Turtle Run

My runs are getting a titch longer but the route that I'm on now is a bit shorter. What that means is, I have a shorter recovery walk time. I still need a little more time (1-2 minutes) of recovery walking between runs. I am hoping that will change as I progress.

After about 3 minutes of running, I get into a sort of groove where my feet just take over and keep going. It only happens, though, when I'm not thinking about running and how many more minutes/seconds to go. And finally, today, I was able to concentrate my thoughts instead of having them go around like a pinball. I was actually able to pray something more than, "help!" and for a minute or two, it was controlled thoughts. I count this as big progress.

I am also a little less conscious of my turtle running. Sometimes, when a car comes, I pretend to be the hare and increase my effort but it really throws off the groove that I'm in. So I'm learning to just accept that I run like a turtle. People can laugh or think badly about my pace, but hey - I'm out there running. This is where I'm at, and I'm happy about that.

Cool Down
On my cool down walk, I turned down the street I live on, which had been re-paved yesterday. My right arch was achy so I thought, why not? I had already decided the socks were going in the trash (it was dark in the bedroom when I fished them out). So I stopped, unlaced my shoes and walked the rest of the way home in my socks.

Instantly, everything felt changed and different muscles were working. The ground was cool and pleasant and smooth. I concentrated on my mid-foot strike and pushing off more and not overstriding. A car passed and I acted like carrying running shoes and waking down the street in socks was what everyone does nowadays. I really liked how the road felt and how my feet felt. My right calf was tighter but my arch stopped aching. By the time I was home, everything was feeling good except where I picked up a pebble for a few steps.

I think that I'd like to do more of this kind of training after my 5k. Although it'll be colder out by then, I may be able to find a more minimal shoe or slipper to go around in. I really do not like what my running shoes are doing to my feet! Just 16 minutes of running and they make my feet ache. How will I get through 45 minutes of the 5k? Hmmm.

Comments

Allison said…
Definitely don't be ashamed of your turtle run. Some people are fast and some are slow. I'm slow too, and I'm okay with that. I'd rather take a slow 5-mile run than exhaust myself running a fast 1-mile.