Day 2 of the morning runs did not happen. I woke up in time to run on Thursday but felt like I'd been hit by a truck. So I waited 15 minutes thinking I might feel better. Then waited another 15 mins and another. I finally called in to my boss and said I was just starting to feel alive and would be in by 9 or so. I finally made it in at 10:15 and never ran.
I decided to try to run in the evening if I felt better at the day's end. I headed out about 6 p.m. in rain and high humidity for a 2-mile run. I walked for 10 minutes to start while it poured on me and then as soon as I started running, the rain stopped. Figures. But I felt good and the run turned into a 3-miler. So overall, good.
This morning's run was my first 5-miler since I had my back issue last November. I wasn't really concerned about the mileage because I've been building my distance very slowly and conservatively after the back issue in November. I was a little concerned how my back would feel this morning as the Colonel and I started some serious yardwork. I pulled weeds in the main front yard flower bed and spread about 15 large bags of mulch, and my back felt it.
I made sure to spend 10 minutes on my inversion table, which seemed to help. As did a couple of Advils. I woke up this morning feeling fine.
The goal was to run slowly -- 11:15 to 11:30 miles. I like doing an LSD run every week with the idea of building new capillaries to carry oxygen better and make running even easier. But it's a challenge because I just don't have good control of my speed. But I was determined to slow down.
The day was spectacular -- about 60-something degrees, no humidity, beautiful sunshine, no wind. Just pefect.
I started off very slowly and the first mile was even slower than I'd planned at 11:45. I was paying attention to my back and was willing to turn around and head home if there was an issue.
But the back felt great.
Now, I told myself, stay slow because I always do well on Mile 1 but then speed up all of the sudden without even knowing it.
Mile 2 -- 11:00. Too fast. S-l-o-w d-o-w-n.
Mile 3 -- 10:52! What?! What part of slow down don't you understand? I actually walked 1 minute just to force myself to slow down. I thought maybe if I walked a minute, I could find the slower pace.
Mile 4 -- 11:20. OK, that's good. Oh, but wait, I walked 1 minute, so it's almost like a 10:40 or so. Crazy. But I was enjoying the run even though I knew I wasn't going as slow as I'd like.
Mile 5 -- 11:00. Good enough.
I'm just glad to have gotten 5 miles in with no discomfort anywhere. No pain is always Goal 1. I did feel my right ankle at one point, but I just made a micro change and focused on my mid-foot landing and all was right again.
Not only did I get 5 miles in but then I put in 4 more hours in the yard with the Colonel. I pulled what seemed like 1,000 weeds, (I'm serious), and spread nearly 30 big bags of mulch. I was exhausted afterward. But the back held up really well.
Hopefully, I'll feel good in the morning for an easy 3 miles before we head to two different graduation brunches. Brunch? Anyone ever heard of graduation brunch before?
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Well, it's a start
I ran in the mornings on vacation in the hopes of setting up a habit I could continue once we got home. I've run in the morning for a week or two in the past but it never became a habit. But this year, I'm hoping for something different.
Today was the first day and I had to get up an hour earlier than I did on vacation if I wanted to be in the office by 8:30. But I did it. I woke up at 6:15 and actually felt awake, so I got up, got dressed, did my Chilooseners, got a few sips of water and headed out the door. I walked for about 10 minutes as I always do before taking off.
I started a little fast but I felt good. I slowed down and fell into a nice pace. I expected to run somewhat slower first thing in the morning than in the late afternoon and 11:16 was about 10-20 seconds slower than usual as were the second and third miles at 10:37 and 10:17. So I'm pretty happy with that. Besides the time isn't the goal. Running in the morning, liking it, and feeling no pain afterward is the goal.
Based on those criteria, this morning rocked. Hoping to try again on Thursday.
Today was the first day and I had to get up an hour earlier than I did on vacation if I wanted to be in the office by 8:30. But I did it. I woke up at 6:15 and actually felt awake, so I got up, got dressed, did my Chilooseners, got a few sips of water and headed out the door. I walked for about 10 minutes as I always do before taking off.
I started a little fast but I felt good. I slowed down and fell into a nice pace. I expected to run somewhat slower first thing in the morning than in the late afternoon and 11:16 was about 10-20 seconds slower than usual as were the second and third miles at 10:37 and 10:17. So I'm pretty happy with that. Besides the time isn't the goal. Running in the morning, liking it, and feeling no pain afterward is the goal.
