OK, I'm new to running. 45 year old male, 5'10" 150 lbs or so, down from 200 lbs 9 mos. ago.
Growing up, through junior high, high school, college and beyond, every few years I had tried
running, for a month at a time, and had hated it. It wasn't so much the pain in my muscles, or legs,
but I got so winded that my chest muscles and lungs were killing me. And my time never got better.
So, each time, I stopped.
3 months ago, whilst walking on the treadmill at the gym, I tried running again. I really pushed
myself at 7.0 mph for 10 minutes. Once again, I hated it. I could barely breath. OK, I'll never be a
runner. I'll do my 10 minutes at 7.0 in conjunction with an hour long walk on the treadmill. I'm
getting plenty of cardio, I don't HAVE to run.
Well, I mentioned this to a friend who runs for 1 1/2 hours at a time, and he said that he runs at
about 6 mph. What the hell, I try it.
Oy! After 10 minutes, I wasn't even breaking a sweat! I was barely winded. I stopped anyway, and did
the 10 minutes every day for a week. The week after that, I upped it to 20 minutes, etc., etc., etc.
Now, I'm up to 50 minutes, starting out at 6.0 mph, then working my way eventually up to 7.5 mph for
the last 10 minutes.
My problem was that I just was plain old running too damn fast. I had no concept of how fast I
should be running, etc., and the pace I set out for myself felt, "OK", except that I was
killing myself.
DAMN, I WISH someone had told me this when I was 16...
Anyway, so I've been running on a treadmill in the gym for 3 months. I've been itching to try it
outside (mainly because I don't have to waste 10 minutes driving to the gym, then waste 10 minutes
driving home), but the weather has been so cold I don't want to freeze or slip on ice, or whatever.
I've done my street back and forth twice (1.8 miles) on the two non-sub freezing days we've had
since December, and it was OK. Definately different. Took longer that I normally would, but I don't
care about that. Knees hurt a little more.
SO, I'm checking the weather forcast, planning a route, checking the milage
(4.1 miles), ...this morning was the big day.
I put on my bright yellow, reflective construction vest and get out there at
5:15 AM. Within 1/4 mile, I get a pain in my right hip that a) is INTENSE, every time my right foot
strikes, b) I have never felt before. Pressing on my hip while running alleviates it, but that's
ridiculous. Also, pain in the right knee. I stop. Try to "walk it out". Begin running again, the
pain is there. Turn around, head back home. VERY [censored]. First big chance in 2 months to run
outside, and I hurt myself somehow. Pain goes away, I turn around again and start running. Almost
reach the end of the street, pain comes back. Walk a bit more, pain goes away, does not come back.
It's 31 degrees out. I'm wearing shorts, sweatpants, 3 shirts, and a hat. No gloves. Which I'm
regretting. My hands are COLD. I alternate putting them in my pockets to warm them up. This works,
but makes it uncomfortable to run.
At mile 1.5, I step in a pothole (semi-rural New Jersey, no lights on the roads, more likely to get
trampled by a herd of deer than hit by a car at this time of day). Minor pain. Not so bad, could
have been WAY worse. At most it scared me, thinking I could have broken my ankle. I assume that my
weight training and the running over the last 3 months had prevented it from being more serious. I
keep on running.
At about 2 miles in, I have to pee. Being that it's in the middle of nowhere, and it's 5:30 AM, I
just stop in the middle of the road and go. Certainly can't do that in the gym.
Hands aren't cold anymore. Has it gotten warmer? Has the blood in my body started reaching my
extrmities?
Encounter "black ice". OK, it's not getting warmer.
At mile 3, it suddenly dawns on me...I'm going to make it!
Now it's 6:00 AM, more cars on the road, and I have to stop and wait for 2 cars on the the one "big"
road I have to cross...Damn. Cross the road, head home. Not bad for the first time, and a HELL OF A
LOT MORE INTERESTING than running on a treadmill...
Questions - what about my hands? They were cold inthe beginning. I was a bit concerned. But I don't
relish the thought of taking gloves, and then having them be too hot later on. I hate running with
things in my pockets, or bags hanging around my waist.
What's the deal with the hip? As I write this, 1/2 hour later, it is VERY STIFF, when I get up and
move around, it hurts. The pain goes away after a few minutes of moving. It "clicks" when I walk. I
can't tell if this is a joint clicking, or a muscle moving back and forth over a bone. Should I be
concerned? Should I just stretch a little? Should I go for it again tomorrow? Take a few days off?
Thanks,
Jeff.