Why Do I Run? (1 - How I started)

It started when I "need to" send my father to Sport Arena to learn Qi Gong.  May 1, 2010 was my 1st trip there.  Initially, I wanted to learn Qi Gong together.  But after learning for 15 minutes, I felt that it is better for me to engage in other activities.

So, I just walked around the place while waiting for my father.  I saw quite a lot of people jogging and walking around the place.  Among those were two old men who were jogging many rounds around the place that really inspired me.  I then ran for 20~30 seconds and I was like out of breath.  So, I decided to just walk fast while waiting for my father to finish the lesson (~1.5 hours).

This has been my weekly routine since then, ie. walking fast for ~1.5hours every week and was my "regular exercise".  I had been trying to engage in "regular exercise" several yeas ago but due to various reasons, it all ended up for only a few months.  With the "commitment" to fetch my father for the lesson every week, I started to engage with another "regular exercise" again.

Because of the "commitment", I was able to continue that regular exercise for ~7 months.  At the end of the year, I met up with my uncle who was in his 60's and he exercised 2~3 hours every week to stay healthy.  I know by then that I need to continue this.  Another 2 months passed and I bumped into my high school classmate whom I never met for more than 20 years during my walk on Saturday.  He was jogging at the place and urge me to jog together.  He said that he was walking initially but eventually turned into running as he felt walking was too slow and boring.  He told me to start running slowly with a short distance first.

OK then, I decided to give running a try.  I tried to run 0.5km initially with a very slow pace.  I set a target to myself to increase 0.5km every 2 weeks.  I did achieve it.  I was so happy when I can continuously running for 2 km.  So, I rewarded myself with a pair of shoes from Asics.

Yes, I started to run now!

Article that I found (from about.com) regarding my muscle pain after the previous run...

For my case, it seems that the pain reduces as I start to have a slow run...
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Muscle Pain and Soreness After Exercise

Tips for dealing with delayed muscle soreness after exercise

By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com Guide

Updated November 17, 2011

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Muscle Soreness After Exercise

Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) describes a phenomenon of muscle pain, muscle soreness or muscle stiffness that occurs in the day or two after exercise. This muscle soreness is most frequently felt when you begin a new exercise program, change your exercise routine, or dramatically increase the duration or intensity of your exercise routine. Although it can be alarming for new exercisers, delayed onset muscle soreness is a normal response to unusual exertion and is part of an adaptation process¹ that leads to greater stamina and strength as the muscles recover and build hypertrophy²).
This sort of muscle pain is not the same as the muscle pain or fatigue you experience during exercise. Delayed soreness is also unlike the acute, sudden and sharp pain of an injury such as a muscle strains or sprain³ that occurs during activity and often causes swelling or bruising. The delayed muscle soreness of DOMS is generally at its worst within the first 2 days following a new, intense activity and slowly subsides over the next few days.

What Causes Muscle Soreness After Exercise?

Delayed onset muscle soreness is thought to be a result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers. The amount of tearing (and soreness) depends on how hard and how long you exercise and what type of exercise you do. Any movement you aren't used to can lead to DOMS, but eccentric muscle contractions⁴ (movements that cause muscle to forcefully contract while it lengthens) seem to cause the most soreness. Examples of eccentric muscle contractions include going down stairs, running downhill, lowering weights and the downward motion of squats and push-ups. In addition to small muscle tears there can be associated swelling in a muscle which may contribute to soreness.

What Is the Best Treatment for Muscle Soreness After Exercise?

There is no one simple way to treat delayed onset muscle soreness. In fact, there has been an ongoing debate about both the cause and treatment of DOMS. In the past, gentle stretching was one of the recommended ways to reduce exercise related muscle soreness, but a study by Australian researchers published in 2007 found that stretching is not effective in avoiding muscle soreness. So does anything work to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness? Nothing is proven 100 percent effective, and although some people have found the following advice helpful, it's best to try a few things to see what works for you. Ultimately, best advice for treating DOMS is to prevent it in the first place.

Using a Foam Roller After Exercise May Help Reduce Soreness

One technique I've used with some success to reduce my own muscle soreness is to use a foam roller⁵ regularly as a part of my cool down. This has been particularly helpful for me after a long, high intensity bike ride or after I start a new type of exercise or a new weight training routine.

Tips for Dealing with Muscle Soreness After Exercise

If you do find yourself sore after a tough workout or competition, try these methods to deal with your discomfort. Although not all are backed up with research, many athletes report success with some of the following methods.

