So week 3 started out good...even though I didn't end the prior week exactly on plan, I was able to start Monday with 5 run/1 walk....and did fine! Broke the Monday curse :) However my fears and Shelley's were confirmed shortly after.....the knee started to bother me but more so than last week. Don't know if it's the downhill section doing the damage or everything overall. Wed went back and forth as to whether I'd do the workout. Thinking last week the pain went away and it would do the same this time as well. Decided to walk but just as I got started changed my mind and decided to do the program. First two 6 min intervals were ok but felt a little pain. Then came the 3rd 6min on the downhill and I knew this was not good. Was smart enough to stop and walk the rest but I think the damage was done. So the knee is sore....not like it's been in the past....stairs are ok...stuff like that but it's sore and tendons feel tight and bruised. So frustrating!! I don't want to lose momentum. I don't know what to do...I feel like I can still run but I'm worried about causing more damage....how long do I wait? How do I know? I just don't want to have to start from scratch weeks from now.
Just realized as I was writing this, I looked at the program and realized Wed was still suppose to be 5 min, not 6...hmmm...don't think it would have made a difference but if somehow I can work it out next week I'm not behind....but the question is...should I take a little time off?
I'm going to look into stretches specific to knees to see if there is anything that can help. Also focus on finding flat ground... Wish me luck...after a not so great week.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Program Week 2
So as I left off I was nervous about this week. The time of running was increasing the whole week with only 1 minute of walking in between. A minute goes really slow when you want it to be fast (ie when running) but goes by really fast when you want it to last forever (ie walking) :) But I'm committed and was going to follow the program.
So week 2 program -
Mon - Walk 1/Run 2 X 7 - plus 2 min run
Wed - Walk 1/Run 3 x 7
Fri/Sat - Walk 1/Run 4 x6
So Monday...absolute hell! Did it but suffered the whole way through. And this still isn't hard....in contrast to the end goal. All Monday and Tuesday really questioned if this was going to happen for me. Once again texted Jeremy that said to be exact "I f'n hate running" which of course was about the same text he had gotten a week before. But I said I still wasn't going to quit in which he responded and said it wouldn't be quitting just changing focus to something that I "enjoyed" more. I appreciated the "letting me off the hook" response. But my response was that I'm really hoping this is a "there are good day and bad days" type of situation.
And I'm happy to say it was....Wed in which I actually increased another minute felt so much better. Had put together a playlist on my ipod of tunes to run to and I just got into a zone. I was slower than a snail...but I was moving...and that was ok for me. But the downside...once I stopped I immediately felt it in my knees and hips. Iced my knees that evening but ached all night and felt like even organs hurt from the jostling around. Next day my bad knee was bothering me...not as bad as in the past but enough to make me nervous again that maybe this just wasn't going to happen for me. Thurs was a walk day so I did have a break to recover. Friday worked late....knee still a little sore and just wasn't in the mood. Got home and decided hey I'll at least walk. By the way I've been doing most of my workouts at about 7 when the sun is going down and considering I hate the heat and summer...the heat has not bothered me at all..in fact I don't even notice it. Perhaps it's all the other pain distracting me :) So anyway...about 7:30 got started and decided what the heck...I'll do what the program said and if it hurts then I'll stop and walk...and re-evaluate my next steps in the program. Now I was suppose to do 4 min of running for each interval but decided to do just 3...not push it. Immediately I was in the zone...the 3 minutes were not bad at all....and for the last 2 intervals instead of doing another interval of 2 min at the end...just added a minute to the last 2 intervals. I think at one point I was actually looking around and taking in the sights and enjoying a breeze....during the 4 minute interval no less..it was so wierd! I finished and I wasn't dying and no pain in the knee since. How is this...is my body already adapting this fast....? And truth is I'm running 23 of the 30 minutes...those 1 min...are really nothing. I'm really starting to see how I can convert this into a full 30 minutes. Sat another good run....and was able to do them at the 4 min. Now please don't think I'm falling into a false sense of hey this is now easy...not by any means...but I'm seeing progress...and it was unexpected at this point.
So another theory.....and this is just speculative...obviously it's early...but swimming was and is my gig....and long distance swimming to be specific. I've just always been an endurance person vs a sprinter. Never thought it might convert to running which is physically harder to a degree...as you don't have the water to offset the effects of gravity while running. Could this be a part of me that extends past swimming? Again it's super early...and Monday may be hell again...but I'm curious as to whether this is an overall trait and is now benefiting me. We'll see...
So week 2 program -
Mon - Walk 1/Run 2 X 7 - plus 2 min run
Wed - Walk 1/Run 3 x 7
Fri/Sat - Walk 1/Run 4 x6
So Monday...absolute hell! Did it but suffered the whole way through. And this still isn't hard....in contrast to the end goal. All Monday and Tuesday really questioned if this was going to happen for me. Once again texted Jeremy that said to be exact "I f'n hate running" which of course was about the same text he had gotten a week before. But I said I still wasn't going to quit in which he responded and said it wouldn't be quitting just changing focus to something that I "enjoyed" more. I appreciated the "letting me off the hook" response. But my response was that I'm really hoping this is a "there are good day and bad days" type of situation.
