Thursday 23 September 2010

Baby Steps

I used to run. I was never very good at it and never did any competing beyond a fee corporate challenge type things and one sprint tri a long time ago before I knew any better (in which I spent the entire run getting passed - I got out of the water way close to the lead and stayed there through the bike, but dudes were running like 4:30 miles - not this guy). But I could go 8 or 10 miles at 6:30 pace or so, which sucks when you are talking about actual running, but when you're a complete hacker just in it for the exercise it's okay. At least you're passing most people out on the road, which counts for nothing but you'd rather do it than not.

Anyhow, after I broke my leg I tried to get back into it about 6 months post-accident. By that point I'd regained some fitness by being a really good student at physical therapy and pushing it pretty hard at the gym. Two weeks into it, I'd clearly done too much too soon, my knee and tibia really hurt all the time, and I bagged it in favor of other stuff. Last winter, I did a bunch of workouts on the treadmill where I was walking up silly inclines - like 15%. That's a great workout but I'd still like to be able to run faster. When I was running the most, my weight naturally went down into the high 150s. It's like my body knew to get rid of any extra. That would be a good thing in general. Plus, just running is kind of fun.

So last night I had a conversation with a dude at Georgetown Running Company (they have a store like a block from our house) and he encouraged me to start on the treadmill VERY gradually and see where I got. The challenge he identified was that my fitness would generally encourage me to go way too much for what my body can take now (a la 2 years ago). I was really cautious with it, warmed up on an elliptical and then did one (yes, one) 10 minute (yes, 10 minute) mile. Over time, maybe I'll be able to realistically challenge myself with some sort of time/distance goal. But I've done it the stupid way once and I ain't doing that again, no sir.

Following that I did many variants of my friend the plank, which has left a legacy of ain't-right-ness (the good kind) around my trunk. Then I did 30' on the stair mill (decidedly different from a stairmaster) and I don't know that I've ever been that sweaty. The key is never ever touch the handrails. I didn't believe it fully until I tried it. Good Lord. The thing gives you wattage too, which is probably not too wildly different from what you do on a bike.

No astounding kitchen revelations last night, although I'm definitely into it now. I took down a cookbook and started to look at a few things. We'll see.

New bike coming soon. Can't wait. Want a 29er so bad. So bad. So bad.

1 comment:

Jim said...

>>>Plus, just running is kind of fun.

To quote Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Vacation, "what? You know what your problem is? You people are f***ed in the head!"

I was a reasonably good runner - steady 5:15 miles when I was going hard (couldn't go much sub 5 though, not even for a mile). But going hard every day more or less for 8+ years while in the .mil domain pretty much beat any tolerance, much less love, of running, right out of my pretty little head.