Starting to Train Again
As I'm getting older now I've finally realized that I can't just keep putting off improving my health. As a teen I was fairly large and in my college years I hit my largest weight. Once I had my first child though and found running I really melted off the weight and hit my lowest weight and held it for many years. It was all in running though. I'm fairly strong and have no problems lifting items and moving things, but I've never been much for going to the gym. Compared to running I find lifting weights to be boring and annoying, but that attitude is starting to show problems for me.
In 2022 I was training for a half marathon and developed some aches in my lower back/glute area. This stuck around every time I started to try and run and while it never escalated, it also never got better. I've known it wasn't just from the running, but from the fact that I wasn't building up any strength or balance from resistance training. With a drop in running I slowly started creeping up on the scale and while I'm still a good way off from my largest weight, I'm also a long way off from my healthiest weight.
I now know this is from the lack of muscle and strength and I'm ready to do something about it. I can't get back in shape and I can't be a healthy runner unless I also improve my muscles. They might not get as strong as they could be as I'm in my 40's now, but even just maintaining what I have is going to help me in another 10-20 years.
So for now on top of 3-4 runs a week I'm adding 2-3 gym sessions working on full body multi-joint movements to build overall strength and also core stability. I still don't enjoy it, but I realize that's partly a good thing. Building friction and understanding that it can't always be things you enjoy that keep you healthy, but also maybe with repetition I'll at least maybe learn to tolerate it.