Rather, blog about it. Heehee.
Luckily for me I have yet to experience any major ache or pain due to my running. My right knee had been acting up, but I'm tackling it with quad-strengthening exercises and it has gotten better. Apparently my hamstrings are kicking my quadriceps in the ass in the fitness department.
I had a milestone today: my first 10-mile. It was exhausting, exhilarating and a little bittersweet. This whole running thing started when I was desperately looking for ways to distract myself from some personal problems. But it quickly became a passion, a way to challenge myself to do something I never thought I could ever do. I was very athletic in high school: basketball, volleyball, handball, ping-pong, hockey...you name it, but I was never good in the endurance department. I remember running a relay and giving up after just five minutes because of a little side stitch. Today I squeeze the muscles around the stitch and keep going. It would take a whole lot more than a side stitch to stop me.
When I signed up for the half marathon back in mid-October I wasn't sure that I would make it. It has provided a good motivation for me to stay on track, especially on mornings when it felt so much nicer to stay in the warm bed. I figured that if I can manage to run for ten miles, I would be ready. It's just another 5K to a half marathon, right? Full marathon runners rarely run over 20 miles in their training. After a certain distance there's diminishing return because of the recovery time. I plan to run up to 12 miles before the half marathon, but if I have to race it today I'm certain the physical and mental training I had gone through would push me to complete it.
One other great side-effects of running is discovering the communities of runners out there. At first my husband was the only one whom I could blab on and on about my running. To his credit he has remained patient, interested and supportive of the time it takes me away from him and the kids (he was a runner after all). Then I found a very active and supportive online community and a local running group, filled with people who are as nauseatingly excited about running as I am. We're like fellow addicts who cheer each other on, except not to kick the habit but embrace it. It's lovely.
From my fellow runners I also learned that the guy passing out Vaseline at races really does want to lube you, but in a welcoming way. So smile and take it.
(that's for chaffing, for those of you with minds in the gutter)
Luckily for me I have yet to experience any major ache or pain due to my running. My right knee had been acting up, but I'm tackling it with quad-strengthening exercises and it has gotten better. Apparently my hamstrings are kicking my quadriceps in the ass in the fitness department.
I had a milestone today: my first 10-mile. It was exhausting, exhilarating and a little bittersweet. This whole running thing started when I was desperately looking for ways to distract myself from some personal problems. But it quickly became a passion, a way to challenge myself to do something I never thought I could ever do. I was very athletic in high school: basketball, volleyball, handball, ping-pong, hockey...you name it, but I was never good in the endurance department. I remember running a relay and giving up after just five minutes because of a little side stitch. Today I squeeze the muscles around the stitch and keep going. It would take a whole lot more than a side stitch to stop me.
When I signed up for the half marathon back in mid-October I wasn't sure that I would make it. It has provided a good motivation for me to stay on track, especially on mornings when it felt so much nicer to stay in the warm bed. I figured that if I can manage to run for ten miles, I would be ready. It's just another 5K to a half marathon, right? Full marathon runners rarely run over 20 miles in their training. After a certain distance there's diminishing return because of the recovery time. I plan to run up to 12 miles before the half marathon, but if I have to race it today I'm certain the physical and mental training I had gone through would push me to complete it.
One other great side-effects of running is discovering the communities of runners out there. At first my husband was the only one whom I could blab on and on about my running. To his credit he has remained patient, interested and supportive of the time it takes me away from him and the kids (he was a runner after all). Then I found a very active and supportive online community and a local running group, filled with people who are as nauseatingly excited about running as I am. We're like fellow addicts who cheer each other on, except not to kick the habit but embrace it. It's lovely.
From my fellow runners I also learned that the guy passing out Vaseline at races really does want to lube you, but in a welcoming way. So smile and take it.
(that's for chaffing, for those of you with minds in the gutter)
No comments:
Post a Comment