Here I am, at the beginning of Week 3 of the Team Vegan Challenge. A few things are clear -- sedentary habits are hard to break, my stamina has increased tremendously, and I do, in fact, enjoy running.
On the last point, that I enjoy running. Yesterday I ran for four miles in Bidwell Park and I became one of those people who you see running the trails along the edge of Vallombrosa. The significance of this for me is incalculable, since for years I have been driving along Vallombrosa and seeing these lovely runners of all shapes and sizes. Every time I see these runners, I am driven slightly bonkers by a mad dissatisfaction with my own life that I am not running free along a lovely park trail.
A mad dissatisfaction with my own life. That instead of being outdoors, I am in an office. It's a lovely office with lovely people, but an office nevertheless. Sitting in a chair that fits my backside all too well. And so, yesterday's run was a watershed moment in my life. I can't wait to repeat it as the year progresses, since I know the park in all its seasons and I know that soon the park will start raising up showy and not-so-showy wildflowers for my enjoyment, followed by butterflies and birds raising their young. I will walk through the park many times this year, no doubt, but I will also run through the park.
The Garmin acted up on me (read: I couldn't figure out which buttons to push), so I wasn't able to download the data from my run, but I figured I was running at a good clip for me, maybe 5.5 mph. Because that pace was a little too fast for the long run, I had to take a couple of short walk breaks (1-2 minutes). It seems that at this point, I can only run in two speeds, "too fast" and "too faster". I can't seem to master the easy pace, the one they say you're supposed to run for most of your running, the one where you can talk. Finding my first, second, and third running gear is going to be a challenge, once that I must solve or else I will be sure to run myself into an injury. As it is, I am experiencing some post-run soreness in my hamstrings and as well as a little tenderness in my left knee. Nothing is bothering me during the run. My left hamstring is bothering me the day after the run, but nothing else. I am concerned.
The subject of injury brings me to the third thing that I know about myself: sedentary habits are hard to break. Proof: I have done zero cross-training in Week 2 AND also skipped my Thursday easy run. Why did I skip them? Because the sofa is comfortable habit that is hard to break. I recall clearly my feelings on Thursday when I was supposed to run an easy three miles. I planned to run at lunch time at work...which I missed. Then I said I could take off at 4:30pm and still run in the park after work...which I missed. Then I brought my gear bag home, and planned to run on the treadmill...which I also missed. I didn't forget, but rather I deliberately chose to sit on the sofa.
The mind knows what to do, but the body refuses. Why? And does thinking about it solve anything? Does blogging about it? Where is the stranger within who started me running in the first place?
On to Week 3!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Team Vegan Week 2
How about that? I get to jump to week 2 already because the San Francisco kickoff was technically week 1!
The trip to San Francisco was a little iffy because of the forecast of rain...but the night before the skies were clear and I could see stars, so I was pretty sure that the rain would hold off. I set the alarm for 5:15am and hoped for the best. On Saturday morning I woke up, made myself some oatmeal, packed my gear and by 6:15am Daniel and I hit the highway en route to the Golden Gate Bridge and Fort Mason Center. Thank to the iPod and This American Life podcasts, we made it through drizzle and a bit of rain (no fog! yay!) to meet up with the group right at 9:15am.
And what a group it was! Everyone was so nice! And so young! And so fit. Marathon Matt is a cool guy -- he thought it was great that I decided to go for the 2-mile run instead of the 1-mile workout. I thought it was pretty cool, too. That I voluntarily ran for twice the distance that I had been asked to is a pretty big deal.
We learned some stretches and got some pointers on form and cadence. (Did you know that it's more efficient and easier on your body to take many small steps than fewer long steps? The magic pace is 180-190 steps per minute, I discovered. The average person's pace is 140 steps per minute.) So we ran and I survived. My Garmin says I ran a pace of a little under 10 minutes per mile, which is, like, screaming fast for me. I kept up with the group is all I know, though I was huffing and puffing more than was appropriate for an "easy" run.
My reward for all that was a lovely lunch at Greens Restaurant at Fort Mason Center, about which I'll post separately.
So, I survived the workout. We survived the pouring rain that accompanied us all the way back to Chico, too -- three hours of nonstop driving rain. Ugh! We were glad to be home again, that's for sure. Poor Daniel drove all the way!
Which brings me to today...Week 2 of Team Vegan training. Today's run was an easy 3 mile run. (I can hardly believe that I can think of an easy 3-mile run, but there you go...bless the C25K program is all I can say.) I practiced my cadence and took tiny steps on the treadmill -- and discovered much to my surprise that many fast small steps are far easier than fewer long steps. They are easier on my stamina, that's for sure. I can't tell for sure whether it's easier on my joints. Right now my left knee is complaining a little bit, but not too bad.
I can't wait for my Thursday run!
The trip to San Francisco was a little iffy because of the forecast of rain...but the night before the skies were clear and I could see stars, so I was pretty sure that the rain would hold off. I set the alarm for 5:15am and hoped for the best. On Saturday morning I woke up, made myself some oatmeal, packed my gear and by 6:15am Daniel and I hit the highway en route to the Golden Gate Bridge and Fort Mason Center. Thank to the iPod and This American Life podcasts, we made it through drizzle and a bit of rain (no fog! yay!) to meet up with the group right at 9:15am.
And what a group it was! Everyone was so nice! And so young! And so fit. Marathon Matt is a cool guy -- he thought it was great that I decided to go for the 2-mile run instead of the 1-mile workout. I thought it was pretty cool, too. That I voluntarily ran for twice the distance that I had been asked to is a pretty big deal.
We learned some stretches and got some pointers on form and cadence. (Did you know that it's more efficient and easier on your body to take many small steps than fewer long steps? The magic pace is 180-190 steps per minute, I discovered. The average person's pace is 140 steps per minute.) So we ran and I survived. My Garmin says I ran a pace of a little under 10 minutes per mile, which is, like, screaming fast for me. I kept up with the group is all I know, though I was huffing and puffing more than was appropriate for an "easy" run.
My reward for all that was a lovely lunch at Greens Restaurant at Fort Mason Center, about which I'll post separately.
So, I survived the workout. We survived the pouring rain that accompanied us all the way back to Chico, too -- three hours of nonstop driving rain. Ugh! We were glad to be home again, that's for sure. Poor Daniel drove all the way!
Which brings me to today...Week 2 of Team Vegan training. Today's run was an easy 3 mile run. (I can hardly believe that I can think of an easy 3-mile run, but there you go...bless the C25K program is all I can say.) I practiced my cadence and took tiny steps on the treadmill -- and discovered much to my surprise that many fast small steps are far easier than fewer long steps. They are easier on my stamina, that's for sure. I can't tell for sure whether it's easier on my joints. Right now my left knee is complaining a little bit, but not too bad.
I can't wait for my Thursday run!
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