Running is my new addiction!!

I always day-dreamed about being a runner.  You know, you see pictures of runners and their bodies look so long and lean.  I tried many times in my life, but never got bit by the running bug.  Until now.  It's my new high.  Literally.  Runner's high.  I always thought it was a myth.  I'm here to tell you that it's real.

Now, I'm not fast and I don't run marathons.  But each runner needs to find their own stride.  Someone will always run faster.  Someone will always run longer.  Someone will always run more often.  But you find your own pace, mileage and frequency... and you go with it!

Just finished 8.5 miles and it was awesome (ok other than the last half mile where I felt so tired I thought I was going to collapse).  I'm training for a half marathon as long as my knees will let me get there.  We'll see.  Even if they don't hold up for 13.1 miles, I can still run lots of shorter mileage days and be the runner that's right for me!

So what's gonna be your new (healthy) addiction???

I'm trying to make running my addiction and have vowed to run a 5K every month... Inspiring read!

8.5 miles - that's CRAZY!!!   Makes me feel a little better about my 5 mile run tomorrow. But i totally get the *high*  (or is that the result of all the people smoking weed in their cars around here???)

Do you wear/use any kind of knee braces?  My knee is on the verge of bothering me, so I dont know if a brace might help. It might irritate me more to run with it on my leg.


I have a brilliant idea - we should run the Disneyworld Marathon in 2014 together - I dont think I'd ever be able to do the goofy challege (1/2 + full the next day) but...I might be crazy enough to do a full. 

I've read up about the knee pain and have seen a PT.  Basically, I have runner's knee.  It's caused by any of the following: overpronation, flat feet, second toe being longer than the big toe.  Aaaand, I have all three, lucky me!!  It's basically your knee cap rubbing the wrong way on the tissue underneath.  Supposedly braces make it worse since it puts even more pressure on the rubbing.  Full orthotics can help but I haven't gone that route yet.  The P****ched my stride and said I rely too heavily on my knees and hips to do all the work.  My butt muscles are too weak because they should compensate for this, but don't.  So I gotta do some booty exercises (that look ridiculous) to strengthen my gluteus medius, specifically.

The Disney half sounds appealing but not the whole thing.  I think I'd die.

 Interesting on the knee thing......if mine gets any worse, I might see about PT.

Brazilian Butt Lift time!!!

 Are you cross-training with any other activities? Weight training can help to strengthen the glutues and your whole body. Did you see the Sprinters in the Olympics, they all had muscles and all cross train with weights. The marathoners were long and lean. I drooled over the muscles that the track athletes had. I want some of that.


gail

Yes, I bike and do strength training as my cross train activities.  The exercises the PT gave me fit well into my strength routine but I've only been doing them for about a week and a half.  So it should get better over time.  I found that I have really poor posture when I run, so I focus on having a straight back with a strong core.  It helps!

 The strength training should also help to strengthen your core, which will help with your running and posture. Your activities are awesome!!

 Want to work your butt muscles, run in sand. No joke, me and my son did a mile yesterday on the beach and my ass muscles are on FIRE today! 

Staci, I just wanna tell you how awesome I think you are. I admire you motivation to just go out there & do it!
Luv ya!