Real Women Runner Profile:
From Walking To Running, Again.
Real Woman: Tami M. Real Age: 42 Real Running Venue: Washington State, USA Real Progress: Tami achieved the goal of finishing the Walk to Run Program a week before her scheduled race, the Shamrock Run, on March 11th. And, during the race, despite only training on the flat, she conquered a 3/4 mile hill without stopping once to walk. WAY TO GO!!!!!! She plans on completing the Race for the Cure in September, followed by the Run Like Hell 5K in October. Running History
Tami started her running experience two years ago, when she established the goal of running her first race, the popular St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Run, with her mother and best friend. She used a walk to run program and worked up to running three miles (5k) right before the race. After completing the Shamrock Run successfully, she continued to run three to four times a week, logging about 10 to 12 miles (16-19k) a week. Problems arose, however, when after six months of regular running, she began to feel significantly fatigued and out of breath during her workouts. After seeing her doctor, it was determined that she was anemic, and had exercise induced asthma. Taking iron supplements eventually helped her running, but scheduling runs became more difficult as the year progressed, and without any specific goals such as increasing her running distance or training for an up-coming race, she eventually stopped running in early 2005. In February of 2006, a misdiagnosed bout of pneumonia turned out to be blood clots in her lungs, (pulmonary embolii) which required hospitalization and resulted in the death of some lung tissue (pulmonary infarction). Although her doctor gave her the clearance to start exercising again at her physical exam in August of 2006, some residual chest pain kept her from starting back up right away. It wasn’t until December of 2006, at her all time highest weight, that she revived the goal of running the Shamrock Run, and started the Real Women Running’s “If You Can Walk You Can Run Program” (Walk to Run 5k program). Running Obstacles
For Tami, beginning a running program again has been full of physical and scheduling obstacles. With a tendency toward anemia, her diminished lung capacity, and a 30 pound weight gain since last year, Tami has many more physical challenges than she had previously. Scheduling her workouts has also proven to be difficult, as carving time out for running while juggling a family, full-time job and night school is not easy. But, despite all of her obstacles, her resolve to finish the running program and run in the Shamrock Run was still as strong as before. Tami is truly an amazing inspiration to all aspiring and beginning runners, as she set her first goal and achieved it!!! She has now moved to her next goal..running twice the distance and finishing a 10K! Tami’s Workout Schedule
Three to four workouts a week, with at least one day of rest in between workouts. How She Stays Motivated
Tami stays motivated by setting concrete goals. Her decision to complete the Shamrock Run gave her a specific running distance goal (5k) and a specific completion date (March 11th). It is that goal that keeps her motivated when she feels like skipping a workout. What We Can Learn From Tami
We all can benefit from discovering what keeps us motivated. For Tami, setting concrete goals with a defined completion date provides all the incentive she needs to stay motivated. If your motivation is failing, setting a specific goal, such as a race or non-competitive event, can revitalize your resolve and keep you on track.
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