Good for the Sole

I haven't mentioned running in detail lately, but it's still the major portion of my workouts. I've increased to running 4 times a week which is huge because it means that I'm running 2 days back to back to make it all fit. In the past there simply was no way that could happen. I needed that day in between to recover, and I was almost always sore or ankles and knees hurting. I have always just attributed that to the fact that I am so overweight. But a veteran runner friend of mine at church mentioned that the research all says that if you want to steadily improve, you really need to be running 4 times a week. 3 times a week maintains, and slowly improves, but 4 times a week makes the difference. I think it's no coincidence that my slow and steady weight loss coincides with my increased frequency of working out.

I still hurt some days, but not every day, and that's an improvement. After completing the C25K program (actually at the end of week 6 we just started running 30 min rather than dragging it out) we were extremely pleased with the progress we'd made. We went from being winded after running the 1 minute intervals in the first week workout to running 20-30 minutes at a time. My only disappointment was the pace at which we ended up--12 minute miles. 5 miles an hour is definitely faster than a brisk walk, but it also wasn't exactly burning up the treadmill either. In fact, I hated glancing over at the mirrors on the wall at the gym while we were running because it revealed exactly how slow a 12 minute mile is. I was dripping sweat, but from the looks of things in the mirror, I was loping along at a light jog.

So I started over.

I am now in Week 2 of the workout plan, except at an 8 minute mile pace. 7.5 miles per hour is actually a comfortable pace for me biomechanically, although I feel pretty much back at square one fitness-wise--dripping in sweat and ragged out at the end of every workout. But it's stretching me, and I can feel myself improving with each workout.

My new workout plan calls for 3 days of the C25K interval training at an 8 minute mile pace, and the fourth day I run a constant pace for 30 minutes. I'm already feeling an improvement 3 weeks in. Today I ran 30 minutes at 5.3 mph, rather than 5.0 mph. It's the fastest I've run 30 minutes. It may not sound like much, but around here we celebrate small gains (and losses!!). More than that, at about 12 minutes in, I think I caught a runner's high. I had a wave of calm and well-being wash over me. My breathing relaxed, and my stride loosened. I haven't felt that sensation since I was running in high school. What a beautiful thing.

I can already tell I'm going to need new shoes in a few months--in fact it's my wife's and my planned Christmas gift to each other. Imagine that, wearing out a pair of running shoes by running.

I never thought I'd be the one to do that...