And speaking of the treadmill

Some time ago, I wrote about barefoot running, after I had happened upon an article in the Parade magazine. I never could bring myself to try it until yesterday, when I decided to jump on the treadmill for a quick run.

So how was it? After having run about a mile barefoot, I feel pretty confident in saying I won't be doing that any time soon. Or maybe ever. My feet really hurt by the time I had finished. But almost as important, I am not sure I did it "right." It seemed as if I was slamming my feet pretty hard on the treadmill, but maybe I normally do that and just don't notice. I recently read an article that stated barefoot runners come down on the front or balls of their feet, which I definitely did (and the balls of my feet are what hurt). But I have never really paid attention to how I usually run for comparison. I just know it did not feel "normal," whatever that is.

I also read an article about how a young woman got her toe caught in the treadmill and flew backwards off it, resulting in some stitches. Eek! Of course, you could get your shoelace caught as well.

I just hope it warms up soon so I can get back outside to run. It has been in the low 20s the past few days (was only 20 degrees today), with a windchill much lower. There is no way I am going to run in those conditions when I struggled with my run in 37-degree temps two weeks ago. In the meantime, I am going to try to run on the treadmill at least once a week and/or run in the pool.

 It is good to mix it up!

I ran around the square!

It took me almost four years to run in a 5k race (and about 11 months since I started running again), but I finally did it. Yeah, me!

Here are my thoughts:

• I was pretty nervous last night, and I did not sleep well as a result.
• When I arrived in Regent Square this morning, I had a lot of trouble finding a parking space. In 2002, there were 865 runners. This year, there were almost 1,600 runners plus 372 runners who ran the 1.5-mile race (which did not exist in '02). Quite a difference.
• When I walked from my car to the start (a few blocks), my ankle hurt. Fortunately, that went away.
• It was a beautiful day for a race. Probably around 60 degrees with low humidity when it started.
• It was weird not to have someone to start off a race with; when I used to run 5Ks, I almost always had my friend Zuri and/or MBB to begin a race with.
• For the first time in a race, I waited until almost everyone else had started running before I crossed the starting line, which took almost three minutes. Back in the day, I would try to stand/start with the eight-mile pace crowd.
• I liked waiting around to start (well, except that it meant I had to dodge the walkers). Less pressure and fanfare.
• Along with a smile, I am pretty sure I got a tear in my eye as I began the race. It felt good to be doing this again.
• I was glad to see the people cheering, singing, playing instruments (love me some steel drums), and passing out beer and champagne along the way. Great motivators.
• I actually took advantage of the downhills, more so at the end.
• Having run this 5k only once and eight years ago at that, I had forgotten how the course went, so I really could not "plan" for my best pacing.
• Now having just run it, I can say it was probably a good layout--you start off mostly flat and slightly downhill, then you move to a tough mile 2, which is mostly uphill. The last approximately half mile is downhill, which gives you a chance to kick it in.
• I am so glad I did not trip; between the cobblestone in the first mile and the rocky trail for another 1.5 miles, I came close at least once.
• A few times during the second mile, I contemplated running very slowly. In fact, at one point the thought of walking crossed my mind; the uphill climb, although not steep, seemed never-ending. But I just went with a slower-than-usual pace to get through it.
• And that meant I had the energy to pretty much sprint down the final hill.
• When I finished the race, I had a smile on my face (and, I am pretty sure, another tear in my eye).

The most notable thing about this race compared to what I remember from previous ones was that I did not push myself super hard. As I mentioned in another post, I used to be very competitive, so I would give it my absolute all, more so than a regular run. But this time, as evidenced by my waiting so long to start and taking it easy up the hills, I just wanted to prove to myself I could do it and do it with a little grace.

Yes, in the back of my mind, I wanted to finish in about 30 minutes. But last week, when I realized I finished the Run in 28:14 when I was in the best running shape of my life eight years ago, I was pretty sure 30 minutes was not going to happen, and I was just going to have to be okay with that.

Ultimately, I finished it in 30:08. I am really proud of myself, though, honestly the tiniest bit disappointed that I did not finish in under 30 when I clearly could have. Because I ran no harder than I do when I run regularly (and probably even less hard), I could have sprinted another quarter of a mile for sure at the end. Had I known where the finish line was, I would have run even harder/faster those last few tenths.

But the good news is that because I did well and yet did not quite achieve that under-30 time, I want to run in another 5k to prove to myself I can do.

Oh, I plan on it.

In conclusion, hills, heat/humidty are evil!

This morning I ran around Indiana, Indiana County again. I ran the same route I did three weeks ago, but I threw in another .3 miles for good measure. Well, that and because the Run Around the Square 5K (3.1 miles) is only four days away. Ugh!

When I started my run today, the wind was in my face and it was quite breezy. The last time I ran in temps that were around 60 degrees, it was probably May. I actually felt a little chilly. Not that I am complaining.

This run felt pretty good. Sure, as usual, it was a struggle anytime I ran up a hill. But actually my bigger concern is that I don't take advantage of the downhills. I guess the speed scares me, so I tend to run kind of slowly. I was thinking about how I need to channel the competitive edge I used to have/feel when I was running regularly years ago. Hopefully, I can do that on Saturday, assuming there are some downhills.