Based on those criteria, this morning rocked. Hoping to try again on Thursday.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Fun runs
We left the beach in D estin, FL on Thursday after tacking an additional day onto our vacation. Great move. The weather was great. So I didn't run on Wednesday (our extra vacation day )or Thursday (our travel day) but I got a 3-miler in yesterday at my sister's in Georgia. It was great. Cloudy and about 65 degrees. I ran a bit slower than usual which I attribute to lack of hydration for two days (too many Diet Cokes, not enough water) and way too many M&Ms on the drive up.
My sister lives in a relatively hilly area compared to us, So I got some hills in. Uphills are fine but downhills are still a concern. I have to be very careful on downhills with my back and often I won't even try them if they are steep.
She gave me a 3-mile route but I missed a turn and I'm glad I did. The route she gave me has a lot of rolling hills but with some more serious downhills as I learned on today's run. So I was glad I found my own path which was relatively flat.
Heading home tomorrow but not before a nice dinner with one of the hub's nephews, his wife and baby along the way. That'll be great.
My sister lives in a relatively hilly area compared to us, So I got some hills in. Uphills are fine but downhills are still a concern. I have to be very careful on downhills with my back and often I won't even try them if they are steep.
She gave me a 3-mile route but I missed a turn and I'm glad I did. The route she gave me has a lot of rolling hills but with some more serious downhills as I learned on today's run. So I was glad I found my own path which was relatively flat.
Today I ran with my sister and her husband. They were doing 10 or 12 miles on a 4-mile loop. I did one loop but that was all my back could take with the downhills. They also do a run 8 mins./walk 2 mins routine. That doesn't work too well for me. I don't like stopping and starting but it was nice to have company. I usually run alone. It went really fast.
Heading home tomorrow but not before a nice dinner with one of the hub's nephews, his wife and baby along the way. That'll be great.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Catching up
I've been re-reading "ChiRunning" by Danny Dreyer. It's probably the fourth or fifth time I've read the book. It's something I read every year at the beach because it's a great time to kick back, and my running is in a different place each year so different parts of the book speak to me.
I'm on my third copy. I read and re-read parts of the first one so much, I broke the spine and the pages were falling out. My second copy is still intact but tattered. And now Danny just released a new edition with additional info.
It's great. He's simplified the teaching of ChiRunning and explain the pelvic rotation even better. Plus, there's a whole chapter on common injuries, what's likely causing the problem and how to correct it -- everything from knee pain to ITB syndrome and plantar fasciitis.
My running is going great here. And even before this trip.
I have spent 3 years telling myself that I'm running for the joy and then would judge/scrutinizing the times on my Garmin. But the back injury over the winter -- and the concerns about running after it -- gave me a lot of time to really appreciate running for the fun of it, instead of wanting to be faster or going farther. Now I really am concentrating on listening to my body rather than letting my brain/ego rule everything. If my body says everything feels fine, we run; if something feels funky, I work to change my form. If that doesn't work, we quit for the day.
I've also been conservative in my mileage increases but it's all paying off. My times are better and I'm not even trying to go faster -- just trying to relax more as Danny Dreyer suggests. One point of his that really has stuck with me is to keep the spine lengthened, so I am constantly thinking out extending my head through the crown to the sky and grounding myself from the tailbone. And then relaxing into that. It helps to keep my upper body balanced and in line with my hips which leads to good ChiRunning posture, which is the basis of good running form.
It works. That's all I know. I'm still no speed demon, but my goals have changed. I no longer want to run an "8-minute mile" although that would be nice. Now I simply want to run faster. But speed isn't the issue, it's a byproduct of form over distance. If I get faster, great. But right now the only goal for me is to complete each run without pain or discomfort and to feel great the next day. So far: mission accomplished.
Saturday's run was a long, slow, distance run, but I'm just starting to build there. Wanted to run between 11 and 11:30 minute miles. Monday's run felt good considering I haven't been hydrating very well. Tuesday I didn't plan to run but found myself running anyway. Really haven't been hydrating well and eating way too much junk. Still, happy with how I felt.
May 16
Mile 1 11:25
Mile 2 11:00
Mile 3 11:07
Mile 4 11:20
May 18th
Mile 1 11:13
Mile 2 10:37
Mile 3 10:12
May 19th
Mile 1 11:06
Mile 2 10:37
Mile 3 10:12
I'm on my third copy. I read and re-read parts of the first one so much, I broke the spine and the pages were falling out. My second copy is still intact but tattered. And now Danny just released a new edition with additional info.
