Leah's wonderful, inspiring story:
I'd been hearing a lot about these C25K apps, and my curiosity just happen to peak right around the time Kat decided to create this fun little virtual 5k. I said "What the hell" and decided to jump in whole-heartedly and was looking forward to the challenge.
Here's a little of my running background: I don't run. I probably haven't run athletically since my junior year of college, and it was not running to run. I just happen to have participated in running for the types of sports I played over the years. I didn't like running. In fact I loathed it. Here lately, though, I started picking up on the fact that several of my friends like to run, some even taking the time to train for and complete marathons. I started thinking to myself, "hey, maybe there's something more to this running stuff than shear pain and torture." And that's how my journey begin.
I started my couch to 5k app a good six weeks ago, and I was loving it right from the start. It felt so good to make it through each training session. Even though I was running just a little bit at a time, each session left me with such a rewarding sense of accomplishment. I could feel my stamina building. Little did I know I was on my way toward a bit of a set back.
At about three weeks in, I went for one of my morning sessions. After about 30-60 seconds at the start of each run my legs usually loosen up and the initial muscle resistance/pain goes away. Well, on this particular day it didn't. I made it through the run, but by the end I was hobbling back to my car in a descent amount of pain. I got home and explained to the boyfriend what happened. He told me that it sounded like shin splints and that I'd have to quit running for a while. I'm not gonna lie. I started crying right then and there (don't laugh!). I was just so disappointed that I was going to have to put a hold on this adventure that I was enjoying so much.
After doing some research, I determined that I, in fact, was suffering from a shin splint. There was an actual a swollen bump on my shin bone from the swelling of the bone's lining. It was pretty weird. I found out that it is probably mostly due to the fact that I have flat feet. I also read that if I didn't allow it to heal properly before running again that it could lead to a stress fracture. Needless to say I've been resting my legs and have not done anymore running over the past three weeks.
I knew I wasn't going to let Kat down, though, when it came to race day. She spent her time planning out this fun little project and making the fantastically cute robots shirts, and so to keep up my end of the bargain I walked my 5k yesterday. It felt good too. No leg pain to speak of.
One of my marathoner friends suggested that I get some good shoes for my type of feet and my sister who runs cross country showed me some intensive stretching exercises to do before each run.....So, in a week and a half when I get my pharmacist licensure exam out of the way and grab some new shoes I will rejoin my training program and get back into the game. I will RUN a 5k one of these days! You can bet on it.
Leah blogs here: http://www.leahbillings.blogspot.com
