Anyone have advice on learning to run?

[ThyPeace]

Hi MeadowLily!  I do warm up and cool down with a 5 minute walk, actually.  The walk afterward is one of my favorite times.

Friday, DH and I ran together for a while, then I ran by myself.  He gets annoyed when I "randomly" (because he can't seen into my brain and I don't communicate it well) change directions on our runs.  Friday in particular, I planned to head in a general direction for a specific amount of time, but then we got to what I'd thought would be the turnaround faster than I expected, so I did some sight-seeing in the neighborhood.  Made the poor man crazy.  So when we were headed home and he asked me where next, and my answer was "home-ish, may need to wander the neighborhood some more" (I'm omitting all the puffing and pauses for breathing), he growled and then headed home another way.  He also likes running faster than I do, so it's good for him to be able to run at his own pace some of the time.  I bet he's building a great aerobic base by running with me.  Anyway, that was 3.6 miles of running (45 minutes) without a pause except when we had to wait for a light.  Felt pretty good.

Sunday was the "long" run.  This time it was 5.3 miles in 1:09, with walk breaks when I felt like walking.  Interesting to watch my heart rate and note how I feel.  150 BPM is working hard but sustainable but not forever.  108 BPM is when I start to feel like I could speed up again while walking.   Actually, possibly a little faster than that, because my FitBit started that part of the conversation with "You are sweating too much for me to measure your heart rate."  So maybe more like 120 than 110.  For that run, too, I made enough course changes that DH ran by himself for a while.  He definitely needs to run faster than me at least a little, though -- when he finally went off by himself, he was a block ahead of me in no time. 

We did not exactly make it to one of my goals, though, which is to have a normal day after the run.  We napped and cuddled for a couple of hours after our showers, and only then went on to the food and chores part of the day.  (Okay, okay, it was 4pm before we ate...)

I went looking for answers to my above speculation about having a conversation while running.  The MyFitnessPal forums are quite active, and I got a decent number of answers to my questions.  To summarize, the advice was:

- Keep going!

- Do interval training.

- Don't worry about it.  I can't have a conversation either but I can still run.

- Try heart rate monitoring instead (hence the above greater attention to heart rates).

- Keep going!!

So okay, I'm keeping going.  My legs are sore from the 5.3 miles yesterday, but not so sore that I couldn't do my strength workout today.  I have to admit that I wimped out a little on the squats and pushups, though.  My knees are sore.  And pushups, well.  Justice Ginsberg does not yet have much competition from me.

Tomorrow, I hope, will be my short 30 minute run.  It's been a weather mess here today, and I'm hoping the rain stops by tomorrow morning.

 

ThyPeace, my next question on MyFitnessPal will be about shoes.  Because my feet keep going numb where my shoes are tied.

 

 

[MadscienceM]

@ThyPeace

google Lacing patterns for running shoes, should give you some examples. I high a High Arch and High instep, so I have to be careful how much I tighten my shoes over my instep, or numb paws for sure!!!! I have done some alternate lacing and have found in helps!!!

[ThyPeace]

Thanks, MadscienceM!  That (and making sure that I have shoes that were fitted at a running store, which I have) were the two suggestions I got on MyFitnessPal.  I got several suggestions about types of lacing, and several links.  Lacing patterns designed to reduce pressure across the top of the foot, which can lead to sore spots, blisters, and numbness, seemed to be the right thing.  Those break down into either parallel lacing, where the laces run directly across rather than in a crossover pattern, and a crossover pattern with some eyelets not crossed but just laced to the next one up.  I laced my shoes in the parallel lacing pattern last night.  

This morning was my walking morning with DH, so I didn't get a full test to see whether my feet feel better, but I think it may be an improvement.  Tomorrow I'll run for 45 minutes, so that will tell me whether it's going to help in the longer term.  Here's a link to a variety of techniques, with videos to show you how to do it.  I found that I needed the video, because even once I got started, it wasn't obvious how to keep going or finish.  There are also a fair number of YouTube videos that are helpful.

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/alternative-ways-to-tie-your-running-shoes

I'm kind of glad I didn't run this morning.  Yesterday's strength workout include something called bottom-up squats, where you bend over to touch your toes, then squat, raise your arms over your head, and stand up from that very low squat.  My knees are letting me know that they are not used to that motion today.

