Saturday, April 30, 2011

The score on running

It's the final day of April, which means it's time to disclose the score on running.

Before I you get to the scorecard, I should disclose that I don't feel I gave my all to my month of running. Having my wisdom teeth out meant I lost momentum mid-month. I was running 10 kilometers and getting stronger. My hip flexers and toe joints were starting to get accustomed to the extra work they were doing on the trail. And then, bed rest for 4 days took the wind out of my sails. Or I should say, the hop out of my step.

This week my friends met me downtown for a short run around the beautiful harbour in downtown Victoria, BC. We didn't even run 5 kilometers and I was struggling. On May 1st I will be running the Victoria Times Colonist 10KM run. According to an article in the Times Colonist, more than 13,000 participants are expected. I've run the race before, but this year they changed the route - a change that many local runners have been preparing themselves for. My goal was to run the race in 1.5 hours, but after my run on Thursday night, my goal is to simply run the whole thing without having to walk more than twice. We'll see how it goes.

If you're thinking about running, here are some things to consider:
  • Social or solitary? Running can be a sport you do on your own or something you do with friends. There are running groups in every city around North America. Find a local running store and they will be able to tell you about groups you can join. Running stores often offer running clinics for newbies too.
  • Knee trouble... beware. I will never be a distance runner. Running is hard on your joints - your toes, your knees, and your hips. But, the rewards are pretty hard to argue with. After running you'll feel energized and, if you stay with it, you're bound to slim down. 10KM is probably the longest I should ever run. 5KM is a much better distance for me. My best to those of you out there who have ambitions of running a half or full marathon!
  • Technology and music options are awesome! While I have no plans of becoming a serious runner, there are endless gadgets for those of you who want to be. For example, Nike partnered with Apple to offer the Nike iPod Sport Kit; it will tell you your time, distance, pace, and calories burned. A fellow tweeter told me about iTunes special running play lists. Her favourite is Nike's CassiusPlay.
And now, here is the score on running:

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