It's great. He's simplified the teaching of ChiRunning and explain the pelvic rotation even better. Plus, there's a whole chapter on common injuries, what's likely causing the problem and how to correct it -- everything from knee pain to ITB syndrome and plantar fasciitis.
My running is going great here. And even before this trip.
I have spent 3 years telling myself that I'm running for the joy and then would judge/scrutinizing the times on my Garmin. But the back injury over the winter -- and the concerns about running after it -- gave me a lot of time to really appreciate running for the fun of it, instead of wanting to be faster or going farther. Now I really am concentrating on listening to my body rather than letting my brain/ego rule everything. If my body says everything feels fine, we run; if something feels funky, I work to change my form. If that doesn't work, we quit for the day.
I've also been conservative in my mileage increases but it's all paying off. My times are better and I'm not even trying to go faster -- just trying to relax more as Danny Dreyer suggests. One point of his that really has stuck with me is to keep the spine lengthened, so I am constantly thinking out extending my head through the crown to the sky and grounding myself from the tailbone. And then relaxing into that. It helps to keep my upper body balanced and in line with my hips which leads to good ChiRunning posture, which is the basis of good running form.
It works. That's all I know. I'm still no speed demon, but my goals have changed. I no longer want to run an "8-minute mile" although that would be nice. Now I simply want to run faster. But speed isn't the issue, it's a byproduct of form over distance. If I get faster, great. But right now the only goal for me is to complete each run without pain or discomfort and to feel great the next day. So far: mission accomplished.
Saturday's run was a long, slow, distance run, but I'm just starting to build there. Wanted to run between 11 and 11:30 minute miles. Monday's run felt good considering I haven't been hydrating very well. Tuesday I didn't plan to run but found myself running anyway. Really haven't been hydrating well and eating way too much junk. Still, happy with how I felt.
May 16
Mile 1 11:25
Mile 2 11:00
Mile 3 11:07
Mile 4 11:20
May 18th
Mile 1 11:13
Mile 2 10:37
Mile 3 10:12
May 19th
Mile 1 11:06
Mile 2 10:37
Mile 3 10:12
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Relaxing into it
The last time I was on a trip sleeping in different beds, I ended up with a back injury that kept me home from work for 4 weeks and away from running for nearly 4 months. So this trip had me a little nervous.
On Monday I decided to do an early morning run just to see how my body felt considering I'd slept on two different mattresses in two nights -- and I haven't been on my inversion table (which always helps) for a few nights. My back was a bit sore. My piriformis has been really tight. Too much driving? Different mattresses? No inversion table to hang upsidedown on? Who knows? Still, the run went pretty well.
It was really warn -- 78 degrees at 7:15 a.m. so I knew starting out that I'd have to do a short run just to acclimate to the heat. It wasn't just 78 so early in the morning -- it was a humid 78. At home, I've been running in 50s and low 60s in mid-afternoon. So this was definitely different.
I could have run on the beach, but the slope of it really didn't sound good for my back, so I headed out to the street. From the place we're staying, there's about a half mile row of beachfront resorts before I hit the highway which luckily has a nice sidewalk about 20 yards south of the street.
I started slowly. In fact, the goal was about 11:15 to 11:30 miles. First mile was like 11:15. Perfect. But in the second mile I started to feel my back ever so slightly. I couldn't decide if it was just a result of a different mattress or something to be aware of. So I did 1.25 miles and turned around to come back. 2 miles on the first day was plenty. Well not really but it sounded good in my head and I certainly didn't want to hurt myself on the first day of a two-week trip.
I figured if all went well, and I held back on Monday that Wednesday's run could be longer.
It was the right decision. My back felt fine on Tuesday.
This morning I almost blew off my run. I had waaaaay too much food last night (burger, sweet potato, spinach salad, watermelon, ice cream. Makes me kind of sick just thinking of it all). So I just got a newspaper and a small OJ and sat on our balcony. But after about 30 minutes, I thought why not give it a shot. If I felt terrible, I could always turn around. Besides it was only 73 degrees and there was a nice breeze heading back, which meant one thing: a tailwind on the way back.
Again, I want to run at about 11 minute miles or so. Mile 1: 11:08 Mile 2: 10:26: .75 miles 10:06 pace. Really didn't expect to have that kind of pace given dinner plus all the other junk, but from the first minute or two, I could tell it would be a good run.
Felt terrific. Back felt great. No tightness. Stretching the piriformis before the run was REALLY smart.
One more thing: Been really focusing on reaching my crown for the sky, tailbone grounded and then relaxing into it. More on that later..
