I ran last night and my knee is fine today (though it was a bit achy during the run), so now I just need to figure out what exactly made the difference! There are a number of possibilities because I tried a bunch of new things:
1. I took it slow. I usually go around a particular loop in the park 2.5 times. Last night, I went around once, then walked and stretched a bit, and then went around again. (It was difficult to hold back and to accept that this run was not about making progress or improving on my last run. Every part of me was ready and willing to go further, except the cranky knee, whom I had to respect!)
2. I did some stretches that I don't normally do, particularly some deep squatting before, after, and once during my run.
3. I thought a lot about my general posture and tried to stay long and relaxed, with my shoulderblades down and my body loose. I evaluated my footfalls and experimented with how it felt to land on different parts of my foot. (I find it hard to determine what part I naturally land on, and even harder to figure out if I'm doing it "right" because there seems to be so much controversy on this topic out there on the world wide web.)
4. I wore my old running shoes instead of my new ones, just to see. I really hope that footwear is not a factor in my absence of knee pain cuz I paid a good wad of cash for those new shoes that are supposedly ideal for my flat feet!
5. (Not that this relates to possible knee pain but) for the first time ever, I didn't bring the ipod. No music and no clock. I didn't think that I would enjoy it as much as I did. I felt unencumbered. I noticed the noises of the park and the city, and of my breathing and footfalls. I felt more connected to my body because I wasn't wondering how much scheduled time was remaining. (Good thing I don't mind being ipod-less cuz the ipod is out of commission indefinitely, possibly because it was accidentally doused in apple juice!)
6. I iced my knee for a really long time when I got home.
I felt so grateful when I woke up this morning and could walk without pain! Now I just need to figure out how to keep it that way. I'm not sure it's wise or necessary to go back to the routines prescribed by C25K. My goal is still to run 5k but maybe I need some homemade intervals sometimes, like I did last night. As much as I love to follow instructions when learning something new, I also need to respect my pace and my body. I'm also wondering if I should therefore also modify my fantasy of running 5K three times a week. Maybe it would be smarter to run once or twice weekly and to do something different too, like pilates (which I've always been intimidated by but C25K has improved my confidence in the physical activity department).
Oh, look, it's 1:42 am! I've been doing as much school work as possible in the evenings after my daughter is in bed so I've been keeping some very last hours. Now it's time to go sleep.
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Glad to hear that you're feeling better. I think you're doing the right thing by listening to your body and scaling back. I feel your pain in the frustration department. I too, like to follow instructions and do things according to a set plan and it drives me crazy that I'm having to modify my schedule due to injury. But what it all boils down to is that we ARE moving. We are getting out there, being active, and trying to do something to better ourselves. So what if you can't run 5k 3 days a week. Just get out of the house, use your muscles, and burn some calories regardless of the time, distance, or activity. The benefits are endless.
ReplyDeleteWe need to try not to be so hard on ourselves for not finishing according to our original plans. Modification is necessary and we should be proud of ourselves and the fact that we've come so far in such a short amount of time. We are awesome!! (Note that this is a pep talk for me just as much as it is for you, if not more-haha!!)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your links. I look forward to checking them out. My heel has been hurting so much that I've been in denial about my knee pain.
I find that the value of this program is that it gave us baby step toward building strength and confidence. Now we are out there running and moving and taking care of ourselves. The program can't possibly be perfect for everyone and as you know, I've made some modifications to it to suit me better. There is no right way to do this, just need to be getting out there, so good for you!
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