ThyPeace, hasn't had aching knees in a while; this is probably a sign of improvement.

[MadscienceM]

So happy to report that I have turned the corner on feeling blah and am starting to feel very WOOHOO!!! Went to a cardio kickboxing class with a friend on Tues followed by Fire training.... which involved Laying 5 inch lines from a hydrant and racking the 5 inch hose back on the truck... needless to say it was a Butt kicker and we lost 3 of our young guys within the first 2 rotations of racking hose... I was able to plug away and was tired when I got done, but not blown up... then my stair running workout yesterday was really great, did some extra flights and feeling good today... So excited to get the Magic back from eating well !!!!

 

Thanks for the link, I have tried the parallel one before and liked it alot!!!

Those Bottom up squats sound killer!!!! Good for you!

[ThyPeace]

Awesome news, MadscienceM!  And OMG, the racking sounds like a ton of work.  Sounds like you are really good at endurance stuff.  And I happened to click on your profile a minute ago and noted in your interests the "anything about science" part.  I had to smile -- as a phsyics grad school dropout (I ended up with a master's in that and another in industrial engineering) who works in a biomedical research environment, you and I probably have some common science interests in addition to Whole30 and running.

And back to running -- you mentioned your last race up there a ways.  What was it?  Got anything planned for the future?

ThyPeace, interested.

[MadscienceM]

@ThyPeace Yes, I am your basic science nerd who works in infectious disease epidemiology and I am the Hazmat officer for my fire station.   I am sure we have lots of stories to share

 

Let's see have a 5k in April and Part of a 4 man Marathon relay team in May.... then I have this ridiculous idea of running for 48 hours. As many miles as I can go... that is also in May... part of thisWhole30 was to get back on track for training. So I am ready for the long miles ahead. After that the summer is wide open and have 2 half marathons planned so far in the Fall... Not really sure when Half marathons became my go to race distance, but I do enjoy them  Right now I am enjoying the new found freedom of not being a bread junkie... Before this whole 30 I knew I was in trouble because I actually was eating Bagels for breakfast and like grains with everything... unfortunately, that is not optimal for training for me or for me to feel great!!!

How is the new lacing working out for you? 

[ThyPeace]

 

Infectious disease epidemiology I know a little about from being in the environment I'm in.  I know a little more about Hazmat, because before my current job I worked in a facilities role on our campus.  I've had enough of the requisite classes to know when to ask if asbestos might be present, for example.  But for the real issues I would be looking for a professional like you!

The lacings, well... My feet generally didn't fall asleep.  However, I have a blister on the bottom of one foot and my calves hurt so badly by the end of the run that I walked most of the last mile.  And it was only 3.5 miles.  My sense was that the lacings were too loose -- they were sliding around and I was having to work to keep my shoes on my feet.  I'm going to re-lace them using the skip-a-cross method instead, and see how that works out on Sunday.  Sunday, of course, is supposed to be a long run.  I think I will plan it so that I'm never too far from home so that if I really can't deal with it, I can go home and try something else.

It may be that I should have two pairs of shoes...  But that's a thought for another time.

ThyPeace, owns one pair of running shoes, one pair of working shoes, and one pair of everything-else shoes.

[ThyPeace]

 

So DH surprised me last night when he said he wanted to go running when he got home from work.  Friday is usually a late work night for us, so he didn't get home until after 7:30 and I got home at 7:10 or so.  I decided to start dinner prep -- sauteed sausage, onion, green beans, and kale with Cajun seasoning and chicken broth, all served over baked potato -- and then go for a walk while he was running.

I took the time to re-lace my shoes using a crossover pattern except for the area where I think the pressure is the worst.  There, I laced straight up to the next eyelet an then kept going.  I figured a walk would be a good way to test out the new pattern, just like I did with the parallel lacing.  And then we actually went outside and I discovered that it was freeeeezing!  I walked with DH for a few minutes' warmup, and then he took off running.  I was so cold that I started running, too, albeit at a much slower pace.  I ended up going just over 2 miles in just under 30 minutes, alternating running and walking.  I pretty much ran just enough to keep warm, and then walked.  Still, it gave me a pretty good test of the lacing, which felt far more secure than the other version.  I hope it will work out for longer distances, as well.