On Monday I decided to do an early morning run just to see how my body felt considering I'd slept on two different mattresses in two nights -- and I haven't been on my inversion table (which always helps) for a few nights. My back was a bit sore. My piriformis has been really tight. Too much driving? Different mattresses? No inversion table to hang upsidedown on? Who knows? Still, the run went pretty well.
It was really warn -- 78 degrees at 7:15 a.m. so I knew starting out that I'd have to do a short run just to acclimate to the heat. It wasn't just 78 so early in the morning -- it was a humid 78. At home, I've been running in 50s and low 60s in mid-afternoon. So this was definitely different.
I could have run on the beach, but the slope of it really didn't sound good for my back, so I headed out to the street. From the place we're staying, there's about a half mile row of beachfront resorts before I hit the highway which luckily has a nice sidewalk about 20 yards south of the street.
I started slowly. In fact, the goal was about 11:15 to 11:30 miles. First mile was like 11:15. Perfect. But in the second mile I started to feel my back ever so slightly. I couldn't decide if it was just a result of a different mattress or something to be aware of. So I did 1.25 miles and turned around to come back. 2 miles on the first day was plenty. Well not really but it sounded good in my head and I certainly didn't want to hurt myself on the first day of a two-week trip.
I figured if all went well, and I held back on Monday that Wednesday's run could be longer.
It was the right decision. My back felt fine on Tuesday.
This morning I almost blew off my run. I had waaaaay too much food last night (burger, sweet potato, spinach salad, watermelon, ice cream. Makes me kind of sick just thinking of it all). So I just got a newspaper and a small OJ and sat on our balcony. But after about 30 minutes, I thought why not give it a shot. If I felt terrible, I could always turn around. Besides it was only 73 degrees and there was a nice breeze heading back, which meant one thing: a tailwind on the way back.
Again, I want to run at about 11 minute miles or so. Mile 1: 11:08 Mile 2: 10:26: .75 miles 10:06 pace. Really didn't expect to have that kind of pace given dinner plus all the other junk, but from the first minute or two, I could tell it would be a good run.
Felt terrific. Back felt great. No tightness. Stretching the piriformis before the run was REALLY smart.
One more thing: Been really focusing on reaching my crown for the sky, tailbone grounded and then relaxing into it. More on that later..
Friday, May 8, 2009
Shaving minutes
Time gets away so quickly sometimes. Two weeks and no blogging. Oh well, at least today.
I've been keeping my schedule pretty good -- three runs during the week and a longer run on the weekends. I'm really trying to let me body tell me what it wants to do instead of me pushing it. And most importantly, I'm focusing on relaxing my entire body except the core during the run.
In ChiRunning, form over distance will bring speed naturally without trying. I've always believed it in my head but it's been hard for me to really trust but it's true. I went out yesterday to do 2.5 miles and all I focused on was relaxing -- even my face. Oddly, I seem to squint really hard even with sunglasses on, so I've been trying to relax from the head down.
I felt I was working harder than usual but I figured it was the junk food lunch I ate. Not so. I was actually running faster as a result of trying to relax more and not effort (yes, I'm making effort a verb now). I have taken 30 seconds off my first mile in the last few weeks and last night took a full minute off the second mile.
I don't want to get too excited about this because I am trying to walk the talk of running for the joy without caring about time or distance. Which I'm doing not so much by choice but I really have to let my body tell me what it wants to do because I have kicked the crap out of it telling it what I want it to do. It's all about the process not the results. Still, it's a kick to shave minutes off my runs.
I've been keeping my schedule pretty good -- three runs during the week and a longer run on the weekends. I'm really trying to let me body tell me what it wants to do instead of me pushing it. And most importantly, I'm focusing on relaxing my entire body except the core during the run.
In ChiRunning, form over distance will bring speed naturally without trying. I've always believed it in my head but it's been hard for me to really trust but it's true. I went out yesterday to do 2.5 miles and all I focused on was relaxing -- even my face. Oddly, I seem to squint really hard even with sunglasses on, so I've been trying to relax from the head down.
I felt I was working harder than usual but I figured it was the junk food lunch I ate. Not so. I was actually running faster as a result of trying to relax more and not effort (yes, I'm making effort a verb now). I have taken 30 seconds off my first mile in the last few weeks and last night took a full minute off the second mile.
I don't want to get too excited about this because I am trying to walk the talk of running for the joy without caring about time or distance. Which I'm doing not so much by choice but I really have to let my body tell me what it wants to do because I have kicked the crap out of it telling it what I want it to do. It's all about the process not the results. Still, it's a kick to shave minutes off my runs.
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