• Use Active Recovery⁹. This strategy does have support in the research. Performing easy low-impact aerobic exercise increasing blood flow and is linked with diminished muscle soreness. After an intense workout or competition, use this technique as a part of your cool down.
• Rest and Recover¹⁰. If you simply wait it out, soreness will go away in 3 to 7 days with no special treatment.
• Try a Sports Massage¹¹. Some research has found that sports massage may help reduce reported muscle soreness and reduce swelling, although it had no effects on muscle function.
• Try an Ice Bath or Contrast Water Bath¹². Although no clear evidence proves they are effective, many pro athletes use them and claim they work to reduce soreness.
• Use R.I.C.E.¹³, the standard method of treating acute injuries, if your soreness is particularly painful.
• Perform Gentle Stretching¹⁴. Although research doesn't find stretching alone reduces muscle pain of soreness, many people find it simply feels good.
• Try a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory¹⁵. Aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium may help to temporarily reduce the muscle soreness, although they won't actually speed healing. Be careful, however, if you plan to take them before exercise. Studies reported that taking ibuprofen before endurance exercise is not recommended¹⁶.
• Try Yoga¹⁷. There is growing support¹⁸ that performing Yoga may reduce DOMS.
• Listen to Your Body¹⁹. Avoid any vigorous activity or exercise that increases pain.
• Allow the soreness to subside thoroughly before performing any vigorous exercise.
• Warm Up²⁰ completely before your next exercise session. There is some research that supports²¹ that a warm-up performed immediately prior to unaccustomed eccentric exercise produces small reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness (but cool-down performed after exercise does not).
• ** If your pain persists longer than about 7 days or increases despite these measures, consult your physician.
• Learn something from the experience! Use prevention first.

Tips to Help Prevent Muscle Soreness After Exercise

While you may not be able to prevent muscle soreness entirely, you may reduce the intensity and duration of muscles soreness if you follow a few exercise recommendations.

• Progress Slowly. The most important prevention method is to gradually increase your exercise time and intensity. See the 10 percent rule²² if you need some exercise progression guidelines.
• Warm Up²³ thoroughly before activity and cool down completely afterward.
• Cool Down with gentle stretching²⁴ after exercise.
• Follow the Ten Percent Rule²⁵. When beginning a new activity start gradually and build up your time and intensity no more than ten percent per week.
• Know the 10 Tips for Safe Workouts²⁶.
• Follow the Spring Training Fitness Tips²⁷.
• Hire a Personal Trainer²⁸ if you aren't sure how to start a workout program that is safe and effective.
• Start a new weight lifting routine with light weights and high reps (10-12) and gradually increase the amount you lift over several weeks.
• Avoid making sudden major changes in the type of exercise you do.
• Avoid making sudden major changes in the amount of time that you exercise.

Certain muscle pain or soreness can be a sign of a serious injury²⁹. If your muscle soreness does not get better within a week consult your physician.
_{Sources
[mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD004577/frame.html]Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise, RD Herbert, M de Noronha, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 4, 2007, The Cochrane Collaboration.
Herbert, R., Gabriel, M. [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abridged/325/7362/468?eaf]BMJ 2002;325:468-470. Effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness and risk of injury: systematic review
Szymanski, D. (2003). Recommendations for the avoidance of delayed-onset muscle soreness. Strength and Conditioning Journal 23(4): 7–13.}

This About.com page has been optimized for print. To view this page in its original form, please visit: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/doms.htm

©2012 About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.

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Links in this article:

1. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/aa050901a.htm
2. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/glossary/g/Hpertrophy-Def.htm
3. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/sprains.htm
4. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/glossary/g/Eccentric_def.htm
5. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/equipment/fr/Perform-Better-Elite-Molded-Foam-Roller.htm
6. http://erclk.about.com/?zi=8/39hn
7. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/equipment/fr/Thera-Roll-Foam-Roller-Review.htm
8. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/flexibilityandstretching/ss/FoamRoller.htm
9. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/activerecovery.htm
10. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sampleworkouts/a/RestandRecovery.htm
11. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/injuryprevention/a/Sports_Massage.htm
12. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sampleworkouts/a/Ice-Bath.htm
13. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/rehab/a/rice.htm
14. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/flexibility/a/aa040703a.htm
15. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/drugs_doping/a/aa051403a.htm
16. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/medicationanddrugs/a/NSAID_endurance.htm
17. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/yoga.htm
18. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15574074&dopt=Citation
19. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/injuryprevention/qt/Exercise-Pain.htm
20. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuryprevention/a/aa071001a.htm
21. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17535144&ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
22. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/10percent.htm
23. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuryprevention/a/aa071001a.htm
24. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/flexibility/a/aa040703a.htm
25. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/10percent.htm
26. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuryprevention/a/011604.htm
27. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/032204a.htm
28. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/strengthening/a/012004.htm
29. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/aa041801a.htm

Set Back for A Week

I tried to use forefoot landing during the previous 8-km run and that ended up to have calf muscle soreness on my two headed calf muscle (gastrocnemius).

