I put on clothing containing some percentage of spandex and or Luon (whatever that is) and I laced up my shoes and ran - there for, I'm a runner. Right? That's how it works right? I thought so anyway.
2 years ago I decided I wanted to be a runner, so I did just that - I went outside, and I ran.... a few houses anyway, I was wheezing pretty hard by the end of the block, and for the rest of my run I was a walker. Next time would be better though...
Nope. Same thing.
I would plug in my headphones, turn on my running app, and go for as long as I possibly could before I ended up slowing to a walk panting and wheezing and dying for several blocks. Then once I felt like I had regained enough of my lung capacity I would run again, for as far and as long as I could before slowing to a sputtering, limping, gasping slow pace. I did this for an entire summer, and I called myself a runner! I even thought I was getting better! In looking back though - I was pretty much doing the same thing each time without any improvement of time or distance. As well, every time I ran I would have blisters between my toes, and shin splints in my legs, but runners get those right?
At the end of 2011, I got a pair of Vibrams in an effort to fix the blister problem, and the first time I ran in them in 2012, I discovered in the first few steps the cause of my shin splints. Turns out I had a really hard strike on my heel when I ran, and rather than keeping my weight on top of the ball of my foot with each step, I was instead reaching my legs out far in front of me and striking with my heel - causing the shin splints. I couldn't feel it when I had my runners on, but with Vibrams there is less between you and the concrete, so you are more aware of how you are stepping. By the end of that run I had corrected my step, and I never got shin splints from a run again! Who knew there was a form to this running business?!
That's about all I can report of my 2012 running season though, because by the time the snow melted I was already sporting this belly:
Which bounced with each step and it hurt to run. 2012 - I was a walker.
This year though - this year I'm a runner again. I'm so much of a runner, that I signed up for my very first 5k! (I've never "run" more than 3ish k before) I was so nervous registering for that run, that I had butterflies, and I was shaking! eep! Especially since I filled out the form before the snow melted, and not only had I not run since fall 2011 - but I had just had a baby and was only just getting back into any sort of exercise.
As soon as the days got warm enough to bring Inara out in the stroller I strapped on the Vibrams and off I went full tilt, followed by a puff, cough, and sputter. I figured I was doing pretty good, for it being my first time back, so I went again the next day, and then the next - same thing each time. Then I went the next week, and the week after that! Then... well, then I walked for a bit. I had to get some groceries one day, and I had to pick up the dry cleaning the next time, and then I didn't even walk - Inara was not napping properly so I didn't want to screw with her sleep schedule by taking her out in the stroller to run - before I knew it, I had less than a month to train for this 5k, and I realized I really needed to get my ass in gear!!
With a new resolution to destroy that 5k away I went! I made it 1.5k and was wheezing and cramping so bad I headed home early. When I got in the door I admitted defeat and texted my friend Lisa to ask for advice. Lisa is no stranger to running shoes, and has many a race of her own under her belt (and she's Hot). I told her that my endurance sucked and I needed advice. I had been trying to run the whole 5k and just improve on the time I did it in - but Lisa told me to master a shorter distance before trying to run the whole length - immediately that sounded good to me! I had been dreading running because I was really starting to feel like I sucked at it, and no one likes to do things they aren't good at! I didn't feel anything like a runner - I felt like a chubby wannabe puffing and panting my way around my neighbourhood, a spectacle for the people pruning their hedges and mowing their lawns. Then Lisa gave me the best advice so far, she told me to never max out on my run shift - meaning to never run as much as I possibly could before walking. If I could run for 3.5 minutes before I needed to walk, then alternate running 3 minutes and walking one. By running for less than I could, I actually end up doing better! When I think of running, I think of someone running the entire time, and perhaps there are people that do that - but Lisa said that even running as much as she does, she still does walking shifts. I had no idea! I just thought you did the walking shifts until you get to a point where you can run the full time!
I clearly don't know much about this whole running business, and there does seem to be more to it than lacing on a pair of shoes.
Of course I'm really not a great runner at all, so I do a 1 minute run, 1 minute walk. I did it tonight for the first time and went 2.6 km, and I felt amazing! I realized that I didn't reach my "oh my god I want to die, just walk the rest" stage until I was almost home, but even then I still ran and walked those last minutes because I kept telling myself "it's only a minute, it's just a minute" the whole time! I walked in the door with a huge smile on my face! I felt like I ran the distance, the distance didn't run me!
Funny how 2 years into my quest to become a runner I finally discovered how to run! I'm going to stick to my 1min/1min lap for a week before attempting a 2min/1min and keep building up from there.
I'm not expecting to break any records on my 5k race, I know now that I have a lot to learn, and it's going to take me a little more than 3 weeks to build up my endurance to get to my 5k with a decent running time, but the fact that I finally learned HOW to get there makes me feel like I already won! It seems like a silly enough thing, but for someone built for strength rather than speed (runners legs I have not) it's one of those plateau breaking sort of moments when something finally clicks and you can take your workout to the next level - it feels damn good!
So to my dear (and Hot) friend Lisa - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! You have given me a new love for running all over again! I'll see you at the Finish line!
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