The Couch to 5K program recommends running three non-consecutive days per week, separated by either rest or cross-training exercises. I have designated Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays as running days, leaving the remaining days for activities like walking my dog, Zumba, or simply lounging in bed.
Yesterday was a Wednesday and my second day of training. I arrived at the park around 7:15 pm, so the sunlight had began to wane and the temperature was much cooler than the previous training session. This time I made sure to wrap both my ankles with braces which helped alleviate blisters, pressure on the joints, and my constant fear of another sprain.
The fear of a fall or injury is a big obstacle for me. This fear always persists in the back of my mind, but the fact that I’m out there training is a huge step to hopefully overcoming it one day. I have sprained my ankle somewhere between 6 – 8 times, so often that I’ve lost an accurate count.
The last time I suffered a sprain, I was referred to an orthopedic surgeon who told me that the ligaments in my ankle had been torn away from the bone and they would need to be surgically reattached. He said this was a relatively simple procedure, but that I would need to take two weeks off from work and recovery time was at least 6 months to a year. That was almost three years ago and I still haven’t had the surgery.
When I started running yesterday I forced myself to start slow. I think that part of my problem with cramping on Sunday was that I pushed myself too hard at the beginning. I need to train my body and mind to understand that running is a test of endurance and I have to preserve my energy to finish the whole run. Most of the running intervals were fairly comfortable and my breathing was more controlled, as opposed to Sunday when I felt like my heart might beat out of chest. The only time I struggled was going up an incline, but even so I still finished the interval.
In the past, for some reason I always had the perception that experienced runners find it easy – that at some point it becomes effortless. Some runners just look so natural and at ease. Yet, as I pass other runners at the park I find that everyone is working hard. I imagine that running, at some point, becomes easier and even enjoyable, but I’m not sure it will ever be effortless.
I will complete my first week of 5K training tomorrow. Approximately 9.5 weeks until the race.
– An American Twenty-Something
The Life of an American Twenty-Something 