Running is hard

Every year it seems like I try to do some running. Every year after a couple of tries I get shin splints, which is just a disgusting sounding term that invokes images (at least for me) of slivers of shin bone breaking off and sticking through my skin for some reason. But this year I tried a different tack. I went an got some advice on good running form from people that actively run a lot. Because I want to run, actually. I think it'd be a good exercise for those days that I want to exercise but don't feel like sitting in my car for 10-20 minutes getting to the gym.

So, Wednesday was just one of those days, and it happened to be fairly nice out.

Now, speaking of the gym, I've been going a bit more consistently recently. (Up until this week, oddly enough, where I've just been busy a lot after work.) And every day when I go I do a half hour on the bike. I've gotten to the point where it's not grueling anymore.

So, I lace up the sneakers and I figure I should be able to get in a few minutes of running, followed by a few minutes of walking, and repeat for a half hour or so with no problem.

I ran for maybe 90 seconds and it felt like someone had drop kicked me in the lungs. With cleats. I realize it's a different exercise than biking, but damn! Seriosuly, I barely made it to the end of my street. Anyway, I continued on. Running, walking, running, w a l k i n g, running, w...a...l...k...i...n...g... Obviously much shorter increments of running than I was expecting.

I realize that this will get better when (and if) I continue to do it more, but that first day hurt.

And the day after (yesterday) and today...also hurt. Because running is an impact exercise. You use muscles that you don't when biking. Yesterday morning I woke up feeling like the same cleated feet that had drop kicked my lungs had jumped up and down on my quads while I slept.

I just used the word "quads" in all seriousness. How weird is that?
...
You know what I hate? Skipping a day of showering.

It doesn't happen often, but occassionally it occurs. Like yesterday. Right after work I went down to my uncle's house to take some pictures of a keyboard and a sliding glass door he wants me to try and sell for him on Craigslist. And then from there I went to Brian's house to give him some recording software and some instructions on how to use that software. And then right from there I went to Matt's house to rehearse. And right from there to the Mystic to see Fil play. And right from there home and to bed, since it was about 1am at this point. No time for showering.

I'm a night showering person, not a morning showering person. There's no way I'm getting up earlier than I have to to take shower in the morning because that would entail me getting up earlier than I have to. I tried it for a while, figuring maybe it would help me wake up, but that doesn't happen, so I opted for the more sleep option.

So anyway, I feel grungy today. Usually I can't wait to get home from work for any number of reasons, today it is to shower.

On an odd note, my hair always seems to know when it's not going to get cleaned that day. Because I get to about 5pm or so and all of a sudden it starts feeling greasy. On a normal day, if it's 5pm....6pm....10pm....whatever and I still fully intend to shower this doesn't happen. Only on days when I know I'm not. Weird.

Anyway, so today? Grungy and leg pain. That's me.