Wednesday, November 3, 2010

I Hate Running - Part Deux

Those who know me long enough (or those who have faithfully read my blog) would know that I absolutely HATE running. HATE it! HATE it!!! If there was a big basket full of Liz Clairborne handbags marked "70% discount" about 200 metres in front of me I'd idly walk by and let the rest of ladies run helter skelter towards it. When I finally get there I'll just pry the handbag I've been eyeing off someone's hands.

Push comes to shove, I'll just punch her in the face. Kidding. Not. Kidding. Seriously.

But would I run? Nope, no sir I will not. I do not like to run. But most 'voices of authority' have said that you are not an athlete if you do not sprint. Sigh. Seriously? Must I? Must I really sprint? I can withstand quite a number of things but going out in the sun to sprint is really pushing it.

Tell me to deadlift, squuat, push, pull, press, punch, kick, spit... I'd be happy to do your bidding. But I will NOT sprint, kind sir. I insist.

Aren't there other means to develop athleticism? What about kickboxing? Or just boxing? I could hang up a punching back somewhere in my humble home and punch the night away. Sigh... I guess I may well have to start sprinting. But it has to be at night. I'll just sprint along the length of the apartment. I hate it. But I will have to try it. I will let you know if I've tried it.

Funny. I used to be decent at 100 metre sprints in high school. Or so I'd like to think.

12 comments:

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Unknown said...

I run on threadmill in a gym while listening to my Ipod and sometimes watching football matches on one of those 8 LCD screens. Yehaa!!..I am liking it

FatLouie said...

who say sprint makes u an athlete?

KevL said...

"But most 'voices of authority' have said that you are not an athlete if you do not sprint."

What are your goals if you incorporate sprints in your workout regime? Being 'athletic' is a goal, but the term 'athlete' is not limited to sprinting only. If you hate sprinting but still want to be athletic, why not try snatches or clean and jerk? Those explosive movements are definitely athletic!

In all brutal honesty, I hate cardio and I still hate it. But I have 2 goals in mind that keeps me running on a consistent basis - to improve cardiovascular performance, and to lose fat. If I've lost all the more obvious layers of fats surrounding my mid-section, I *still* have another reason to run. Registering for an upcoming marathon would give me 3 reasons to run and something to look forward to - beating my old record. I struggle so much lesser on runs/jogs now (which translate to: being better) that I've truly experienced what's it like to struggle and have already gotten used to it.

A few weeks back I posted an article on 'Why I hate to squat'. Despite all that hate I have for it, I *know* the benefits of squat and I have goals set in place. I got better at it and I just can't wait till Sunday till I go squatting again.

When you improve in a sport and get better at it, it only becomes easier to you. When it becomes sooo much easier, it only translates to something 'enjoyable' which you can achieve without much effort, though that's the time to actually raise the bar. At least that's how I see it in me.

HLiza said...

I like running even though I'm not a sprinter..it's a no-brainer..no need to count or be wary of wrong ways I do things..and running outdoor is the best when the sun is still sleepy..heaven! (But it's okay if you stick to yr gym routine..I don't like gyms very much..hehe)

Aizan Suhaira said...

Kasey: I dunno. Lemme think about it.

Elara93: Good for you. Although I find driving all the way to the gym just to run thousands of kilometres going nowhere is pretty ridiculous.

Adeline & Kev: I dunno guys. My gut feeling tells me I should do something about gaining speed. Just being strong doesn't cut it. You gotta be fast as well. Strong and fast are to me signs of athleticism.

Hliza: Agreed. Different people different pleasures. It's good that you're getting outdoors. I hope your love for getting outside rubs off on the children as well.

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FatLouie said...

Honestly speaking, I'm starting to run nw. My target is to increase my stamina and be able to run 5km in a mnth time. Some ppl like Kasey or Kevin will find it easier.. Hehe.. Bt b kind to me. I'm jz a beginner in running. And i really sucks in running. The stamina, the breathing everythg! Its such a shame to hv a stamina like a 5 yr old kid when d fact tat I've been training since 3 yrs ago. Gak!

Aizan Suhaira said...

Adeline: Maybe Kev and Kasey can hold a running workshop and teach us how to run properly. LOL!

Aizan Suhaira said...

Adeline: One more thing. Maybe you're not made for endurance but more for explosiveness. Have you ever thought of that?

That's why you suck at running long distance. You might have an endurance/stamina of a 5 year old kid (although I know ZERO 5 year olds who have bad stamina. They all run around like they're on a permanent sugar high) but could run like crazy in a 100-metre dash.

I know my body is not made for endurance. I'm more explosive by nature (physical and personality-wise).

FatLouie said...

hm...i dunno lah aizan. in schools, I never signed up for sprint or anything with running. More to playing netballs last time. But right now, I've set my thinking like KevL - i wanna lose all those unnecessary fats. That's my main goal. So, now, when I run, I'll keep that in mind and I've definitely have different perspective about running.

Yesterday, saw 1 lady, who I think never stopped running after xx laps, and I saw that she looked so "relax" in a sense that, she didn't puff (after so many rounds of running) and practically breathed thru her nose all the time!! Rather like me, breathed thru mouth in and out. Her lips were tight and u can tell that she's controlling her breathing thru her nose. This is superb!

Someone told me before about this breathing thingy when it comes to run. Herny said, if we run few laps but the HR is still around 75-80%, it means the stamina is really good.

Guess what? I ran only few seconds and my HR has shoot up to 90%. Gila ke tak gila? Man, so much to work on.

So you see? Now I've got another goal to achieve which makes running not sooo...... boring. *wink*