Decided to chance a run today since I had some spare time in the evening. My ankle is better now, and I've been confident enough to go without an ankle guard for my regular training sessions, even though there's still the occasional jolt of pain if I'm not careful.
One of the great things running around your neighbourhood is the level of control you have over your run. I wasn't sure how far or how long I was going to run today since I was coming back from a long break. But rather than limit myself, I decided to listen to my body and go by how I was feeling overall.
Since I was generally familiar with the area, I could set shifting milestones to mark my routes.This allowed me to set an unambitious end point when I first started the run, but as I was approaching it, I changed it to a further location since I was still feeling good.
Another fun part of my runs is that I'm always exploring a new area, even if it's just a different lane. I like to set a general direction to run towards, but pick a slightly different road or backlane each time, affording me some variety and the occasional nice surprise. Like tonight, I accidentally revisited a nostalgic area of my teenage years without realising how near I was to it all this while.
All these help to keep me going during the run and engaged in the moment so I don't get bored or feel tired.
Halfway through though, I did feel some aching in the left ankle surprising, while my right ankle with the torn ligament had no pain at all and was in fact strong throughout the entire run. The ache shifted up to my left knee and remained there as a weak pain for the rest of the run.
At first I was able to cope with it, but after 20 minutes or so without it subsiding, I started to feel a little hesitant and decided not to push it, ending my run at the one hour mark. This cut my plan to finish the run at a longer distance and time of 90 minutes.
That said, I guess it's still not too bad considering I haven't ran in a long while. I probably need to ease my joints in to the sudden running movement again and I should be able to gun for the 90 and 120 minute marks soon.
Shoes of choice was the recent addition to my collection, the Soft Star RunAmoc Original Lites. These are super comfortable shoes that wear like moccasins and I'm loving them to bits! They are even more comfortable and breathable than my Five Fingers and slide on and off just as easily. Will probably do a review on them soon.
A week of rest, and hopefully another long run next week!
Showing posts with label Runs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Runs. Show all posts
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Learning to Walk before I Run
It seems today's as much a lesson in humility as it is in running.
Despite my initial reservations of running purely barefoot due to the dirt and dust, I decided to give it a shot today to test my form and see my limits. The plan was to run the same Changi route last week in my new Bikila LS, and then take it off halfway to go barefoot. Unfortunately, it decided to rain heavily on that side of the island, so I ended up doing a run around my own neighbourhood.
Since I was close to home, I changed my mind and went for a 10 minute warm-up barefoot first, planning to come back later to get my Bikilas for a full run. Bad idea.
Regardless of what delusions I had in my mind of how tough my feet were, the soles of my foot shared no such illusions. Since they were so much more grounded in reality (pun totally intended), I soon found myself hurting less than 5 minutes into the run.
At first, I ignored them thinking they were just from getting used to the rough asphalt, but I soon realised they were precursors to blisters. By then, I was halfway into my warm-up run and there was no shortcut back. With no shoes to put on, I decided stick with it and finish the run back. In a short span of 10 minutes, I had two spots of blisters on each foot. Under the ball of the feet which was no surprise, and interestingly, near the outer edge of my sole, just below the little toe.
While I've gotten blisters from running before, they usually appear under the ball of the foot, so the ones below the little the toe was something new. I was paying close attention to my gait once I noticed the blisters, and I did not have any excessive scrapping against the ground as far as I could tell. So it probably is just a function of how the barefoot running gait is slightly different even from minimalist shoes. I'll probably need to clock more barefoot runs to find out.
However, me being me, I didn't want to be shortchanged out of my weekly run, so I came back to put on the Bikila LS for my actual run despite the blisters. During the week I had already walked around in the Bikilas, and they felt nice and cushy enough that I knew they would take much of the sting out of the blisters. They were also very comfortable to wear, so I went without socks.
