When you are all-in on beginning an exercise regimen, it’s easy to go overboard and injure yourself. I’m guilty of this, and have gone this route more times than I care to mention. This time, I’m being careful. Sherry likes to remind me all the time that I’m almost 50 (c’mon; I JUST turned 49!), and she tells me that I need to take it easier than I have in the past. Well, this is scary, because even when I was young, I would hurt myself getting into an exercise regimen. Just how easy do I need to start?

So far, it’s going well. I decided I’d rather run solid for 20 minutes without walking than go for a mixed run/walk for 30 minutes. I know that lots of people say the 30 minutes is more important, but for me, the psychological aspect is every bit as important. Knowing I pushed myself for the full 20 was a huge success. Further, it also forced me to start easy without pushing past my current abilities and injuring myself. This was very important.

I felt good after the run. I felt like I gave all I had to give without feeling any of the bad knee or hip pain I have felt in the past. It was hard to catch my breath after I stopped running, but interestingly enough, I didn’t feel out of breath or in any real kind of pain while I was running save for the feeling that my legs were mired in molasses until the last 1/4 mile. Could I have pushed another 10 minutes? Certainly, but I didn’t want to push it just yet. There’s plenty time for that later when I’m already in building mode.

I see the first three weeks of any exercise regimen as laying the foundation to a solid fitness plan. I need to work up to a point where I can run for a solid 30 minutes at a sub-9 minute mile before I can really start concentrating on getting stronger and faster. To get there, I need to make sure I don’t hurt myself or cause so much pain to myself that I stop. Thus, I am having to embrace the hardest part of any good exercise regimen: rest.

Today is a day of rest for me. I feel my muscles burning, but that burning is a reminder that I did something active about my health. It’s a reminder that my muscles are rebuilding stronger, leaner, and healthier. It’s feedback that I did good work. These are things that are positive reinforcement, even though the sensation itself is not what I would call enjoyable. Some people like it; I’m not one of them (yet?).

The odd part about rest is that I want to get back out there today. I want to do more work. I want to get into shape NOW. I have to resist the temptation to get out and walk a few miles or to take a long jog because my body needs to heal. It needs to strengthen and rebuild. Today’s day of rest is just as important in the grand scheme of things as the running itself was yesterday. I don’t want to sit, but I have to. Without today’s rest, I would only be slowing my progress overall.

So, today I rest. I will get back at it again tomorrow morning at 0515. I can’t believe I’m one of “Those people” now, but I’m looking forward to it. I want to do the work to get to 165 lbs. This is my mission: I will not fail.