Lessons learnt from ald old man walking.

My biopsy is Wednesday. SO I needed to make sure that I can get all the running in that I can before then.

Well - run/walk. I've been having a bit of pain in my right calf, and so I had been doing more of the Galloway method of run - walk - run method. I set my Garmin to 2 minutes run and then 1 minute walk intervals and I set off. And that was how I had run my last two runs. It was better on my calf/shin so I thought that I would be so much better on Monday.

So Monday I  had the Princess (why thanks - I know I don't look old enough to have an 18 year old!) to drop me off at the end of the trail about 6 miles from home. So I set off.

Pretty, isn't it? I am loving Colorado in Autumn!

Way. Too. Fast.

Now for me, 12 1/2 minute miles are fast. I know - I'm slow! But remember that I've only been running since January. AND I'm still 50lbs overweight. So I'm trying not to be too hard on myself.

So of course I found it hard to do more than 2 miles. So I walked about half a mile and then walked a bit more - walked a bit and then hobbled for another half mile. This was so painful. My cadence was down and I was just plain hurting. So I walked another half mile to the next mile marker and decided that I would try the run/walk/run thing to at least get me home.

Enter the old man walking.

When I was walking - I was walking s.l.o.w. And I do mean slow! But as I finished my second little run, he passed me as I was walking. He was booking it. SO I thought "Why not try to keep up with him?" He was probably waling at about 14 1/5 minute per mile. Which is a nice slow pace to run at.

So - I did. And it felt  great! Enter the AHA moment.

I have been running way too fast and way too far for where I am at. I have read a lot of training books, and blogs, and articles and yet I still managed to make one of the biggest rookie mistakes. Too fast and too long.

SO - lesson learnt. My runs will be a lot slower .. and today's was. I did my favourite 3 miles out and back. I forgot my Garmin so I have to guess at my time.But I took it nice and slow and if I had to guess I would say it was in the 14 - 14 1/2 minute range. My calf didn't scream at me and it felt great. SO if this is my last run for a while - I will have a great memory of it!



Hugs Meg