1 Sept 2015

Rebounding built my stamina for running / jogging

Ever since I was a teen, I've dreamt of running. There were many times I had put on a singlet, running shorts and shoes and just ran. Unfortunately, I always came back panting with a light head, unable to breathe and with a resolution to never run again. The compulsory 2.4km we had to run in school was a torture. But I've always dreamt of running. For some reason, somewhere between being suspended in the air and landing on the rebounder, I wanted to run again. I felt like Forrest Gump.

I have been slowly building my stamina on the rebounder until I can rebound intensively for 20 minutes. An example would be doing jumping jacks continuously for 20 minutes on the rebounder without feeling out of breath. So there has been a yearning inside of me to run. I did just that yesterday evening when I got home from work. I just dropped my handbag, got changed and put on my running shoes. Now, one could tell I had not run for a very, very long time. My running shoes disintegrated into pieces; I mean literally. Hubs had to go help me get the broom and dustpan to sweep up the bits!!! I hadn't even stepped out of the door yet! Fortunately for me, hubs found me another pair (which he had insisted I buy some months back) and I tried it on. It fit so off I went.

I was too shy to join the other humans on the measured route across our apartment. I decided to pound the long pavement along the road just next to our block. I started jogging and lo and behold, I managed to keep it up non-stop for 20 minutes. I was very, very surprised because I did not even feel heady, or lacking in oxygen as I would have felt in the past. Instead, I managed to hold a steady pace as I pounded the pavement. There were several joggers on the pavement too. The sun was setting but I could still see the blue sky and best of all, there was a light breeze blowing. It was really nice.

At the end of 20 minutes, my legs (and surprisingly, not my lungs or head) started to ache. I managed to do a sprint all the way back home. I was dripping in sweat but I loved it. I was panting but not feeling heady! Amazing.

It may not be much to others but remember, when I first started rebounding, I could last for only 2 minutes. Built up the stamina to 1 hour or about 30 minutes if I was doing a more high intensity routine. To be able to jog (because I cannot call that running yet) for 20 minutes without feeling light headed or short of breath is a very big deal to me. I can see my own progress even if others can't and that's the most important thing isn't it? To be your own motivational coach!

Here I am after the jog:

After a 20 minute jog
Copyright Fiona C Yeo @ Cartoon Lagoon 2015


However, I am feeling the ache in my thighs today. Using muscles I haven't been using. I need to build up the strength in my legs and the only way is to keep at it (jogging)! Both kids were home and had to have their passport photos taken so we walked to the mall across the road to have our dinner:

Restaurant dinner with the kids
Copyright Fiona C Yeo @ Cartoon Lagoon 2015
 

Yup. I ordered pasta with bacon and snuck in a bit of Mike's pizza. You could say the 20 minute jog would have burnt perhaps only one slice of pizza but I haven't reached the stage where I can say I'm staying off such foods. Not yet, not yet anyway.
 
After dinner, we sent Tessa back to uni hall and when I came home, I decided to take measurements of myself. Wow. Pizza and pasta or not, I lost 1 inch off my hips. Finally, it budged! As for the weight, *cough cough*, you can see from the above pic that it'll take me some time to move more weight. It did go down a wee, wee bit but it's so wee, it's not worth a mention!
 
I'm looking forward to pounding the pavement again and building up my jog to a quicker pace and for a longer period. Truth be told, I won't usually have the luxury of time to go for a jog in the evening (while the sky is still a light blue). I am usually busy preparing dinner for the family so rebounding at home (at night after all my chores have been done) is more convenient. I'm not sure if I'd enjoy jogging in the dark. I'll have to try. I told hubs, "One day, I'll be just like Forrest Gump". He said yeah but he doubts anyone will be following me! LOL.
 
 
 
 

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