The trip to DC in May was sort of spur of the moment. Spending a weekend in DC with my sister and Alina was a trip I couldn't turn down. While there we walked the streets, did the tours and saw the sights. And part of those sites was watching the "locals" go about their days despite all the tourists. A common thread among the locals caught both me and Alina's eye. They all jog!
It seemed like everyone in DC was out jogging. It didn't matter what time of day, how humid or how rainy, everywhere we looked we saw joggers. Some were obviously experienced runners and run they did with long strides and even longer distances. Others were simply joggers, simply trying to raise their heart beat and get in some exercise during the day. It was something we not only noticed but commented on again and again during the trip.
Once home the task of working out came up again. Here it was summer. And in Boston summer is only about 3 months long and then you are back into chilly and eventually downright cold weather. A cold weather person I am not! So the debate on how to enjoy the weather after work and still get in a workout was suddenly front and center. From the DC trip to the end of May my routine of hitting the gym almost everyday after work became more and more frustrating. There is a reason and those closest to me know what it is. And they also know why I can't go into detail about it. Prying eyes and all! So now the trip to VA Beach arrives and again during the trip I notice people out everyday running the boardwalk. Truly frustrated at myself for not bringing sneakers I vowed to begin running when I got home.
The month of June brought 26 days of rain to Boston. Since its been a few years since I have suited up and run outside on pavement I dared not run in the rain. Having hurt my ankle in the past I wasn't about to take another misstep and prevent myself from taking up running again. So patiently I waited and hit the gym late at night to begin "treadmill" training for my runs. By July the weather was cooperating and the running began. Slowly but surely I ran carefully watching to see if the ankle would act up or the shin splints would reappear. They didn't and so far haven't.
Recently, Alina introduced me to something that has put a whole new focus on my running. Its the Nike+Ipod sports kit. Designed to be used with Nike sneakers its a "chip" that is inserted into the sneaker, syncs up with your Ipod and monitors your runs. You set your preferences and calibrate it and then you are ready to go. As you start your run you start your ipod and it tracks your distance, time, pace and the time and date of the run. Upload the info into itunes when you are done and the info is sent to the Nikeplus site. The fun part is that the Nike site stores your data, tracks your runs, allows you to set goals, join challenges and you can even be "friends" with your other running friends. So even though Alina and I are not in the same state we can still virtually run together everyday. Since the purchase I have increased my runs from a measly .5 km 4.0 km this week. My goal by Nov 1st is to hit 5km which should prove to be no problem.
Running is not my thing. I loved my gym workouts and when committed noticed my body toning and shaping from my cardio and strength training. Being able to jump on the elliptical or the rowing machine meant my ankles and foot were free from pain. But life is what it is and this is my workout now. At some point I have to find some time to get to the gym and incorporate some strength back into my routine. In the past few days I have noticed a tightness in my left heel and there are some mornings where I cannot even put weight on it. It's something to watch to see if it gets better or worse. Right now I am not letting this stop me. For the time being I am just enjoying the solitude of an early evening run and the sense of accomplish as my distance gets longer each week.
If you are interested in the Nike + iPod sport kit check it out here:
http://store.nike.com/index.jsp?sitesrc=uspl&country=US&lang_locale=en_US#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-118523
To follow my runs and see what challenges I complete check out my profile at:
http://my.nike.com/haraskie
Also here is a book I plan to read in the next few months:
What I talk about when I talk about running by Haruki Murakami
0 comments:
Post a Comment