If Oprah can do it...

June 30, 2011

I have my first running injury….

It’s not really that bad, I have strained my left calf muscle.  Thought it was a cramp, but it wouldn’t go away.  So, no running since this past Sunday L  I was doing so well!  I did part of my last run just short of a mile without stopping…and I was down to a 13 minute mile too…and no more pity looks from passing motorists.

I have a sneaking suspicion my injury is due to my old sneakers.  The Nike Max Air sneaks are super stylin’ but probably not classified as serious running sneakers….so I’m headed to the Ski Rack this weekend to get fitted for real running shoes.  And to prove how committed I am to doing this right…I’m not going to complain if the only color they come it is orange…or teal.  For the first time in my life, what I put on my feet will not be a fashion statement...It will be about cushioning, flexibility and pronation control. (Google it, I had to) But, Oh please God…let the best sneakers for me come in Pink!!!

So as I sat convalescing with my ibuprofen and ice pack, I spent some more time reading about running. I came across an interesting article about Oprah's first marathon experience and how she trained for it.  Now for years I loved Oprah, but I have to be honest and say I was a bit over her by the time she called it quits.  After watching her shows, she had me feeling so guilty if I was consuming food with high fructose corn syrup, not wearing the right bra, not contributing to kids in third world countries or anything to prove I was not “living my best life”. The guilt associated with being an Oprah fan was almost as bad as it is being Catholic…almost.

Anyway, back to the running…Oprah was about to turn 40 and wanted to lose some weight yet again…sound familiar??  So she consulted with her personal trainer Bob Greene about how would be the fastest way to lose it.  He said running.  He took her out for a run to see how she would do and she did her first mile in 17 minutes.  Ah-Ha Moment!! I beat Oprah!!!!  Over the next year he put her on a training schedule to build up her endurance, strength and take off the weight.  When she ran in the Marine Corps Marathon she was 70 lbs lighter and ran it in 4 hours and 29 minutes.  (Conversely, Al Roker ran the NYC Marathon in 7 hours and 9 minutes…poor guy was being followed to the finish line by the street sweepers.)  Now, I still have no idea how much of the marathon I will be running next year…way too early to tell…but since I can’t afford to have my own Bob Greene, I can follow the regime Oprah paid for…and see where it takes me.  And I can assure you, whatever distance I do run, no way I’ll be wearing this get up…