"You look like you just got your ass kicked in the gym," were the first words this friend I work with said to me after I finished my first-ever on-purpose 5K Run today.
They were some of the nicest words anyone said to me in a long while. I said, 'Thank you," and I meant it.
Those of you who read the Ode to My Fat Boy Shoes essay know the story of my feet and shins and what the Army did to me. Even in my best shape in the last ten years, I couldn't have finished a 5K. Why? My feet would have responded with crippling pain halfway through, forcing me to stop. Seriously. I wouldn't even be breathing hard, but the bridge of my foot would feel like it was about to snap off.
No Mas Corre!
My strategy outlined in the previous essay has worked. My base is much stronger. My thighs and calves have been built up through exercises like aquats, stairs, etc. DDP Yoga has strengthened my ligaments and muscles as well. Paying attention to what's holding me up paid off.
And so did my Five Finger Shoes.
I'll lay 50 bucks I couldn't have done this in regular shoes. I still wear my regular shoes to the gym sometimes and my feet start to ache in them after awhile. I absolutely think the way the Five Fingers lets my feet contact the ground helps them. I'm sitting here and my feet don't even hurt. Not even a tiny bit. It's honestly amazing.
RANT ALERT--FEEL FREE TO SKIP IT!
---MINI RANT---
I've had my fair share of people yell at me for slowing down or stopping over the years. I know people even now, who have always been in terrific shape, who just can't grok the sort of foot pain me and millions of other Americans experience. Just the other day one made a snide remark on Facebook about Army PT people not pulling their weight. Note to these people-- the Army has already acknowledged they F$ucked up my feet. Want to see the check they cut me every month? Those docs didn't help one bit. It took me finally figuring it out on my own. Why not stop calling them names and start helping out. I was them and it took me helping myself because the system in place only helps those who don't really need it.
---END MINI RANT--
So what made me Run a 5 K today?
I started running next to a co-worker on a kilometer-metered treadmill. I walked the first two minutes, then began running. I can normally only run about 3-5 minutes at a time on the treadmill, before I have to walk for a spell. But this time I ran for 7 minutes. Then I walked for 4, then I ran for 6. Next thing I knew, I was looking at 2.9 Kilometers and I wasn't hurting. Sure, my heart rate was at 157, but that was good. So I said what the heck. Let me try it. I can always breathe hard or puke, but as long as my feet don't hurt, let me keep going.
And I sprinted the last two tenths of a kilometer.
Man do I feel great.
What's my time you say?
I knew you'd ask.
I'm sure it's not very good. At least it gives me something to work against.
So I ran it in 42:27. I ran about 65% of the time in a slow steady pace of 8 km per hour.
My strategy was to run 7 min, walk 4 min, run 6 min, walk 4 min, run 5 min, walk 4 min, run 4 minutes, then ran every 2 minutes for 2 minutes to the end. Not very good, I know, but it's a place to start.
More importantly, it's the first on-purpose 5K I've ever ran in my life and my feet don't hurt.
When I reached 5K on the machine, I threw up both my hands like I'd just crossed the finish line and let out a yell.
People stared at me.
I'm used to it.
It's part of being me.
They were some of the nicest words anyone said to me in a long while. I said, 'Thank you," and I meant it.
Those of you who read the Ode to My Fat Boy Shoes essay know the story of my feet and shins and what the Army did to me. Even in my best shape in the last ten years, I couldn't have finished a 5K. Why? My feet would have responded with crippling pain halfway through, forcing me to stop. Seriously. I wouldn't even be breathing hard, but the bridge of my foot would feel like it was about to snap off.
No Mas Corre!
 |
| My Proud Feet - Victorious!! |
My strategy outlined in the previous essay has worked. My base is much stronger. My thighs and calves have been built up through exercises like aquats, stairs, etc. DDP Yoga has strengthened my ligaments and muscles as well. Paying attention to what's holding me up paid off.
And so did my Five Finger Shoes.
I'll lay 50 bucks I couldn't have done this in regular shoes. I still wear my regular shoes to the gym sometimes and my feet start to ache in them after awhile. I absolutely think the way the Five Fingers lets my feet contact the ground helps them. I'm sitting here and my feet don't even hurt. Not even a tiny bit. It's honestly amazing.
RANT ALERT--FEEL FREE TO SKIP IT!
---MINI RANT---
I've had my fair share of people yell at me for slowing down or stopping over the years. I know people even now, who have always been in terrific shape, who just can't grok the sort of foot pain me and millions of other Americans experience. Just the other day one made a snide remark on Facebook about Army PT people not pulling their weight. Note to these people-- the Army has already acknowledged they F$ucked up my feet. Want to see the check they cut me every month? Those docs didn't help one bit. It took me finally figuring it out on my own. Why not stop calling them names and start helping out. I was them and it took me helping myself because the system in place only helps those who don't really need it.
---END MINI RANT--
So what made me Run a 5 K today?
I started running next to a co-worker on a kilometer-metered treadmill. I walked the first two minutes, then began running. I can normally only run about 3-5 minutes at a time on the treadmill, before I have to walk for a spell. But this time I ran for 7 minutes. Then I walked for 4, then I ran for 6. Next thing I knew, I was looking at 2.9 Kilometers and I wasn't hurting. Sure, my heart rate was at 157, but that was good. So I said what the heck. Let me try it. I can always breathe hard or puke, but as long as my feet don't hurt, let me keep going.
And I sprinted the last two tenths of a kilometer.
Man do I feel great.
What's my time you say?
I knew you'd ask.
I'm sure it's not very good. At least it gives me something to work against.
So I ran it in 42:27. I ran about 65% of the time in a slow steady pace of 8 km per hour.
 |
| I think this is what I looked like the last 2 tenths of a mile |
More importantly, it's the first on-purpose 5K I've ever ran in my life and my feet don't hurt.
When I reached 5K on the machine, I threw up both my hands like I'd just crossed the finish line and let out a yell.
People stared at me.
I'm used to it.
It's part of being me.
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