I recently went more than a week between runs. I didn’t have to do that. I could have gotten a run the day before my business trip, or even done a run at my hotel, but I chose to not run. I wanted to see how my legs did.
The last time I went more than a week without running, my legs started to ache. And getting back into running was painful as I stretched out my tight iliotibial bands. But since I’ve been wearing those natural shoes, my iliotibial bands are not as tight. And I know now that I can go longer between runs if I need to.
And instead of the run being an exercise in discipline as I ran through the pain, I was just a bit sore and managed to run my last tenth of a mile at a sub 10-minute mile pace. I haven’t recorded myself running that fast in years!
On my last few runs, I’ve started to really get into the feeling of Chi Running. It’s like I’m running downhill even when I’m running on a flat or a slight incline. As long as I can hold onto the tight core, and swing my legs back, I can get there. It was several years ago when I got to my fastest running pace ever, being able to sustain 9 minute mile pace for 4 miles. I think with the combination of Chi Running and natural, foot-shaped shoes, I might reach that again.
But it takes patience. I just need to let myself continue to progress a bit at a time. If there’s anything I’ve learned from Ambrose about fitness, it’s that it’s never too late to start – or too early.