Stopwatch surprise

[Shamus36]

I don't normally like to mention (to anyone) any accomplishments I have made in the physical health realm, but was so shocked when I looked at my stopwatch at the end of my run today, I figured, what the heck, I'll post.  Because my time may not seem like much to the habitual runners here, I just want to put things in a personal context.  I stopped doing any running to speak of in my early 20's.  About 5 years ago (I'm 37 now) I decided to try and get back in shape.  I picked the distance from our house to the local school, as my running benchmark.  It's 4.6km, according to Google maps.  That first run took me a little over 42 mins (I'm 5'7, and was 186lbs).  A few weeks later, and via some research along with serious revisions to my running form, that number dropped to 35 mins.  I have been on and off with physical exercise since.  Last year, after a winter of skiing, I posted my best run for that distance, at 00:26:10.  Stopped running again, but picked up skiing once more over the winter.  My best time this Spring had been a frustrating 00:26:56, though the cold air while running was at least partly to blame.  Today I was bound and determined to drop my time below that elusive 26 mins.  Imagine my surprise at the end of my run when I looked down at my watch and saw 00:24:14 staring back at me. 

 

New possibilities...new goals.

[chemgeek]

Congratulations! 

I'm a really slow runner (my best 5K to date is a hair under 30min), but I do my best. Since you got such great improvement in your time after getting your run form in gear, I might try some research on mine - I know for a fact I don't have the best form.

[Shamus36]

6 hours ago, chemgeek said:

Congratulations! 

I'm a really slow runner (my best 5K to date is a hair under 30min), but I do my best. Since you got such great improvement in your time after getting your run form in gear, I might try some research on mine - I know for a fact I don't have the best form.

 

There was definitely a lot I was doing wrong.  My breathing was the worst culprit.  I used to do a series of more shallow and rapid breaths, instead of slow, deep ones.  I clenched my arms in front of me, instead of keeping them at my sides at 90 degrees.  I looked at the ground in front of me, instead of straight ahead.  I hunched slightly forward, instead of standing up straight.  And lastly, I lifted my legs far too high with each stride, instead of keeping them low to the ground, and thus saving energy. 

 

The best part of changing my form though, was that my shin, back and knee pains all went away almost immediately.

[chemgeek]

Do you find it takes you a while to get into the breathing rhythm? Might just be my asthma, but it takes me a good 15min.

[Shamus36]

What are you finding happens to your breathing at the start of the run? 

 

I don't have much of a rhythm to speak of, other than just breathing in as deeply as I can for a few strides, and then out again with roughly the same pacing.  I haven't made it a hard and fast number as to the number of strides per breath, but rather I go with what feels comfortable.  My breathing control gets top billing as far as my order of running concentration goes.  I've really started to notice a strain on my endurance if I don't pay proper attention to how I'm breathing.  My biggest sin is letting my mind wander, and then I start breathing like you would while just sitting down.  I'll suddenly find myself straining for air.

[Bean Sidhe]

On 4/5/2017 at 6:22 PM, Shamus36 said:

I don't normally like to mention (to anyone) any accomplishments I have made in the physical health realm, but was so shocked when I looked at my stopwatch at the end of my run today, I figured, what the heck, I'll post.  Because my time may not seem like much to the habitual runners here, I just want to put things in a personal context.  I stopped doing any running to speak of in my early 20's.  About 5 years ago (I'm 37 now) I decided to try and get back in shape.  I picked the distance from our house to the local school, as my running benchmark.  It's 4.6km, according to Google maps.  That first run took me a little over 42 mins (I'm 5'7, and was 186lbs).  A few weeks later, and via some research along with serious revisions to my running form, that number dropped to 35 mins.  I have been on and off with physical exercise since.  Last year, after a winter of skiing, I posted my best run for that distance, at 00:26:10.  Stopped running again, but picked up skiing once more over the winter.  My best time this Spring had been a frustrating 00:26:56, though the cold air while running was at least partly to blame.  Today I was bound and determined to drop my time below that elusive 26 mins.  Imagine my surprise at the end of my run when I looked down at my watch and saw 00:24:14 staring back at me. 

 

New possibilities...new goals.

 

 

Congrats. That is an awesome time. Granted, I am barely a runner, but it sounds like your doing great. Keep up the good work. Be proud of your accomplishment here.

[ladymorella]

That is awesome!