Feeling The Pain AND The Gain

I am learning the dynamics of running are complex at best and downright baffling at worst. The upside to this is everyone who is a runner that I talk to tells me the things that are happening to my body are pretty normal when one adjusts to the rigors of running. The odd thing to me is that despite the pain and frustration of the past week I am still anxious to hit the treadmill tonight. My motivation is a combination of a few things: 1. My endurance continues to grow, 2. I lost two pounds last week, 3. My pants are getting looser.

A recap for you. I got my new shoes last Monday night and hit the gym on Tuesday evening to give them a trial run. They passed with flying colors -- a little residual soreness in my knees but nothing to complain about. On to Wednesday night and running class. The shoe issues had put me behind a bit on the training schedule - I was running three to four sets of 3 minutes run, 2 minutes walk. My group's trainer announced our group would be doing six sets of 4 minutes run, 1 minute walk. Oh ugh. The first set was really hard but after that somehow I made it through the next five -- even running up a steep hill on the fourth set. I left class that night tired but ready to tackle the week and be up to four sets of five minutes run, 1 minute walk by class this week.

Thursday was a busy day and I had a haircut after work. Bill was at Scouts with the kids when I got home so I grabbed a quick snack and headed to the club to get my run in. If I hadn't been so focused on getting there it might have dawned on me that I hadn't drank nearly enough water that day. This was a recipe for impending disaster. I arrived at the club, quickly went through my warm ups and hopped on a treadmill. By the end of the second set of 4 run/1 walk I noticed my legs feeling what I thought was fatigue. I figured I could just push through it. I got through my third set but by then my quads felt very odd indeed. Still not realizing that in fact what was happening was that my quads were spasming in preparation for complete tightening up in protest to the water shortage in my body, I jumped off the treadmill for a minute and attempted to stretch my quads. I then hopped back on and cranked it up for my last 4 minutes of running. I barely made it through one minute and the pain was unbearable. I was cursing under my breath because I didn't understand what was happening and I was frustrated because I just wanted to finish. My quads tightened by the second and I had to flat out shut off the treadmill. I limped over to an area and tried my darndest to stretch things out. My quads would have none of it -- no matter what I did. I vacillated between cursing myself in anger for being so stubborn and not stopping sooner and and for the incredible pain I was in. I changed my shoes and called Bill and told him "something is really wrong and I seriously need help." I am sure he was chuckling under his breath but he sympathetically told me to get some Gatorade and head home.

I limped into Walgreen's and grabbed a couple bottles and headed home. I was naive enough to think once I started drinking this magic potion that my legs would miraculously loosen up. Um nope. I got home and someone managed to get up the stairs to the living room. It was hours - literally - before my muscles loosened enough so I could go to bed. I drank a TON of watered down Gatorade. On Friday I woke up and at least my muscles were loose but the residual pain I was left with down my entire quad and around my knees was humbling to say the least.

I have said in past posts that I am amazed what you can ask of your body and what it will do. On that same note you have to be good to your body and it will in turn be good to you. Hydration is key.

I haven't run since Thursday -- call me a big chicken. Tonight I run. Today I drink -- lots and lots and lots of water. :-)