Still, I didn't want to overexert and bleed all over in my shoes, so I cut my run short to just 25 minutes at my 85% MHR pace. Based on the pain I was getting from the blisters, I also noticed something interesting - I tended to land further up on the forefoot when running barefoot, almost on my toes and the area below it, while I landed more squarely on the ball and nearer to the midfoot area when in shoes. Seems like the further up I land, the more impact is cushioned, hence the need only to do so when there's less padding underfoot.
Of course, the shoes won't protect me completely from my blisters, so now I'm nursing a tender foot with two medium-sized blisters under each foot. Moral of the long story, take it slow and easy.
Guess I gotta start implementing a barefoot regime to get my feet up to speed. I'm thinking maybe a short 5-10 minute morning run to the pool on weekdays, followed by a swim and walking back in shoes.
Despite my initial reservations of running purely barefoot due to the dirt and dust, I decided to give it a shot today to test my form and see my limits. The plan was to run the same Changi route last week in my new Bikila LS, and then take it off halfway to go barefoot. Unfortunately, it decided to rain heavily on that side of the island, so I ended up doing a run around my own neighbourhood.
Since I was close to home, I changed my mind and went for a 10 minute warm-up barefoot first, planning to come back later to get my Bikilas for a full run. Bad idea.
Regardless of what delusions I had in my mind of how tough my feet were, the soles of my foot shared no such illusions. Since they were so much more grounded in reality (pun totally intended), I soon found myself hurting less than 5 minutes into the run.
At first, I ignored them thinking they were just from getting used to the rough asphalt, but I soon realised they were precursors to blisters. By then, I was halfway into my warm-up run and there was no shortcut back. With no shoes to put on, I decided stick with it and finish the run back. In a short span of 10 minutes, I had two spots of blisters on each foot. Under the ball of the feet which was no surprise, and interestingly, near the outer edge of my sole, just below the little toe.
While I've gotten blisters from running before, they usually appear under the ball of the foot, so the ones below the little the toe was something new. I was paying close attention to my gait once I noticed the blisters, and I did not have any excessive scrapping against the ground as far as I could tell. So it probably is just a function of how the barefoot running gait is slightly different even from minimalist shoes. I'll probably need to clock more barefoot runs to find out.
However, me being me, I didn't want to be shortchanged out of my weekly run, so I came back to put on the Bikila LS for my actual run despite the blisters. During the week I had already walked around in the Bikilas, and they felt nice and cushy enough that I knew they would take much of the sting out of the blisters. They were also very comfortable to wear, so I went without socks.
Still, I didn't want to overexert and bleed all over in my shoes, so I cut my run short to just 25 minutes at my 85% MHR pace. Based on the pain I was getting from the blisters, I also noticed something interesting - I tended to land further up on the forefoot when running barefoot, almost on my toes and the area below it, while I landed more squarely on the ball and nearer to the midfoot area when in shoes. Seems like the further up I land, the more impact is cushioned, hence the need only to do so when there's less padding underfoot.
Of course, the shoes won't protect me completely from my blisters, so now I'm nursing a tender foot with two medium-sized blisters under each foot. Moral of the long story, take it slow and easy.
Guess I gotta start implementing a barefoot regime to get my feet up to speed. I'm thinking maybe a short 5-10 minute morning run to the pool on weekdays, followed by a swim and walking back in shoes.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Running with Company 2
Just came back from a 45 minute run with a friend, and I gotta say I'm feeling better than ever! Still feel like I'm fresh enough for another run! No knee pains this time either, I could feel the right ITB threatening to give my problems, but fortunately it never got further than just a little discomfort.
That said, the pace was a little slower at my 75% MHR, but extremely comfortable for me. We decided not to overdo it since my friend was coming back from a long running break.
Did a couple of sprints up gentle slopes in between to test my actual MHR, and seems like my heart rate monitor is fairly accurate after all, clocking my heart rate after the sprints at close to my theoretical MHR.
Also experimented with a few different gaits, and found a light, springy one that I might try again for faster speeds. I lean forward a bit and it feels like I'm falling forward, but I catch myself with my foot and use the bounce to propel forward. I'm sure there's a name for it, but too lazy to find out.
