This is not good.

I had not ran since last Monday. I was resting by doing strength training and stretching as well as riding the bike and rollerblading until today. I was going to run three miles today and hope that my legs felt better. I made it .5 miles and I had to stop. I wanted to actually cry. The pain hit me in waves for many hours after. It reminded me of labor contractions--I would be sitting there and then get hit by a pain that would roll through for about 15 seconds and then go away for 30 seconds. It's very weird and discouraging.

I am going to make an appointment to see a doctor and in the meantime I will do the bike, elliptical and strength training. I hope it's not serious.

Trying to figure it out

I ran on Tuesday. I ran two miles and I tried two things hoping they would help the pains I'm having in my legs. I used new shoes. Shoes I've had for over a year, but they only have 12 miles on them. I also watched myself in the mirror on the treadmill. I noticed how I seem to shuffle my feet rather than pick them up. I think it's more of a problem with the treadmill than the real world, so maybe I need to quit being a sissy and get outside again. The thought really scares me for some reason. A year ago I loved running outside and was afraid of the treadmill. So anyway, I backed myself up on the treadmill rather than being squished up against the front and lifted my knees higher as I ran. I felt like I was doing a really exaggerated motion, but looking the mirror I just looked like I was running. The two miles went great and I was feeling no pain in my legs. I thought I had figured it out, but then when my two miles were up and I started walking my cool down, the pains came back.

I still think both these things might help after a while. So I took a break on Wednesday and Thursday. I did 18 miles on the bike today because it doesn't bother my legs at all and it feels more productive than the elliptical. I will probably do more bike tomorrow and/or Sunday, strength building on Monday and run again on Tuesday. I hope it works.

Oh my aching legs.

I'm into week 5 of my comeback and I've had a pain in one of my legs the whole time. It started out as a little bitty pain that I mostly ignored. My husband suggested that I push through it and it would go away because it's just my body adjusting. I've continued to push through and it continues to get worse. Plus now it's spread to my other leg. It hurts all the time, not just when I've finished a run and oddly enough it hurts the least when I'm in the middle of running. Both pains are on in the side/fronts of my lower leg--I wouldn't call it my calf because that is the back of my lower leg only, right? I wouldn't say it's my shin either.


I biked today and then ran 1 mile instead of running only. I was trying to not yell out as I was driving home. I don't think it's anything serious that I should be worried about, but it's really annoying and if it continues to get worse, I may have to learn how to swim better.

America's Kids Run

I'm still keeping up with the running...I'm starting my 4th week back right now. I had thought about running in a 5K yesterday but there is another race this coming weekend that I think we will all do instead. It's a kids run out at the Air Force base and it's free, so that's a better deal! They are having a half mile run for my 6 year old and a two mile run for my nine year old. My son, who will be four on Sunday, is a little peeved that they don't have a race for him, but I'm thinking he'll run with my six year old anyway. They can both run a full mile easily, so this half mile thing will be no big deal. The two miles for my oldest is another story. She's never run that far and we'll have to see how that goes. :) I guess there is a 5K after the kid races for the adults that I may run.

Slow But Good

I have two weeks under my belt of being back in the saddle of running. I'm taking it very slow--not only in pace but in how fast I move up my mileage. I have always wanted to progress very quickly and that's why I have always fizzled out somewhere along the way in the past.

I only allowed myself to run 2 miles each of the four days I ran last week. That is actually very hard for me to do. I backed off after the first week back when I ran a total of 12 miles. I know that it's how I need to do it though and I feel confident that it will make a big difference in sustaining the running habit.