Holy Moses today was a great day on the program for me. Seriously, I thought I heard people saying “Run Steve…Run” made me feel all good and tingly on the inside that I was actually running longer periods and was actually enjoying it. Does that even compute in the land of normalcy? If you would have asked me a few weeks ago, I would have said you were out of your mind as I couldn’t run to the mailbox, let alone make the return trip without the need for a little O2.
I still have this unbelievably cruel and mind numbing ache once I stop running but it only lasts for about an hour or so. I think the extra stretching is helping on this but the lactic acids are building up and I have to figure out away to combat this if I am going to sustain this running high I am on. I cannot wait until Friday to run this segment again to see if I am actually advancing or if today was just a freak of nature placating my psyche.
Until next time ….
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
9/07/09 W2D3 of C25K
Well today I did a new stretching routine before I went out to run and it actually “hurt so good” that I thought about just stretching today. I just knew this was going to solve all of my lower leg aches but wrongo!!! A weird thing happened to me today while running. My lower right leg got so tight I thought it was going to explode. I didn’t stop but I slowed my pace down to alleviate some of the pain long enough to complete the circuit. After we finished our cool down walk, I stretched it out and it really ached (I’m talking like it’s in the bone man!) for about an hour and then it seemed to vanish. I also suffered from “dead leg” where you just seem to be draggin an enormous anchor around as opposed to a functioning leg. I am not complaining at all as it usually lasts several hours and stays sore until the next run.
I guess I will see how it feels in the am and the 3minute runs are looming for Wednesday’s run.
Until next time ….
I guess I will see how it feels in the am and the 3minute runs are looming for Wednesday’s run.
Until next time ….
Friday, September 4, 2009
9/04/09 W2D2 of C25K
Today’s run was really good. I slowed down my pace just a little and the run segments flew by. It seemed as if I was just getting into it and the friendly ding of my Iphone application was letting me know it was time to stop. My breathing never once got out of rhythm so either tonight was a miracle or my body is getting the hang of this.
I still had the dull aching pain in my lower right leg once I had stopped running but after stretching it out, it seemed to fade away much faster than previous nights. I am still baffled as to how it is only affecting my right leg as my left leg is all loosey goosey without a care in the world. Still need to incorporate a better regimen of stretching and I think I will get it under control.
Until next time….
I still had the dull aching pain in my lower right leg once I had stopped running but after stretching it out, it seemed to fade away much faster than previous nights. I am still baffled as to how it is only affecting my right leg as my left leg is all loosey goosey without a care in the world. Still need to incorporate a better regimen of stretching and I think I will get it under control.
Until next time….
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
9/02/09 W2D1 of C25K
Well today was the day that the regiment switched to longer run times and I actually liked it since you only have 6 runs as opposed to 8. I know… I know, it sounds crazy since the runs are longer but running is a mental thing and I believe I classify as “mental”. I felt great through the entire program this evening and surprisingly, I started having a mixture of dull and sharp aching pains coursing through my right lower leg once I stopped. I believe the culprit to be not enough stretching before and after the runs. I need to research stretching a little better before Friday rolls around!
Even though I have pain in my leg, I can bear it since I weighed in today at 211 lbs. which is a net loss of 5 lbs since W1D1!
Until next time….
Even though I have pain in my leg, I can bear it since I weighed in today at 211 lbs. which is a net loss of 5 lbs since W1D1!
Until next time….
8/31/09 W1D3 of C25K
4:30 in the afternoon just got home from work so it is time to go run all by myself and kick the tires on this program to the fullest extent.
Got my Iphone strapped to my arm, playlist cranking out some tunes and the C25K app raring to go. If anything I certainly look like a jogger at this point! Great stretching routine, I feel great and it is off to the races. Run today was not too bad until I hit the last running segment and I was really pushing it as my lower right leg was tightening up on me once again and my breathing was a little erratic. Once I hit the cool down walking segment it didn’t take long for my breathing to get back to normal but I had to stretch my leg out for awhile in order to get the tightness to work its self out.
Got to figure this thing out, is my stride off, am I pushing off of the dominant leg more so than the other or can it be that one muscle is naturally more flexible than the other? Oh well I am still alive and kicking and can’t wait to see what the extended run times for week two will do for me. I am already feeling more energized and am looking ahead to bigger goals such as the next program. Ok stop…hold the phone….I need to keep myself focused on short range goals in order to keep pushing forward.
Until next time….
Got my Iphone strapped to my arm, playlist cranking out some tunes and the C25K app raring to go. If anything I certainly look like a jogger at this point! Great stretching routine, I feel great and it is off to the races. Run today was not too bad until I hit the last running segment and I was really pushing it as my lower right leg was tightening up on me once again and my breathing was a little erratic. Once I hit the cool down walking segment it didn’t take long for my breathing to get back to normal but I had to stretch my leg out for awhile in order to get the tightness to work its self out.