It was also interesting how refreshed I felt, considering that I had run 3.5 miles that morning.  I really thought I would be much more tired.  So I ended up running over 5.5 miles for the day, which is about the max of what I have run in a row without dying.  Good way to add distance, if I can find the time for it in the evenings.  The FitBit said I had more than 17,000 steps and had burned almost 900 extra calories. 

Today, however, I have been so sedentary that I'm not even up to 2,000 steps on my FitBit.  The only walking I did at all was at the grocery store.  I've been working on a class I'm taking and starting our taxes.  Last weekend, I cleaned the fridge.  That was a lot more activity!

ThyPeace, hasn't had much to eat today, either, but DH is making burgers for supper.  I may chew on his arm instead, though.

[Dallas]

Kelly Starrett has a number of books on properly functioning as an active person.  "Ready to Run" would probably be a good starting point, but he will tell you to learn how to stand before you learn how to walk.  It has been challenging me to stand and walk better, I haven't made it to running yet.  Good luck (and I realize I am late to the party here, but his books are worth the read, I think of the Starretts as the Hartwigs of action!)

[kirkor]

Bump for KStar!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8vay90655Q&list=PLjsIYnItYLFvYwtC_lEyYL7SYupcyGR3e

 

[ThyPeace]

Thanks, Dallas, I'll take a look at Kelly Starrett's stuff.  And Kirkor, I only watched (without sound; I'm in an open office environment and don't have headphones) the first few seconds of that video.  Having done some rolling, I can say for certain that the work they were doing on that guy's calf had to have -really- hurt.  Yowza.  I'll watch the rest (and it looks like some good stuff for my short workout days when I have time for some mobility work!) when I get home this evening.

 

ThyPeace, roller wimp.  And living with the pain of having worked on mobility and stretching yesterday.  The days of being able to do full splits are a long time ago indeed.

[ThyPeace]

Gee, I haven't posted an update for this week.  Let's see... Sunday was the long run, and in an hour I put in 4.76 miles.  DD was home working on something, so I did not stay out longer than that.  DH ran with me for the first part; we agreed to 30 minutes together and then we'd split up.  It worked out well and without annoyance on his part.  I got to explore another area that I haven't run through before, and he got to do another lap of known territory around the campus near our house.  And he got to run at his speed rather than mine.  For the week, that put me at about 15 miles, which is more than I have done recently.  I can tell that it's an increase; my body is definitely tired this week.  

I also changed up my indoor training some this week and did some more aerobic workouts.  That's been interesting.  All of the workouts were in the 60-70% of max heart rate range, so nothing too extreme.  Mostly body weight strength moves done at a faster pace than I was able to do when I first started, plus choosing workouts that have more jumping jacks and A-skips rather than squats and pushups.  And I did kettlebell swings for maybe the second time, though I use dumbbells since that's what I have.  So although nothing is terribly sore, there are many tired body parts at the moment. 

The 30 minute run on Tuesday was slow and not as far as usual; directly related to the tiredness of the body.  This morning was supposed to be a walk with DH, but he decided we were five minutes late so we had to run.  I agreed to do it, and discovered that my calves are quite sore from something I did in the last two days.  Maybe the A-skips or heel kicks.  Anyway, the legs did not appreciate the quick jog we were doing and I took a walk break in the middle even though we ran less than a mile.  

Tomorrow is the 45 minute run for the week.  Since it's by myself, I can go at whatever pace I need to, and if my legs are still as tired as they are right now, there will definitely be walk breaks.  

Saturday DH and I are going to a stride clinic sponsored by a local running club.  Neither of us has ever done anything like this before, so we don't quite know what to expect.  The information indicates we'll be running on treadmills and to wear just shorts and t-shirt, nothing baggy.  I assume that's so they can see the mechanics of the body easily.  There will be a podiatrist, a physical therapist, running coaches, staff from the local running shoe store, and a massage therapist.  I should remember to bring a notebook so that I can take notes.  Not while I'm running on the treadmill, though.  My hope is that we can get some assistance for DH's ongoing aching knee, though I know that in the long term the lack of cartilage will eventually mean a replacement.  And for me, I want to learn everything I can to avoid injuries.  Because that 5k when I'm 100 requires avoiding all possible injuries.

