Run For It Read Free Page A

replied. “I have pictures and instructions for everything in the car. When we’re finished, I’ll
     give them to you. Once you’ve been doing this awhile, you won’t need the instructions, you’ll have it all memorized.”
    “Okay,” said Theo.
    “Once you’ve been working out for a while, you’ll be more flexible, and then you may want to repeat each stretch two or three
     times instead of just once.”
    Theo nodded. “So, now do we run?”
    Mr. Baskin shook his head. “Not right away. First, we’re going to walk.”
    Theo was startled. “Walk?”
    “You don’t want to try to do too much all at once,” said Paul.
    “Right,” his father agreed. “So first, we’re going to walk for ten minutes. Then, we’ll run a little. Ready?”
    Theo nodded and the three set off, fairly fast, but not fast enough to exhaust Theo. As they walked, Mr. Baskin explained
     the schedule he wanted Theo to use.
    “What you’re doing today is the pattern for your first week. You walk the first ten minutes. For the second ten minutes, you’ll
     run until you have to slow down. Then you’ll walk for a minute and start running again, and so on, until the second ten minutes
     is over. Finally, you’ll walk for ten minutes more, do your stretches, and that’s it.”
    “That’s all?” Theo was relieved. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”
    “It isn’t too bad,” Paul said. “You see? I
told
you.”
    “The idea is to build yourself up, a little at a time,” explained Mr. Baskin. “During the next eight weeks, you’ll do more
     and more running and less walking. Also, the walking you do will be faster. The idea is to build up your endurance without
     exhausting you.
    “Little by little, you build up your muscles, including your heart. At the same time, you build up your oxygen intake, which
     will give you more energy. You’ll start to feel a difference — not right away, but pretty soon.”
    “And you think I’ll be able to run three miles in three months?” Theo asked.
    “I think so,” answered Paul’s dad. “Along with the stretching instructions, I’ll give you a timetable to use. Every week for
     the next eight weeks, you’ll increase your running time and cut down your walking time.”
    Mr. Baskin’s watch suddenly beeped. “Time to do a little running,” he said. “Now remember — don’t push too hard. This is only
     your first day.”
    Theo had to stop and walk three times during the ten minutes. He felt embarrassed, like he’d done a pathetic workout. As they
     started walking the lastten minutes, Theo muttered, “That was totally lame, huh?”
    “Lighten up,” Paul said. “It was your first time. You’ll get better.”
    “Paul’s right,” said his father. “I think I had even more trouble my first time. Don’t get down on yourself so quickly.”
    As they walked, Mr. Baskin began talking about running. “I love this sport. You can do it anywhere, anytime. You don’t have
     to have a lot of expensive equipment. You can compete in races, or you can just run for the heck of it. Every time I run,
     I feel great afterward — like my body is full of energy. I know I’m healthier than I would be if I didn’t run.” He grinned.
     “And if I ever see Charlene Kramer, boy, will
she
be impressed.”
    Paul said, “I’ve only been doing it for a month now, but I really like it, too. Once you’ve worked at it a little more, we
     can run together.”
    Theo felt a little better.
    Mr. Baskin’s watch beeped. “Let’s do those stretches.”
    After the three had stretched, Paul asked, “How do you feel? Ready to do it again tomorrow?”
    Theo thought about it for a moment. “Yeah,” he said. “I am. You were right to get me into this.”
    “Want a ride home?” Mr. Baskin asked, after he’d given Theo the stretching instructions and running schedule.
    “No, I guess I’ll walk,” Theo said.
    Mr. Baskin started the car. “Suit yourself. And call me if you have any questions.