So Kristine and I did the Frosty 50 (25k) last Saturday morning. It was 17 degrees out which is super cold for us North Carolinians. It was the coldest temperature I have ever run in. We were just using this event as a training run not as a race so we knew we weren't going to worry about time and we just wanted to get through the run.
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| brrr! |
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| about to start |
I finished in 3 hours 3 minutes and had to walk quite a bit at the end. I didn't mind the walking and wasn't going to be hard on myself about it. I know I could do it faster but it was a PR for me no matter what.
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| first race bling of 2014 |
Was sore some on Saturday, back to normal feeling on Sunday and then went to the Y for a treadmill run on Monday since the low that night was supposed to be 5 degrees. During my treadmill run my left knee started hurting pretty badly. I kept running a bit and it eased up. After a mile or so the pain went away so I finished 4 miles and went swimming with the kids.
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| blurry treadmill shot |
Tuesday I was supposed to do speedwork but again the weather was not cooperating. The temperature was about 14 degrees and I got on our treadmill at home. After about 1.5 miles my left knee started hurting. I tried to do what I had done the day before and just take it easy a bit and see if the pain got any better. It didn't so at about 2.5 miles I quit and walked on it some. I tried running several more times to see if it would go away and I couldn't run without limping. I made my way to almost 4 miles and decided I had to quit. The whole next day my knee hurt every time I walked down stairs.
I know that I'm going to have lots of increased aches and pains with increased mileage, but I definitely don't want to get injured. I also know that the knee thing was not just a minor ache. I could hardly walk on it for a short time.
I skipped my Wednesday run and tried again last night (Thursday). It was warm enough to head outside so I ran my usual 5k loop near my house and since the knee felt okay I did it twice to get my scheduled training run in. I don't know if it was because I was back outside on the roads again and not the treadmill or was it just that I was so cold I didn't notice or that I went slower than normal....? I don't know what it was but my knee was fine. I still feel a twinge of pain when I go down steps, but I feel an even bigger amount of relief that it is better than it was. Like, gigantic gobs of relief. Didn't realize how much tension I was carrying because of the threat of missing some runs....
Now, I feel like I have to say it. I know I could possibly avoid some aches and pains if I didn't have so much extra weight to carry. I mean, how many marathoners are 15 - 20 pounds overweight? Seriously. I bet it's not many. But I can't concentrate on losing weight when I'm trying to make sure my body has enough fuel for a 4 hour run.
Right now I'm just holding on to a song lyric that was mentioned (ironically) in the latest Fleet Feet newsletter than came to my inbox. It's a song by Sidewalk Prophets that I've heard numerous times but not paid much attention to the lyrics.
If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can you help me find it
Can you help me find it
Any other words of advice you can offer?
Congrats on completing that run - and in such cold weather!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the song by Sidewalk Prophets!
I'm not even close to being able to offer athletic advice, but that comment about the extra weight made me cringe. A) You are amazing for the improvements you've made and the example you set for sedentary blobs like me and B) I know a few runners here and there, who are all pretty thin, and they all seem to have the issues with knees and aches and whatnot.
ReplyDelete