The Delicate Fun of Running
Running Files 003
I ended my last post about running in hopes of “more to come” and “continued success” with my return to running after a year of cycling chaos. Those “beautifully unspectacular” first runs were marked by constant doubt because running is a delicate funfair. The worries of a body that’s failing one’s ambitions are omnipresent in rebuilds, be it from injury or other breaks.
The last three weeks included that sensitivity and proved that a careful approach works.
Oversensitive progress
The plan for week two was to add a third run: 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes. That didn’t happen, but the week was still a success and kept me on track.
The first 10-minute run was also the first slightly faster run, starting nice and slow and increasing the pace every two minutes until I hit about what used to be the most enjoyable effort level.
Nice and easy at the moment means 10:30 /mi (6:30 /km), and that cruising speed of the past sits around 8:00 /mi (5:00 /km). The former was so relaxing that I sometimes wished I brought something to read. The latter was still very comfortable and sustainable but a bit harder than “easy.”
When I rebuilt in 2020, I slowed it down even more to 11–12:00 /mi territory. And it took months before I made any progress. Because the runs are so short at the moment, I live with the harder effort.
Besides, my heart rate may be higher than it should be, but it already feels easy enough, and progress is visible. But more on that a bit later.
I adjusted the plan and cut the third run because of strength training. The legs (especially the problem area, aka my right knee/quads/hamstrings) responded well, and the light tightness in the aftermath of the runs began with the hamstrings and moved to the quads eventually.
I cared for those muscles with some bonus care, but out of the blue, I felt knee discomfort during the second of three sets of single leg stand-ups, a staple leg strength exercise I’ve been doing since I started adding lower body strength work somewhere in 2019.
Maybe the combination of running, more intense core workouts, and leg workouts was a bit much. Maybe my technique slipped. I don’t know. There was no lasting discomfort. But I acknowledged the warning sign and cut back the run and strength plan.
It only took a closer look at the plan to realize those additional 10 minutes didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. I could still follow the plan for next week, maybe cut the final run short to accommodate the missed minutes.
Week two ended on Friday. Long-term consistency was more important.
I managed week three as planned: 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes. Instead of using the middle ground for faster running, I kept the 10-minute progression from last week and made the longer runs easy.
The legs responded so well that I didn’t see a need to cut the 20-minute run down.
And instead of two full lower body sessions, I did three mild days starting on Friday. Mild means I only did a bit of careful resistance band work and paired that with some extra care (foam rolling and stretching). I also dialed the core routine back a notch — just in case.
Life interference pushed some of the runs in the last two weeks into the evenings (I really prefer the early mornings). Right now, it’s pitch-black either way. That’s why the visual companions are what they are.
I enjoyed those three runs and could see hints of progress. Running feels easier again, and the devil on my shoulder that fears injury gets quieter.
Move aside minutes
I kept adjusting my plan for week four. While the duration remained an hour, I distributed that hour to three instead of four runs. That gave me an additional rest day in exchange for a 25-minute run, which reduced the gap to the longest run the following week. Both felt like decent adjustments.
20, 15, 25 minutes. I felt the stress of the day when I could finally squeeze the runs in on Tuesday and Thursday. The muddy cold didn’t add to the slow fun on Tuesday, but Thursday’s progression was entertaining despite the day that preceded it.
Today, I started the day early and completed a peaceful 25-minute run, the longest in the last four weeks.
That marks the end of the time-based period: 4 weeks — 10 runs — 2.5 hours — 15.1 mi (24.3 km).
Starting next week, I’ll base the runs on distance again because it begins to make sense again.
I’m still a bit careful with strength training, but that should subside soon, I hope. As for the running, the devil is nearly gone.
The gradual and careful build-up continues, and the next running update drops in three weeks. Next week, I’ll share a Ghana update about a special precious and return to the forest for more outdoor photography.
