I mentioned a few days back that I have started running again. I had not been running for about two years so now I need to remember all the lessons I already learned once before. It would seem like all the effort I put into getting everything tuned just right in the past should all spring right back into place. It doesn’t.
Simple things need to be learned over again. For example, I looked at my collection of headbands and wondered why I ever thought they were necessary. I ran short distances for a couple days and knew they were not necessary. Then, I ran a bit longer, in a hotter part of the day, and struggled to see where I was going because of all the perspiration dripping into my eyes. Now I remember and rule I once formed - always wear a headband, even on cool days.
Next comes the struggle to see improvement. Thanks to a base level I had established by first walking and then bicycling, I was able to go from a one mile run to a file mile run fairly quickly. The danger is that muscles grow about twice as fast as the connecting tissue. It is easy to build enough muscle to tear the connecting tissue unless I pace myself. I want to get back to where I can do an occasional ten mile run. But if I work at that too quickly, I will probably tear something and then lose time while I recover.
I felt good yesterday. I went to bed a bit early with the goal to get up earlier today and run while it is cooler. I must have needed the extra sleep because I finally got out of bed only a few minutes before my normal time.
My goal today was to run five miles. I want to make five miles my standard run most days. However, as I got started I could feel fatigue in legs. I could have pushed and done the five anyway. Instead, I compromised. I ran one mile. That might not seem like much, but it was a commitment. It expresses my commitment to running, while being kind to my body.
I can push harder later. For now, I think it best to give the tendons and ligaments some time to get stronger first. I ran, but I did not run in such a way as to risk injury.