Week of November 13, 2011:
Run: Sunday
I am reclaiming my running fitness! There, I have now declared my intentions, and on Sunday, I did more than talk the talk: I walked the walk. Or rather, ran the run. Since I’m still watchless, I decided to compensate for my lack of technology by doing laps around a pair of parks that together have a 1-mile running path. This month my goal is to work up to a 50-minute run, so on Sunday I decided to try for a 4-mile run around the parks. 4 miles x 10-minute miles = 40 minutes. My math is all based on estimates here, but I’m okay with that. Was I running 10-minute miles? Maybe. Maybe I was slower than that. But the main point here is that it was a challenging run, and if I’m going to rebuild my running fitness, I need to be challenging myself during my long runs.
I’ve noticed that when it comes to running, there are two main areas where fatigue sets in: my breathing/cardiovascular output or my legs. On Sunday’s run, my legs did pretty well, but my lungs were feeling challenged, and I had some cramping in my abdomen. It wasn’t so challenging that I wanted to die, but I definitely felt the mismatch between upper and lower halves. On the plus side, I was able to complete my four laps without any walking breaks, just a tiny pause for cars before crossing the street.
I really liked this run. It was hard, but it was good. There’s no doubt that it takes time and patience to get back into running shape, but there’s only one way to do it: get out there and run. I can’t wait to do it again.
Man I am with you on the "what causes problems on a run." For me it is usually my breathing that gets to me. If I am not careful about my breathing, I will end up getting side stitches. My legs are pretty strong, so they usually go and go and go, but on occasion they are just lethargic. I can usually tell this right away though, and the best fix for me is a quick sprint to get them working hard.
ReplyDeleteGo get that fitness, girl! I was really happy to run sub 10 min miles with my friend this morning. Granted we only did 2 miles, but after feeling rundown and sluggish on all of my runs last week, this was the boost that I needed.
ReplyDeleteJD, I feel validated by your side stitches! Not that I want you to have side stitches, but they were definitely bothering me on Sunday. It's funny when your legs feel so strong that your breathing can't keep up with them! For side stitches, I find that contracting my abdominal muscles can alleviate the discomfort a bit and sometimes it can get rid of them altogether.
ReplyDeleteR, that's terrific! Sometimes a short and sweet run is just what we need to feel like runners again.