Lacing them up to lose the love handles
Following are some snippets from Vancouver Sun Run bloggers Glen Schaefer and Jonathan Herbert after Week 1 of SportMedBC training and other exercise exploits:
GLEN SCHAEFER
I have hated running all my life.
For my first 30 or so years, I exercised rarely, counting on youth to keep me trim enough to satisfy my vanity. Running is boring, I thought. One foot in front of another, relentlessly, monotonously.
In high school, I only ran far enough on those mandated crosscountry runs to escape the pack and rest under a tree. Never more than a kilometre at a stretch, I’m sure.
My rare bouts of exercise were for things like skiing. No boredom there — descending steep slopes at speed, dodging trees and other people, occasionally getting airborne. Pricey, though, so that fell off when children and a Vancouver mortgage intervened.
Then came theda y in my mid-30s when I got a look at myself from the back in the mirrors of a Bay changing room. There, just above the waist. No doubt about it, those were love handles. Vanity insisted that exercise was unavoidable, and I became intrigued by martial arts. Also not boring.
But after about 10 years, life butted in again. My daughters were at an age where me cheering and helping with their sports activities took precedence over working on mine. Also, I had reached a point in martial arts that demanded a more intense workout schedule than I had time for, just to avoid getting hurt or frustrated.
Somewhere along the way, I had become the lone non-runner in our family of four. My wife had been a runner before we met, my daughters came to running themselves. I’ve been to the Sun Run numerous times, to wait at the finish line for the three of them to cross, camera ready for the sweaty group photo.
And after more years on the sidelines than I care to think about, at 58 I’m starting to see those love handles again. So when Postmedia editor Paul Chapman put out the call for volunteers to train for this year’s run and blog about it, I surprised myself by putting my hand up.
JONATHAN HERBERT
When I finally got enough courage to say I’d do the Sun Run this year, I said to myself, ‘What have I done?’ Now I REALLY have to run it!
Wasn’t sure I would be able to run 10K. I have been running off and on for a few years and have been able to train hard enough to be able to run 5Ks. I know how hard it was to get to that point, now I have to run 10K?
Signing up for my local running clinic has given me a bit more confidence I will get the proper training to get me up to the 10K level. I am excited and anxious at the same time to do the training and face the challenges that are ahead.
When taking on any new challenge, be ready to face the tough moments. Push through those tough moments and know there is a great feeling waiting for you on the other side. My next challenge: buying new running shoes!”