Diario de DairyKing, 13 feb. 12

It's tough, isn't it? I ran 8.6 this weekend, and I was wasted for the rest of the day. I ate a good recovery meal and then had a good soak in the hot tub. I have been working with a physical therapist who did give me some good hip stretches that have helped, but being an older runner is really challenging! 

DK... You are really pushing yourself... Please be careful... When it stops being enjoyable, is it worth it? The last thing you want, is to work so hard, that you give up altogether. I understand you have a plan you want to follow and a target you want to reach - but maybe it is time to re- assess. You are not in your teens anymore, so need more "rest" between workouts. So - 1. how important is this target? 2. Is it achievable, taking into account your age and fitness level? 3. Could you re-assess the target in time or distance? 4. Why are you doing it? 5. Is the reason valid? 6. Is there a more reasonable target you could set yourself? 7. If you did reset your goal, would it impact greatly on your life? 8. How would it impact on your life? 9. Do you want to reset the goal? 10. What is stopping you? 11. Is it a sensible valid reason? 

Here is an idea....lose the bleeping inclines:)  

What a run! You are doing what most can't even attempt. I will 2nd what Sk1nnyfuture says...Be Careful. You are making great progress so give yourself the credit you deserve for that. Just b/c you don't do 9 miles next weekend doesn't mean you haven't pushed your body to the limit. Any advice for those of us that need to start running? 

OK, here's the deal. Cindy Crawford said she'd go out with me if I ran the 15K in June. Just kidding. She said "marathon", and I told her no. :D I don't think I'm pushing too hard; I think maybe I'm trying to squeeze too much in at the expense of sleep. After all, I am working 10 hours a day, getting a second Masters Degree (in Hebraic Heritage), rennovating an old schoolhouse (which I'm living in) and getting up at 3:00 or 3:30 in the morning. So, yeah, I'm probably stretching myself a bit. My biggest problem is that I seem to have some kind of right hip thing going on that causes me to limp after I've been sitting or driving for a while (and it may be related to the pinched nerve thing I went through a year ago). I'll probably cut way back on my mileage once I run this one 15K race that I have been putting off for years. And, if I don't "train" for the hills, I won't be able to do it. It's not that I've had this great yearning to be a runner all my life; it's just a challenge that I have set my sights on - because it's there, and I think I can do it. I know, from experience, that it's never easy to increase your mileage, no matter how young you are. But once you get there, it's usually pretty satisfying to go out for a long run. But, I can't tell you whether I'll get to the point of being able to say it's pretty satisfying to go for a 10 or 12 mile run, because I've never been there yet. Like I said, if it gets to the point where it's pain, instead of discomfort - then I'll back off - or take walk breaks. My plan is to live forever; so far so good! :D 

I wish FS had a "like" button like Facebook so that I could 'like' Rpalmst's comments about the bleeping inclines.. 

M, as far as advice for those that want to start running, I found the best, and most painless, way is to start out with a walk/run routine. Once a person gets to the point where he/she can walk for 30 continuous minutes, at a clip fast enough that it's difficult to carry on a conversation with unbroken sentences, then they are ready to begin a walk/run program. I would suggest working your way up to 30 minutes of continuous running. I stole this from About.com, but this is basically how I started: 1) Week one: Walk for six minutes, then jog at an easy pace for one minute. Repeat three times. Aim for three sessions with that same sequence for week one. 2) Week two: Walk for five minutes, then jog for two minutes. Repeat three times. Aim to do three sessions in week two. 3) Week three: Walk for three minutes, then jog for four minutes. Repeat four times. Aim for three sessions in week three. 4) Week four: Walk for two minutes, then jog for five minutes. Repeat four times. Shoot for three of those sessions in week four. 5) Week five: Walk for two minutes, then jog for eight minutes. Repeat three times. Do three of those sessions in week five. 6) Week six: Walk for two minutes, then jog for nine minutes. Repeat three times. Try to do three sessions for week six. 7) Week seven: Walk for one minute, then jog for 11 minutes. Repeat three times. Do three sessions this week. 8) Week eight: Congratulations on making it to week eight! For your first run this week, try walking for five minutes to begin and end the workout, and run for 20 minutes in between. By the end of the week, try to run for 30 minutes without stopping. Aim to run for 30 minutes three times a week, and you'll notice that your stamina and fitness will continue to improve. Soon you'll be ready to run your first 5K! I think the key is to not worry about speed, but do each of these short runs at a pace that does not allow you to communicate smoothly and unbroken. If you don't tax yourself a little bit, you could just be bounding up and down, and jogging at a slower pace than if you were walking. And you can repeat any week until you're comfortable going on to the next. Hope this helps. 

One more thing, just in case anyone thinks I'm advocating running with pain. I'm not. If I experience any pain while running, I will quit. The only pain I'm experiencing is just a lot of discomfort following the run, because I went where I haven't been before. Believe me, if I experience any sharp pain before, during or after a run, that's it. Those are clear indicators of an existing or impending injury, and I'm not into that. I know it sounded like I was dying, but a couple Tylenol took care of most of it. I count on a rest day to take care of the rest; if it doesn't, I'll wait until it does. 

DK: my PT recommended something called "The World's Greatest Stretch." Search it on YouTube and give it a try. I was having all sorts of hip pain, and doing this stretch every day has made a huge difference.  

That is an amazing stretch, Carlys Mom. However, I watched it 6 times and I didn't feel any different. :D Just kidding. I watched a few demonstrations by different people,and I just tried it. I was still really stiff, so it was awkward, but I could tell it does really stretch you out. I'll try it before my next run. Looks like something you get better at with practice. Thanks! 

Yes, it's truly amazing. I have to warm up a little before doing it, to. I've never heard of it before, but my PT is also a marathon runner, and she swears by it. Just do it very slowly and hold each new position for several seconds. It's really just a slow yoga flow of poses that are good for runners. 

Now, if I could only figure out a way to stretch the hip out in the parking lot when I get to work, without looking like an idiot.  

DK, I can't figure out how you could look like an idiot doing all the smartest things for your body. 

Aw, Heather, you just always know what to say! :) 

Awww feel the love on Valentine's day.... :) :)