Monday, October 22, 2012

So Far Today

I woke up this morning instead of hitting snooze.  This is monumental.  I rid myself of all my fears and went walking.  It was 40 degrees out.  I did a test run yesterday in regards to pain management.  After walking the outlets in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, the muscles below my calves were sore.  I tried some Icy Hot and it worked wonderfully.  Chronic sore muscles scare me.  I haven't been walking yet because I don't know how to dress.  I'm terrified of getting outside and being too cold or too warm.  Everyone states that when you warm up you feel 20ish degrees warmer than when you start.  To judge this I've paying more attention to the weather and how I feel at various degrees.  I've been afraid of getting sick due to not eating before a run, but I also didn't want to cramp from eating too much.  I was afraid my shoes wouldn't be good enough.  I was afraid I hadn't timed my route or alarm correctly and that I might be late for work.

This morning I just did it.  I got up when I set my alarm to get up and got dressed based on the temperature (and advice from various articles).  I grabbed a small granola bar before hand so I wouldn't get sick and planned for a high protein breakfast when I got back.  I started off cold and scared because I had my capri workout pants and a short sleeve tee on.  The cold left a little bite in my hands, but after 10 or so minutes, I was really comfortable.  I was afraid to jog, but I did that, too.  I paid attention to my posture and did quite well, considering I don't currently run OR jog.  I would take a break from jogging when my muscles felt too tight to continue, but kept a brisk walking pace.  About a mile in I started panicking because the muscles below my calves started hurting pretty bad.  I stopped and used the curb to stretch it out and found more capability and energy by doing this.  Stretching really helped!...even if I did look like a moron.

I've often told myself that it's easier for me to workout when it's cold because I don't overheat as much.  This morning, I proved this to myself.  My pulse was flying, but I didn't really notice because I was focusing on my breathing and because it was cold enough that if I didn't have to get ready for work, I could have kept going!  It felt great!  In warmer weather I start to feel like I'm dying because of all the sweat and fatigue.  The cold really helped with this greater than I could have imagined.  Also, my mom was right...bending at your elbows really does help to propel yourself forward into a quicker pace.

I'm really bad about not properly cooling off, but I took into account that I would feel pretty crummy going back into a 72 degree house after exerting myself, with my heart pumping like crazy, in the cold weather.  I would have likely felt quite sick to the stomach if I went straight into getting ready for work.  I made sure to take the time to cool off today, though, and it helped tremendously in transitioning to post workout composure.  As I approached my street, I let my arms fall to naturally slow my pace.  As I turned onto my street, I slowed to a turtle pace to let my heart rate drop.  When I got to the house my pulse had dropped low enough that going inside after being outside wasn't bad at all.  I also took the time to stretch and included a protein shake with the rest of my breakfast.

I got to work and felt nice and relaxed.  I was still tired (not enough sleep), but it was a good, deep relaxation kind of tired.  I am mostly looking forward to next time!

1 comment:

  1. Great workout! Getting out of bed is always the hardest part. Nice work! This activity is what will bring you to success!

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