Got to figure this thing out, is my stride off, am I pushing off of the dominant leg more so than the other or can it be that one muscle is naturally more flexible than the other? Oh well I am still alive and kicking and can’t wait to see what the extended run times for week two will do for me. I am already feeling more energized and am looking ahead to bigger goals such as the next program. Ok stop…hold the phone….I need to keep myself focused on short range goals in order to keep pushing forward.
Until next time….
8/29/09 W1D2 of C25K
Ah the sun is out and the air is crisp on this fine Saturday morning. I am thinking a 9:30 am jog is going to be what the doctor ordered. First things first…. The family went on this jaunt today and it turned sour rather quickly. My two year old son was cool with it at first and then he quickly decided he did not want to be in the stroller and could get out and run on his own! This all but eliminated my 10 year old son, who was pushing the stroller, and my wife, who had to chase the little man down, from continuing on with the run. My thirteen year old son hung with me for the biggest majority of the run and then he decided he would go to the truck and get it cooled off for us! He is always thinking of others first…. :O)
I left the park today feeling great with the exception of my lower right leg being tight. Not sure if it is because it is my dominant leg, if I outpaced myself too soon, or if it is from just being 38 years old and getting back into the swing of exercising. I’ll wait to see what day 3 has in store for me before I decide.
Lesson learned today, not a good idea to run with entire family while trying to get this system started. Enough to deal with in the fact that you have to pace yourself push yourself and remember to breathe!
Until next time….
I left the park today feeling great with the exception of my lower right leg being tight. Not sure if it is because it is my dominant leg, if I outpaced myself too soon, or if it is from just being 38 years old and getting back into the swing of exercising. I’ll wait to see what day 3 has in store for me before I decide.
Lesson learned today, not a good idea to run with entire family while trying to get this system started. Enough to deal with in the fact that you have to pace yourself push yourself and remember to breathe!
Until next time….
8/27/09 W1D1 of C25K
Well let’s just say that 5 am comes extremely early for those of us not used to waking up and getting around the room, let alone jogging down the road. I will say the weather and traffic were wonderful as all of the sane individuals were still in their beds! The run was not bad at all and I figured it would give me fits. To my surprise I feel great and will be looking forward to day 2!
May look to jog somewhere other than the subdivision and may opt for a different time. By the way, I started out weighing in at 216 lbs and at 5’11” I do not fall into the “Healthy Range” on the doctor’s charts unless you call healthy…well you get my point! :O)
Until next time….
May look to jog somewhere other than the subdivision and may opt for a different time. By the way, I started out weighing in at 216 lbs and at 5’11” I do not fall into the “Healthy Range” on the doctor’s charts unless you call healthy…well you get my point! :O)
Until next time….
Obtaining My First Goal
Several people, including myself, are just getting into running as a medium of exercise and relaxation. Our goal is to start off running the Jack O’ Lantern 5K on October 31st in Baton Rouge Louisiana.
This gives us plenty of time to work towards that goal utilizing the Couch to 5k (C25K) program outlined by Cool Runnings. This program starts you off slow and easy with timed segments of walking and jogging that gradually move from mostly walking towards completely jogging a 5k (a.k.a. 3.1 miles).
The Jack O’ Lantern 5K information can be found at:
http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1777187&assetId=a41282cf-64fb-4803-84c3-e5a9b7af8c40
The Cool Runnings C25K program, as well as many useful articles and tips, can be found at:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
They are also on Facebook and Twitter which makes it easier to get on the go updates in your fast paced life. Don’t forget the IPhone applications and Podcasts that are invaluable tools to help keep you concentrated on running and not continually worrying about looking at your watch!
Remeber to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep pushing!
Why you say…? Good Question
What is it that drives us to exercise? There are several plausible excuses, I mean reasons, that comes to mind.
Could it be that we tend to look at ourselves and decide we do not like what we see staring back at us in the mirror? Watch out now as this one comes as a double edged sword. We have the internal and the external reflections to deal with. With hard work and dedication we all know exercise can alleviate the external reflections but does it help to erase our internal issues. Well some would say yes you can find your inner being through exercise so I will leave it at …. “Time will only tell”.
Is it possible that we want to find an outlet for stress reduction? Surely exercise is the medium of choice for the removal of daily nuances and stresses that tend to bog us down. I guess I should state that it is the choice that is both healthy and positive!
Is Father Time a factor in the big picture of life? When we tend to start aging, as we all do, we sometimes reach a plateau as some would refer to as a “Mid life crisis”. Nothing major but there is something you just can’t quite put your finger on that needs a little tweaking maybe even some change. Yes Change, it can be scary but it helps to develop one ’s self and gets us to the next stage of life. I believe that comfort zones are meant to be broken in order to expand our lives.
I suppose there are countless explanations one could make note of for which type of exercise would help eliminate these excuses but I have chosen running as my medium and may even throw in some Yoga if I can ever get a grip on that. This Blog will serve as my testament as I make this journey into becoming a new and hopefully better person.
“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare”
Japanese Proverb
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