OK week 2 is in the bag and i have made some startling revelations. One, I am horribly, horribly out of what is known as "conditioning". If the zombie horde is ever to come and according to my sources, they will; I shall be the fodder that will allow others to escape. I find that i can't really run any discernable distance without looking for a place to lie down. I think one of my problems is the actual mechanics of running, it seems that i don't know how to run. When i started this, I found that I ran on the balls of my feet, and was told that unless I am trying to sneak up on someone this is hogwash, and i should actually have a roll to the foot starting with heel to toe. This means that i have to teach myself to run and now find my new mantra "heel toe, heel toe" instead of "don't throw up, don't throw up" not that throwing up is a bad thing, but more on that later.
The second thing I have learned is that somewhere in the middle of the night i age 30-40 years so that an ancient man rises up out of the bed, hobbles to the toilet, and pees all over the seat because his knees are jockeying for position of which will hit the floor first. This strange occurence seems to clear itself up after a little bit, but the first couple of days my wife was surprised to meet her future husband now in the present, and i found that i can make old man noises on cue if there is anything needed below waist level. I have begun to add linoment to my regimen using biofreeze on my knees with some good results you can learn more about it here:http://www.biofreeze.com/
Other than that things are doing well, I have enjoyed the 5X5 workout system, and it does keep me motivated adding 5 lbs to every workout, but i have a feeling in the next couple of weeks, this is going to become arduous as well. The running is slow in the gains, but i am seeing a small improvement each time out, and while i don't know if I am going to make my goal of one mile in one month, i do feel that my wind and endurance is improving.
Check back with me next week when i shall address the most nightmarish of all things, the scale.
I found your site through the Warrior Dash message board on facebook. I'm signing up for the one in Colorado and can't wait!
ReplyDeleteOne thing that caught my eye on your website was the advertisement for "Born to Run" on the same page as you saying that running on the balls of your feet is wrong. I just read that book, and it actually makes a strong argument for the way you are running now. In case you don't have time to read it, the argument is this:
Running heal to toe is a very new method of running, which is only possible due to new shoe technologies. Padded shoes with arch support actually allow your body to run with bad posture, weaken your foot, and cause more stress on your joints than your muscles (your muscles are where you want the stress to be). Because of all the padding/support, your body does not give you immediate feedback of bad running form. It's not until you injure yourself that bad form becomes apparent. Running barefoot gives you immediate feedback and your body will correct itself quickly.
If you think about it historically, it makes sense. Humans have been running long distances since we've existed, whether barefoot or in primitive sandals. If you try running heal to toe barefoot, your heals will break down very quickly. If you run on the balls of your toes, your body can handle it--and actually will naturally correct your running form and bad running posture.
I'm not saying go out and run 3 miles barefoot, because our feet/calves aren't used to this form of running. I've been alternating between barefoot running (much shorter distances to build up foot strength) and ball-of-foot running with an old pair of running shoes.
The book does a much better/in depth job of explaining it, and is an awesome read (I read it in two days--its a page turner). It also talks a lot about diet that I've seen good results from. There is a lot online about the topic as well!
Good luck with training and the Warrior Dash!