Incidentally, I introduced my friend to the idea of the barefoot running after hearing how hard her feet were pounding on the pavement. She tried landing forefoot first and instantly the pounding disappeared while she told me she felt lighter. Good to know it's not only in my mind and glad to have spread the word!
The evening scenery was great as well, a change from my usual routes around housing estates. This was more long quiet stretches of road with foliage on the side. Very serene and calming for running. Never thought I'd say this, but I enjoyed the run tremendously!
But that's the whole point isn't it? I'm starting to see what people who love running see. For me, I guess the most profound thing is just remembering how important it is to enjoy the run. Running shouldn't be a chore, it should be fun!
Hopefully I still feel this way when I have to clock longer distances for the marathon. Heh.
Shoes-wise, this would be my first run in my Vivobarefoot Neos, without the insole but with toe socks. The shoes were more comfortable than expected on the run, probably because the socks helped to prevent chafing. They were also very light and flexible, and I felt like I was flying during my sprints.
Curious to see now hoe these would compare to my Bikilas when they arrive.
That said, the pace was a little slower at my 75% MHR, but extremely comfortable for me. We decided not to overdo it since my friend was coming back from a long running break.
Did a couple of sprints up gentle slopes in between to test my actual MHR, and seems like my heart rate monitor is fairly accurate after all, clocking my heart rate after the sprints at close to my theoretical MHR.
Also experimented with a few different gaits, and found a light, springy one that I might try again for faster speeds. I lean forward a bit and it feels like I'm falling forward, but I catch myself with my foot and use the bounce to propel forward. I'm sure there's a name for it, but too lazy to find out.
Incidentally, I introduced my friend to the idea of the barefoot running after hearing how hard her feet were pounding on the pavement. She tried landing forefoot first and instantly the pounding disappeared while she told me she felt lighter. Good to know it's not only in my mind and glad to have spread the word!
The evening scenery was great as well, a change from my usual routes around housing estates. This was more long quiet stretches of road with foliage on the side. Very serene and calming for running. Never thought I'd say this, but I enjoyed the run tremendously!
But that's the whole point isn't it? I'm starting to see what people who love running see. For me, I guess the most profound thing is just remembering how important it is to enjoy the run. Running shouldn't be a chore, it should be fun!
Hopefully I still feel this way when I have to clock longer distances for the marathon. Heh.
Shoes-wise, this would be my first run in my Vivobarefoot Neos, without the insole but with toe socks. The shoes were more comfortable than expected on the run, probably because the socks helped to prevent chafing. They were also very light and flexible, and I felt like I was flying during my sprints.
Curious to see now hoe these would compare to my Bikilas when they arrive.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Breaking the 1 hour mark
Woohoo! Back from my run and I managed an hour comfortably! Still feeling strong and I reckon I could push longer, but decided to play safe and not overexert. Based on the sores I'm feeling, two days recovery at most! That said, I'm not too happy with my speed though, and seems like my cardio needs a lot more work.
I had been eagerly awaiting this run all week, as I wanted to put the new heart rate monitor to use. Despite my initial plan of running at 75% MHR, I ended up maintaining the run at roughly 85% instead, simply because the 75% MHR pace felt too slow. Even the 85% pace felt a little slow and it felt like I could maintain a slightly faster pace. I couldn't help but wonder if the HRM was a little inaccurate.
That said, I decided to stick with it, since exceeding the 85% MHR would switch the energy systems, while I still wanted to remain near my lactate thresholds. Made me wonder if my cardio was so bad that even a slow pace would get my heart rate up to 85%. Or maybe my running technique was not sufficiently energy efficient. Well, I also had a stuffy nose so that might be a contributing factor.
Regardless, the post-run feeling was good. It was so relaxing that I couldn't believe it. When I started out, I thought the one hour would kill me, or at least make my legs so sore that I couldn't feel them. Yet nothing of that sort! As I ran, I kept thinking about the first two things Caballo spoke about - running easy and running light. That was my focus all the way, keeping it easy and my footfalls light. It works great!
