Running is fun.. The other options? Seem lacking....

This not running has been a severe downer for me.  As you can tell from the lack of recent posts - I have not been doing much in the exercise/work out department.   I can honestly say that I do not know how Red kept her sanity with no running.  I also have this bizarre ingrained feeling - that if I cannot run 3 miles consistently (as my short run, not my long run) that I am not a runner.   The ultimate irony of this - is I do not hold anyone else to this standard.  I have friends that are out running 1 mile, and all I have for them is praise and assurance that as soon as they tie on those shoes and head out the door - they are a runner.  Yet for some reason I don't apply that to myself.

Since I enjoy running - I can (when I am physically able to do so without pain) get myself to get out and run.  I may not want to get out of bed, I may not feel like getting up off of the couch - but once I get outside putting one foot in front of the other, I enjoy it.  I mean I REALLY enjoy it.  I have tried starting (And will do it) Insanity a couple of times.  I have gone bike riding. I have lifted weights using the "total gym."  Any of these are fun as a variety work out for me.  To do something different one day.  But I cannot get excited about standing in front of my TV for 45 minutes, 6 days a week.  I don't mind riding a bike outside, and have even found that short run - followed by a bike ride can feel good (emotionally and physically.)  While I am happy to run in the rain, cycling doesn't work out so well and this limits me when we have had the amount of rain we have had in the last couple of weeks.  I had debated riding a bicycle to work to help get exercise, but the rain has prevented that one too.

[caption id="attachment_1618" align="alignright" width="300"] Almost as good for the soul as running.[/caption]

Well, yesterday was gorgeous out.  I rode the motorcycle home enjoying the sunshine and warm breeze the whole way.  As with any runner - what did this make me want to do more than anything else?  RUN!!!!  So I decided to head out the door.   I had managed 3 miles (see my last blog post,) but my foot had bothered me after the 2 mile mark.. I decided with today's beautiful weather it was time to head out and give my favorite minimum distance a shot again.

First off.. let me say that I have completely lost my ability to breathe.  I suffered from all of the aspects you might think - gasping painfully.. Cramps in the chest and side... the feeling like I was not able to get enough oxygen.  These various things made me walk 4 times throughout the run.  Yet despite that?

IT FELT GREAT!!!!!  I concentrated on NOT pushing off with my foot at all, to help minimize the stress to the Plantar Facia, and it made all the difference.  It did feel odd to do it that way - as running in my VFFs I learned TO run with that motion as it felt natural, but I am concentrating on running pain-free now.  I made it 3.33 miles in 28:43, which puts me at an average of an 8:37 mile.  I think that with walking 4 times, and not running for 2 months that time is AWESOME!  Especially since I wasn't trying to do anything other than run at a "comfortable"  (minus the unable to breathe part)  pace.

My foot felt ok afterwards, but I stretched it out and iced it using the frozen water bottle that I keep in my freezer.  Interestingly, my foot was much more difficult to walk on, and hurt more after icing it.

[caption id="attachment_1615" align="alignright" width="200"] My arch support is even simpler than this.. But it gives you teh idea.[/caption]

Another worthwhile note, is I did not have my inserts in my running shoes.  For arch support, I used one that just wraps around my foot.  I don't know that this made a difference in my lack of pain while running, but it seemed worth mentioning.

I'm not sure I will get out there today or tomorrow as tonight is a wine tasting, and tomorrow I am driving from Upstate NY to Maryland and back.  But the fact I CAN run 3 miles now - means I am going to be running more!