Category Archives: Running

08/6/12

Running Pains

I want to take running a little more seriously. Though I have been running for the past 3 years or so, it has always been a lacklustre affair. I’d run 2 or 3 times a week for a month straight and then begin losing interest. And when I was running, it would be for 15 or 20 minutes at a time; better than doing nothing but not very far off from nothing. I still remember my first run: I threw on a pair of Vans and took off for the hill that leads to the neighbourhood surrounding my parents house. Within 45seconds, I was on my knees, panting and holding my sides. My friend Chris can be credited with turning what was a terrible experience into what has become a love today. He gave me two pieces of great advice; buy real shoes and pace yourself.

The shoes were a life saver and the pacing has now become a crutch. I say it has become a crutch because it served ultimately  as a tool of laziness. The original plan of ‘run 4, walk 1, run 5, walk 1, run 4, walk 2′, has never changed when it should have progressed into longer runs and no walks. Truthfully, I  wanted to run but could not find a way to truly love running. Running does need to be a sport of love. I bike because I love cycling and it is my preferred method of commuting. However, running hurts and it requires time and knowledge that a pseudo-busy life does not allow for.

Recently I began doing the ‘couch to 5k’ program. Truthfully, I felt silly about the entire program at first. I saw its potential for others but felt far too advanced for the program of ‘walk 5, run 1, walk 2, run 1, walk 2, etc’ Two weeks into the program, I set off for a solo run on a tree lined path in my neighbourhood. I ran for 5 minutes and my breathing was fine, I continued on for 8 minutes and my legs felt fine and when I stopped after 12 minutes, I felt no worse than my 5 minute run two weeks earlier. I had hit a milestone and felt wonderful. I ran home for a total run of 25 minutes/3.9km.

The very next night, I felt the urge to run. The path I run follows the train tracks that cut through the Mile-End. It is a balance between shaded greenery and industrial sites covered in spray paint. The path is gravely and sometimes loose but feels good underneath ones feet. It is a distinctive run that offers many motivational landmarks. This time my upper body felt stiff but I pushed through. I stopped at the 18 minute mark and took a minute to rest. I had already run further than I ever had and I was a great distance from home. At the 19 minute mark, I started again and found myself in a neighbourhood I had never visited. I ran past industrial bakeries and bars, through quiet streets and after several confusing turns, onto my street. I stopped after a total of 34 minutes and had ran a record of 5.5km. Breathing came easy and muscles felt great.

In the grand scheme of things, a 5.5km run is nothing. Most serious runners do this as a warm up. However, this run and its preceding run were the first two runs I truly loved. I loved the sweat, I loved the dull ache in my legs and the way my mind could empty itself. My cooldown walk found me with a huge smile on my face and I felt proud. I did not see its potential, but the simple training program I ran put me ahead tenfold and has done wonders for her as well. It is a great feeling to finally progress after a stagnant 3 years. Finally, it is interesting that the more I’ve progressed, the harder it becomes to motivate myself to run. At this point, I know that any run shorter than 5km, will not feel like a good run. Silly thinking, I am aware.

10/2/09

I don’t need anybody…

I’m trying to get motivated. I’ve gotten a lot done today but I’ve been on the couch, watching TV and eating food for quite some time. I’m reading the blogs and the tips & tricks and the Q&A’s on how to motivate myself to go run but in the end, there are two things that are going to get me out of my bed and get me dressed to run; it’s the thought of how good I’ll feel after my run and the fact that I just dropped 145$ on these ugly, ugly shoes and need to make the most of them:

MR859SB_xl

I’ll have to admit it, everyone was right, my ankle problems were due to my shoes. I went for a short 2km run the other night and it felt like I was running on air. Breathing came easier, my back hurt less and my ankles gave me little problems. Two days later and my ankles feel 100%
My advice to anyone who wants to start running is to bite the bullet and spend the 100$ and get a good pair of shoes. Running in bad sneakers was the biggest mistake I made and delayed my growth as a runner by a very long time.
Tonight my goal is to hit 4.5km which would be the longest I’ve run yet and I feel confident that I can do it. I’ve been thinking about running and the the idea’s behind it as a sport and lifestyle choice lately and have a lot to say but I’ll have to save it for another entry as I really do need to get out and run.

On a related and final note, the Canadian Dollar is doing so well right now compared to the American, yet these shoes were 130$ CND but only 79$ US. 40$ difference!!! Ridiculous.

09/28/09

Runners world.

Running Day ???:
So I haven’t run in a week. I put myself of injury leave and I’ve tried my best to rest my ankle. After a week(I think even a bit longer) my left ankle is still swollen and still stiff.
Since I stopped running I’ve put on a bit of weight and I feel very sluggish and unmotivated. Wonderful. This is a real shame because I was doing so well. I was running 4km under 25 minutes and doing it with ease. Now I know that coming back I’m going to suffer the same issue’s with my lungs and I’ll be starting fresh.

