My previous run was a lesson in humility. I felt worse on that “run” than I ever have exercising. I felt very old. But I decided there was only one way to get better, and that is to keep going out there.
Like my previous “run”, this was a bit of a test run so I didn’t bother going to the track. In fact, since my last outing was so slow, I didn’t bother wearing my Nike+ gizmo. At this pace, I can picture that thing ending up in the junk drawer already. How sad.
Nike+ Coaching
I looked into the Nike+ website “Goal” program for help. There is a program called “Walk to Run” that looked interesting. It would start you out at a little less than a mile, and then over 3 months work you up to 2 miles. (geez, is that the reality of my condition?!?)
But, I felt that my needs were a little different. That program seemed more geared to people whose limiting factor was cardio. Mine is leg strength and injury. I can do far more than just a mile or two, I just want to do it at a slow pace. I kept looking.
There was also the 5k program, but once again it is a distance building program. While it could work, it didn’t seem to address what I am looking for. I wanted a program that specifically specified walk/run intervals (walk 300 ft, run 300 ft), slowing reducing the walk times.
The Run
I left the front door and ran down the hill to start my run. The game plan: run for a few hundred feet, and walk for a few hundred feet.
To my surprise, I ran for a few hundred feet, and felt great. I continued running for a few hundred more feet, and still felt great! As I kept running, I realized that I was going to be actually running for the entire outing, and not just alternating walking and running.
The specter of Monday’s run had been weighing on me, and I had been pretty depressed about the state of affairs. Needless to say, with things looking better, it was a huge freaking huge relief.
I ended up running for something like a 4k, probably a bit less. I took it easy, but at no time did I feel pain in my knees. Because I didn’t wear my Nike+ SportBand, I don’t have any performance numbers. I was slow, but I’ll take a 30 minute run without pain as reward enough.
I am looking forward to get back out there and getting into the groove. Here’s to hoping that my body is going to do just fine on future runs. Hooah.
Sept 17 Obstacles
- Serious pessimism about my condition.
Sept 17 Solutions and Motivators
- Resolved to take it as slow as I need to.
- Took myself “off the grid” of the Nike+ system until I could actually go for a proper run. This took the pressure off of my performance.
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