Plum Books: My First 100 Miles and some lessons along the way

Sunday, August 31, 2014

My First 100 Miles and some lessons along the way

I've recently logged my first 100 miles according to my RunKeeper App on my phone. Here are some lesson's or observation's I've noted.

Walking on Sunshine - When I first started I could barely jog more that a minute without becoming severely winded. My "Couch to 5k" app I used did a run/walk/run/walk type of training which helped. Gradually I've expanded my time and distance.
Every Breathe You Take - Like I said I could barely jog for minute before gasping for air. I then began learning to breathe different. I read some where that to ttry and breathe using your whole gut rather than than my diaphragm. Gradually my breathing wasn't as much of an issue as it was before and my distances soon lengthened.
Should I stay or should I go now - Use the the bathroom before going out. Just like long car trips it's a good idea to go before you go. Avoiding large meals the night before is probably a good idea although I've discovered no sure trick to avoid it totally. If you do let me know. Nothing much ruins a good run that having to hit the porta-potty and there's none around.
I still haven't found what I'm looking for - It helps to have a goal in mind when going out for a run. Sometimes two in case something comes up. A minimum goal and perhaps a strentch goal if things look well. Right now I feel a 2 mile run is my minimum goal with 3 being my average and 4 being an extra good.
Running with the devil - Running sucks. You push limits of your endurance to the limit voluntarily. Despite my body disliking it I do miss when I miss or postpone a run. I used to hear of this before but never understood it. The during the run itself is the challenge but afterwards is when it hits you. My body almost has a cleansed feeling of burning off extra fat or something.
The Long Run - Never thought 3.11(aka: 5k) was so far away. I'm still a relative newbie so even a simple 5k run is still a challenge and I've only broken the 5 mile barrier once. It's about average run for me now. I'm comfortable with that but it still feels great to finish.
Lyin' Eyes - While signing up for my second 5k a gentleman signing up nearly floored me as he stated he was 80 years old. Although I'm hardly the cocky type I thought I'd at least finish ahead of him. Guess what? Yep he did. Not only that, he power walked it too. It was a humbling experience and told me I still had a way to go.