This was just such the case when I went to don my running clothes this morning for a 3 mile run on my treadmill. When my run on Monday went well and I didn't have any tightness in my hip and my piriformis actually felt much better after running than it did before, I decided that I would see if I could run a little faster on my planned run for Wednesday and test my comfort level a little bit by picking up the pace. While I am glad that I did this run, I was mostly glad when it was finished. Even though I was running at a slow pace, I was struggling during the first two miles of this run. It was hard. Admittedly, I was under the weather with a stomach virus that kept me home and near to a bathroom yesterday, so that could have contributed to what felt like an utter lack of running ability. When I approached a 10min/mile pace, I felt like my heart and lungs were going to explode. And my legs felt tired. Oh, so tired.....
Long time readers will also remember that I have something of a love/hate relationship with the treadmill. When hip high drifts arrive, I'm sure that my passion for this machine will be rekindled, but after months of running outside, I find the treadmill to be challenging my mental conditioning as well. During the first mile, I really just wanted to quit and do this:
I know that my conditioning - mental and physical - from the summer and early fall is not going to come back overnight. I just find myself wishing that it would. Although I knew that my endurance was going to fall off when I got injured and took time off, I still find myself feeling a little bit surprised when a pace that felt really easy in the heat and humidity of the summer feels really difficult now. When I think about trying for a PR in a spring half-marathon, I realize just how much work I will need to do to rebuild a strong foundation of running to make that goal an attainable one.
I'm curious to hear from other runners about this. How long can you go without running (or without running much) before you see a serious drop off in endurance and speed? What is your approach for getting it back? Also does anyone have a strategy for not losing socks?
I definitely have a love/hate relationship with the treadmill as well. I've actually found increasing the speed a bit makes it more interesting and suprisingly easier...then, I think that spills over into better performance. But who knows! For me, signing up for races is definitely what keeps me motivated!
ReplyDeleteI know a family who safety pins each pari of socks together when they go in the washing machine. Works for them! I read somewhere (forgive me, I can't remember where) that a rule of thumb is for every week off, expect 2 weeks to get back what you lost. So after a month off, you will need 2 months to get back to where you were previously.
ReplyDeleteI tend to buy all the same kind of black trouser socks socks so that if I lose one of a pair, it can be matched with any of the remaining. I like the safety pin idea Vanessa mentioned below! :)
ReplyDeleteFor me, the first 1-2 miles are almost always hard. I just expect it, no matter how well I'm running. How was the third mile of your run?
ReplyDeleteI realize when I ran mankato half I lost a lot of endurance, speed and strength. I fear that when I do have this baby that I will have lost all endurance and speed. So I might be looking to you for support on that one.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure that my washing machine eats socks for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteGet your conditioning back slowly so you don't get injured!
I was curious to read others' comments? I seems that if I don't run for 1 week, I may feel a bit sluggish and less motivated, but taking a day or 2 off between runs prevents injuries too. I can go a month without running and still get through 30 minutes of running, but I tend to get more crampy.
ReplyDeleteYou'll get back to fightin' shape, soon!
Don't get me started on lost socks!
ReplyDeleteIt does seem that fitness disappears faster than it reappears. But with consistency, you do get it back. I go thru this every time that my knee gets treated. Takes about 4 weeks to feel like I'm a runner again
Oh man, I hear you on the endurance thing. That sinus infection I have/had forced me to take about 2 weeks off from running as it settled into my chest at one point so running was useless as I knew I would just cough the whole time. Now I am bad to running, albeit not much because the side effect of my new antibiotic is a risk of tendinitis or a ruptured tendon. So I need to be careful about not over doing it and have to stretch... So yah, 3 miles runs it is for me. I did 2 on the treadmill this week and they sucked. I hate the treadmill! I really want to try to do winter running this year because I just hate that stupid machine! (But I may be singing a different tune when it's like -30...)
ReplyDeleteAnd i lose socks, too..
I am convinced there is a sock conspiracy. My socks go missing all the time but somehow I can always keep track of my tights. Perhaps my tights are jealous of my socks and are offing them one by one. Or perhaps I have an overactive imagination.
ReplyDeleteAs for running fitness, I feel sluggish if I haven't had a run for more than a week and a half or so. Anything longer than that and I have to pick endurance vs. speed because both won't stay.
It would so not surprise me if there was a massive wardrobe-wide conspiracy against my socks. I have the same issue with trouser socks, but I don't wear them as often so it doesn't plague me as much.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I can do -30 - at least not without investing in some actual cold weather running gear. But I have no desire to do double-digit long runs on the 'mill this winter, either....
ReplyDeleteThe third mile also sucked but not as horribly.
ReplyDeleteTell me about it! I seriously do not know what happens to my running socks. I swear my husband must have a mountain of un-mated running socks hidden somewhere just to torment me (ok, not really). But honestly! Where do they go?!?
ReplyDeleteGet one of those mesh bags that you use to wash your nylons. For the socks, not the conditioning. As for the conditioning....it is different for each one of us. A few years ago, I ran two half marathons and then signed up for a third. Before the third I dropped down to a few miles a couple/few times a week. I did finish the half marathon, but I was in poor shape. I was hurting and sore and not in half marathon condition! So...it only takes a few weeks of not running long distances to lose a lot of the conditioning. You will have to work back up to it, almost as if you were starting at the beginning again. Just take it slow! I know you want it back, but it's not worth further injury!
ReplyDeletelook behind the dryer, that's usually where my socks go! Take it easy getting back into things, you'll be back in top shape before you know it. : )
ReplyDeleteSocks: I always find my running socks bc I'm OCD about keeping them in pairs, but I always lose all other socks. And buy new ones. My current solution is tights & a dress every single day for work.
ReplyDeleteEndurance: This is weird to admit because I'm a pretty slow runner, but since I started running seriously--in January 2010--I don't think I've gone over 3 full days without running at all. That's how scared I am of losing fitness. (And maybe why I'm a "hipster" these days.)
I wrote about time off myself. I can go 1 week with little damage, but more than 2 weeks and my endurance and speed start to suffer. I once heard that it takes twice as long to get back the fitness you lose when you take time off. So 2 weeks off, you'll be back in old shape within 4 weeks. Makes sense, but I have no idea if it's scientifically sound or not!
ReplyDeleteSupposedly you begin to see a small drop after 2 weeks and a pretty precipitous one within a month. I don't know how true that is since the most time I've taken off was two weeks and I felt awful afterwards, but that was because the season changed to summer over those two weeks. I'm planning to start at the very beginning when I come back from my 9 month hiatus because I don't think it's possible for me to have maintained any endurance by then.
ReplyDeleteAw, sweet sleepy pup!
ReplyDeleteI never lose socks. And then I wonder, what to do with all these nasty gray socks? And why do my running socks turn gray? My other white socks, or white clothes for that matter, don't!
Let's go with sock fairies. Blame the fairies.
I think it's smart to plan to start from the beginning after such a long hiatus, especially because you're likely to have experienced pretty significant body changes with pregnancy and birth.
ReplyDeleteIt has been so windy here lately that I fear Marilyn Manroeing so I try to wear pants on those super blustery days.
ReplyDeleteHow is your hip doing, btw? It seems like from dailymile that you are feeling better...? I hope that's the case!