First Mistake!!!

So I ran over four miles last Friday on the treadmill--worked REALLY HARD and felt REALLY GOOD. I owed myself another FOUR in the week because I WIMPED out on Wednesday. So I decided to hit the road on SATURDAY.

I broke my own rule: Do not run on successive days if you want to avoid INJURIES. http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--11130-0,00.html And that has made so much difference for me. (I do strength training every other day)

I also then ran in the VIBRAMS on the road on a successive day. STUPID! My running partner was trying out her new VIBRAMS and was just going to do a mile in them. I did the mile with her. Then I thought, "Well, my feet are used to these. I'll just do the other two in these." (We went three that day). BIG MISTAKE!

I made my foot sore. I wouldn't say it was painfully sore. But it was that little NAGGING pain that makes you worried.

So I have been CAUTIOUS this week and have done no IMPACT in VIBRAMS--just the Sauconys or Nikes. Bummer! But it's feeling nearly normal.

I looked at myself in the mirror this morning before working out and said to myself, "You have a LIFETIME. No need to rush." That was to remind myself not to over do it barefoot today.

I think we have lived in our shoes for our entire lives, and we can't expect to just shoot out the door barefoot and think nothing will get sore.

TAKE IT SLOW. You've got a lifetime.

Happy Running!

Injinji socks

My running partner finally JOINED the hippee movement and bought her VIBRAMS. She had a very HARD TIME getting them on over her toes and said the injinji socks helped a ton. So if you have DIFFERENT shaped toes that kind of pull back and the VIBRAMS are snug on them, get the socks.

I chose not to get them because some people POSTED that they made the toes too tight on the VIBRAMS. So opted out. But apparantly they do have their PURPOSES.

Doing better

I know you've all been on PINS AND NEEDLES waiting to hear if my calves survived. I wondered myself. They are doing much better. I was MAD at my husband Saturday, so I picked up the two miles I owed myself for the week. I was WORRIED because my calves were still painfully excruciating! But ANGER is ANGER. What do you do? I took off in my VIBRAMS.

I can't believe how much BETTER my calves were that day. So I guess the ADAGE of doing what you did to get sore to get un-sore works. At least it did for me.

I do find myself finding grass and dirt to run in on the side of the road a bit. TRAIL RUNNING would be great. But until then, I just hit the dirt once every NOW AND AGAIN. Today I was mostly asphalt. I feel fine.

I did 2.25 miles today on the road. I'm DOING more slowly. Don't want to HURT myself permanently!

Happy Running.

Anyone tried the YOGA stretch???

Low-back pain

I have to add--my low-back pain (the kind that wakes me up at night) has been so minimal since I started BAREFOOTing it that I have to LINK the two together.

I was having LOW-BACK PAIN enough that I wondered what to do about it. Also, my HIP PAIN in the joint of my hip and leg is so much better as well.

So it may be part FORM CHANGE and part BAREFOOT. I don't know. But I do know it's better.

FYI...:)

Another Two-er

I am so happy that my DAUGHTER IN LAW taught me the wonders of BLOGGING so I can complain to all who will listen that MY CALVES HURT SO BAD!!!!

Okay, so I've never had defined calves. They must be the WEAKEST little underdeveloped things on my body. I ran another TWO MILES on the road in the VIBRAMS. It felt good. I loved it. But again, MY CALVES HURT. I think I made them even worse the next day during my workout because I decided to do some stairs.

I think STAIRS use CALVES muscles! Ugh! So, I chickened out today and ran 4 MILES on the road in my SAUCONY's. I used good form, but not as much fun. I'm hoping for a break on the soreness.

I PROMISE not to give up. I'll probably swing TWO MILES tomorrow on the road again. I know I will WIN this little battle if I don't GIVE UP. And I don't give up easily.

Hey, I'm 45, soon to be 46. Give me a BREAK. I'm no super athlete. I'm just a MOM trying to RUN!!

I will be excited to hear how your calves do when you try the VIBRAMS.

Isn't this exciting?

Happy Running!

Perhaps I'll finally get those sexy calves I've always wanted!!! Woo hoo.

Post-run Yoga Stretch

I LOVE this stretch sequence for POST-RUN. Covers all the major muscles in my hips and thighs. Give it a try!

This link has to be copied and pasted into your web browser address bar, but the link above will work.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid416421194?bctid=36856867001

A run on the road

So I thought the sore calves were a thing of the PAST! Nope. I ran 2 miles on the ROAD Saturday--in the VIBRAMS--and my calves are SCREAMING at me again. They are the kind of sore you get when you worked a muscle that you haven't worked in a long time.

It felt REALLY GOOD to run in VIBRAMS on the road--LIGHTER. It was probably around 35degrees. So not warm, but not too cold.

So today I opted to wear my NIKE VOMEROs on the run. Gotta build up slowly I keep telling myself. I sure would hate to get injured now. I still tried to run with good form, but it was a rough day. Not the best run. But I still did 4 MILES--that's what counts!

Happy running!

Oh, just thought I'd mention that part of the reason I run at 5:30 in the morning is so I own the road. I run down the middle to avoid the crowning of the country roads out here. It's hard on my hips to run with one leg up higher than the other. I think that is what got me in to hip troubles in the first place. I ran that way for many years before I figured it out.