The only discomfort that's been eating me is the right ITB. At one point I had a sharp pain and had to stop for a quick stretch to loosen it up. But so far the pain goes away the next day, so it doesn't seem overly worrying.
For this run, I strapped on my KSOs with the toe socks, and I'm feeling more comfortable with the new gait of blade first then rolling inwards. After reading 'Born to Run', besides trying to remember to running easy and light, I'm also constantly feeling for how my body is reacting, whether my posture is right, and so on. It made the run go by a lot faster than I anticipated, and the one hour wasn't the drudgery I expected but actually turned out to be fun!
Onward and upward next week!
I had been eagerly awaiting this run all week, as I wanted to put the new heart rate monitor to use. Despite my initial plan of running at 75% MHR, I ended up maintaining the run at roughly 85% instead, simply because the 75% MHR pace felt too slow. Even the 85% pace felt a little slow and it felt like I could maintain a slightly faster pace. I couldn't help but wonder if the HRM was a little inaccurate.
That said, I decided to stick with it, since exceeding the 85% MHR would switch the energy systems, while I still wanted to remain near my lactate thresholds. Made me wonder if my cardio was so bad that even a slow pace would get my heart rate up to 85%. Or maybe my running technique was not sufficiently energy efficient. Well, I also had a stuffy nose so that might be a contributing factor.
Regardless, the post-run feeling was good. It was so relaxing that I couldn't believe it. When I started out, I thought the one hour would kill me, or at least make my legs so sore that I couldn't feel them. Yet nothing of that sort! As I ran, I kept thinking about the first two things Caballo spoke about - running easy and running light. That was my focus all the way, keeping it easy and my footfalls light. It works great!
The only discomfort that's been eating me is the right ITB. At one point I had a sharp pain and had to stop for a quick stretch to loosen it up. But so far the pain goes away the next day, so it doesn't seem overly worrying.
For this run, I strapped on my KSOs with the toe socks, and I'm feeling more comfortable with the new gait of blade first then rolling inwards. After reading 'Born to Run', besides trying to remember to running easy and light, I'm also constantly feeling for how my body is reacting, whether my posture is right, and so on. It made the run go by a lot faster than I anticipated, and the one hour wasn't the drudgery I expected but actually turned out to be fun!
Onward and upward next week!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
45 Minutes
Ok, after giving myself a week to recover from the right foot pain, I went back for another run. To be safe though, I wore my Injinji toe socks and the Treksports for more padding in case I hurt my right foot again.
Also, the experience taught me that maybe my gait was wrong and I should consider changing it up a bit. Instead of landing most of it on the ball of my foot and rolling it back, I tried landing on the blade of my foot and rolling it inwards. Seems to work better, and there's not much pounding sounds on the pavement either.
Decided to take it easy first, but after awhile I started to feel good, with just the occasional nagging pain of the right ITB, so I decided to extend my run and explored a new part of the neighbourhood. Tried to see if I could hit a longer running duration since I wasn't so focused on speed.
By the time I finished exploring the new area and cut back, it was almost 40 minutes, so I took a small detour and ended up reaching back to clock about 48 minutes. Not too bad I'd say. Legs were a little light after that, but based on the soreness levels I'd guess I'd only need one day to recover.
Also gingerly tested for the right foot pain, and it was mostly gone. I can feel the weakness there, but no flaring pain like what I initially experienced. Good sign that means I'll probably be fully recovered by the next run.
Overall, I'm happy with the progress. The goal here is to get to 1 hour plus runs and maintain those on a weekly basis. When I feel good enough, might try for 2 hours or longer to cop a feel for half-marathon lengths.
Also, the experience taught me that maybe my gait was wrong and I should consider changing it up a bit. Instead of landing most of it on the ball of my foot and rolling it back, I tried landing on the blade of my foot and rolling it inwards. Seems to work better, and there's not much pounding sounds on the pavement either.
