Minimalist Running

For the past several months I have been striving to strengthen my legs so I can actually do something with running. I kept on trying it here and there on trails in the gully behind my in-laws house, but I still was struggling with pain in my shins and then a new pain that developed on the outside of my left leg above my ankle. I was getting pretty frustrated and wondered if I would ever get to a point where I could run.

As everyone knows Marcus and I moved in the beginning of November. It was really hard to go out and exercise where we live. Marcus and I are working more and we live on a busy road which doesn't really help me want to go out and do something so vulnerable. Finally at the beginning of January I decided that it was high time to get a rec center pass. I bought Marcus and I a three month pass to see how we would like the facility and see if maybe this would be something we should invest in year around.

I began to use the treadmills, swimming pool, and weight machines. On the treadmill I only was doing an inclined walk to begin. I finally got the urge to finally try to run again. I was a bit disheartened that I couldn't run for very long. I was able to go about three to five minutes and my legs began to burn like crazy. But there was something different about the run. My shins didn't feel like that were going to snap. I did regrettably still have the burning sensation (not a normal muscle burn, but a different burn) on the outside of my left leg above my ankle. I did some research and found that other barefoot/minimalist runners experienced something similar. According to the forums it is a tendon that gets inflamed. They found that icing or taking an ice bath right after a run was effective. They also said that it is best to do short runs more often. So I began doing that and I am no longer feeling the burning sensation while I run but it definitely hits when I slow down to a walk. I am hopping with more time this will slowly fade out. We will see.

The really cool thing about this running experience is how much more mindful I am while I run. Instead of being so focused on burning calories and dealing with side aches, pain, and shortness of breath, I actually am completely focused on my form and making sure that I run in a way that doesn't hurt my body. I am also really excited with how well I am breathing while I run. My legs give out way before my breathing does. This is definitely a new development for me. It is amazing how different an experience this is and I am really enjoying the process.