Hey friends. I'm checking in with a quick update post. I've still trying to get myself back into a regular running routine. I mentioned in my last post that my plan was to start a half marathon training plan but the time commitment required just wasn't working out with all that I have going on right now. I have a lot of home improvement projects in the works and although I love doing them, they take time and I just can't add running every day into the mix or I'll be worn out and won't enjoy any of it. So my current goal is to run every other day and work on my speed again. I was getting a bit discouraged because my pace has slipped considerably over the past couple of years. Some of this may be due to getting older, but there is certainly an element of me not pushing myself as hard or as often as I used to. My goal right now is to always be under 10min/mile pace and to shoot for a low 9min/mile pace consistently. Longer runs (8 miles or more) would be a different matter at least for now. I'd try to stay at least below 10:30 pace on those. Of course, all of this is dependent on the outside temps which vary quite a bit at this time of the year and can make huge difference.
Well, that's it for now. I'll try to post an update on how it's going in a week or two.
Peace!
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Sunday, August 13, 2017
JJSB Rundate 17225: My Complaining Knee
Hey friends. So,it's been about an month and a half since I last posted to this blog. I last posted just after completing a month of running every day of the month. Toward the end of that month, I began to have some discomfort in my left knee. It wasn't excruciating but there was definitely some pain. Enough pain to have to push through it, especially on long runs. It didn't feel like there was any major damage but instead that I may have pulled a muscle or that something was "out of place". In addition, the range of motion in that knee was not nearly what it had once been. Kind of like the joint was swollen.
Because we were going to Florida for vacation in the middle of July, I decided it would be a good time to give my knee a rest and although I was tempted to run while in Florida, and almost gave in to the temptation a couple of times, I rested the knee the entire week and a half and then another week after I returned. Over the next couple of weeks, I took short 2 mile runs just to gauge my progress and was still having discomfort. During this entire time, I was also trying to do stretching exercises to try to help improve my range of motion. I was actually really beginning to worry about falling out of the habit of running and I've seen so many health benefits from it that it was quite discouraging.
Well, after another week of no-running rest, I took a short (three-mile) very slow paced run today and didn't experience any discomfort or even any of the tightness in my knee. This is very encouraging. My plan is to start a half-marathon training plan and see how it goes. Right now, I'm not sure if I'll ever regain the speed that I once had but I have to keep reminding myself that it's not about the speed. It's about putting in time and distance.
So, anyway, this was just kind of an update on where I'm at with my running for those who actually read this blog. I appreciate the support that has been shown by those who simply read and also all the encouragement that I've received throughout the last five years of my running career. Thanks to all!
Because we were going to Florida for vacation in the middle of July, I decided it would be a good time to give my knee a rest and although I was tempted to run while in Florida, and almost gave in to the temptation a couple of times, I rested the knee the entire week and a half and then another week after I returned. Over the next couple of weeks, I took short 2 mile runs just to gauge my progress and was still having discomfort. During this entire time, I was also trying to do stretching exercises to try to help improve my range of motion. I was actually really beginning to worry about falling out of the habit of running and I've seen so many health benefits from it that it was quite discouraging.
Well, after another week of no-running rest, I took a short (three-mile) very slow paced run today and didn't experience any discomfort or even any of the tightness in my knee. This is very encouraging. My plan is to start a half-marathon training plan and see how it goes. Right now, I'm not sure if I'll ever regain the speed that I once had but I have to keep reminding myself that it's not about the speed. It's about putting in time and distance.
So, anyway, this was just kind of an update on where I'm at with my running for those who actually read this blog. I appreciate the support that has been shown by those who simply read and also all the encouragement that I've received throughout the last five years of my running career. Thanks to all!
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