One of my goals this year was to run a mile without break. I was always fast. I played soccer growing up. But running came to me in burst. I could never do distance or time. I’d spend an hour on the steps or the elliptical easily but on the treadmill, I’d just walk. I thought it was a combination of my flat foot, shin splints and genetics. I’ve since discovered I do not have flat feet.
I ran a mile without break for the first time on 9/17, and 2 miles on 9/23.
I ran 3.5 miles yesterday – 45 minutes non-stop.
And today, I ran 5 miles. I have never been able to run more than a few minutes. Today I ran for more than an hour. It is an incredible feeling. The trick was to run slowly. In the past, I’d go 9/10 speeds right away and immediately get tired.
I think it helped that I didn’t eat before running. I ran around 11, on an empty stomach – other than 2 cups of tea. I also began by walking the first 5-10 minutes and not rushing to high speeds. I ran between 5-5.5 for most of the run, before increasing slightly towards the end to reach the 5th mile before the treadmill stopped.
