The first mile and the last 1/2 mile I completed without holding on to the treadmill. I was off and on during the middle so I can say that I did at least half of the run solo. That's a big accomplishment for me.
I tried to brainstorm some different avenues to explore when I start running outside. While I would love to run to the lake and back, I don't like the idea of running along a busy highway. People really get stupid. I also know the reality of the transition from indoor to outdoor running will take a bit. Therefore, I thought about running a mile along the country roads, walking a mile, running, walking, etc. I also thought about running 15 min, walking a mile, run another 15, etc. Any other ideas? I really want to work up to 30 min easily and quickly once I start outside and to get on the marathon training program as soon as possible.
Last summer with the 5K I started "training" the Monday of the race. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill and didn't totally die so I went and signed up for the Saturday race. Tues I started running outside. Oh boy! I went a block and was totally dead. That's when I thought I was really in over my head. I kept running each day. It wasn't until Sat that I actually completed the entire race. It was like 37 min to complete 3.1 miles. I will probably do this again this year, but have a goal of no walking and complete it in like 30 min. I figure I'm doing 6 mph now, which is a 10 min mile so that is a respectable goal.
I was really hurting. My biological issue has arisen again. I didn't run last night as I had one of the worst migranes in recent memory. Tonight I felt awful and didn't want to run - I really thought my guts would explode. I kept myself drugged all day hoping I could run tonight. I saw every 1/10 mile go by. Hindsight it was a good run, but I really wanted to stop at every 1/10 mile. Once the running part was over, and I started walking, my guts started churning again. All through the run I just kept thinking...this is my goal. In order accomplish my goal, I have to run at least 30 min. This means 3 miles. I am a very goal-oriented person so I just had to keep that goal in mind. If I let it slip, if even for a little, I will not finish the task. I know that. This physical issue is one goal I wanted to overcome by running so I just have to work through that. Keep the goal in sight, right?
Running outside: I would recommend running for one mile (or 15 minutes) and then doing a 5 minute walk (not a whole mile). This will give you a recovery period, but not so long that you don't keep your heart rate elevated. I would do this for a week or two and then drop your recovery time to 3-4 minutes and continually drop it until you don't have that recovery time built in. During this time, I would also increase the mileage by about .5 miles to 1 mile every time you drop the recovery time period. If you feel this is too much, don't add the miles, but still drop the recovery time...after all, you ultimately want to be able to do this distance without walking.
ReplyDeleteGI stuff: Sometimes I find that if I consume a lot of fiber or gassy foods (broccoli) I have more problems with my GI tract while running. Eventually my system becomes accustomed to the trauma I am putting it through and it just accepts it. It is usually much worse for the first few long runs and gets better over time.
When things get tough on a run, I try to always think about Team Hoyt or the fact that if I just suck it up for x number of minutes, I will be done and can have a new (hopefully better) run the next time.
The only way to accomplish ones goal is to keep it in sight and in this case, put one foot in front of the other :)