Back at it again!

After more than two weeks off, I went for a run last night. I was worried about my shins, nervous if they had healed or if I'd be re-injuring them all over again. I was supposed to start out slow. That seems to be the hardest part for me. I get too excited and feel good when I start that I usually wind up over doing it in the beginning. I think I held back some, but maybe not enough. Either way, the run felt great and my shins didn't kill me.

I could tell that I'd lost all my cardio fitness I had gained previously. My lungs ached and wheezed. It doesn't help that someone was burning leaves in the neighborhood and I had to deal with smoke in the air about halfway through my run.

It felt good to be out running again. Getting exercise. My legs finally feeling better. Working my body towards a goal. I was back at it again. Finally!

Shin splints suck!

I tried walking again yesterday since Monday had gone rather well. I got about 3/4 of a mile in and it just hurt too much to continue. So, I'm going back to instituting a full week of rest. Icing and ibuprofen help after the fact, but the splints are still there. I am stretching as often as I think about it during the day to keep things loose.

Of course this comes when NC is having the most beautiful weather I've seen in years. Cool days. Loads of sunshine. Almost no bugs. It's amazing. *sigh*

I've decided that I'm going to have my shoes, inserts and stride analyzed over at Fleet Feet once my shins are acceptable. I need some pro tips and these seem to be the people to go to. Hopefully, they'll be able to help me out without totally destroying my wallet.

Meanwhile, I found this good video on forefoot running that I think is helping me to see how I need to run better.

Still Kickin' It

My self-control is weak. WEEEEEAAK...! I couldn't stand not getting out there. So, I did. I was good. Sorta. I only did a fast-paced walk instead of running. Kept myself in check and just tried for a nice even pace.

After dropping one kid off at preschool, I took the other to the park and walked the loop around the lake. It was good. The temperature has finally dropped around here and the humidity is almost non-existent. Almost like we don't live in NC. Almost.

My shins only hurt marginally. More sore and stiff than anything. A good stretch when I was done really loosened things up and they felt better. I am icing them as I type and still doing an ibuprofen regimen. I felt great getting out there, working up a little sweat and doing something rather than nothing.

My gut tells me that this is the right approach for me. That full rest would just eliminate all the cardio (albeit limited at this early point) fitness I've gained. I feel good and that's the most important thing to me right now. Besides, I'm not about to let my running partner out distance me. Not this early in the game!

Aches & Pains

UGH!!

I've been having intermittent shin pain since I started running. At first it was the outer shin muscle that was tight and sore. My feet were falling to the inside because I didn't have enough arch support. I bought inserts. It helped a ton! Now, though, its the inside muscles/shin splints. And that hurts far more than the muscle strain. Ugh. Ugh. UGH.

I down shifted from running to walking, hoping that was enough of a break for me. The pain dissipated. Almost. I was feeling better. I WANTED to run. And, for me, that's a HUGE thing. Exercise has always been a struggle for me. Now, it was finally something FUN to do.

Yesterday I did a nice long walk. Not taxing. Peaceful. Enjoyable. No pain, no soreness. It was all good. So, this morning, after a few days off, I wanted to run. It was gonna be a slow, easy, steady jog. Nothing too strenuous, but I wanted to kick up my cardio. I wanted to feel like I was doing some exercise.
(Disclaimer: Those with sensitive ears should cover them now. I'm about to curse like a sailor. Mom, don't read the next part.)

Holy Fuck!! The pain in my right leg from my knee to my ankle is amazing. And by amazing, I really mean really fucking insanely painful. I had to limp home about 1/3 of the way through the run/jog.

I KNOW!! What was I thinking? But, c'mon. I WANTED to run. Holy cow that's a new feeling for me. Not running made me ache for my tennis shoes. Stopping or slowing down was hurting me. Not really, but kinda. Whoever thought getting up at the ass crack of dawn to voluntarily run until I couldn't breathe and felt like I might pass out would turn into such a weird obsession? Not me. Holy shit. Not me.

Despite all that, I do realize that I need to let me body heal or else this will always be a problem or worse a really big fucking problem. Today, I am icing my shins, taking ibuprofen. Both to help with the swelling/inflammation and to ease the pain. I have committed to NOT run or walk this week. We'll see where we are on Friday and assess whether or not we need to see a doctor.

I am not a patient patient. This week is going to be tough.

Run #4

I was feeling great about this run yesterday. The pain I'd had in my shins was all but gone since I found some new insoles for my tennis shoes. I even went to bed early to prepare for the early morning run.

