After my 25-minute run last Thursday, my left knee was unmistakeably sore. The following day, it was bothering me with every step I took. I knew I'd need to take a few days off from running. It was kindof scary to take a break. Even though I've had 6 weeks to incorporate running into my schedule and to make it a new habit, I felt a certain irrational fear that I would suddenly slip back into being the non-runner that I was before I began C25K. I worried that I'd somehow instantly lose the 25-minute capacity that I'd worked up to, even though I know that'd be impossible in only a few days.
Tonight I decided to tackle Week 7 Day 1. I also decided to experiment a little with running faster. I wanted to see how much ground I could cover and also see if I would feel a bit lighter if I forced a little more spring into my step. I managed to maintain a brisker pace, but at around 18 minutes, I felt more exhausted than I ever have thus far in the program and I slowed down considerably. Yet after a few minutes at a slower pace, I was able to speed back up a bit for the last few minutes. As soon as it was over, my legs felt like jello and the cool-down walk back home was verrrry slow.
Even though it was difficult, I'm glad I tried to go a bit faster because I felt like my form was better at that speed. I also experimented with breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth, which may have helped me to breathe more deeply, or at least distracted me somewhat as I ran. As far as I can tell, I probably ran about 3.40 km, so I did indeed go further than last time.
The bad news is that my knee still hurts. It doesn't hurt as much as last week but it's the same kind of pain in exactly the same spot. I think that it hurts less than last week because I was paying closer attention to my form, but we'll see how it feels tomorrow. I am really really hoping that this is an injury that can heal, or a question of positioning that I can correct. I'm so so discouraged to think that maybe my knee just can't hold up to the kind of running that I want to pursue. I've been working towards the day when I can say that I run 5 kilometres 3 times a week and I hope that that can still happen.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Distance
According to Map My Run, my 25-minute run tonight covered 3.29 km. To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed because it seems so far from 5K. But at least I know where I'm at. Which is lightyears from where I started!
25 Minutes, Nudity Included
Ah, the joys of big city parks! Towards the end of my run, I passed a man who was peeing by a bush. It was a very non-subtle public urination - he was peeing by a bush, and definitely not behind a bush or hidden by a bush, and his pants were mid-thigh, if not lower. I was mildly shocked and amused, although I did look over my shoulder a couple times afterward to make sure the nudity wasn't following me.
Apart from that exciting anecdote, what can I say about tonight's run? Well, I hadn't run since Monday and I was really looking forward to it. I was home all day today while it rained outside and I was feeling like I needed to de-stress a bit and get out of the house (by which I literally mean apartment). I made it though my first 25 minute run (C25K Week 6 Day 3), which is pretty amazing. Seriously, it's amazing that I (and all my fellow C25K-ers) can run 25 minutes after having only ever run 20 minutes one time, and otherwise only ever running 10 minutes at a time. When I first started tonight, I thought 25 minutes would feel so long, but before the podcast informed that I was in my final minute, I would've guessed that I had at least 5 minutes left.
While I'm pleased just to be able to complete a 25-minute run (that is, slow jog), I do look forward to the days when it'll be easier and feel more natural. Apart from a few moments here and there when I feel like I'm gliding along, I often feel awkward and kindof heavy. I somehow think it'll feel more graceful when I can maintain a faster pace. I'm getting there!
Apart from that exciting anecdote, what can I say about tonight's run? Well, I hadn't run since Monday and I was really looking forward to it. I was home all day today while it rained outside and I was feeling like I needed to de-stress a bit and get out of the house (by which I literally mean apartment). I made it though my first 25 minute run (C25K Week 6 Day 3), which is pretty amazing. Seriously, it's amazing that I (and all my fellow C25K-ers) can run 25 minutes after having only ever run 20 minutes one time, and otherwise only ever running 10 minutes at a time. When I first started tonight, I thought 25 minutes would feel so long, but before the podcast informed that I was in my final minute, I would've guessed that I had at least 5 minutes left.
While I'm pleased just to be able to complete a 25-minute run (that is, slow jog), I do look forward to the days when it'll be easier and feel more natural. Apart from a few moments here and there when I feel like I'm gliding along, I often feel awkward and kindof heavy. I somehow think it'll feel more graceful when I can maintain a faster pace. I'm getting there!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Goodbye Intervals
I completed C25K Week 6 Day 2 yesterday, which means that I'm all done with the walking/running intervals. I find it hard to believe that I'm now ready for 25, 28, and 30 minute runs but I'm also looking forward to moving on. For the past few interval runs, I've been spending too much time wondering if the interval was almost over, but then feeling like I'm cooling down too much during the walks.
That being said, the little soreness in my left knee that I mentioned a while ago hasn't really gone away. I'll ice it (or rather, frozen-green-pea it) and maybe wait until Thursday for W6D3.
