finally

After 5 LONG weeks of not running I did it! I ran this morning and it felt great! Yes, it totally kicked my butt and I even felt a little nauseous at the end...but I loved it! A bonus was that my knee didn't hurt and my ankles feel fabulous :)! Granted my ankles tend to act up when I've ran for a few days in a row so we'll see how they are next week. I followed one of the days from C25K where I did an easy 5 minute warm up walk, ran for 3 minutes, walked for 90 seconds, ran for 5 minutes, walked for 2 minutes, ran for 3 minutes and then 5 minutes cool down. There was another run to do before the cool-down but I decided to take it easy. Sad how when I was running everyday I thought that this program was too EASY and now it is kicking my trash!

So that was on Friday 11/11/11 :) Great day to start getting back into something I literally can not go a day without thinking about. I got up Saturday 11/12/11, got the littles ready and headed to the gym. My friend Katie works in the gym daycare and was there that day. Thank goodness she was there because mr. man hates that place. If she hadn't been there they would've came out to get me because mr. man was crying :(, but being the AWESOME lady that Katie is she held him so that I could get a workout in. Unfortunately I think this means no gym until he grows out of this phase. Anyway I went straight to the treadmill and got in a run. I did the C25K again and did the whole thing this time:)

5 minute warm up walk
3 minutes run
90 sec walk
5 minute run
2 1/2 minute walk
3 minute run
90 seconds walk
5 minute run
5 minute cool-down

Now I was TIRED and sweaty BUT I was pain FREE :) Seriously a HUGE thing for me. So I walked for probably 15 minutes after that and wanted to run some more....well my issue is I push too hard too fast and I had knee pain immediately and only lasted a minute. I stopped to stretch it out which helped but thought it wise to walk to out. I walked until I got to 3 miles and stopped to stretch like crazy. I ALWAYS want to do more and obviously my body can not handle it. I NEED to LISTEN to my body and just BE PATIENT. Anyone who knows me, knows how good I am at that lol.

I did not run yesterday...obviously and I have no knee pain today. I plan on running tonight so hopefully it will go smoothly. I'm DETERMINED to get through this and be able to run miles and miles without having to stop. I KNOW I WILL get there I just need to be DEDICATED and persistent.

Here's to a pain free run tonight :)!

8 Common Running Myths Busted!

Myth: You Should Always Stretch Before You Run
The Truth: “Static stretching is not the optimal way to warm-up before you run,” Olson says. Believe it or not, you could actually strain your muscles with static stretching, and it might even slow you down. Instead, focus on getting oxygen to your muscles and warm them up—literally, Olson recommends. “Start out by walking and trotting: swing your arms; shrug your shoulders and slowly elevate your heart rate for about 10 minutes before you pick up your pace.”
That doesn’t mean you should skip stretching completely, Olson says. Just make sure to do it after your run, when your muscles are very warm and full of oxygen and nutrients; and then engage in static stretching, focusing on your leg, hip, and low-back muscles
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Myth: Muscle Cramps are Always Caused by Too Little Potassium
The Truth: Muscle spasms can certainly put a cramp in your running style, but that doesn’t mean you need to load up on potassium to prevent them. “Cramps are primarily caused by either being low on glucose (the form of sugar your muscles thrive on for energy) or low water and sodium levels,” Olson says. When you are working out very hard (like lifting weights or with intense intervals), you use up glucose faster than what can be delivered to the muscles, and this causes that muscle-burning lactic acid to form. The best way to get rid of cramps caused by low glucose levels is to take a 60-90 second break to help rid your body of lactic acid and allow glucose to travel to the muscles, Olson says.
To prevent cramps caused by excessive sweating during steamy outdoor runs, be sure to stay well hydrated and nourished, Olson says. “When you sweat, sodium is also excreted, and water and sodium go hand-in-hand. Losing significant levels of potassium is actually quite hard to do. Potassium lives inside our cells and is not excreted as readily as sodium. Sodium, like water, resides outside the cells in your body.”

To read the rest click on Shape below :)
Shape