I'm new to the site and found you through google search. I hope this is the correct spot for my first post (I didn't see a section for newbies or beginners).
I'm new to running, just over 2 months in, and am looking for some advice and tips from experienced runners. I've watch quite a few videos and read many blogs/articles, but would still appreciate some feedback from folks who run for the love of it.
I got into running because, well, for no specific reason. As a 37 yo I've never ran before nor been a fan of going to the gym or even working out at home. The only exercise I get is by playing ice hockey once a week year round. Anyway, so one morning I awoke, slapped on my dusty ol' sneakers and headed out for a leisurely run, nothing crazy. I honestly don’t remember why or where I got the idea to run, but it didn’t matter, I just ran. I'm lucky enough to live near a lake which allows me to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. I ended up running 2km and was fairly winded and tired at the end, but, I was surprisingly Happy at the same time. As you can imaging I was quite sore the next day so I rested and decided to give it another go the day after. Again I found it very enjoyable. Since then I’ve been running 3-4 times a week and have worked my way up to 5km in about a month and a half. I'm not a running fanatic by any means, but for some reason it felt quite rewarding to hit 5km. I've been doing 5km for the last couple of weeks and recently did it in 25 minutes. I'm certainly feeling the positive results including; sleeping better, better mood, more energy, but am also going through some pains (hip and knee). Seems as though I can't make it past the 5km mark before giving in to pain. So, I continued researching about proper form, technique, and decide to apply these and also increase my cadence slightly. Well, that didn’t turn out so well. I still managed to complete 5km but it felt more difficult, had to take more walking breaks, and the day after I was barely able to walk or get up due to the hip pain. Changing my form (standing “taller”) and increasing cadence felt very un-natural, almost forceful. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong...
So now I’m starting to think; ditch the old sneakers and upgrade (even though I'm not a believer in high tech shoes or any fancy gear), slow down, or maybe I'm just not built for running distance. I just don’t want to overthink anything since I feel it will take the joy out of running. Perhaps pain is part of the process and I just need pace myself better?
I haven't really planned to train for any events, I'm just loving getting out there while the sun is rising, it's almost meditative at times (what will I do in the winter...ekk). Can’t wait until my hip feels better so I can continue (I’m turning into a fanatic aren’t I).
Sorry for the long post (I actually cut it down)