My parents are helping out so much with household chores, cooking and childcare during their visit. Yesterday I took advantage of their presence and went out for my run in the mid-morning, which is usually not a convenient timeslot for me to leave the house. There were way more runners in the park than I usually see. I had fun noting their speed and gait, and speculating on whether they were experienced runners or beginnners. I wonder what I'd assume if I could see myself plodding along...?!
That being said, the little soreness in my left knee that I mentioned a while ago hasn't really gone away. I'll ice it (or rather, frozen-green-pea it) and maybe wait until Thursday for W6D3.
My parents are helping out so much with household chores, cooking and childcare during their visit. Yesterday I took advantage of their presence and went out for my run in the mid-morning, which is usually not a convenient timeslot for me to leave the house. There were way more runners in the park than I usually see. I had fun noting their speed and gait, and speculating on whether they were experienced runners or beginnners. I wonder what I'd assume if I could see myself plodding along...?!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Why Now? (Part Two)
(For Part One, see May 19.)
I think the first time I ever heard of the Couch to 5K program was when I read about it on Crunchy Domestic Goddess's blog a while back (she wrote about it on October 23, 2009). Although I didn't consciously consider running at the time, the use of the word "Couch," and the fact that she described herself as someone who is most assuredly not a runner, did plant a little seed of possibility in my sub-conscious!
Then this spring, as I toyed with the idea of taking up running, I started hearing from a number of friends that they too had come to a point in their lives when they were attracted to the idea of running, much to their great surprise. Interestingly, a couple of these friends were women who felt that their attraction to running had something to do with being mothers. Not that they wanted to take up running in order to lose pregnancy weight, but that motherhood brought them into a psychological and physical state of being that opened them up to running.
My weekend running buddy has a son who's only a few months older than my daughter (who will be 2.5 on June 13!). My running buddy started running when her son was about 18 months. She explained that for her, there's something very slow and rooted about mothering a small child. Granted, there's a very active side to mothering (dashing around the playground, bending down a zillion times a day to pick up toys, feeling tired) but there's also quite a bit of stillness: chunks of time spent in the nursing chair or sitting on the floor playing with blocks. Some days we might feel tied to our homes, because it's not as simple as it once was to just get up and go out. There are naps to consider, snacks to pack, snowsuits to zip onto squirmy little bodies. We might travel less, as moms to small children, than we once did. These things are not bad. Stillness and rootedness and quiet times are all so very valuable, and I think that they are among the most important lessons that our little ones can teach us. But maybe, as my running buddy speculates, they also sometimes make us want to RUN (literally, and sometimes metaphorically).
So I'm thinking that maybe another answer to "Why now?" has to do with being a mother. For me it might relate to the stillness of mothering, but also to the sedentary nature of sitting-at-my-desk-doing-schoolwork. Sometimes, you just wanna MOVE.
I think the first time I ever heard of the Couch to 5K program was when I read about it on Crunchy Domestic Goddess's blog a while back (she wrote about it on October 23, 2009). Although I didn't consciously consider running at the time, the use of the word "Couch," and the fact that she described herself as someone who is most assuredly not a runner, did plant a little seed of possibility in my sub-conscious!
Then this spring, as I toyed with the idea of taking up running, I started hearing from a number of friends that they too had come to a point in their lives when they were attracted to the idea of running, much to their great surprise. Interestingly, a couple of these friends were women who felt that their attraction to running had something to do with being mothers. Not that they wanted to take up running in order to lose pregnancy weight, but that motherhood brought them into a psychological and physical state of being that opened them up to running.
My weekend running buddy has a son who's only a few months older than my daughter (who will be 2.5 on June 13!). My running buddy started running when her son was about 18 months. She explained that for her, there's something very slow and rooted about mothering a small child. Granted, there's a very active side to mothering (dashing around the playground, bending down a zillion times a day to pick up toys, feeling tired) but there's also quite a bit of stillness: chunks of time spent in the nursing chair or sitting on the floor playing with blocks. Some days we might feel tied to our homes, because it's not as simple as it once was to just get up and go out. There are naps to consider, snacks to pack, snowsuits to zip onto squirmy little bodies. We might travel less, as moms to small children, than we once did. These things are not bad. Stillness and rootedness and quiet times are all so very valuable, and I think that they are among the most important lessons that our little ones can teach us. But maybe, as my running buddy speculates, they also sometimes make us want to RUN (literally, and sometimes metaphorically).
So I'm thinking that maybe another answer to "Why now?" has to do with being a mother. For me it might relate to the stillness of mothering, but also to the sedentary nature of sitting-at-my-desk-doing-schoolwork. Sometimes, you just wanna MOVE.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Reactions to Running
On my way out to run tonight, I stopped to chat with some of my neighbours. We live in a cooperative apartment building so there's lots of wonderful neighbourly togetherness. These particular friends know all about my new-found running habit and are oh-so supportive. They asked me if I've noticed a difference in how I feel on a day-to-day basis since I've started running. They explained that whenever they find the time to incorporate some cardio into their schedules, they immediately feel energized, more settled, and absolutely convinced that regular cardio could change their lives for the better.
