I started running again this year. A change in my morning routine has given be a bit more time before work so I’m trying to use it for excercise.
I’ve never done much running in my life. Over the past 9 years I’ve done 10 park runs and that’s about the extent of my running. My last park run was 2 years ago but it was a PB (28.15 minutes or 5.39 min / km).
I haven’t done any park runs since then but I do want to start again. My recent runs have just been around my neighbourhood. Last week I ran further than I’ve ever run, 5.5km (I know, it’s not that far).
I ran again today and the weather was cool so I decided to push myself. I was aiming for 6km but when I checked my distance after it was 5.75km. I’m still very happy with that. And I did it in 31 minutes (5:30/km) so it’s another personal best.
One thing that makes running (or any extended physical excercise) a bit more challenging for me is that I don’t sweat (I physically can’t because I don’t have sweat glands).
This means that it is much harder for my body to cool itself down. Let me take you through what it feels like for me to run. Of course it is very weather dependent. This is how I felt today and it is only about 21 degrees C. On a hot day I wouldn’t even try running.
For the first kilometer I’m just warning up. My calf muscles start to burn but I push through.
In the second and third kilometer I’m finding my stride and feeling good.
By the fourth kilometer my core temperature is starting to rise. I’m fully warmed up now and my breathing is in a good rhythm but I can feel that I’m getting hot, especially my feet. I can feel the heat radiating off the road and my mind is starting to be distracted by the need to cool down.
By the fifth kilometer my feet are on fire. My muscles are still OK and I can run further but my brain is starting to resist. I know I can push it but there’s a growing desperation to find shade and cool water, to take my shoes off and drench myself. I start running faster so that I can finish quicker, pushing my mind to the back and just focusing on running. If there is the option of shade, I’ll be running it.
Finally, I’m done. Shoes and socks off, clothes off, cold shower!