Spring Running Thread

[OakLeaf]

So I've been running a little, not much. Partly because it's amazing how much fitness I lost in three weeks. Partly because my adductors are screaming from the PT exercises, which I really wasn't expecting - pretty much standard hip strengthening stuff, the only exercise I'm doing now that I hadn't done before is the seated internal/external rotation against a stretchy band - and it's not the isometric adduction that I'm doing to mobilize the joints, because they didn't get really sore until we added the other work. Really it ought to be the abductors and external rotators that are getting the most work, but it's the adductors that are so sore I can only do the exercises every other day. Yikes. But we've had some beautiful running weather.

How's everyone else doing?

[rocknrollgirl]

I'm good just been busy. We went to DC for a few days. One of my former students that I have stayed close with was commissioned as an officer in the Navy and invited us down for the ceremony. It was really awesome. She has a great family that my husband and I are pretty friendly with so it was lovely to be part of.

Came back Saturday pm, got up really tired Sunday am and went out for a short 5 mile trail run. Got in another 6 tonight in the rain. We are planning on 2 long weekend runs, a short taper and then our next half on June 11th. So it is coming along. Waiting for a call from my foot guy for my new orthotics. I with they would hurry up already.

Nothing more fun than sore muscles from PT. I was shocked this winter how sore I got. I thought I was hitting all of those spots but nope.

[emily_in_nc]

I have not been running at all. I got out of the habit while in NC and spending time with family, and in a campground with only a short loop (.1 of a mile) plus huge mountains in all directions, and now I can't seem to get back into it. We have been doing lots of hiking and walking and cycling, but I can't seem to make myself get back to running, because I know it's going to be hard, and most places we're staying now (national forest campgrounds in the south) are hilly.

Wah wah, I know! Just gotta get my discipline back.

[OakLeaf]

Emily, you know what, you're doing plenty. Any time someone tells me they "should" take up running, I tell them, if that's how you feel about it, no you shouldn't! It's not like there aren't dozens of other ways to get some cardio and enjoy the outdoors. Life's too short to do things for "recreation" if you don't enjoy them. When you WANT to run, you will - and if you never want to again, that's totally okay!

Me - lots of PT exercises, still not a lot of running, but the changes that are happening are really revealing. Now that I'm getting some mobility back in my SI joint, I'm finding weaknesses in my feet, lower legs and hamstrings that I knew were there, but that weren't responding to any of the work I was doing before. Strength follows alignment follows mobility.

If they invent a time machine, first thing I'm doing is going back to when I was six years old and bringing myself a pair of shoes wide enough for my feet, and staying far, far away from that quack who put me in orthopedic shoes so I could walk with my feet crammed into shoes that were too narrow. Meantime, I'm feeling really good about the progress I'm making.

[Crankin]

I so agree, Oak. No matter how much I want to be a runner, it's not good for me, and I do plenty of other cardio. Glad the PT is working.
I saw a FB post from my instructor at my former gym. She is a lovely young woman, but when she stated her first postpartum 5K time of 29 minutes as being slow, but getting it done, I laughed. She really is not a bragging type, but it's all perspective.

[rocknrollgirl]

The important thing is to keep moving, be it hiking, cycling, walking, running, whatever. It does not really matter. When I had my foot surgery last year, I was pestering my doc about getting on the trainer while I was healing. He said sure...why not, your heart and lungs won't know you aren't running! Just keep moving....doing something you love, your heart and lungs will thank you!

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks so much for the support, Oak, Crankin, and RnR. Of course you're right. I am still super active; I just have to stop beating myself up because I haven't been in the proper place (or mindset) to run lately. Part of it is that I enjoy doing things with DH, and he doesn't run (has too many knee problems when he tries), so we hike and walk and bike, and that doesn't leave a lot of time/energy/days left to run!

Oh, and Crankin, that woman's statement is what's known as a "humblebrag". Annoying, isn't it? Most of us would be very pleased with a 29-minute 5K, and she knows it. :-P