly test and, as I do now, we pay attention to the timed mile.

So...this is not the Energizer Bunny. Hell it's at least twice as slow as a elite marathon runner, but I feel very triumphant to make the following comparisons:

2006 timed mile: 16:45 min/1 mile
2012: 10 min/1 mile

2006: Could ONLY do one mile at that pace
2012: Can do THREE miles at that pace (and I'm still working on it!)

2006: After running felt completely drained
2012: After running, did 3 miles on the exercise bike AND 20 minutes on the elliptical

Fitness has been one of the few things that has made me truly satisfied with the results of my journey! My weight loss was good (although I didn't lose all I wanted to AND I bounced) but there is no denying I am more fit than I was four years ago.

And for that I am very grateful. Thank you RNY!

Nik -- Congrats on your NSV. I think that overall health improvements such as this are far beyond what I ever expected as a result of this surgery. Keep up challenging yourself to beat your previous time...you will succeed.

Congrats! Awesome!
I am trying to work up my nerve to start at least jogging, but I keep seeing that 353lb woman instead of my new healthier me. I think the mental part is so much harder to overcome than I even imagined.

 I'd be curious as to the tips to correct "wrong running" because that's a major goal of mine.... Congrats on the NSV!!!

Well my biggest mistake is that I was trying to focus on speed and distance at the same time. I'd try to go very fast for very far. And I wasn't building up my endurance because when I did intervals, I intervaled between walking and running and wasn't consistent in increasing the amount of time I run.

So Paul prescribed a method of interval that had me jogging one minute, running two minutes. My endurance shot up almost immediately. I was shocked the first time I did two miles with no problem at my running speed (at this point it's a 6.0). Kittenlove also explained to me that speed comes with TIME and not to push for it so fast but to run consistently.

Those were the major things.

That is awesome....  Running is also one of my goals....  i've always been a swimmer...  and plan to start that as soon as i can....  but running is something that i really want to do...  Did you start wtih the C25K program?  Just curious... 

My RNY is just a day shy of 2 weeks post op and each day i've been able to walk a little farther....  and i keep thinking how great it would be to be able to run... 

One day...  :)

Nope. I just started doing it.

I can do a 5k on a treadmill and it isn't that difficult. The REAL test is running on actual LAND where there is no conveyor belt encouraging me to go forward. That I take on this week!

Woot!

Running is so much fun I am glad that you are enjoying it and rock on with the 10 minute mile!
My NSV running was when my butt stopped hitting my back LMAO or should I say RunningMAO

I remember reading Bob Green's book and he said Oprah started out at a 18 minute mile so I was very excited to have beat her when I started with a 14 minute mile HAHA