Army Run 5K Race Report: Slow and Steady

I ran the Army Run 5K on Sunday. It was my first race since Munchkin and I was excited and nervous about it. Overall, I'm happy with how it went, considering everything that happened over the past few months. I finished in 35:48, which is a personal worst for me, but a huge victory considering where I started 5 months ago.

I realized about a month before the race that I needed to lower my expectations. I did my own return to running program that I modeled on Couch to 5K, but was more conservative given the c-section and a switch to minimalist shoes. I had some pelvic soreness after I ran more than 15 minutes straight. Dr. Google told me this was due to some separation of the pubic symphis related to pregnancy. I figured as much, since my hips were HUGE up until recently. So I knew I needed to slow down and dial back the distance/time increases so I wouldn't end up injured. I decided to focus instead on enjoying myself at the race and celebrating my return to running.

The morning was warmer than previous years at about 8C, sunny, but with a brisk wind. The race was really crowded and I probably lined up a little too far back. I try not to weave as it's a waste of energy and dangerous in such a crowded race with less experienced racers. But, I was definitely in a too slow group at the beginning, as I was held up quite a bit in a couple narrower parts in the first K. I ran 10 and 1, then 9 and 1s since my math sucks and I forgot to go to 21 for my next break. Oops. It was early, I swear! I saw my brother and his munchkin near the 4K mark and that gave me the push to keep going to the finish line. I had a little juice left in me for a sprint to the finish and crossed the finish line strong. I felt a little sick after, so I know I left it all out there on the course. We celebrated with a post-race brunch, me with French toast. Yum!

Now the race bug has bitten me again and I've got to figure which race to run next!

A marathon, of sorts

It's been awhile. I know, I've slacked off. But really, I had good reason!

Much has changed in my life in the past year. We sold our condo and moved out to the 'burbs at the end of 2011. All this in anticipation of adding a +1 to our family! Husband and I welcomed our daughter into the world in April. So really, I did a marathon, but the marathon called pregnancy, not 42.2K!

I was able to run a bit in the first trimester, but then life took over. Selling our condo, moving, and work left me with little time to run. And that little person growing inside me took a toll. I really didn't enjoy being pregnant. It wasn't a bad pregnancy by any means, but I didn't/don't care for what it did to my body. I didn't want to think about running during my pregnancy. I disappeared from this blog, online running groups, the miles games that I loved. I was a bad pregnant woman and gained far too much weight. I didn't feel like myself during those 9 months, literally. Delivering my daughter was like coming out of a haze.

Now I'm ready to reclaim my life. But, it's not going to be easy since I'm back at square one. Square one in running and in my weight loss journey again. It's as if the clock was turned back to 2008! Thankfully I've done both before, so I know I can do this. It's just going to be more difficult since I've got a munchkin to take care of and feed. Oh, and the recovery from pregnancy.


So all this to say, hello again. :)

How to Get Back into Running

I've had a lot of questions lately from somewhat casual runners on how to get back into running, or how to set a reasonable running goal and what is a reasonable running goal. I thought that my views on these might back interesting blog posts.

Q: I used to like running. I used to run a lot. Then I stopped. How do I get back into it?

A: First off, you need ask yourself some questions. How long has it been since you ran on a regular basis? A week? Months? Years? How far and how often were you running when you ran regularly? A lot of how fast you can return to running depends on what you've been doing during your layoff.

The answers to these questions will help you figure out how to start again. If it's been 6+ months since you ran regularly for any kind of distance (I'm thinking more than 15K/week here) then I'd suggest pulling out the old Couch to 5K program.

Couch to 5K works wonders. It features reasonable mileage increases and is challenging enough for those coming back to running to enjoy it. You might be able to jump in at say, week 4 and then go from there. But the key is to take it slow. I'd recommend repeating the challenging workouts or even whole weeks, because it's better to play it safe than to overdo it. And if you've been a runner in the past, odds are you'll start out like a bat outta hell at first because of your enthusiasm and the chemical rush of running again.

I'd also recommend signing up for a 5K race 8-10 weeks out. It's great motivation to stick with a training program and enough to push you out the door on the days when the weather isn't perfect.

If it's been less than 6 months, then you can ease into a run/walk routine at a slow pace. The key is to get used to the stress of running without overdoing it. When I came back to running, I ran a 7 min/km pace (11:30ish/mi) and gradually increased my run walk intervals from 5:1 to 7:1 to 8:1 to 10:1 to 15:1 and so on. If I felt "off" or tired, I walked or repeated a run/walk interval before moving onto the next one. I never went over 32 minutes. The goal is to gradually increase your endurance while building a routine again. Don't worry about speed, it'll come.

No matter where you're starting from, there's nothing to be ashamed of when you're starting a training plan. Fellow runners on the streets, paths and trails won't judge you. Everyone needs to start somewhere, and you should be proud of the fact that you've taken that first step.

Leaving the iPod at Home

I used to be religious when it came to running with my iPod. I swore by it. I rarely ran without it. I loved compiling my playlists and finding new music to run to.

But I've broken my habit.

Since returning to running 3 weeks ago, I haven't run with my iPod once. And to tell you the truth, I don't really miss it. I initially left it at home so that I would listen to my body instead of the tunes. This was especially important in those first few runs, as I needed to pay special attention to any complaints my body was making as I forced it through its rebirth into running.

Running without the iPod is liberating. I don't feel like the bionic woman with a fuelbelt, garmin and iPod strapped to various parts of my body. I feel much more in tune with my muscles and what it's telling me throughout the run. I pay attention to my breathing and get fewer side stitches. I'm also much more aware of my surroundings, whether it's the bikes whizzing by me on the bike path or the crowd of screaming seagulls in the middle of the river.

Best of all, I'm much more absorbed in the act of running itself and enjoying it, instead of zoning out and trying to suffer through it.

I'm hoping that this change will mean that I'll be quicker to notice any nagging injuries early on, instead of when they're so bad that I'm sidelined for months on end.

Back Back Back!

I was finally able to start my return to running plan yesterday. I was supposed to start last week, but I managed to get a horrible cold. Said cold turned into a sinus and throat infection. I still have a cough, but the congestion I have now is likely seasonal allergies.

I started last night with 5 minutes walking, 5 minutes running, for a total of 30 minutes. I run again on Saturday, with 3 minutes walking, 7 minutes running, for a total of 30 minutes. And it slowly increases from there. I hope to run Emilie's Run 5K on June 19th. I have no plans for a personal best or any kind of record... just to run!

In order to motivate myself some more, I bought some new running clothes. Yesterday, I picked up a RunningSkirts.com camo skirt and a couple of new tanks at the Ottawa Race Weekend running expo. I love Runningskirts.com's skirts - they have tons of pockets, a great fit and really creative patterns. One of my new tanks is a Sugoi tank in white and the other is Asics and it's BRIGHT PINK. Both are perfect for summer... and they were 50% off!

It feels so good to run again.