When my run ended today, in stark contrast to last week, I felt pretty good, even though I was pushing myself at the end (mostly because I had been feeling like a running slacker for most of the run). Of course, it makes all the difference in the world when you end your run on a flat street. Still, I was kind of surprised that when I checked my heart rate as I was finishing up today, it was only around 140 bpm. Contrast that with the end of my uphill run last week, when my heart rate was at a very high 180 bpm (which is pretty much my maximum).

I probably should have run a little farther today than the 2.9 miles I did, considering the (usual) lack of struggle I felt. Yeah, low temps and flat ending. Regardless, hopefully I can get an over 3-mile run in on Thursday, but that will be it before the race. Almost there.

Running two counties away

Yesterday, I ran in Indiana, Indiana County. The last time I ran in this area was 1996 at the latest, which was when I moved from there to the Burgh.

Indiana County is where it all started for me. I ran laps in gym class there. At track practice, I ran around the track that circled the football field. I ran around my neighborhood for evening and the occasional morning runs. I ran my first few 5k races there, the Torrance Run for Mental Health and the Blairsville Blast.

But last evening I also ran with a running partner, my 24-year old cousin, Annie. The last time I ran with someone was probably at the beginning of the Great Race in 2002. But when you are running over six miles, it is nearly impossible to keep pace with the same person, so I am guessing I was flying solo within the first two miles.

Fortunately, Annie and I managed to run the entire 2.6 miles together, though I did have to ask her to slow down just a bit after the first couple of minutes. I do have about 14.5 years on her, and she typically runs most every day. Plus, as has been chronicled here, I have not been keeping up with my running over the summer, just as I feared.

We ended up completing the 2.6 miles in about 26 minutes. I probably could have gone farther, but since I had just run two days earlier and this run was hilly, I call it a success. Even better, considering before we knew exactly how far we had run, I feared it was only about two miles.

I am thiscloseto signing up for the Regent Run Around the Square. I think I have almost two weeks to sign up for the early bird registration. Here is hoping I will just do it.

New shoes

Nike has always been my running shoe of choice. I went with New Balance one year because I noticed the winning team in the Steelers 5k all ran in New Balance, so I promptly went out and bought a pair. Of course, most companies/manufacturers make dozens upon dozens of running shoes, ranging in price from about $30 to over $200 (though most fall in the $50 to $100 price range), so buying by brand does not necessarily guarantee you a good shoe.

Yesterday, I decided to check out Kohl's "lowest prices of the season" sale for running shoes. I typically go by looks, then price. After not finding some Nike's I liked in my size, I came upon an Asics shoe, the Gel Enduro 5. The price was right (just over $33 on sale, from $65), and I liked the gray and fuchsia coloring. But what sold me on this shoe was the feeling. The shoes were so cushiony that everything I tried on after paled in comparison. I was talking to a woman who had recently started running and told her about the shoe. She too was a Nike person, but after trying on the Asics, she went with the same pair.

I am not entirely sure if I am ready to break out the shoes yet. Most running experts recommend replacing shoes every 250 to 500 miles, depending on your weight, running style, and running surface. Assuming I have run about 5 miles a week most weeks since September, I should have logged less than 200 miles. But I also wear my shoes most days while doing errands and taking walks once or twice a week. And I do run outside and probably pretty hard while going downhill.

I will let you know how they turn out. In the meantime, I am happy to report that on Tuesday, I managed to get my first mile down to 10 minutes. My second (easier) mile was about 10:25, so not as much progress there.

Indoors versus outdoors

I would have to do some research on this, but my guess is most runners prefer to run outdoors. For me, running outside offers more to look at and makes the time pass more quickly.

For about four years, most of my runs were at the gym. For two of those years (in the early part of this century), I was at the gym most days anyway lifting weights, so it made sense to do my running there as well. The downside was it took about 16 laps for one mile. I would try to run about three miles, so at times it seemed never-ended. And sometimes, I lost count. The gym also frowned upon sprinting, but I did that (well, fartleks) during most runs.

Running on a treadmill is even more boring, but at least you can keep track of your mileage and have the machine change speeds for you. When I was training for a 5k in 2006 (my one and only that year), I did so on the treadmill. My goal for that 5k, since it had been four years since my last one, and almost as long since I had run regularly, was to complete it in under 30 minutes. To do so, I ran on the treadmill one or two days a week for six weeks, for a couple of miles at a time. I included some sprints on the treadmill as well. I probably ran three miles on the treadmill only once during those weeks. Since I stayed pretty active, I was hopeful that would be enough training. Plus, I figured at 34, I was at my peak running age. More on that race later.

Currently, I am running through some hilly streets in a Pittsburgh community (I realize hilly describes just about every neighborhood in the Burgh). I try to run about two miles, up to three days a week, but unfortunately I have managed only one or two days per week the last few weeks. Running up and down streets is definitely more enjoyable than running around the track or on a treadmill. But running on asphalt is tough on your body. Already my knees and legs have hurt on some days. But I am also almost 38...