Decided to take it easy first, but after awhile I started to feel good, with just the occasional nagging pain of the right ITB, so I decided to extend my run and explored a new part of the neighbourhood. Tried to see if I could hit a longer running duration since I wasn't so focused on speed.
By the time I finished exploring the new area and cut back, it was almost 40 minutes, so I took a small detour and ended up reaching back to clock about 48 minutes. Not too bad I'd say. Legs were a little light after that, but based on the soreness levels I'd guess I'd only need one day to recover.
Also gingerly tested for the right foot pain, and it was mostly gone. I can feel the weakness there, but no flaring pain like what I initially experienced. Good sign that means I'll probably be fully recovered by the next run.
Overall, I'm happy with the progress. The goal here is to get to 1 hour plus runs and maintain those on a weekly basis. When I feel good enough, might try for 2 hours or longer to cop a feel for half-marathon lengths.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
3rd Run
Alright, I'm still here! Just finished the 3rd run, although I took a shorter 20 minute run as I had a long day and didn't sleep well the night before. Didn't want to overstrain myself since I still have an early day tomorrow.
Short lap around the neighbourhood, this time in my Vibram Classics. I've found over the course of the week that they don't come loose that easily and thought I'd give them a try with a run. Turns out they stay on pretty well on runs too! Come to think of it, don't really need the KSOs anymore if these one can hold its on. But what to do, I'm a shopaholic and I couldn't help getting a new pair with funky colours.
Anyway, despite feeling tired and drained initially, I felt super energetic when I finished the run. Almost tempted to extend the run, but decided against it in case it was just an adrenaline high. Wouldn't want to crash later and suffer exhaustion the next day.
That said, I've always been a little addicted to adrenaline as a quick pick me up. Training when I've got a stuffy nose or just feeling overall down makes me feel good after, as the adrenaline somehow resets my system and gets me up and running again. On extended periods when I don't get to train for days, I end up all miserable and my sinuses kick into overdrive.
Weird huh.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Second Run
Ok, so I managed to force myself out on my weekly run again. Good to see I'm still with the programme, haha. Went for a slightly longer run this time, clocking in around 38 minutes or so. I'm still exploring the neighbourhood, so I'm just picking random routes and turning in and out of small roads to get a feel for the area. Using an online distance calculator, it's only been about 4.5km, which means I'm running really slowly!
Shoes of choice this time was the Treksports, as I returned my defective KSOs in between, and had no other Vibrams to use. While I wasn't exactly keen on wearing down the Treksports sole on asphalt, it was a lesser evil compared to my now comparatively bulkier and clumsier cross-trainers.
After last week's run, I had some sores in the calves and couldn't skip properly, but this week it seems like the aches will be more on the glutes instead. Haven't been paying much attention to my form, but seems alright for most part, the right ITB only coming in to irritate a little. Time to up the distance!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Day 1
This is it. My first day on my new running regime and my first run of the year. I've just came back from my first evening run in my Vibram KSOs. Talk about the number of firsts in one day.
It's been awhile, but the last time I ran I could do 30 minutes, so I decided to keep to it even in the Vibrams. I supposed that since I'm barefoot whenever I can, my feet should be sufficiently strong to handle it.
Well, I was partially right. The 30 minute run was bearable, and I loved how light I felt in the Vibrams. However, walking around for a few days in them are still different from running in them.
For the first 5 minutes, I could hear the pounding of my feet on the pavement, which I found rather odd since I should be landing lighter and absorbing the impact on my natural suspension system.
Gradually, I tried softening the sound and impact with my calves, so it became much quieter after that, at the expense of my calf muscles. I suspect that's something to do with my gait, incorrectly adjusted for the Vibrams.
There's also a light pain on my right knee, which I felt the last time I ran a few months back. I suspect it's my IT band, though this time round the pain is lighter and only on one side instead of both. Hopefully this will improve in subsequent runs.
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