And I'm happy to say it was....Wed in which I actually increased another minute felt so much better. Had put together a playlist on my ipod of tunes to run to and I just got into a zone. I was slower than a snail...but I was moving...and that was ok for me. But the downside...once I stopped I immediately felt it in my knees and hips. Iced my knees that evening but ached all night and felt like even organs hurt from the jostling around. Next day my bad knee was bothering me...not as bad as in the past but enough to make me nervous again that maybe this just wasn't going to happen for me. Thurs was a walk day so I did have a break to recover. Friday worked late....knee still a little sore and just wasn't in the mood. Got home and decided hey I'll at least walk. By the way I've been doing most of my workouts at about 7 when the sun is going down and considering I hate the heat and summer...the heat has not bothered me at all..in fact I don't even notice it. Perhaps it's all the other pain distracting me :) So anyway...about 7:30 got started and decided what the heck...I'll do what the program said and if it hurts then I'll stop and walk...and re-evaluate my next steps in the program. Now I was suppose to do 4 min of running for each interval but decided to do just 3...not push it. Immediately I was in the zone...the 3 minutes were not bad at all....and for the last 2 intervals instead of doing another interval of 2 min at the end...just added a minute to the last 2 intervals. I think at one point I was actually looking around and taking in the sights and enjoying a breeze....during the 4 minute interval no less..it was so wierd! I finished and I wasn't dying and no pain in the knee since. How is this...is my body already adapting this fast....? And truth is I'm running 23 of the 30 minutes...those 1 min...are really nothing. I'm really starting to see how I can convert this into a full 30 minutes. Sat another good run....and was able to do them at the 4 min. Now please don't think I'm falling into a false sense of hey this is now easy...not by any means...but I'm seeing progress...and it was unexpected at this point.
So another theory.....and this is just speculative...obviously it's early...but swimming was and is my gig....and long distance swimming to be specific. I've just always been an endurance person vs a sprinter. Never thought it might convert to running which is physically harder to a degree...as you don't have the water to offset the effects of gravity while running. Could this be a part of me that extends past swimming? Again it's super early...and Monday may be hell again...but I'm curious as to whether this is an overall trait and is now benefiting me. We'll see...
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Program Week 1
Ok so I'm switching it up. All my life I've hated running...but my theory as it stands right now is that everyone hates what's hard and unknown to them. I've never committed to it nor tried to really DO it. So I'm testing out my theory...commit to it...give 100% and if I still hate it then I now know and I can move on. It's just such a great exercise that I would love to have it in my repertoire of options for staying fit. And there's another reason, Danielle is committing to a half marathon in Nov.. Big Sur as a goal to get fit as a commitment to her mom who just passed due to a long life of health issues. So I'm going to give it a shot and do the half marathon with her...and if I'm lucky Brian and Shelley will join in too!
So here's the thing...this scares the crap out of me. I don't run...I'm no where near an ideal weight for running and I'm going to start with a half marathon. And at a time when most of my training will be in the middle of an AZ summer...what the hell!! Literally! But I've committed myself mentally and anytime I think or feel like I can't do something...it only makes me want to prove that I can. So with that said...Shelley was kind enough to provide me with some programs to guide me through the training and last week was week 1. So let's get to it...how is it going?!
Week 1 - 4 days of walk 2min/run 1min for 30 min and 2 days of just walking 30min
Oh this should be cake right?! A minute that's nothing. And it encourage to patient and still take it slow...so I'm thinking this is a gimme week. Uh after the first night I wrote Jeremy about how much I now know I hate running :) It's a minute...that's not very long and it's already hard...what the...But ok the theory again...this is just new to my body and that why I feel that way...so day 3 second runnig session...first 1 minute still not lovin it...second 1 min run...hmmm that actually feels not so bad...soon the last 3 1 min run, I was really enjoying it. I finished that session and the ones the rest of the week feeling really good...like maybe I can do this. Oh and I do have to say this...I live on the side of a mountain so all my roads have small hills throughout various portions of my route...so I've come to determine this is both good and bad...tougher at points but it also works me harder so that the flat sections or downhill feel really awesome and lifts my spirits.
But here's the deal I was thinking week 2 was just run 2/walk 2 but I actually see there is just one day of run 2/walk 1 then up to 3 and 4 by the end of the week. I'm nervous and I honestly think the next 2 weeks are going to be very telling. Wish me luck and hope I haven't thrown out the running shoes....
So here's the thing...this scares the crap out of me. I don't run...I'm no where near an ideal weight for running and I'm going to start with a half marathon. And at a time when most of my training will be in the middle of an AZ summer...what the hell!! Literally! But I've committed myself mentally and anytime I think or feel like I can't do something...it only makes me want to prove that I can. So with that said...Shelley was kind enough to provide me with some programs to guide me through the training and last week was week 1. So let's get to it...how is it going?!
Week 1 - 4 days of walk 2min/run 1min for 30 min and 2 days of just walking 30min
Oh this should be cake right?! A minute that's nothing. And it encourage to patient and still take it slow...so I'm thinking this is a gimme week. Uh after the first night I wrote Jeremy about how much I now know I hate running :) It's a minute...that's not very long and it's already hard...what the...But ok the theory again...this is just new to my body and that why I feel that way...so day 3 second runnig session...first 1 minute still not lovin it...second 1 min run...hmmm that actually feels not so bad...soon the last 3 1 min run, I was really enjoying it. I finished that session and the ones the rest of the week feeling really good...like maybe I can do this. Oh and I do have to say this...I live on the side of a mountain so all my roads have small hills throughout various portions of my route...so I've come to determine this is both good and bad...tougher at points but it also works me harder so that the flat sections or downhill feel really awesome and lifts my spirits.
But here's the deal I was thinking week 2 was just run 2/walk 2 but I actually see there is just one day of run 2/walk 1 then up to 3 and 4 by the end of the week. I'm nervous and I honestly think the next 2 weeks are going to be very telling. Wish me luck and hope I haven't thrown out the running shoes....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
