Finding the balance between feeling challenged/staying injury-free (Read 767 times)

I posted this on a Belgian forum a few days ago, but didn't get an answer, so I'll try to translate my post... I'm 44 years old, and started running on September 1st. I never did sports of any kind, except from some recreational biking (max. 80 km/50 miles a day) and (mountain) hiking. I followed the couch-to-5-K program, and since a few weeks I'm now running for 30 minutes 2 or 3 times a week, and 40 min. once a week. This all feels very good.... but in fact that's part of the problem: (and this is a hard part to translate, so maybe I'm saying very dumb things) The experience I sometimes have during mountain hikes: the feeling that I have to go to the utmost limits of my capacities to reach my goal, the summit e.g., and the rewarding feeling afterwards that I really DID IT!!, well, I miss that experience. During those 2.5 months that I have been running now, I always have the feeling that the very moment I try to conquer my limits (does this sounds weird?), that those limits have changed... (e.g. in week 3, you go from 2x10 minutes to 20 minutes straight.... I felt excited with the thought of having that 'challenge', but the very moment I ran those 20 minutes, it felt like I easily could run for another 20. I miss the feeling of 'having done everything that was within my capacities....' But on the other hand, I want to stay injury free. Since a 3 weeks mountain hike in the Pyrenees with a 16 kg/35 lbs backpack, my right knee is my weak spot, and always hurt during a long and steep descent. (Haven't felt the slightest trace of pain during my runs ) So on the one hand, I'd like to have a 'real' challenge ahead, but on the other hand I don't want to take unnecessary risks. Everyone keeps telling me to go very slow, very gradually, and I'm sure they are right. But I still keep asking myself if I don't run too slow. Shouldn't I accelerate my pace a bit, at least during some of my runs? (I must admit that during the last few weeks, I tend to run the last 400-500 m of every run at a higher pace, just because I want to have that feeling of 'having done quite something'. Shortly: I'm sure my cardio-pulmonary condition is OK, but how can I find out what is the right load for my muscles, joints, bones... without risking an injury? And a related question: seeking for a challenge, I decided to subscribe for a 'forest run' (merely a 'jogging' than a race) in my hometown on november 26th. The distances are 3K, 6K, 9K and 15K. I'm sure I can do 6K, because I've ran that distance already. What would you consider wise: To run 6K, and just finding out what time I run when running with others who are faster than I am, or aiming for 9K, a distance I didn't run yet, but which would be a challenge just for that reason? Any advice?

I think I understand what you are trying to say about wanting to know that you've accomplished as much as you can at a particular time. That you've pushed your personal boundaries and have really worked for something. And I think I can see how you might not be feeling like you're doing this if you're running your runs "easy" or at a "conversational" pace. You're not supposed to feel like you've got nothing left at the end of those runs! But just because you're not completely wiped out at the end doesn't mean it wasn't worthwhile. And I think you know that, because you're still here and you're still running. The time in running to feel like you've got nothing left at the very end, when you should know that you've given it your all, is at a race. There is some skill and experience in knowing just how hard you can run and still have enough energy to finish strong and hard. But if you do it right, I think you'll find that experience you're looking for waiting for you at the finish line. Perhaps that's why races are so addictive!

Do the 9K. There's nothing wrong with going out to the edge. Listen to your body carefully & you'll know when you're pushing too hard. It's surprising yourself that makes running so much fun.

Yup. I agree. Train easy, race hard. The 9-k. If you fail ... well, then you found your challenge, didn't you?

@Scout7 You said: 'You should finish your training runs feeling pleasantly tired', and that's exactly the problem, I'd like to feel tired, I'd like to have the feeling I have actually done something. Yes, the first minutes I feel a bit tired, but that passes very quickly, and the rest of the day I do not have the feeling I have done any physical exertion, and I would like to. But I think I have my decision made for next Sunday. I wil subscribe for the 9K, and just start running slowly.... Everyone will start together, and run 1, 2, 3 or 5 rounds. When I feel after 2 rounds, that I can't add that last one, than I will simply quit, and at least know how it feels to run in a big group.... When I still feel good, I continu. (

@Scout7 You said: 'You should finish your training runs feeling pleasantly tired', and that's exactly the problem, I'd like to feel tired, I'd like to have the feeling I have actually done something. Yes, the first minutes I feel a bit tired, but that passes very quickly, and the rest of the day I do not have the feeling I have done any physical exertion, and I would like to. (

Maybe you need to increase either your pace, distance, or training load. There's nothing wrong with going out really hard one day to see where you stand in terms of fitness. Once in a while shouldn't create much of an issue in terms of injury. Besides, how else do you know how your fitness is progressing?

I'm sorry that your run didn't work out for you... It sounds, though, like you had to find the balance between running and your family committments. And you did. Next time. Next time.