mindplunge

W9D2

On Saturday I tried to run but I still felt a little pinch in my calf muscle and decided to take a 12 mile bike ride instead. Sunday I had the urge to run but as soon as I hit the pavement I felt that little pesky pinch again.

This morning I felt great and throughout the day I didn’t feel any pain or aches. I still was undecided if I should run since on sunday I felt some pain. what the heck… Just go for it. If it doesn’t work out I’ll take another resting day.

when I arrived at the trail I simply felt great. I did a good amount of stretching and a decent warm-up. My calf muscle was cooperating and was well. Since I was so motivated to finally run again after a 5 day drought and a minor injury it kinda got it my head to run a 5K instead of the 30 minute run or 3 miles (4.83 K). why not go al the way and see were it ends?

I have to say that this was my best run so far! everything was just in sync. No pain, no aches, just me running at a steady pace. I started slow just to avoid another injury but after 1K I knew this was going to be a good run… and it was.

5K in 31″30′. I wasn’t fixated on the time, I only wanted to run a 5K. The time would be nice as a benchmark but halfway through my run I knew I was going fast (relatively ). My last 400 meters I increased the pace a little bit since I had plenty left!

So basically I reached my goal of running a 5K. Why on day 2 of week 9? I just needed a confidence builder for my graduation day. I felt so good this afternoon that I couldn’t pass the opportunity to run a 5K. Does this mean I finished the C25K? No! I still need to run W9D3. I owe it to myself to finally finish something. I didn’t start the C25K and not run the last day of it. That would be stupid…

So 1 more day to go and I already feel kinda sad for leaving the program. No more C25K after graduation day…

W9D1

Ouch… I didn’t go as planned. I was pretty optimistic and I felt great. The first kilometer went great, nice pace and I was happy to be out running. Then came mile 2 (3.22K). All of a sudden my right calf muscle cramped up. I couldn’t move…

The next few minutes I stretched it out and tried to loosen up the muscle with no effect. I continued the run but the cramp was too much. A probable cause could be the track which is slightly slanted at a certain part of the course. I think my feet are trying to adjust the slope which causes my muscles to correct in a forced way…

Could be dehydration, not enough stretching, warm-up etc. I thought I was good to go but apparently I wasn’t. I still managed to get something of a run at the last kilometer and covered a distance of 3.12 miles in 36’56″.

I guess I have to pay a little bit more attention to my body on my next run…

W9D1 (…but not really)

Sunday was an attempt to run W9D1. Nothing more and nothing less… On Saturday I decided to do some X-training. John N. invited me to play some tennis since he was in the neighborhood. Note: I played tennis once at age 14…

we played tennis for 2 and a half hours! I didn’t realize we played this much but on Sunday my body was aching. So many new muscles were activated I barely could walk… Still I decided to go on a run, hoping it would be okay but my body stopped me at mile 2.5

I still finished the 3 miles but the last half mile I had to walk. Just couldn’t do it. Once again a sign your body needs some rest to recuperate from an intense workout. So I’m counting last Sunday as a dress rehearsal for Week 9 which I probably will start on Tuesday.

W8D3

Week 8 is a wrap! Somehow I managed to screw up the values punched in my iPod nano and instead of a 28 minute run I already ran a 30 minute run. Not sure what happened but I didn’t even noticed it when it told me I reached my goal! I looked at the data and I ran for 30 minutes, covering 3.01 miles. Wow…

The best part was that it didn’t feel like 30 minutes. I just kept on going and going… I was back at the West end of the creek, a long stretch passing vineyards and horse stables.

Running on this trail is so relaxing (I never thought of running as relaxing!) and before I knew it I completed 3 miles.

I guess I gave myself a head start, moving into week 9. Week 9 will be three runs, 30 minutes each and Day three will be graduation day! Not sure when this day will be. I’m kinda ahead of my runs, running every other day now so theoretically my graduation run is on Wednesday. I’d rather run it on a Saturday or Sunday… We’ll see.

W8D2

Today I ran W8D2. Pretty much the same as Day 1, slightly slower but overall a good run. Today was the first day we had an overcast sky pretty much all day long. Temperature dropped to 67F which is kind of a relief after being up in the mid to high 90′s.

It was actually perfect weather for a run. I was a bit tired since I ran my session right after coming home from work. Unfortunately I can’t run in the mornings anymore simply because it’s too dark! My working hours are from 07:00 to 15:30 so that’s why I run my weekdays sessions after office hours.

So nothing spectacular on Day 2 although I do like to be back on my original trail. It gives me a lot to look at, city streets on my right and the creek on my left. The occasional crack heads under the bridges, bikers, runners, cats, dogs and patrolling police officers, all using the same trail…