Long Run 2
The human body and mind can be conditioned quickly. Just as easy as it is for us to slip into long Friday nights of revelry, it is just as easy to switch back to a healthier lifestyle and push your body and mind. The body truly is a remarkable machine. I have gone from 0 Kms 15 days back to 13 K on my long run today. It's still early days and I'm having to re-learn the signals my body sends me as I cross the 10 K mark. My knees swelled up a little bit today and I also noticed some discomfort in my Achilles. My calf muscles too cramped up quite bad after the run.
Thankfully, immediate stretching post-run and some rest today was had. No soreness whatsoever but I see these as early warning signs and I must begin strength training of my leg muscles immediately. I also need to regularly stretch in order to avoid injury.
Coming back to the run this morning, there were times when I was feeling good, especially on the trails but the last 3-4K felt like I was wearing lead-lined boots and there really was no gas left in the tank. I'm not sure if this was because I didn't consume enough fluids or if I pushed too hard too fast. However, fundamentally I think it is also that I'm pushing these distances after more than 30 months. I need to be patient. What I am doing well though is being conscious of posture, of not heel striking and breathing from my diaphragm as much as possible.
This time I am also taking control of my diet. I made a big batch of granola yesterday and I plan to eat more natural stuff, cut as much of the processed foods as possible and reduce my eating out.
I felt tired today but not as tired as I did last Sunday. What was more exhausting was putting together the Hal Higdon Novice 1 training plan in kilometres! Just reading the chart is making me feel exhausted. If I stick to the plan, I would have run close to 900 kilometres by the time I (hopefully) finish the KTM. That's pretty daunting. But, in the words of the Macho Man Randy Savage, "If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space."
Thankfully, immediate stretching post-run and some rest today was had. No soreness whatsoever but I see these as early warning signs and I must begin strength training of my leg muscles immediately. I also need to regularly stretch in order to avoid injury.
Coming back to the run this morning, there were times when I was feeling good, especially on the trails but the last 3-4K felt like I was wearing lead-lined boots and there really was no gas left in the tank. I'm not sure if this was because I didn't consume enough fluids or if I pushed too hard too fast. However, fundamentally I think it is also that I'm pushing these distances after more than 30 months. I need to be patient. What I am doing well though is being conscious of posture, of not heel striking and breathing from my diaphragm as much as possible.
This time I am also taking control of my diet. I made a big batch of granola yesterday and I plan to eat more natural stuff, cut as much of the processed foods as possible and reduce my eating out.
I felt tired today but not as tired as I did last Sunday. What was more exhausting was putting together the Hal Higdon Novice 1 training plan in kilometres! Just reading the chart is making me feel exhausted. If I stick to the plan, I would have run close to 900 kilometres by the time I (hopefully) finish the KTM. That's pretty daunting. But, in the words of the Macho Man Randy Savage, "If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space."
posted by Abs @ 8:07 PM
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