My other issue right now has to do with running shoes. I cannot afford a pair of 100$ running shoes and from the research I’ve been doing, I don’t know how much good running shoes will do. I’ve had ankle problems for almost my entire life and considering that a metal pin currently holds my left ankle together, I don’t think they’ll be going away anytime soon. So if I spend 100$ on a pair of good running shoes, what happens if they do nothing for me? At the same time, my pair of year old sneakers and lousy insoles must not be doing me too much good.
So what to do? I want to run really badly right now and I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to make it to any stores to find shoes. So Do I spend the evening warming up my ankles and then run tonight or do I tough it out a few more days and only run once I’ve got an OK pair of shoes? Or maybe I’ll suck it up and make a late night trip downtown. 4 hours worth of commuting for 10 minutes in a store doesn’t seem worth it.

09/12/09

Lean and mean

Running Day 3: Well I took everyone’s advice two nights ago. I took a stopwatch(my iPod) with me and I ran for 5 minutes and walked for 1 minute. I stood straight up while running, I relaxed my arm’s and hand’s and I controlled my breathing. And even though my run lasted only 15 minutes, I felt a world of difference. The first 5 minutes were quite painful but the pain slowly eased and it felt, well, very natural. I’ve actually been very excited to run tonight. It’s all I thought about yesterday. I wanted to run last night but I wanted to let my muscles recover, although I did go for a 13km bike ride.
For tonights run I downloaded a program called “Run Keeper” It’s an application for your iPhone that acts as a pedometer and it tracks your progress. I feel like it’ll be a good motivator. And while my past runs have only lasted 15 minutes at the most, tonight I’m going to try for 25 minutes.

I do feel a lot better these days. I feel stronger and my lungs aren’t giving out as quickly as they used to. I can run up a flight of stairs without wanting to die. It doesn’t help when you’re an asthmatic ex-smoker. And unlike the various other times in my life where I’ve tried making a huge change in my diet and lifestyle, I feel motivated to keep going. I’ve set these little goals for myself such as biking from Ile Perrot to Downtown Montreal and back(80km all together) or being able to run for 30 minutes with little effort. This will be great until the first snowfall and then I can hopefully join a gym or figure out some type of indoor activity to keep me occupied.

It’s going to be a positive year. I’m going to be happy, i’m going back to school, i’m going to stay healthy and i’m going to take a lot of pictures. Yes sir. Positive.

And speaking of pictures, this summer I shot everything in film, both medium format and 35mm. Here is a sneak peak at the results:
flat tire yukon

09/8/09

Just kill me

So thanks to tree planting and herbicide spray this summer, I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I must have lost at least 30 pounds this summer(although the terrible cooking from our terrible camp cook didn’t help) I’m not trying to talk myself up but this is all to say, I feel really good and I don’t want to let this go to waste like I do every year. So there are a few things I’m trying to stick with this year.
I love food, I love eating food and I love eating food that is bad for me. This is the biggest hurdle. So I’m trying to eat smaller portions more often and I’m trying my best to cut out any processed foods and white bread. On top of that I am drinking at least two smoothies a day instead of having a meal with soy milk, tofu, banana’s and a ton of fruit. I can’t afford a gym membership and I cannot get motivated to go to the gym so I am just doing as many pushup’s as humanly possible whenever I can.
I bike a lot, which is great but I don’t feel like I’m getting a good all around workout when I bike. So I’ve decided to start running.
I hate running. I hate running more than I hate small spiders, peanut butter and close talkers. Whenever I run I lose my breath in seconds, I feel like I’m going to puke and I’m almost instantly dry heaving.
So for motivations sake I’ve decided to document my experiment in running, the changes in my lungs and hopefully my body.

Running blog Day 1:
On a whim and after spending the entire day sitting at home watching movies, I went for a late night run. I started by going up a giant hill, making it to the top and deciding to give up. My lungs were hurting so badly and I slowly walked back to my house to get my bike. When I got to the bottom of the hill I felt a twinge as I pictured myself back in a clear cut jumping over logs and running from tree to tree. So I started running again, although this time away from the hill.
All together I ran about a mile and I felt like I was having a heart attack and a nose bleed at the same time. It felt awful and when I returned home my body was aching everywhere.

Running Day 2:
I was actually excited to run tonight. I know from experience that the deal with doing hard physical labor is that it’s always terrible the first week and as time goes by, it gets much easier. With this in mind, I ran tonight. I ran about a mile, and avoided the hill once again. The first 5 minutes were hell. My lungs hurt and my legs hurt but it quickly went away. After stopping for a minute or two I continued on and although breathing did not come easy, I forced myself to keep going. On day one I must have stopped and walked at least 6 or 7 times and tonight I only stopped 3 times.
I have high hopes for myself and I really hope that as time goes by this will get easier and i’ll actually start enjoying this sport. Or at the very least…I want to stop throwing up my lungs every time I run.