Confessions of a slacker...

DonPendergraft

I feel the need just to confess to a group my sins regarding my lack of running and motivation in hopes or rekindling my lost love. I'm 49 years old. I loved running trails and distance. After a 50K trail race in April of 2012 I injured my knees and it's not been the same since.

After some fits and starts and various treatments, I mostly gave up running. As a substitute of sorts I starting lifting (Starting Strength) instead. I got strong and made great progress, but lost interest after 6 months when my progress really stalled. Plus the weights were getting so heavy (for me) that I was no longer looking forward to my workouts. For me anyway, 3 sets of 5 of *kitten* to grass squats at 315lbs took it out of me. When progress slows, it's just hard to work through it if you don't love it.

So here I am at 220lbs and really out of shape and want to get back to running somehow. It's hard though. My big motivation was to go long. My fantasy was to eventually run a 100 miler. So when my knees gave out on a 50K trail race (though I did finish), it pretty much shatters my hope of a 50 miler, 100K or 100 mile event. But maybe I'm being too dramatic. I ran the 50K at 200lbs. Who's to say that if I ran it at 175 I couldn't do it pain free? I don't know. I just started walking on my lunch break yesterday. A brisk 2.2 miles. My legs ache terribly today. Wow! How far I've fallen. I've got an elliptical on order for my daughter, but I imagine I can use it too. Right now, my plan is to just watch my diet and log my food in a diary and start exercising. I will start with walking and then work in some elliptical when we get that delivered. When I get down below 200lbs, I can try to start running again. Not long distances since my weight (for my knees) would still be a bit high at 200lbs, but I can start and work up my distance so that when I'm at 185 I can try to go longer and see what happens? If my knees don't like it, I guess I just have to figure out something else.

I love trail running, but when you are getting out the door at 5am in the dark to run before work, it's a run around the neighborhood area and not the trails. So it's mostly road running. The trails are for me basically only possible on Saturday. I had a tremendous group of runners I used to hit the trails with on Saturday. But I'm in such poor shape, I don't see the point in meeting up with them right now. It would be nice to see them and say hi, but when they disappear into the woods, I would be left behind and I wouldn't see them again. They don't run that fast either. I'm just slow. If you can run at a 10 minute pace comfortably on the trail, then you can run with them for 4, 8, 12, 18 or whatever you want. But that's too fast for me right now. So I'm taking it one step at a time. Start by walking, eating clean with a caloric deficit, then working more aerobic exercise in, and go from there.

I'm posting this because 1) it's cathartic to tell someone else about my struggle, and 2) maybe by joining this group I can get my mojo back.

TLDR: I used to run, got injured, lost conditioning, gained weight, but now I want to try again. :blushing:

fleetzz

I can't run a 10 minute pace yet. You have to start somewhere. And were your knees injured or did you have a mechanical problem that was aggravated by the long run?

lporter229

I hear you. After years of being a regular runner with distances up to 20 miles, I ended up having a surgery in 2009 (unrelated to running) that sidelined me. Between the time I was sick leading up to the surgery and recovery after, it was about a year with little or no running. I did not think I could ever make it back to where I was. That thought alone kept my motivation low. Every time i went out to run and struggled to get through 3 miles, I would be depressed about how far I had fallen. Finally, with motivation from a dear friend, I decided that Rome wasn't built in a day and I had to start somewhere. That was about 4 years ago. Since then I have run a marathon, am training for another and ran a half marathon PR of 1:52, 13 minutes faster than my pre-surgery PR. I about to turn 42 and I am in the best shape of my life.

My point is that we all suffer set backs and they suck. But generally speaking, if you put in the effort, you will come back stronger than before. Try not to focus on the fitness that you have lost, and set little goals for yourself that are quickly achievable. I think you will be surprised at how quickly you will find yourself back where you want to be.

TheBrolympus

I feel your pain with the knee issues. My left knee keeps me from pushing my distance much past a half marathon. I still dream of a marathon (and possibly beyond) but reality keeps kicking my *kitten*.

I am going to pass on a trail 25k I was looking forward to because my knee got pissed about the extra mileage I was adding on.

Take it slow, take care of the knees, and slowly get those miles back in. The more weight you can knock off the better for your knees.

GiddyupTim

Mix it up again for a while. Everyone gets bored, and/or discouraged when something we do causes us pain. Maybe try biking. It is cardio, and you get to be outside, but it is SO much easier on the body than running. Maybe swimming.
Sometimes, with a rest, we can go back to the things we love.

plateaued

This pace thing is interesting. I used to run at 12. Now I'm at 11. I can see getting to 10, but it takes work.

I have noticed a 30 second improvement with each 5 pounds I lose. But I'm within 10 pounds of goal weight and it is probably not the same ratio of loss to pace at higher over-weights. But time does improve with weight loss and it does not take months. It's fun.

Now the 5:00 a.m. thing, that's another story

cococa

I think you're wonderful and inspiring. Thank you for sharing! Motivation can ebb and flow, and I know how hard it is to get back out there when you were capable of so much more before. With asthma, I could run 10 miles at a 9 min pace one day and then barely make 6 at a 11 min pace the next. I constantly have to remind myself to do what I can one day at a time. Having the courage and patience to take small, achievable steps is admirable. Would love to hear how the journey is going - good and bad. Best of luck to you!

wombat94

Just curious... before you injured your knees was there any sign of knee problems?

If you injured them during the race, was there much sign of issues during your training?

Being lighter certainly will help with issues such as knee problems, but being 220 doesn't have to mean you can't run long in and of itself.

Form and foot strike can make a huge difference in the impact and effect on your feet, legs and knees. Perhaps if you are starting over as much as you say, you would be well served to try to focus on modifying your running form for the least impact possible.

DonPendergraft

Thank you for all of the replies. I'm hanging in there! I've lost a little weight and I ran both Saturday and Sunday (2 and then 3 miles). The elliptical won't be in until late this week apparently. I wanted to try to get up and run this morning, but I'm trying to use my head. I told myself to give the legs a rest for a day and try again perhaps Tuesday.

As for my knees, no I've never had knee problems before. Well, not exactly. I can say that back in 2005 I ran my first road marathon and my knees really hurt. It was bizarre as they had never hurt before even with multiple 20 mile training runs. But then, all of my running was off road. The marathon was on pavement. So I chalked up the pain to pounding that the pavement gives you. No problems again until my 2nd 50K trail race. They started hurting really bad at mile 20 and I stupidly just gutted it out and hobbled and limped the rest of the way. So any issues are probably baked into my body as it is and it's not getting any younger. But I do think that I can cheat in a way by dropping a lot of weight. My knees may be able to go a lot further pain free if I'm not carrying an extra 25lbs. Dunno. I look forward to finding out in the future though.