This was the first workout that made me realize that there is a wall. My first attempt at running, since Jan 28. My plan was to walk one lap around the track, then run for 2 laps, until I had covered 3 miles. The walk was easy, but when I started running, or what I wanted to be running, the plan changed.
I ran track and cross country in high school. The farthest I ever ran was about 8 miles. So the thought that I would be able to do a slow jog for half a mile seemed feasible. That is, until I tried to do it. I felt like my shoes had weights in them. There was no bounce in my step, my legs were numb and asleep. As other people on the track were springing along like gazelles, I was shuffling like a drunken hippo, but with less grace. To top it off, I was sweating like a crazy. So the workout was adjusted to “walk 1, run 1.” I made it through 2 miles feeling overall pretty disappointed.
It’s not easy for anyone to take nearly a year off of running, and then expect to sprint around the track like Usain Bolt; Much less someone who had spent most of the year in a hospital bed, less than a month out of brain surgery. I realize this…now. So I made adjustments to the plan: Take it easy, build up, and don’t expect it all at one time. I’ll get back out there and burn a mile again.