It’s my runniversary, y’all! I think it was last February 2nd or 3rd that I made the decision to begin running and I haven’t looked back since.
Based on the cobwebs in my RunKeeper profile and blog, you might’ve thought that I’ve fallen off the face of the Earth. To the theories or speculation of my disappearance, I can confirm that it’s partially true.
I’ve been immersing myself in a certified massage therapy program here in Los Angeles. It’s been a pretty good program — I get around 15 hours of anatomy, pathology, and ethics lectures a week, which is coupled with about 20 or so hours of instructional massage therapy classes. The first day of class I got a wonderful massage during class! I’ve been trying to stay on the other side of the sheets for the most part, but when I notice myself feeling a bit run down I swap with my classmates and get an awesome trade massage.
I’ve really enjoyed the program so far. There is a 500-hour requirement for certification from the national certification board, meaning that I need to finish this program (166 hours of anatomy, 168 hours of massage, 166 hours of internship) in order to sit for the exam. Once I pass the exam, I will be certified to practice anywhere in the United States. It’ll be a nice gateway into my next academic step since I’ve been researching MAOM/DC programs here in LA. (MAOM = Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, DC = Doctor of Chiropractic) I haven’t quite settled in on any specific schools yet but I have a few open houses I’m attending these next few months, so we’ll see.
As for training…yeah, I really need to get back into it. I’ve been booking design projects, jugging the massage internship, and going to school about 40 hours a week. There literally is no time for training. I wonder if this is what people mean when they say they have no time to work out — when they are committed to something that physically and mentally takes their time for 80 hours a week.
For now, I want to execute a manageable plan to run 3 times a week, using Kara Goucher’s rule of thumb: 1 easy run, 1 hard run, 1 long run. I think that I get bogged down by the fact that I can’t meet my mileage now that I don’t have enough time, but I really should just focus myself on getting out the door. I have my long runs scheduled on Saturdays with the charity team, so no big deal there. The problem is getting out the door for the other two runs during the week…and fundraising. (I still have about $550 to go!)
Stress galore, but it’s all worth it! (I think.) In the meantime, I submitted a small blurb to Nike Running and here’s what they sent back. Enjoy!
Amara in Training 
Exciting time for you! Sound like you’ve got a reasonable plan to keep up with running. In my work life I often feel there is no time for a run, but when I just do it, I feel so much the better for it. We are a system, and everything informs everything. But when you were putting in the kind of miles you were putting in, I imagine it must be hard to dial it back. Keep on keep’n on!
FYI- Tried to log in and comment using FaceBook, but for some reason it doesn’t work.
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Hey Mark! Yeah, I just need to focus on getting back into a routine. Mileage is a good thing to focus on but I really just need to find the time again. It’s hard when you go from working for yourself full time, to working for someone else full time, back to working for yourself and going back to school. So many time commitments but something’s gotta give! The running helps me clear my mind and will eventually make it easier to perform all of my work functions, so once I re-frame it as a necessity, it’ll get easier.
Sorry to hear you’re having issues with the Facebook login — must be an issue with DISQUS. I’ll have to bring that up with them!
Happy Saturday 🙂
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