ThyPeace, both the overuse kind and the falling-down kind.  

 

 

 

[ThyPeace]

Oh the tired in my body today!  I woke up on time, staggered outside, did 30 minutes of running that turned into a walk every time I got distracted, and was late to work because I was so tired and so desperately wanted to go back to bed.  It's late afternoon now and I still just want to climb in bed and sleep for 12 hours.  In addition to an overall tired body, my legs are tired and somewhat sore.  The Achilles in particular is achy.  Not like it's damaged, just like I stretched or used it or something and need a rest day.  So tomorrow morning, of course, is the stride clinic.  I'm hoping DH won't object to an early evening.  And I hope the stride clinic folks don't object if I skip brushing my hair in the morning before I see them.

I suspect some of this is because I have eaten differently this week, having finished my Whole30-ish 30 days.  I feel much better and no longer have the holiday bloat, and this week treated myself to things I have not been eating, including some sugar (the last of my Christmas chocolate, which was worth it!), some grains (corn, a few Puffins, one buttermilk pancake -- the pancake was worth it), black beans (chili!  worth it), and a piece of spinach lasagna (worth it, but I could get the same happy without the noodles, so left most of them on my plate).  My resting heart rate hasn't jumped upward any, so I haven't really overdone the crazy food intake.  At the same time, I'm sure it's having an effect.

ThyPeace, wondering how the long run on Sunday is going to work out at this point.  

[ThyPeace]

Yesterday was the stride clinic, at which I claimed that nothing hurt (because it was true) and asked lots of questions about how to prevent injuries. 

From the physical therapist and the podiatrist I learned that I am stronger than the other people they tested and that I should lace my shoes open one eyelet down from where they were.  And that my shoes are putting pressure on the nerve at the top of the foot.  Which is why they go to sleep.  From the shoe lady, I learned that my shoes don't fit and that I should never have to lace my shoes like I am.  My feet are over and off in various places, and it's no wonder there are problems.  Stop by their shop for a better fitting.  Which I will do, because I think she's right. 

From the massage therapist I learned that he is not the right guy for me.  Oh my gosh, that hurt!  And I know some people think that a massage should be like that.  Having had a few massages -- herniated disc in my back, among other things -- I know that my body takes massage best when it is not fighting off the fear of additional pain.  I'll go with someone who knows how to do the work without causing pain and stress. 

From the coaches, I got the following advice:

- Stand up straight.  No, straighter.  Come on, reach up to the sky and stand on your tiptoes!  Now you're up straight.  Arms down and off the tiptoes, keep the rest!  (I can't breathe...)

- Lean forward.  Fall forward.  Just keep falling.  You'll be too busy catching yourself to land on your heel anymore. 

- Pump your arms harder.  More!  Yes, more!

They told me it would take six months to learn to actually run like that.  My first attempt at it has me agreeing with them.  Apparently I don't know how to breathe when I'm working that hard to stand up straight, and when I lean forward I run too fast to be able to keep up with myself.  And my arms?  Oh for Pete sake, it's going to take me forever to remember to move my arms that much.  Ah, well, something more to work at.  That's a good thing.

DH learned that he has a somewhat chronic Achilles tendon injury, and got exercises and a suggestion for an ankle sleeve to wear while running.  And several of the staff members stopped by to tell me that he needed to pay attention to the problem, because it's not going to get better if he doesn't.  I got it.  And he's working at it.  And unlike me (see below), he knows how to use ice to his advantage.

So this morning, I woke up with my right Achilles tendon aching.  I went out anyway, not thinking it was all that bad.  I ended up walking after running no more than 200 yards.  I kept going, walking more than I ran for the first lap around our local campus.  I re-tied my shoes, which helped considerably, and kept walking and alternately jogging.  Somewhere in there, I realized that it was hurting less.  Eventually, I was able to do quite a bit of running rather than walking so much, and ended up getting in 5.75 miles.  Took me a good long while -- 1:20.  With an average heart rate of 127BPM, I guess it was a pretty good aerobic base building workout.  At the end, I told DH (who had run ahead of me and then came back to join me for the last of my last lap) that at that speed and that much walking, I could have done it again plus what was needed for a half-marathon.  Maybe that was optimistic, but I really do think I could do it. 