Because of the pain, I postponed my long run on the following day to the day after.  So, this leave a low mileage (12.5km) for the week of Aug 13, 2012.  Hopefully, I can pick up to run ~25km for the week of Aug 20, 2012.

On the following long run the next day (still suffering from muscle pain), my initially plan was to run for 12km using my favourite route, but I turned back after 3km due to dogs.  So, I only did 8km in this run, which is counted as the next week (as seen in the chart above).

Overall, this is not a good week in training but I hope to get back to my training plan this week.

New Pair of Shoes

Since I monitor my shoes wear off after every run, I can foresee that I will need another pair of shoes in 3~4 weeks time.  So, I have decided to get myself another pair of shoes.

I want to try out another brand to see if the new brand will last longer (although I know I have to work on the the way that I run).  I decided to go for Asics based on my friend's recommendation AND the fact that I had 25% discount coupon for Asics' shoes.

My search in Shoes Finder by RunnersWorld suggests me to get either Asics Cumulus or Asics Gel-1170.  After investigating more of my shoes wear off pattern, I think I am more suitable with Asics Cumulus.

At the store, the shoes attendant also suggested me to get Asics Cumulus rather than Gel-1170 by looking at the way I walk.  She said that although my arch looks normal but my walking style is biased toward high arch type of foot.  She initially suggested Asics Gel-Landreth 7 but the boss (I guess) suggested me to take Asics Cumulus after checking how often that I run each week.  The reason he gave is that Cumulus has been around for more than 10 years for runner while Landreth is only around for a few years.  So, Cumulus is more acceptable to runners from the track record.  After trying both the Cumulus and Landreth, I go for Cumulus.

Now, I have two pairs of running shoes that I can change around.

I worked on my weekday tempo run with Cumulus.  Feel good about it.  This could be because of new pair of shoes.

My decision of my next shoes will based on the results after 2 month of wearing... ... ...

Another Week of Record Setting Training

This was the second time I ran the countryside route again.  The cooling atmosphere was still there except that it was a lot hazy.  I felt more tired at the end of the run as compare to the first time I used this route.  It could be due to another long run yesterday.  I checked back the record and found that I just had 55mins of ~7km the day before I took this route on the 1st time.  But yesterday, I trained for ~2hours (including hiking up and down) at Air Itam Dam for 4.5 rounds.

This time, the run was a bit exciting that I frighten a herb of buffalo that were about to cross the street.  All the buffalo stumbled back when seeing an stranger running 50 feet in front of them except one (the leader I guess).  The buffalo stood there steadily watching me running pass.  What an exciting and a bit of scary experience.

Except for the weekday tempo training, I was on track for the training for this week.  In terms of distance, I recorded the longest running distance of 27.4km for the whole week.  I even had a steady improve in pace recently with now pacing at the average pace of 6:33min/km, which I was targeting to get 7mins/km.  I hope I can maintain this for a few more weeks.

By checking blogs of other runners, the pace of ~5:30min@10km will give 2:40hr at Penang Bridge Half Marathon.  So, with my speed, targeting to complete the race in less than 3 hours should be achievable.  We'll see...

Overall, this is a very satisfying week...

Normal but exciting run

Not having any abnormal running activities this week, but I had two very satisfying run this weekend.

On Saturday, I can resume my "hike+run" at Air Hitam Dam as what I like. Running 4 rounds without much problem. I guess I ran slightly faster this time. Maybe, the tempo run training during the weekday helps. 

Again, on Sunday, I ran for 11km at the back of the airport without much problem even with empty stomach. I tried to speed up at the end of 2km but I guess I can only make it for 1km.

As for the weekday tempo run, I didn't do it quite as long as I wanted too. Probably it is due to tiredness and I only run for 4km with faster speed for less than 2km. My target is to have at least 2km of speed work for the tempo run.

As I monitor the wear off of my shoes closely after each run, it seems to me that the outer heel of my left side of the shoes had worn half way. That's the bad way that I ran.  I need to improve it (but I don't know how yet).  I don't think the shoes will last for my Penang Bridge run and I will definitely need another pair of shoes soon.  I will be trying out shoes from other brand to see if the shoes can last longer.  Here are the potential choices from runnersworld shoes finder tool.

I will see how it goes and what will I get...