Achilles is better!

Last week I did three power walks with my new running shoes and didn't have any pain so guess what? This week I am back to running... running slowly and very carefully... yes! I ran a 4k slow jog outside on Monday as the weather was so mild and then on Tuesday I did a 3K on the treadmill. Both days only slight pain in the beginning of the run (which was actually more stiffness than sharp pain) and then no pain during the run or afterwards!


On another note, I've been thinking a lot about running and why runners are more prone to injuries. How many time have you heard the phrase “all you have to do is get out there and start running” …or “Running is the simples thing you can do to get in shape or be healthy etc, etc.? I hear it all the time! So when I first started running years ago I did just that – I ran. I didn’t think about it or analyzed it, or worried about posture, gait, stride, program, SLRs, tempos, fartek, pace, HR zones, shoes, cotton, water packs, sports gels… the list goes on… but it was a MISTAKE not to think about all these aspects of running… Running is a simple thing… NOT!

I have ADHD and this means I am impulsive, I want things fast, I want them badly, and I will move mountains to get them… it works right? Not with running. Running is not simple, it’s not just get outdoors or on a treadmill and start putting one foot in front of the other as fast as you can… it is probably the most complex of all physical activities… it’s high impact so it can hurt you bones, it uses major muscle groups plus hundreds of tiny ones I didn't even know existed, so it can wear you out… it can dehydrate you, it can make you anxious (if you worry about PRs or BQ)… of course we are all running for the kick we get out of it but are we doing it right? So, what is it about running that is so addictive? I mean I know it's the feeling afterwards and the sense of achievement but still! About half of the running blogs I read are of runners who are injured, who have been banned from running by their doctors, and who are still running! I read your blogs and many of you talk about injuries and injuries prevention and then I see that we all try to cheat … We run when we are supposed to be resting, or we run longer when we should be having a lighter day, or we jump on an ambitious program without having build the base yet…and you know what? When runners are told that they cannot run they become creative. For example, a runner I find very interesting (Jamoosh at Das Mixture) ran barefoot in order to overcome an injury and his excuse for such extreme measure was that he runs to keep his wife happy :) ... how cute! I know I myself will find every excuse possible to run. I should know better - a few years ago I had to completely stop running as my injuries were too serious... I don't want to go through the same thing so I am (I think I am) doing the right thing now, which is thinking about running as a very complex exercise, almost a science . 

I was talking to my friend Anne the other day how getting back to running gives me a purpose, something I can do for myself… you know, have goal. And a plan to follow in order to achieve my goal. I am a goal-driven person. Having goals keeps me out of trouble, gives me a peace of mind, and makes me happy, helps me focus. I was thinking that I’ve already achieved my most important goals (family, career, friends, health, and weight) and now I need another one to keep me going on… I saw running as the best long-term goal, one with no completion date but with milestones… All I have to do is keep working forward achieving another milestone … That is why I am so addicted to running and that’s why I am going to do it the right way. I will worry about technique, I will worry about base training, I will worry about rest, I will worry about my shoes… I will try to improve my stride and I will NOT error this time. Happy running to all!