Today was the day. All the variables fell into place, and for the first time since my injury, I went for a run. Here’s a quick video update regarding the experience. You’ll have to watch the video for more details, but if you simply can’t wait to find out how it went, consider this: After today’s testing of the waters, I headed to the gym for some more cardio work. While in the locker room, one of the trainers asked me, out of the blue, “are you a runner?” After... (more...)
When undertaking a project with long-term goals in mind, it’s easy to lose sight of those goals as your time becomes consumed with the small steps and constant attention that the project requires on a daily basis. It’s easy to get lost in the details and completely forget where it is you’re going. Which is why I’ve decided to take a moment to stop, breath and assess how far I’ve come thus far, and where it is I aim to go. At the beginning of this project, as a complete non-runner, I... (more...)
When I first began running, I was lucky to plod through a mere 2 miles. Those miles were slooooow, clocking in at an average 12:35/mile pace, with a skyrocketing heart rate of 172. Yes. It was that high. I was running at what felt like my max, and it’s no wonder that I couldn’t cover more distance. I could have slowed down, but let’s face it, anything slower would have been walking, not running (if you can call a 12:35 pace that! Jogging, perhaps?) By contrast, my average run distance... (more...)
BODY FAT I’ve been tracking my body fat for many years. As I’m naturally a thin person, even when sedentary and eating in excess, the fat that I’m prone to putting on has always been the most dangerous, non-visible kind: visceral fat. Why is visceral fat dangerous? First, as it’s not necessarily visible – it’s the fat that lines your internal organs and builds up between them – if one is a naturally thin person, it’s easy to get complacent about eating well... (more...)
Every active person must expect to get hurt at some point. Beginners are especially prone to injury. I’ve had my fair share of injuries while laying the groundwork for my success with running over these past several months. Thankfully I don’t believe any of them to be a result of poor biomechanics or any other obvious, insurmountable problems. The injuries – save for one silly accident (embarrassingly covered in Hazards of Running) – have more to do with my own developing... (more...)
Location of stress-induced foot pain as a result of too much, too soon. I am a wimp. One barefoot run and several walks in – both barefoot and in my Vibram’s – and I find myself disabled already. I know that I should take it slow, but as is the downfall (as it turns out) of many runners, I’ve been a bit too enthusiastic with both time and distance. I have to remind myself that not only am I adapting my feet and body to barefoot running, I’m adapting it to running in general. Having never... (more...)
