I Ran For Real

Yesterday was an absolutely perfect day. The sun was shining, the wind was gusting slightly, and the humidity was (for once) not completely oppressive. That is to say, it felt like Fall. After waking up and having my gallons of coffee to start my morning off right, I found myself pondering a strange, new thought—let’s go for a run outside today.

Ya, that’s right. I’ve been training for a 5k and have yet to actually run without a treadmill underfoot. I understand how ridiculously crazy that sounds, but there was something holding me back from lacing up and heading out on pavement. Maybe I was hesitant to run alone. Maybe I was afraid of being killed by crazy CT drivers (you know that one is valid). Maybe I felt less accomplished knowing a piece of technology wasn’t going to be logging my every step. Or maybe I was just being delusional and lazy.

Either way, yesterday I actually got the urge train outdoors. So I took that feeling and ran with it. (HA! See what I did there?!)

I used Map My Run to chart a loop around my neighborhood, and was able to freehand a route with gradual climbs and descents that totaled exactly 3.1 miles. I thought some added terrain variety would be a nice challenge, and my strategy was to replicate what I had been used to in the gym: run 1 mile, walk 2 minutes, repeat 1 time, then alternate 3-4 running minutes with 1 minute walking recovery until I reached my distance goal. Sounds like an okay game plan, right? So, I laced up my running kicks, coerced le boyfriend to join me, grabbed the iPod, and off we went.

Describing the run as “difficult” wouldn’t be explicit enough. In fact, I can think of a lot of expletives I could share to give a genuine understanding of my experience, but I’ll spare your brain’s earholes the assault. Instead, I’ll just say that it was an incredibly challenging and humbling experience. I only made it about a half mile before needing to stop. We took a quick walk break so I could catch my breath, then set back out. And then the hills hit.

…You can imagine my colorful language disappointment.

In short, the theme of this whole workout evolved from “a nice challenge” to “run until you think you are going to die, then take a walk-break; repeat until complete.” All said and done, we made it back to our place exactly 40 minutes after starting out. Albeit a slow pace, I was just amazed I walked through my front door instead of needing an airlift. After several laps around my kitchen and living room to aid in draining all of the blood from my face, I basked in the glory of making it back alive. It’s the small victories in life…

Nearly everything about running outdoors felt different than its treadmill counterpart. First, it was WAY harder on my body than running indoors. I could feel my legs working overtime to absorb the impact of my feet on the ground, and pushing harder just to keep my stride. My abs felt a lot more tired after returning home too, and I’ll also attribute that to stabilizing on variable terrain. Consequently, my heart rate hovered at around 185 bpm the whole route. Usually on my treadmill workouts, I am right around 178 bpm. The upside of that is more calories burned, the downside is feeling death trailing right behind you…especially on the hills.

Second, the varied terrain was a whole new ballgame. On the treadmill, I usually run at a constant 1% incline to help my toes land first. Try telling that to Mother Nature. So, not only was I working with some added stability demands, but I experienced the mental demand of outdoor running, too. For example, seeing a huge, long hill in front of you and fighting your urge to turn around and run the other way, or just sit down and cry. Despite feeling the intimidation, I also noticed that my runner’s knee did not show up to play yesterday—which is particularly strange considering the aforementioned impact increase! I have to wonder if the constantly changing inclines afforded my joints a little less of a beating…either way, I definitely appreciated the break!   

Lastly, I really did enjoy exercising outside. I appreciated both the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the shade, and got to enjoy both in almost perfect rotation on this route. It was also nice to see the scenery change. I didn’t have to sketchily stare at people, like I do on the treadmill, for entertainment—a win for all parties—and it was nice to experience my neighborhood in a whole new way. I think the coolest thing, though, was creating my own wind. I might not have been trucking away, but at least I was moving fast enough to somewhat “air condition” my workout.

So today, I’m left to reflect upon my first outdoor running experience in attempt to strategize for the weeks to come until race day. I certainly know that I feel a difference in my body. My legs wouldn’t stop shaking last night, and today my hip flexors and calves are incredibly angry at me. But I’m also feeling a little disheartened and a lot humbled.

I know that the first time you do something new is always the hardest, and I am glad that I finally got out there to bite the bullet. That being said, I’m still really nervous that I’m not going to be ready for the 5k that is now a mere 3 weeks away. I was just starting to be able to log more than 1 consecutive mile at a time on the treadmill, but there I was, not being able to complete a full mile outdoors without needing a break! I feel set back and a little pressed for time.

That being said, I’ve decided that (weather permitting) I am going to do all my running cards outside until doomsday the race. I’m hoping that my body can adapt quickly to the rougher workout and terrain, so that I can start to build up my endurance. Realistically, I know I probably will still need to walk parts of the race, and I’m okay with that. I just want to feel more comfortable with the increased physical demand and mental engagement that caught me so off-guard yesterday.

So, I’ve made myself a new workout playlist and am ready for round two—which starts bright and early tomorrow morning! Happy Sunday!

How I felt after yesterday's workout.