Tips for the New(bie) Year Runner -- Part 3
Because I've been getting a lot of questions from people who are new to fitness or running--who want to know how I lost 45 lbs last year--I have been posting running tips. See Part 1 and Part 2.
Yesterday I talked about the importance of listening to your body and the 10% rule. I didn't do that, and I paid for it.
By spring, three miles was a breeze for me. I did my first 5K in late March and began filling my calendar with upcoming races. I was training for my first 10K, the Hospital Hill Run, -- yep, it's all about conquering a few really tough hills. I spent much of May running big hills near my house. My hip was starting to bother me, but I kept at it. I had a race to run the first week of June!
Race day arrived, and of course, by then my hip really hurt. A few people suggested that it might be a good idea to take that race off. But...I'd been planning on it, training for weeks! No way was I bailing. At about mile three, I couldn't keep up with my friends. I dropped back and finished the run myself, turtle slow.
I didn't run again for about three weeks.
I was in a lot of pain and knew I had to get to a doctor. I wanted to see a sports medicine doctor because I didn't want to listen to a family practice doc tell me to stop running, or to shoot me up with pain killers. If I wanted to see the sports med specialist, it would be a three month wait. That was not going to work for me.
I remembered there was a chiropractor who worked out at my gym. Surely, if she was athletic, she wouldn't tell me to stop running. I knew this was the perfect solution!
Seeing the chiropractor was the best decision I made, something I wish I would have started as a very new runner. My hips were out of alignment. One leg was longer than the other (which would be the case, if your hips were not aligned), my knees were popped out of place. I was a mess. After two weeks' of adjustments, I was almost as good as new....and I was running again. Six weeks later, I felt better than I had in years!
The other thing I wish I had known as a new runner was how much better my legs would feel if I rolled them out with a foam roller several times a week. (GREAT for IT Band issues)
Because I had several runner friends when I started, they all insisted that I go to a running store (not a department store or sporting goods store, a running store) and get fitted for shoes. It took TWO HOURS to select my first pair of running shoes. And, I was surprised to learn that the shoes I'd been buying for several years were 1 1/2 sizes TOO SMALL! The professionals at the running store will look at how you walk or run and will help select the best shoe for your foot and your gait.
(And, a friend just told me about this place yesterday: Running Warehouse is closing out last year's models. I bought a $110 shoe for $59!)
The chiropractor fixed me up, but I had to cut back my mileage, which also meant building up...slowly...this time. While I was injured, I started swimming, which was the only activity I could find that got my heart beating as fast as it does when I run.
Tomorrow, I will tell you about how important my friends were in my running and weight loss journey.