Exercise is a good habit; my go-to aerobic choice is running five kilometers at a time. Establishing a habit can be a gradual process, with fits and starts or incremental adjustments, and I have enjoyed observing this process in myself. As a sixty-something, I’ve wanted to be physically fit, but have no interest in training for competitions.
However, my recent online data comparisons have been disheartening. Tables of average run times are available for men and women of different ages and experience levels. On most of these tables, I am no better than a “novice,” which is a guy who has only been running for about six months. I’ve been at it for five years, which means I should be running 5k lengths about 5 minutes faster than I have been.
I find ways to boost my spirits about this. I have been hitting my target heart rate, which correlates to beneficial exercise, even if my times are unimpressive.
Every human is a unique combination of mind and body, so my exercise journey may be utterly foreign to many. But I wonder if some aspects will be similar.
I use a calendar spreadsheet to keep track of run frequency, length, time, and sometimes heart rate. It didn’t take long to discover that scheduling each week identically had many advantages. I try to run on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. I do core/strength training on Mondays and Fridays. Days off are Wednesdays and Saturdays. I was surprised at how this simple thing helps consistency; I’ve been at it for five years, but not always per schedule.
Most interesting, however, is feeling my mind and body work together (or not) during a run. Frequently, as I get ready to head out, my mind repeats a little joke (except it really means it):
“But… what if I don’t want to go for a run?”
I would not do this exercise if I didn’t think long-term benefits would justify it. We often question whether investing time and effort today will pay off in an uncertain future. What if this is all a waste of time? The lazy me wrestles with the responsible me.
Yet, runners know that positives are not all far into the future. Feeling good today is related. Maybe endorphins elevate mood more immediately. (I like to call them “endolphins.”)
I have previously mentioned my investigations into the involvement of emotion in effective decision-making. Two thought-provoking books on the subject are Temple Grandin’s “Animals in Translation” and Antonio Damasio’s “Descartes’ Error.” These help show that mind and body are not as separable as we often think. Recognizing the gut/brain connection is another recent trend. The gut informs the brain much more than we have previously realized.
I don’t tend to think breakfast relates to running motivation. Yet, I suspect my homemade granola and yogurt do provide a boost. I don’t eat sugary store-bought granola or sweetened store-bought yogurt. Everything is questioned these days, especially by people trying to get likes or subscribes. But my granola and yogurt work for me. They energize me beyond most people’s lunchtime and give me plenty of run readiness.
I wonder if this is a common experience among casual runners. When I start, my body seems to say,
- What are we doing here?
- Wait, do we want to work like this? Are you serious?
- I think it would be more enjoyable to sit on the couch.
- Slow down!
- Hey, wait up!
Something like that. But after a short while, it decides to cooperate. This could be called “getting into a groove.” Eventually, during the run, I discover that the mental resistance has evaporated, and I can coast. The body response has changed to:
- Oh, okay, I know we’ve done this before.
- Might as well go along without complaining—it doesn’t take that long.
- Now that the heart is in it and all, we can relax.
- Oh, yeah! Remember those endorphine neurotransmitters?
It makes sense that the period before the mind decides to cooperate differs from person to person. It also seems to depend on how disciplined I’ve recently been. Just because I schedule three times a week doesn’t mean it always works out. Vacations, other time commitments, and lousy weather can get in the way.
Given the goal of three 5k runs per week, the total distance for a year is 485 miles. Here’s how my last five years have gone:
Seems pretty lame. At least my 2025 total so far is on track to exceed the best year, 2024’s 232 miles.
If I have recently been more on schedule with runs, the distance to mental cooperation is usually less than a quarter mile. If I’ve been slacking off, that distance may be as much as a mile.
Tracking how the rest of the body cooperates has also been interesting. I am fortunate to have no joint issues, with neither knees nor ankles. Sometimes, one of them will give a twinge of pain, but if I keep going, it always relents. I pulled a hamstring muscle in 2020 when one foot landed on uneven ground. I was not far into the routine core/strength training regimen, so my hamstrings were not as fit as they are now.
I have sometimes listened to music or audiobooks while running. These mental distractions can also be helpful. Without these digital sounds, I can still get a similar distraction effect if something occupies my mind.
Time of day also affects me, I’ve noticed. No way am I going to run before breakfast. By ten in the morning, I’m ready to go. But if something ruins the morning schedule, the earlier in the afternoon, the better. I can run in the evening, but it’s always more of a mental challenge.
Air temperature during a run affects me. Colder than 40 degrees, I don’t feel like going, but I run efficiently if I do. Any day in the 60s or 70s is best. A warmer day, 80 or more, tends to slow me down.
I’ve also started practicing abdominal breathing and found it helpful. The online guides say your stomach should expand and contract as you breathe deeply, and you should fully inflate and deflate with each breath. I’ve found my stomach doesn’t seem to change much. Maybe that’s just my particular physique, but deep breathing does feel good.
I would enjoy comparing notes if you have had similar observations or if your aerobic workout is entirely different. Toss me a comment, or use my contact form.
For now, gotta run!