Master of Stairs

One of the things I love about Facebook is all the advice you can get from people. A memory post from 2013 came up from when I first started running, and the comments and advice that I got from my Facebook friends were so great. Back then I could only run for minutes at a time. I remember how my calves would scream in pain. I had to take ibuprofen sometimes before my workout, just to get through. I did the couch to 5k app, and that really helped me get started. It took me forever to get to the point where I could run for long periods of time without stopping. 
Fast forward to today, and I can run for miles. I’m still slow, but I can run. A couple of months ago my husband and I ran on the road that we live on. We walk this road almost daily. It’s a gravel road. Since I’m a “city girl,” it has taken me some time to get used to the gravel. At first my ankles were week. I have been running for a few years now, but I always ran on cement, or a treadmill. This was completely different, and it showed. When I’m on level ground, or a treadmill I can run for a long time. My husband could run the road for hours. He is in great shape. He has done the stair master for years: forty minutes, without touching the rails, 81 steps per minute. If you think that sounds easy, give it a try. Now he has added wearing a fifty pound vest. 
I, on the other hand, had to stop and catch my breath about three quarters of the way, while running on the road. I didn’t even try to run up the hills. It was better than I could have done before I ran, but it still made me mad. I thought I could run! What the heck?!??!!! 
So, that’s when I decided. It’s on. I would start the stair master. The first time I tried it was months ago. At that time I could only go for about 12 minutes. I have been doing it for a couple of months, and I am now up to 40 minutes. I do 42 steps per minute. Adding one more step per minute can change the game completely. It’s crazy. Yesterday I only had to stop once. I have to play little psychological games with myself to get through it: cover the display so I can’t watch the clock, count the songs that play, count my steps, and focus on my breathing. Most of the time everything screams for me to STOP! I hate stopping though, because it seems so much harder once I get going again. I remember feeling the same way when I was running. My current goal is to not stop and then I’ll work on letting go of the rails. You wouldn’t believe how much harder it is to let go of the rails. I tried it early into this challenge and I could only go for about twenty minutes total. It ruined my workout for that day. This workout is HARD, but I’m already seeing results. My leg muscles are stronger and more defined. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

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