The Running Dance

It's not a joke when I say I can't run. I mean, I do it as part of a triathlon (thank goodness it's the last leg of the race), I also do some run events in the off-season but I am yet to find that I love running so much that I just run nirvana state.

I read somewhere that you might be motivated more to do something if you have bought something new - I totally agree with this. I am obsessed with Funkita swimwear and have bought several pairs this year. I love their bright colours and they fit great. I have both the bikini (two piece), the diamond back as well as the single strap back. I have more pairs of swimwear than days of the week to wear then, I don't care, I like to have choices.

With running, I do get a bit excited when I have a new pair of shoes. I don't really get excited about running when I have a new piece of clothing (such as a pair of tights or singlet). I am still gauging the right pair of shoes. I guess this journey will never end as (i) we need so many pairs per year due to mileage and wear and tear (ii) your body adapts (or rejects) certain technology in shoes. All last year, I wore my Nike Free 4.0 and 5.0. I love them as I could feel the ground and they seem to work well with my hypermobile joints. I have been trying out Brooks Pure(Flow) both the v1 and v2 and now I am seeing how the Mizuno Evo ones fair. I know for sure that I am not going back to my Asics. I have noticed that with the more minimalist shoes, I am landing more on my forefoot and working more at landing pushing off the ground compared to the more supportive range. I am rotating my shoes throughout the week and hopefully by the end of the year, I would have gauged the pair of shoes I am going to wear again during the next Ironman in March.

With running, I am finding that I do need a good warm up. I have to make sure that I pace myself and not get too caught up in the pace of the group. During the Sunday run group at Fairfield, their warm up pace hovers around 5min/km and that is way too fast for this little duck. A comfortable warm up for me is around 5:30-6min/km. During a main set, I do get waves of this feels really great and comfortable, however it quickly changes to boy oh boy this does not feel great. I have started to do runs by myself and as part of a group. Once I get my butt out the door, I try my best to do a quality set. When I am running with the group, that push is helped by peer pressure.

I know that running is a vital part in triathlon and being "run-fit" is crucial. I am cautious about injuries (hypermobile = injury prone) and so I am trying to build strength in my legs whilst increasing the distance. I am aware (and appreciate) that my running has improved exponentially since I started running in 2008 and I know that I need to have patience and run consistently to get to the runhappy state.