This week has been a week of ups and downs.
The beginning of the week I was on vacation, so I didn't get to run.
Here are my results from yesterday.
My first run:
Thirteen minutes and nine seconds a mile isn't really that bad at this stage in the game - especially at my 'level' which is about as new to the sport as you can possibly be - but I am just not happy with that. So, I took a second run a few hours later.
A mile in eleven minutes and fifty-two seconds! Woo hoo! Let me just tell you, I felt like a million bucks after that! My goal is do run a mile in less than nine minutes, but this was a good start. I was winded and I started getting cramps in my side, but I ran the whole thing. I worked through the pain, and it was awesome when I stepped back inside my house. I was sweating like a horse - a horse that just won the Kentucky Derby!
However, my run this morning, put a damper on my celebration.
Ugh! Back up to over thirteen minutes a mile?! Seriously?! I was so upset. My calves were sore from yesterday's less-than twelve minute mile. It was very windy and cold out today. Could these have been factors in my slower time? Possibly ... probably. But it doesn't stop me from being upset with myself when I did so well yesterday.
I was thinking about going for another run later today, but as time progresses my calves are getting sorer and sorer, so I think it's probably best to stay off of them, at least or the remainder of the day.
I have a question for avid runners out there. Should I be focused more on my speed right now, or distance? My goal is to run a marathon, but I feel like if I keep running thirteen to fourteen minute miles, this is going to get old real fast. Any suggestions on how to get my speed up to par without hurting myself too badly?
All in all, I'm proud of myself that I've been running every day that I can and I feel so energized when I'm finished. It's such a great feeling. Even though every mile isn't as great as I want it to be, its always one mile, one minute, one second closer to achieving my goals!
Happy running!
Hey Julie! It's a good question, speed versus distance. I think if you look at the couch to 5K or couch to 10k you'll see that the main focus in the beginning is to just get your body used to the motions of running. When I first started running longer distances I had odd pains, and then I overtrained and got ITBS, which sucked because the only way to heal was to completely rest. You don't want to overwork your body too quickly. You should also be stretching a lot. I love the active isolated stretching method, I've worked with folks who have worked with Olympians (look up the Wharton Performance) and it changed my athletic life. You are way too new at this to be upset about your times, you should be continually psyched that you're getting out there and getting those mile runs in!! You've got to listen to your body, especially as your calves are telling you that you need to be paying attention to them. Stretch them before and after a run and get some food rich in potassium to help avoid cramps (bananas and broccoli). Also think about adding fish to your diet if you're not a vegetarian, fish oil is amazing for recovery. Feel free to ask me questions anytime. I've made all the mistakes, so hopefully I can help prevent you from making many!
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