Running Becomes Fun Again

The 2016 Bay2Breakers was fantastic. I was able to enjoy end
to end barefoot and carrying my backpack (about 10lbs). It
was much more of a festival than a race. I remembered
chasing a group of runners dressed up as Roman legionaires
(called a centipede) in Golden Gate Park. It took me 4 days
to recover from that 7.5-mile run.

Other than that, in the past several months, I did very
moderate running, about 10 miles a week. My plantar
fasciitus was mild but annoying. I realized now that
physically I had never been great to run. The stamina and
the cardio capacity were there but my symmetry, flexibility,
and joint mobility desperately needed work. Running barefoot
fixed some posture issues but that's obviously not enough.
Well, after almost 40 years of sitting, who can blame me?! ;-)
Early this year, when I told Mark I gave up running a
marathon this summer, he told me that it was a good idea as
he thought I could get injured. I have been relentlessly
stretching since then.

Meanwhile, I read and re-read, among others, the book "Body,
Mind, and Sport" by John Douillard and started to practice
nasal breathing and lower the intensity of my runs. I threw
away my Garmin Forerunner GPS watch (Its bands broke after
one year. The vendor's trick, no doubt.) and focused totally
on feeling it. I'm not going to buy a heart-rate monitor for
that matter, even though it is recommended in the book and
pretty much everywhere else. If I'm going to be self-reliant,
I'd do it with as little "help" as possible from modernity. So I've
been counting steps per breath cycle and found it most
comfortable with 4 steps in and 5 steps out.  And more
importantly, such runs have been fun.

I kept running longer at low intensity and recovery got easier
Secretly, I have started to entertain the idea of a marathon
later this year.

[7grizzly]

> But people keep telling us that hiking is not good for kneels. I guess it may be true to an extent, but we need exercise to build our body and mind.
Of course, there's another theory: use it or lose it ;-) So I'm with you on the exercise front.

> My urge to write in English is strong, but whenever I tried, the writing is too plain.
"Plain" is a good thing if it means clear, straight, and non-pretentious.

[暖冬cool夏]

回复 '7grizzly' 的评论 : Thanks for the information. I actually hike every Saturday for about 3-4 hours, between 6-10 miles. That's the only exercise/entertainment I have. But people keep telling us that hiking is not good for kneels. I guess it may be true to an extent, but we need exercise to build our body and mind.
My urge to write in English is strong, but whenever I tried, the writing is too plain. I see myself "a frog that needs to be immersed in the warm water like yours" for a while before I jump out. Thank you!

[7grizzly]

Thank you for reading. You made me want to write more often ;-)

> Do you really mean "barefoot "?
Not really;-) There are a bunch of barefoot-running shoes (oxymoron, I know.) out there.
I've been wearing the Xero Shoes for over a year now.
They put a thin layer of rubber between the feet and the road.
Had big problems in the beginning but they feel really comfortable now.

> too much exercise can result in injuries (especially your knees)
I heard about that, too. But I guess the injuries have to be viewed case-by-case. From what I read, injuries have a lot to do with poor
running postures. What fascinates me are the stories about people running into their 80s and 90s. I personally know 70-year-olds running faster and longer than I do. And running is the way of life for whole Mexico Indian tribe of Tarahumara. (See "Born to Run.") How do they do it?

[暖冬cool夏]

Glad to see your journal again. Do you really mean "barefoot "? I cannot imagine running without your shoes on? Or probably it is a technical term for running(?). I guess sometimes too much exercise can result in injuries (especially your knees). 10 miles a week should be adequate though.