Afterward, I took the usual hot shower and relaxed for a while.  The Achilles hurt some after that, but not like it had before I ran.  It has since loosened up again, but it's sore when I massage it.  I've been massaging it some, but nothing else.  I know, I know, ice is the right way to go on stuff like this.  But you know, I couldn't stand to ice my back when I had a severe herniated disc.  The Reynaud's syndrome makes application of cold just incredibly painful for me.  I'll take enough ibuprofen to make it an anti-inflammatory dose when I go to bed, and see what things feel like tomorrow.  I will not be running tomorrow, that's for sure.  It's supposed to be a weights day, but it may end up being a "to heck with it I'm going to sleep in" day.

And now I'm going to bed, having watched the very end of the Superbowl.  Even though neither of the teams was one that I root for.  (Born and raised in Wisconsin -- no matter where I live, I'll always be a Packers fan.)

ThyPeace, yes, I did just say that I don't like ice or painful massages.  Makes you wonder how I can stand to run, doesn't it?

[ThyPeace]

 

Walked and ran this morning, still trying to 1.  stand up straight 2.  lean from the ankles 3. pump my arms.  All while not stressing my Achilles any more.  It does feel better, which I'm grateful for.  It was hard going, the running that way.  I still can't do it for very long, and I'm also apparently forgetting how I ran for long distances in any other way, so I couldn't just shift to that other mode and keep running.  What is interesting is that the "short" run I did today used to be the longest run I could conceive of.  The world has changed in the last year, and even the last six months.

Yesterday morning, I did a very light 45 minute workout.  My body appreciates the rest; a whole bunch of things that were aching a lot are no longer aching at all.  So tomorrow I'll see if I can't ramp things up a little.  And maybe go outside again, since it's supposed to be nice tomorrow and snow on Thursday. 

ThyPeace, so glad I have this workout habit now, because it's a great respite from the stresses of the rest of life. 

[ThyPeace]

Didn't walk yesterday, didn't run today.  Slept in both mornings.  It's COLD and miserable.  And I worked until 10:30 Monday night, 9pm Tuesday night, 8:30pm Wednesday night, and 8:30pm last night.  

And I should have exercised anyway.  Many of the parts of me that were aching no longer ache, though.  And slept like a rock both nights.  Still sleepy now, though.  Will try to get at least a walk in tonight.

ThyPeace, probably needs to re-do an exercise program that has accountability in it.  Probably a StepBet...

[ThyPeace]

Got a walk in yesterday and a run-walk in today.  Not as long or intense as usual, and yet still steps back to what I want to be doing.  It's warmer, so it's not quite so painful to go outside and my Achilles feels better.  I suppose this is part of being a runner -- having weeks when sleep and work eat my brain, and then continuing to run anyway.

I suppose I will persist, since it's one of the words of the week.

ThyPeace, nevertheless.

[ThyPeace]

Did a 30 minute workout this morning.  Funny to think of something that includes side planks, T-pushups, burpees, and jump squats as "light," but it was.  I've learned to do these exercises without killing myself, anyway.  I think that has more to do with experience than building fitness, but hey.  I do have more muscles now than I did a couple of months ago, and don't feel as weak as when I was running a lot and not focusing on any strength stuff.  That's a good thing.

On the not-so-good side, the Achilles is a little sore today.  Ice and ibuprofen really need to be my friends.  I wonder what it's going to take for me to do that.

ThyPeace, really not a fan of either of them except in extreme circumstances.

[ThyPeace]

I have eaten positively sinfully in the last couple of weeks.  That and the impending monthly cycle have handed back all the weight I lost in January.  I am peeved about it.  However.... this morning's run was surprisingly good.  After the first few minutes when everything felt out of kilter, suddenly I was just running.  Remembering to stand straight, remembering to lean forward and fall into the run, and just... running.  (I completely forgot, until just now, that I'm also supposed to work on pumping my arms.  Ah well.)  I ran far more than I have, percentage-wise, in probably three weeks.  And nothing hurt when I arrived home again, another huge improvement.

