Good things come to those who wait

In my previous post I wrote about my journey back to running, a journey that has taken some time and that to some extent I am still on. There are days that, in my head, I want to run faster, longer and harder, however my body has very different plans for me...

I am still healing and part of that means pacing myself in all that I do. I asked a friend to read my previous little blurb and she made a very good comment. She said, having decided to try to get back to running herself by rebuilding her foot strength through bare footing it, that had she not known that there would be a period of sore tender muscles she might have given up at the outset.

It's funny because until she pointed that out I had not realized that I had not read anything, that I could remember, in any of the literature I read, and I read a lot, about sore achy muscles being a normal part of rebuilding strength in ones feet? Which is odd. It makes perfect sense that in the process of strengthening a muscle which has been neglected for years, in some cases decades, there would be some sore muscle moments? Doesn't it? 

Anyone who has neglected exercise for a period of time, or has taken it easy and then jumped back in, knows that neglected muscles get sore when we give them a workout. Who has not gone on that first run in weeks, months, or years, and not felt a little tender all over for a day or two. Eventually that passes, but even when we are in peak shape, when we push ourselves a little harder, challenge ourselves a little bit more, we feel some tenderness. Or maybe that is just me and old age creeping up...?

So if you decide to take a stab at bare footing it remember to take it slow and, among the many other bits of advice that are worth paying heed to, the best of which from my point of view can be found on the xero shoe website xeroshoes.com and sock doc's http://sock-doc.com/, don't be discouraged by some tenderness and soreness, this too will pass. That being said, please listen to your body, don't overdo it, and tenderness is not the same as injury pain! If you think you have hurt yourself and the pain is not just tenderness rest, ice, and wait for it to dissipate before going out again. If necessary go to your chiropractor or physiotherapist and have it looked at.

Have a great run/slog/walk!

Pax!