weekly check-in

[ilanarama]

It's not Tuesday! It's very, very, very late Monday!

How was your week, runners? What are you planning for this week?

Instead of an inspirational quote, I'd like to point you to something a bit longer. Life is for Participating is the account of Kathryn Switzer's groundbreaking run of the Boston Marathon, at that time a men-only event, in 1967. At that time, women were thought to be unfit for distance running and barred from many competitions and races. Switzer's race changed that all: in 1972, women were officially welcomed as competitors in the Boston Marathon, and in 1984 the Olympics included a women's marathon.

Comments

[shanaqui]

Running outside rather than on the elliptical is... not going especially well. Something about it just really isn't working out well for me.

[ilanarama]

I'm sorry to hear that. Are your shoes proper running shoes that match your form and stride? Do you have access to a treadmill - maybe you can use it to help transition to a running stride?

[shanaqui]

Yep, my shoes have been fine. I just get halfway through a run and feel terrible -- nothing I can put my finger on, but definitely terrible.

I can't get access to a treadmill now, but maybe come September.

[vyola]

I'm by no means an expert, so I'm only guessing here. But when I first started the c25k program I felt terrible physically (though also good mentally and happy), and I believe it was because my joints and ligaments were not yet strong enough to act as shock absorbers.

Having practiced on the elliptical, you've built up muscular fitness, but I doubt you'll have suffered repeated impacts the way you do during running. For me the impacts gave me a nasty headache, and made my whole body hurt as if I had the flu.

It was less and less terrible every time I went running, and disappeared so gradually I can't tell you when, but I know that by the halfway point of the program it was definitely over.

I would recommend you transition gently, ramping up your running slowly and supplementing with the elliptical.

[shanaqui]

Thank you. ♥ I'm definitely keeping at it, gently, and ramping it up slowly.

Edit: I ran just now, and while I don't feel so great now, I survived the run. I think it'll be a while before I can follow the Couch to 5k plan properly outside, but I'll keep at it!

[vyola]

Haha, I'm glad you survived :-D

Good luck with getting used to it!