Unfortunately, I slept like shit. I climbed into bed around 9:30, tossed and turned until well after 11:30. Woke up at 12:30 thinking it was time to get up. Then tossed and turned for another hour or more. Fell asleep for a little bit, but was up again at 3:30, 4:30, 5:00 and then finally 5:30 when the alarm went off. Today is gonna be rough, I tell ya.

I took the dog with me today because when I came back from the last early morning run, she went freaking nuts when I walked in the front door. Even though the lights were on, she barked and barked and barked. Woke up the kids, pissed off Ian and just made a mess of it. Besides, as crazy as Penny is, she needed the extra exercise. It's gonna take us a while to get into the running groove. She's used to leisurely walks and no amount of yelling at her that there were zombies chasing us made a hill of beans difference. We still had to stop at every damn mailbox to sniff and pee. This dog would be zombie snack in no time. 

Mission #3 of the Zombies, Run! app was MUCH better than the last one. The story got a little deeper. You found out that the zombies weren't the only real danger, that the living could be just as scary. My set list was better this go round and I felt better cardio fitness this time.

Running in the dark is just plain freaking creepy. I love it. I'm much more aware of sounds and movement and the darker places where the street lights don't quite reach. I felt silly looking over my shoulder a few times and  having the dog with me was a bit of reassurance. I freely admit to being creeped out by imaginary zombies.

The crappy part came when the inner part of my shin started to ache. I tried to ignore it, slowed my pace, less impact, etc. About 3/4 of the way through my run, though, it got worse. Shooting up to my knee with every step. So, I walked limped the remainder of the way home. I didn't get as far as I wanted to and my pace was off from where I had targeted, but all in all, I did alright.

Mission #3 Log
Distance: 1.59 mi
Time: 24:07 min
Playlist
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
Like a Stone by Audioslave
Persian Song by Course of Empire
Automatic Writing #17 by Course of Empire
Freaks by Course of Empire

Run #3 - Meh...

This morning was a new run. I was psyched up for a great run. I had new insoles for my shoes that I was hoping would alleviate some of the shin and hip soreness I'd experienced earlier. I was also looking forward to Mission 2 of the Zombies, Run! app I've been using. That first one was the bomb!

The real kicker, for me, was actually that Jay and I would be running together. And, by together I really mean simultaneously. You'll remember that he's on the other side of the continent from me. Time zones put us a fair amount apart on when we run so running "together" isn't really a feasible thing. But, everyone always says that running with a partner is easier and more fun than running alone. Makes sense. In fact, that's exactly why we made our initial pact together. To do it, y'know, together. With the Labor Day weekend on us, we had the perfect opportunity to try to sync up.

We agreed to start at roughly the same time, both of us listening to Mission 2 of Zombies, Run! and then we'd compare notes. Jay got up and started at 5:30 (He got the short end of that stick and I think it was pretty awesome of him to push himself to getting up so early. On a holiday, no less!) and I was up and ready to go at 8:30.

Headphones on? Check. New arch supports inserted in shoes? Check. Playlist geared up? Check.

I was ready and pumped to get out there and totally kill my run.

I won't say my run was bad. It was just okay. I ran farther and easier than the other two runs. I think I kept a more even pace even if it was slower. Mainly, it was the lackluster filler storyline of Mission Two of Zombies, Run! that made the run less than stellar. Plus, my music was on shuffle and it didn't really hit the spot like last time.

I will say that the highlight of the run was knowing that someone else 3000 miles away was right beside me running. Every hill that made me want to groan or slow down and walk, just made me think about not letting Jay down. He wouldn't let me stop. He'd be giving me some silly grin and telling me to push it on a little further.

It worked. I did push myself up some hills that I might not have otherwise. In that, it was a good run! Run #3 Log

A Day of Rest

Today is supposed to be my rest day. I'm not supposed to run. And, still I find myself itching to put on my tennis shoes and GO!  I've never been pumped up about exercise, much less running, like I am right now. Maybe it's the ultra cool Zombies, Run! story. Or, maybe it's my awesomely, bad-ass running partner Jay keeping me motivated.

Whatever. I'm pretty stoked and feel great about running and that's what matters, eh?

Let's hope we keep this motivation going. I hear that the first two weeks are hardest. I'm guessing, the first month is going to be tough for me. So, for extra motivation, I am setting a goal for myself. If I can make it ONE month without missing a single scheduled run, I am going to treat myself to a mini shopping spree at Dick's Sporting Goods for some new running gear. I figure that if I've made it a full month in, then it's probably sticking. So... yeah.  It's on!