A Review of 6 Months Running

The time has flown in very fast but I guess that’s because I have been running I go into running when my personal trainer (Jenniffer Almiento) suggested we add it into my workouts. I had always been worried about running due to it being a weight-bearing exercise and my ever aching left hip (I had hip surgery in my youth, due to a dislocated hip), so I always avoided running.

The first time out with Jennifer was tough to say the least; I struggled with a jog-walk-jog-walk pattern for most of the times we met up for a run. But this is the best way to start getting into running with the hope that it becomes a long-term practice. A lot of people start off running as though they are being hunted and sprint themselves to injury, then give up; it wasn’t running that caused their injury, it was training without tact.

I was lucky starting with Jennifer, I was in good hands; so I started running at my own pace. I can’t imagine what my facial expressions looked like especially on hill climbs, I am sure it looked as bad as it felt. My first circuit was 1.85 miles and I completed it in 27 min and I-don’t-know-how-many seconds Now I can do the same circuit in 19 min and 7 seconds.

I ran with Jennifer for about 2 sessions per week for about 4 weeks and then I was on my own. Jennifer had set me a challenge to finish the circuit sub 20 min so I started working on increasing my pace, which was the wrong move. I would start off with power as if on a world-changing mission only to tire into jog then shift down some more gears into a walk. This went on for weeks (running 3 times per week) and I really got fed up at not being able to increase my pace, but further more not being able to finish the circuit by running the whole way.

Then I had a brainstorm (actually it was more like a brain fart) I thought about forgetting about my pace and just focus on being able to run the whole circuit regardless of how long it took me.

This was my new goal; run from A to B that’s simple, right!?

On my first circuit I pin pointed 3 ‘block points’ were I always stopped, so before I arrived to them I would talk to myself and prepare myself not to stop. This worked really well for me and it only took one week (3 runs) to get this right. So if you are out on a run and there’s a hill that you always stop at the top just start saying “ok there’s a block point coming up, you can’t stop, you know deep down that you can do this, keep pushing through, dig deep, etc…….. Simple ……..Not really, especially when you are big and chunky with lots of love lumps and with every foot strike your weight triples! LOL

Once I could run my circuit without stopping/walking I took 2 weeks just to build that up and then I started to look at my pace.

My pace back when I started was 14.57 min mile and I got it down to 11.04 min mile, boy did I feel quite the athlete, I was on top of my game….. and THEN!!!! I met up with some one, we can call him Gandalf… HE said that my minute mile was pretty pathetic LOL

Now I like a challenge, and I am also grateful when friend’s just tell you like it is (thanks Gandalf ) and Gandalf was right, it was a lame mile pace.

So I spent a week doing speedwork, fartlek and hill runs. These have really paid off and I have now got my minute mile down to 9.08 and it’s still a work in progress.

Since I have gotten serious about running I have been collecting lots of data about my runs using (initially) Nike+ for my iPod Touch and then more recently I have added the Polar RS300X (with foot pod). And I will be starting to read ‘Total Heart Rate Training’ by Joe Friel this week to work on getting the best out of my Polar heart rate monitor and developing a progressive running program.

One of the major things, and the most surprising thing about my running is my hip. During the first and second month I was getting a twinge of painduring my runs BUT then on the third month nothing, no pain. Not only during my runs but I haven’t had hip pains now for 4 months! As I have said running is a weight-bearing exercise and it causes your bones, joints, tendons to strengthen, and I believe this has what has happened to me. Now if you find yourself in a similar situation with an ache from a previous condition don’t just assume this will work for you; go to your doctor (as I did) and get it checked out. I went from my GP to a specialist and was given the green light for any type of exercise, she did say take care while running (and I did). So please do the right thing and take the time to get checked out before you hit the road.

CONCLUSION

I have definitely caught the running bug, and I will continue to run. With my current goals I am running to blast fat along with lifting weights and a healthy nutritional program, so for this reason I run short, intense runs and not high mileage, endurance runs. But once I reach my weight loss goal I really want to do a half marathon (why not a full marathon?) I will if I can fit the training required into my schedule

Well that’s it, watch this space for more tails from running the trenches!

SOME RUNNING STATS (March 13th to Aug 2nd 2010)

• Number of Runs: 59

• Calories Burnt: 27,225

• Miles Ran: 150.89

• Total Run Duration: 30 hours, 16 minutes & 04 seconds

• Furthest Run: 5.43 miles

• Running Shoe: (initially) Nike Pegasus 26+ (Now) Asics Gel 2150 (magic, I love them!)