two minutes is one minute too much
So, we have been running for one minute, walking for two minutes, running for one minute, walking for two minutes.
Today that all changed. We were scheduled to run for two minutes, walk for one minute.
It is reversed! Not only do we have to run for twice as long, we only get to walk for half as long. I have been gearing myself up for it all weekend long, knowing it was going to be a huge jump for me.
Well, it was.
Too huge.
I made it through our warm-up.
I made it through the first two minute run and thought I was going to die.
Then, when we finished the teensy-weensy one minute walk in between runs and I was just barely getting oxygen back into my lungs, I knew I would die on the second run.
By the third run I was completely focused on my breathing and putting one foot in front of the other. My femur head was hurting. My shins were burning. My right foot was once again aching. I made it through going about half as fast as I was running last week on our one minute runs.
By the fourth one, I was in a ton of pain, but I was determined to make it. Once again total focus was required and somehow I made it through. I tried walking on my heels in between to help my shins stop their ridiculous burning, but it didn’t really seem to help. All too soon the minute was up and it was time to run again. Very, very slowing I made it through the fifth run, but I knew it was time to put my pride away and listen to my body. My pelvis was not liking this at all, my shins were shouting at me, and my poor right foot was crying out in pain.
So I called to Keziah who was far ahead of me and told her I needed to just walk the rest. She said no problem, she would finish the last five sets on her own (which is hilarious because I was running so slowly she was already on her own). I hobbled back to the car, did my stretching in the blowing snow and then tried to walk a little bit more.
Well, my femur head didn’t like the walking one little bit, so I gave up all together and sat in the car while Keziah finished up. At the end, she was still looking strong. She is a tough cookie!
Now, I just want to get in the bath and go to bed!
I'm Tracy, a mama with big dreams, crazy ideas, loads of laughter, an insatiable desire to learn, and enormous piles of laundry.
I tried several “start running” programs without much success, then I found this one: http://blog.bluefinapps.com/ease-into-5k-running-plan/
It’s similar to the one you linked to, but seemed a bit better in the “ease you into it” department. I just finished my first 5k race this past Saturday, so I can say the program definitely works.
Lee,
I definitely need to ease into this. Ease being the operative word. Maybe I will try to convince Miss Keziah that this plan will work better for her non-running mama!
I would add less! Maybe one minuted + ten seconds. . . .
Also, if I remember correctly, week 2 was definitely the hardest. Once you get through that, you’re home free.
I just don’t think running is for everyone. Especially those of us who’ve had a lot of wear and tear on our bodies already. I wish Keziah felt passionate about swimming laps! I would love to organize some kind of 5-a-week carpool into IF to swim laps bright and early every morning. How my body misses that…
Yes, I think the wear and tear on my body is pretty high. The car accident may have done me in for ever when it comes to running…but I am not giving up yet.
My comment got eaten! That was weird.
I’m so wishing Keziah had a passion for lap swimming so we could organize a 5-a-week carpool into IF in the wee small hours of the early dawn. I just can’t justify driving in there myself every day.
Swimming! No bone-jarring, feet hurting gravity! Love it. Miss it.
How weird that you got flagged as spam! My Jessica is NOT spam!
Anyway, yes, I wish she had a different passion as well. She does love swimming and is a super-rad swimmer (passed Level 6 last year), but she wants so badly to be a runner…and she is so stinkin’ good at it that it is hard for me to not encourage her (and perhaps kill myself in the process!). My pelvis is hurting so badly today I can barely navigate my stairs and am headed to the chiro in a little bit…wanna come?
We should chat about the early morning lap swim though. Perhaps my girls would love that? In addition to the running, of course!