So, I ran today

[mamadeb]

Here's the deal. I like running for, oh, seconds at a time. I like the feeling for those seconds - flying, you know? And I can't run slowly, I have to run fast. Running slow is *hard*.

And then I can't breathe and my leg muscles protest and I can't run anymore. I'm a sprinter for very short distances, distances measured in seconds.

But I'm supposed to run for twelve minutes in my pakua classes, and, you know, stamina is a good thing. And I saw this thing, this Couch Potato to 5K running plan.

And I did it (wrong, as it turned out) this morning. I was supposed to jog for 60 seconds and walk for ninety, only I ran for 30 and walked for 60. I still managed to do it for over ten minutes, after the brisk walking. And then I had to walk back from where I was, because I was going to do it for ten minutes and then do it back. So, not great, but not so terrible. And I did the math (on the way back, and doing math in one's head is a nice way to make walk faster) and realized that when I do it right on Tuesday morning (getting up *very* early), I'll have four sets of jog/walk before turning around. We'll see how that works. And I don't expect to progress quickly, but I do expect to progress. And, after all, I did manage nearly 50 minutes of exercise this morning, so all of it is good.

We will see.

Edited to say that I was moving - walking or running - over about 2 miles this morning, given the walk to Ocean Parkway and back. I'm. Amazed.

Comments

[tod-hollykim.livejournal.com]

[nods] It's amazing when you look at the distance. I do that with walking.

I use to walk between where I lived on LBI- 91st Street- to Ship Bottom, oh, about 20th Street I think. One day, my mother ran me down to my doctor's office and I was going to walk back. Just out of curosity, she cleared the trip odometer and checked the distance. It was three miles exactly. And I'd do that in just over an hour walking.

But because of my asthma, I don't run any more. The best I could do is a very short sprint during an emergency. ;-D But when I walk! Mom use to tease me about how fast I do walk when going for distance. One day, I had done the walk and was past the Township building (where Mom worked) by 4 PM on the return trip. Mom spotted me and stopped to pick me. I teased her as I got in the car with "but I'm on a good song" on my walkman. So she told me to put in the player in the car. (I typo-ed at as 'put it in the player in the cat;.!) Anyway, it was the Blues Brother movie soundtrack. As soon as Mom heard it, she started laughing with "No wonder you walk so fast!"

[countrycousin.livejournal.com]

In my experience, you did nothing wrong and a lot right. Both my wife and I have stopped running due to age-related problems (we both still walk a lot), but a few decades ago we both found the procedure you did to be a very effective way to build up the ability to run for longer times.

I don't expect to progress quickly, but I do expect to progress.

That also, in my experience, is a wise attitude.

"No pain, no gain" we found to be an unwise attitude once we reached our late 30's :<). In particular, pay attention to discomfort coming from tendons.

Congratulations and good luck!

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

I made up an extra beginning step, then. Okay.

I understand about slow and steady progress - I've been taking martial arts for years, after all, and that's what happens.

I do expect soreness tomorrow. That's okay.

[cyprinella]

Sounds a *lot* like the marathon program that I tried last year. I believe I would have finished if I had listened to my body when it was going "This pace is too fast!" instead of pushing it. I suspect you're smarter than I am in those sort of things. :) Have fun!

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

One of the things they teach me in martial arts - listen to your own body and know your own limits. It's something I need to know because my instructors are twenty years younger than I am, and often natural athletes, so I have to tell them how far I can go (and I do push those limits, but I've learned which ones I can't push. Like how far I can lift my legs.)

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

So my evil mean nasty rugby coach makes us run 1ks regularly. And what I found is this: I have to really think about my breathing, because the extra weight I carry around in my boobs is the biggest limitation that I have while running, and if I lose control of my breath, everything else cascades from that.

So I am all for controlling breath. I'd recommend it as something to think hard about as you do the program, esp. since you mentioned that one of your problems is not being able to breathe.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

"In through the nose, out through the nose. Try to make each breath last a count of four."

Martial arts. Doesn't help if I'm running too fast.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

I find that in through the nose, out through the mouth works much better for running. YMMV. :)

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

OK - my computer crashed the first time I tried to post. So you get the short version.

Controlling one's breath while running is good. It's something to think about when working on this - it's very helpful.