Apparently chocolate, rice krispie treats, bourbon, black beans, corn chips, lasagna, and all the other assorted goodies I've had in the last few days did something that helped the running.  Or possibly the rest has finally healed the bits that were overstressed and the food re-filled necessary glycogen stores.  Who knows.  Whatever it was, it felt good.  And I'm pleased that I seem to be building out of the aches, pains, and general funk that I was in.  Perhaps those were tied to my weight loss, and the gain is tied to feeling better.  If so, I need to think hard about what nutrients were missing while I was losing weight.

ThyPeace, tomorrow is another strength workout, which I will go lighter on again.  This, too, may affect the energy for running.  Lots of variables...

[Addihul]

Nice to see you're still moving forward and staying true to your fitness regimen. I recently ran consistently for a year straight with no breaks.. and now I'm dealing with burn out. Two days a week right now. Waiting for a bit warmer weather. Normally I'm a road warrior. I have been for years. But sometimes a guy just needs to dial it back. I'm also in MD and have been dealing with the weather, so I feel your pain.

Great reading your updates. Keep up the good work. Seems like you have a good handle on that possible Achilles injury too. I can also relate with the ups and downs of eating 'sinfully'. Hah.

[ThyPeace]

So it's been a week since I last posted.  Let's see here, that must be three runs and three strength workouts?  Well, more or less.  I did strength on Wednesday and Saturday, walked on Thursday when it was cold, and could not convince myself to get up and go outside on Friday morning.  It was cold and windy and I just wanted to sleep.  So I did -- and went running on Friday evening with DH instead.  That actually worked out pretty well.  I was better rested than usual, it was much warmer, and for the first part I could run with DH.  All good things.  Of course, my feet and legs were killing me, a problem that seemed to be getting worse rather than better.  That forced me to walk some, but I still had a better pace than some recent runs -- 3.66 miles at a 12'33" pace. 

Saturday I did a couple of FitStar workouts.  It's a strength program that ties to FitBit, and is a nice change of pace from my usual Nike Training Club workouts.  They have enough different moves that I really feel like I'm getting a different workout, rather than just a different arrangement of the same things.  Based on what was tired and a little sore the next day, it seems to have been a pretty good core, chest, and shoulder workout.  The Nike Training Club stuff is more about core and legs. 

Sunday was my long run, and it was a nice day for it.  DH and I went together for about the first half, then split up.  I again walked a lot because of my feet and lower legs, and somewhere in that run was when I figured out that it's my shoes that are bothering me, rather than something wrong with me.  I ended up with 5.92 miles at a 13'41" pace.  That slow because I walked for about ten minutes in the middle, and did a lot of other walking throughout.  I was fine with that; my goal for Sundays is to work up to about 7 miles, and then worry about getting it done faster.

Yesterday, Monday, was supposed to be a strength workout.  I decided to work in the garden instead.  Did lots of pruning -- roses, raspberries, assorted herbs.  I was outside for two hours in shorts and a long sleeve shirt, very happy with the springlike weather.  And then in the afternoon I got a massage.  That was really nice.  I was a Massage Envy member for years, but had kind of gotten tired of the high staff turnover.  So when they raised their rates, I went looking for one of the therapists who'd gone out on his own, and got a massage from him yesterday.  Man, I needed that!  He worked on several really tight areas, particularly my hamstrings and calves.  He did a pre-med undergrad degree with a lot of anatomy and kinesiology classes and worked on my back when I was coming out of physical therapy after my herniated disc, so I trust his judgement.  His opinion?  Stretch your hamstrings.  Use this stretch.  Three times a day.  Really.

What's interesting is that I do stretch my hamstrings, but lower down than where he noticed the problem.  I'd never even considered that the stretched I was doing don't actually stretch the entire hamstring.  Ah, well. Now I have something new to try.

This morning I ran after putting my supportive insoles back into my shoes.  I took them out a month or so ago because I thought they were starting to hurt the soles of my feet, which they may be.  However, my legs and other parts of my feet are happy with me for that decision, and took me 3.05 miles at an 11'51" pace.  Still some walking in there, but much better than the last few times out!

Last bit of news is that I signed up for a local 10K race on April 23.  Hence the goal to work up to Sunday runs of 7 miles.  That way I can warm up and then do the 10K and still be within the mileage I do on a regular Sunday.  I know that also means I need to build up the weekday mileage.  Not sure how I'm going to fit that into my days yet.  I may have to shift my walking day to a walking and running day or something.  I suppose if I were really hardcore, I'd do some speed work, too.  For the moment, though, I am going to believe the stuff I've read that says that first you work up to running 20 miles a week and then you work on speed. 

