02 January 2012

Making Changes that Work

The kids and I survived our wild New Year's Eve slumber party, and my husband's rendition of "If I Were A Rich Man" was a huge hit at the party he attended. We all brought in 2012 exactly how we wished. I think he might have liked less of a hangover, but he did get to spend New Year's Day laying very low for the most part...unlike me.

A few days ago I mentioned that I am re-learning how to run...again. After two mellow 3-mile runs in my new shoes with my new gait, I hit the trail yesterday for 8 brutal, hilly miles. I ran unbelievably slow but maintained my form the whole way. My schedule had 12-13 miles on it...which I set out to do...but I figured 8 miles holding my form with incredibly tight, sore calves while simultaneously working my quads, glutes, and hamstrings differently AND asking my feet to take the load in a new way was more than adequate. Plus it was getting dark and I was kind of nervous about being on the trail at night... alone ...except for maybe the coyotes, mountain lions, and serial killers.

It was the first 8 miles of this...

I knew I was going to want some crowd support on this run, so I asked my husband to drag the kids out to meet me at Mile 5...right before the biggest hill and the beginning of the 'turnaround' loop (the halfway mark is somewhere on this middle-of-nowhere loop). As I was running slower than usual and the sky was getting darker and darker and I was feeling more and more sore, I knew before I even saw them that 13 miles was not going to happen. It was so sweet to see them when I did :) They asked "Are you in a race, mom?" I said, "No, just practicing." Then I asked them to hang out for another half-hour while I did the loop so they could give me a lift back to the truck...I knew I was going to be toast by the time I finished that piece. They kindly obliged...so, yeah, a pussy pick-up. I am totally fine with that...I do believe an additional 5 miles would have had "INJURY" written all over it.

Now 14 miles into this shoe/gait change, my legs are really sore. All over. It is, however, that good kind of sore of muscles having worked hard and not the pain of injury. My hip is no more tender or sore after my run than before my run, which is very different from how things were using my old shoes and my old way of running. I do believe this indicates that these changes are working for my body :)

I've been rollling, Sticking, stretching, massaging, and icing my legs like there is no tomorrow. The soreness in my calves is starting to decrease some today...I think...a little.

Also on the topic of making changes, I made a New Year's Resolution... I now have a bedtime.

Do you do the resolution thing? 

13 comments:

  1. Coyotes yes, serial killer probably not. You see, I have a theory - there are 50 active serial killers in the US at any given time. Basically one per state but Texas probably has 3 leaving Vermont and Kentucky serial killerless. Anyway, they all drive late 60's econoline vans that are usually painted primer grey. I saw the California killer's van down here yesterday parked near (surprisingly) REI. Assuming the owner/killer was near by, you were fine.

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  2. Great job running so long and on the trails with the new gait. I'd be a bit freaked out on the trail in the dark alone too!! Today I was leaving work and it was only a touch dark and the coyotes howling freaked me out!

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  3. Good job for sticking with it! Running in the dark would freak me out too!

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  4. bedtime? maybe I should do that too
    I always intend to have one when I get up in the morning...see now it is pass my bedtime and I am typing this...

    running in the dark...on a trail...you are braver than me...

    Patrick's comment...good for you, not so much for me! :)

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  5. Great work on changing your gait! My mom changed how she runs a little while ago and she said that she was also sore the first day after changing it. Being good sore is so much better than being injured!

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  6. I've found that serial killers are good for interval training - they usually have no endurance when chasing. Kind of fun actually.

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  7. Dang, that is a hilly course!! NICE WORK!

    P/S Love that you have a bedtime. I need one of those.

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  8. Do you feel like it's just your legs moving differently or your whole posture? Interesting because I have changed shoes and never felt the difference too much, besides a blister or two which is rare. Even though you are sore do you feel like it's your previouis injury sore? Or just sore from the new way of running? Mean like the pain you were having before is minimized? Sorry so many questions, just curious. Maybe I need new shoes :)

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  9. wow! crazy hills!!! way to rock them. i am so impressed with your dedication to a new gait and way of running. amazing job sticking with it no matter what!

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  10. So glad the change is working for you-hope it stays that way and you have a fabulously enjoyable injury free year! :)
    Resolutions? of course!

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  11. I don't do resolutions, but I do goal-setting every year.

    So... What's your resolution???

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  12. Glad to hear that the changes have been working out well for you! And it's good that you knew how to listen to your body and stop when you needed to. I think that shows great maturity on your part, my dear friend ;)

    Now, about the serial killer thing... I for one have watched too many Discovery channel, so I'm gonna tell you not to run around alone in the dark, k? Can't be too careful, y'know?!?

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  13. Nice work! Breaking in new shoes is killer. I need some and i'm dreading it. Any tips?

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