*Train not strain*

O, O.. Is it normal or its just me? My lower legs have started to feel the strain and pain. Have I pushed too hard since I started last week?

Yesterday I thought it was due to my fasting so I stopped after half an hour instead of normal one hour, but today after twenty minutes of brisk walking and jogging, I mostly walked leisurely till the one hour mark.

So earlier tonight I checked online for info. Apart from the medical info I found interesting articles for beginners in running..hehe..

******************

How to start running with 10 easy steps

Excerpt from an article by Cynthia Hayward (Link Here)

1. Invest in a good pair of running shoes. (Yes I did! )

2. Walk before you run! For the first four weeks you should have a 5-15 minute warm-up walk before breaking into a trot, followed by a warm-down stroll. (I can't afford four weeks for this step, by then the run for fun would be over..haha..)

3. Make sure you run/walk at least three times a week. (So far yes..almost daily training)

4. Don’t run two days in a row for the first two months. Give your muscles and tendons a chance to adapt to running. (Two months?..the run would be over in a few weeks time..mmmm..)

5. Run for time, not distance. (Have yet to reach 10 minutes continuous running/jogging..hehe)

6. Avoid drastic increases in time on your feet. (Started with one hour so mostly sticking to it :-D)

7. Avoid copying top athletes! (Who? Usain Bolt?)

8. Be patient! Don’t be in a hurry to enter road races, etc., no matter how much your friends pressurise you. Wait until you can run at least 30 minutes without resting before lining up for that first 5km fun run. (Oopss..I'd already committed to run the 5km for fun)

9. Find a like-minded friend to run with. (err..at the moment I prefer to run on my own, not going to huff and puff in front of others ..haha)

10. Enjoy your running! (So far I have..looking forward to 5pm so that I could change into my running attire..hehe)

******************

And the pain? Gradually easing by now, so if after the exercise this evening I felt like taking a break, I think I'd go tomorrow..hehe..

:-)