Their question caught me off guard and I'll be interested to think about it over the next few days. The first thing that sprang to mind was kinda random: I feel like it's easier and more fulfilling to take big deep breaths than it was before I started C25K. I'm not talking about how I breathe when I run, but just moments when I intentionally try to breathe calmly and deeply, like when I'm helping my daughter to fall asleep at night. But I don't even know if that connection (between cardio and impressions of lung capacity) makes sense.
The other change I've noticed is that I feel sore more often! :)
**
When I came home from my run, I was greeted by my beloved parents, who are visiting us for a few days. My parents have struggled with issues around weight and exercise for most of their adult lives. I'm noticing that talking with them about running feels slightly awkward. This is the first time they've witnessed me running and my Dad's reaction as I came in was to joke, "Who ARE you? Running? Really?" Then Mom asked me, "But do you LIKE it? Aren't you worried about hurting your knees or something with all that jarring?"
I recognize myself in their responses - or I guess, I recognize the ways in which I learned those responses from them. Not long ago, I also questioned runner friends with "But how can you actually ENJOY it?" I explained to Mom that it's exciting and motivating to see my endurance build up so quickly - from the 60-second runs of Week 1 to a 20-minute run in Week 5. Her response: "Twenty minutes?! I don't know about this running thing."
I'm not upset or disappointed about these comments, but it's important to note the reactions because I am interested in thinking through the attitudes to body, health, eating and exercise that I have inherited from my family.
Thoughts?
**
As for the run itslef, it was C25K Week 6 Day 1. It was okay, but not spectacular. Honestly, that 8-minute interval felt more difficult than the 20 minutes last time. I just felt kinda hot, and my nose was running, and my left knee was hurting a bit (yes, mom, I do worry about hurting my knees!), and maybe I'd eaten too much supper... Who knows why the same activity can feel so different on different occasions?! I don't want to whine, though, because I did complete it and I'm not too discouraged.
Their question caught me off guard and I'll be interested to think about it over the next few days. The first thing that sprang to mind was kinda random: I feel like it's easier and more fulfilling to take big deep breaths than it was before I started C25K. I'm not talking about how I breathe when I run, but just moments when I intentionally try to breathe calmly and deeply, like when I'm helping my daughter to fall asleep at night. But I don't even know if that connection (between cardio and impressions of lung capacity) makes sense.
The other change I've noticed is that I feel sore more often! :)
**
When I came home from my run, I was greeted by my beloved parents, who are visiting us for a few days. My parents have struggled with issues around weight and exercise for most of their adult lives. I'm noticing that talking with them about running feels slightly awkward. This is the first time they've witnessed me running and my Dad's reaction as I came in was to joke, "Who ARE you? Running? Really?" Then Mom asked me, "But do you LIKE it? Aren't you worried about hurting your knees or something with all that jarring?"
I recognize myself in their responses - or I guess, I recognize the ways in which I learned those responses from them. Not long ago, I also questioned runner friends with "But how can you actually ENJOY it?" I explained to Mom that it's exciting and motivating to see my endurance build up so quickly - from the 60-second runs of Week 1 to a 20-minute run in Week 5. Her response: "Twenty minutes?! I don't know about this running thing."
I'm not upset or disappointed about these comments, but it's important to note the reactions because I am interested in thinking through the attitudes to body, health, eating and exercise that I have inherited from my family.
Thoughts?
**
As for the run itslef, it was C25K Week 6 Day 1. It was okay, but not spectacular. Honestly, that 8-minute interval felt more difficult than the 20 minutes last time. I just felt kinda hot, and my nose was running, and my left knee was hurting a bit (yes, mom, I do worry about hurting my knees!), and maybe I'd eaten too much supper... Who knows why the same activity can feel so different on different occasions?! I don't want to whine, though, because I did complete it and I'm not too discouraged.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
20. Whole. Non-stop. Minutes.
Just a quick post to say that I did it! Week 5 is over! The 20-minute run last night went well. I downloaded a new podcast to keep myself entertained and spent a large part of the run marvelling at being able to run for 20 minutes. 20 minutes?! I imagined telling my husband about it when I got home, I imagined writing this post, I imagined finishing the C25K program a month from now.
I have a bunch of posts and thoughts on running floating around in my head but I need to go do some school work now (I'm a grad student).
To those of you who are still working up to W5D3 - you CAN do it!
I have a bunch of posts and thoughts on running floating around in my head but I need to go do some school work now (I'm a grad student).
To those of you who are still working up to W5D3 - you CAN do it!
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