Running with Pig Noses

This week went a little better with regard to running but there were still a few obstacles to overcome. I did not run on Tuesday because I did not get up and run in the morning, by the afternoon we were under a tornado watch. Tornadoes were on the ground in surrounding areas. We had some rain but never had to take shelter, nevertheless I did not go out and run.

 

Running plan for week 2

Week #	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
2	Rest Day	35 min	35 min	40 min	Cross train 45 min	Rest Day	45 min

What I actually did for week 2

Week #	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
2		3miles			4.16 miles 43:19	4.16 miles 46:10	4.08 miles 48:28

I went to Bible Study on Wednesday and then ran Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning before life could get in the way!! I began each morning with green tea to awaken my metabolism!

Last week's running included a Saturday run at Erwin Park. Erwin Park is a multipurpose park near my house. People hold family reunion picnics there in the pavilions, boy scout troops camp there, and mountain bike enthusiasts ride there daily. There is an 8 mile trail that winds through the park, through trees and along a creek bed. It not only winds in an around things it also heads straight up and straight down and over tangled roots and fallen trees. You do not run a fast time on this trail and you also have to jump off the trail to make room for the mountain bikers but you do get to enjoy trees, leaves, birds, squirrels, armadillos, wildflowers, and butterflies (there is also the occasional snake).

Sometimes when I'm navigating my footing on the trail it is difficult to "see" anything other than the next root or fallen tree that has to be negotiated. Even looking solely at the ground there are interesting things to see. One of the things we all comment on are the pigs noses!

I conducted a google search to see what tree these came from. The tree is called the Pignut Hickory for obvious reasons. One of the wonderful things about running is observing the changing seasons. And again, even if all I do is stare at the ground in front of me hoping to avoid catching my toe on a root I notice the changes: wildflowers in the spring, green grass, ivy (some poison), and briars in the summer, gold and red leaves in the fall, and weathered wood in the winter.

Starting again from a base of very little running means that I have more aches and pains and more stiffness than usual. I have many ways to confront this problem: whining and loud groaning are my most used tactics! After the whining I take a hot bath, climb joyfully into the massage chair and collapse onto my pillow top mattress. The more athletic way to deal with stiffness and joint pain would involve ice baths and foam rollers. I have an extreme aversion to cold water, I don't swim in the summer until the water feels like bath water (July or August). So the ice baths are out of the question. I did, however, buy a GRID. A Grid is a foam roller designed to pummel and grind out all the muscle tightness in your body. It does not feel very good when you are using it but it really does work to rub out the knots and kinks and I feel much better post grinding.

 Another device that looks innocent but isn't!! If you have stiff muscles you too can torture yourself with a Grid of your very own by visiting Amazon.com.  


So far I have not successfully followed the training plan but I am still happy with this last week. I ran 15.4 miles, this is a good start on the road back to better fitness. Happy running!