ThyPeace, time to get ready for work.

[ThyPeace]

 

Here it is Friday, and I have not been running since Tuesday.  I walked with DH yesterday morning and by myself this morning.  Tonight we'll run in the late-spring warmth of this February day.  The daffodils are blooming in my yard.  We registered for the 10k, as I mentioned, so now it's time to train for it.  We have two months from yesterday.  Here's what I have planned for that 8 (and a few days) weeks:

• Tuesdays:  3 miles
• Thursdays:  walk
• Fridays:  walk in the morning, 4 miles in the evening
• Sundays:  Work up to 7 miles

I'll continue the strength training on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, but will not try to increase my intensity there.  I may also join a StepBet to get me to increase my overall activity levels on non-running days.

My speed work will happen when I stand up straight and fall into the run.  Because then I go faster... until I can't anymore.  And then I do the cycle again.

ThyPeace, and try to get more sleep, too.

[ThyPeace]

Friday evening I went running with DH as planned.  He went ahead of me as he often does, and we met up toward the end.  In this case, that meant he finished his run and then walked back to meet me.  He turned around to run behind me and, unfortunately, missed a curb.  He went down really hard and hit iPhone first on the edge of a curb.  That protected his hand somewhat, and he managed to get his head up somewhere in the process.  So there are bruises on both hands, scrapes on a knee, and a scrape on the underside of his chin.  The phone, well, it still works, but the screen is shattered and pieces are coming off of it, so it's not clear how long that will continue.  He's most concerned about the phone since it's from work.  I'm most happy that the phone took damage that could have been him.  It was a pretty spectacular fall, and I'm really glad he didn't hurt himself more than he did.  

He ran 4.75 miles, not counting the walk back and the bit of running before he fell.  I ran 4.13 miles.  Not too many walk breaks, and I felt pretty good.  Saturday, however, I felt like a train had hit me.  Gosh, I was tired.  Took an hour-long afternoon nap that helped immensely.

Yesterday was supposed to be our long runs.  DH had mapped out a run that he wanted to try.  It was 7 miles, and we split up after a half mile or so.  My entire body was telling me how tired I was, so I ended up doing a lot of walking.  And then I mis-remembered when we needed to be home to get ready to take DH to her event, and came home early.  I ended up with only 4.72 miles.  Not great.  I had really wanted to get to 6 miles.  Maybe next week.

I was home long before DH, though; I had finished my shower before he walked in the door.  It turns out that he had taken a couple of wrong turns on a part of the route that he'd never been on before, and his run ended up being about 8.3 miles.  He did several stretches of it fast, particularly after he realized how far from home he was.  He was completely exhausted for most of the rest of the day, with aches in hips and heels that he has not had before.  I did what I could to help -- did the driving so he could ice his knee and Achilles in the car, calf massage before bed.  Still, I think he must be pretty happy to have a desk job today.  He and I both gained a couple of pounds between yesterday and this morning.  Maybe the salty and high-carb lunch we had, maybe water retention for muscle repair, maybe both.

My comment to him was that he's not supposed to increase his mileage so much in a single week.  My private thought is, dang.  He is really good at running!  And he still shouldn't increase his mileage that much.

ThyPeace, that was a metric half marathon!  (13k)

[ThyPeace]

Yesterday was 3 miles at 35:28 or some such, so just under a 12 minute pace.  I managed to run the whole time (except when I stopped for a traffic light) without significant amounts of pain.  Yay me!  That's what I'm looking for.  So apparently my shoe inserts help more than I had thought.  I should order a new pair.  They're starting to rub the soles of my feet a little.

ThyPeace, also notes that it's far less scary to decide to run 3 miles than it is to decide to run 4 or 6 or 7 miles.  I need to work on that.

[fairyfreak]

Great thread, ThyPeace!  I'm trying to convince myself to start running this spring.  It's encouraging to see your progress.  As for massages, I don't like deep ones either.  Have you tried hot stone massages?  The heat does a lot of the relaxing instead of deep massaging.