February Runs

[Artista]

Anelia, my terrain sounds similar to yours, although I'm not sure that mine is quite as steep at the beginning. My hill consists of long gradual climbs sprinkled with short steep climbs until I get to the top. Since my doctor suggested "easing" back into running after having ankle hardware removed, I'm indulging myself by walking the first 5 minutes, then walking all of the steep stuff as well as small sections of the gradual hills until I get to the top. I should be able to go all out by the end of February but I'm sure that I'll still have to do a lot of run/walk on my uphill warm up.

Indy, now that you mention it, I do remember seeing posts by conditioned runners about not feeling warmed up for the first 3-5 miles. I'm running on single track trails with varying amounts of hills and rocky sections that slow me down. I tend to track my runs by time rather than distance since I can't maintain an even speed. So maybe taking 20 minutes to feel warmed up isn't as out of the ordinary as I thought it was.

[Crankin]

This why I have a love/hate relationship with running. I never get past the heavy feeling, because I am running 3 miles, with hills. Even the few times i ran 4, at first I felt heavy, then OK for like 2 minutes, then tired or something would be annoying me with pain. I don't have too much pain from anything now, but given that I need at least 30 minutes to feel decent on the bike, I know I'm a slow to warm up type. And that's been since the beginning, not just in my "advanced" age.
It annoys me that running seems so easy for some people.

[Artista]

But Crankin, think of how many people may be "annoyed" that YOU can ride and run as "easily" as you do. Perceptions are relative

[OakLeaf]

Dang, Anelia, nice work! I hope you've shut your students up!

I warm up reasonably quick, but you know running did NOT come easy to me. Chi Running literally changed my life. Before I learned Chi Running, I could go three, maybe four miles on a soft surface and pound myself so hard my shoulders would be aching by the end of it. I'm still working on form all the time. And I, too, envy people who can naturally run light and easy ... the way most of us did as children.

I actually got back on the road bike today for a slow easy 22 to spin my legs out. Can I say that in the running thread?

[indysteel]

I have really wanted to attend a chi running workshop, but none of them have been offered in a time and/or location that works for me. I hope someday to fit it in. I think I've managed to incorporate some of the concepts, but I need actual instruction to get it right.

[yellow]

Short but pointed article about Kathrine Switzer about women & running.

http://www.runnersworld.com/general-...y-just-started

We will continue to prove people like Anelia's students wrong! If we've come this far in 40 years, imagine what things will be like in another 40!

[indysteel]

Five treadmill miles today at a slightly faster pace than usual. I felt really good and was aiming for six, but the treadmills were all in use by then, and I was well past the half hour limit as it was. Maybe tomorrow.