Monday night, I did my usual two-hour-plus route (about 12K), but I tried something new at the very end: I partially jogged the loop path that goes around the park next to my apartment building. This is part of a new routine I'm developing. Walking that loop usually takes me about 12 minutes; it's roughly a 1-kilometer path, so that makes sense: 1 km in 12 minutes equals 5 km/h. I set a countdown timer on my cell phone for 10 minutes, then alternated walking and jogging. I ended up with 1:40 to spare, meaning I did one kilometer in 8:20. That's a speed of 7.2 km/h. While that was turtle-slow by most people's standards, I was happy with that number, which now gives me a baseline for future jogs. Maybe I'll end up increasing the distance to 2K, then 5K. Who knows? I do know this: I can only jog, now, not run, thanks to the stroke, so I don't ever see myself sprinting this path.
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
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3 comments:
I rarely jog/run, and it is only for a few steps when I do. I was on the cross country team in high school, but these days my tired old lungs and knees wouldn't stand for it.
I know you sometimes have foot issues, but what about other bones and joints? Jogging is a whole other level of pounding. Good luck!
My running days are over--the joints just won't take it anymore. I mean, I could probably still pull it off if I really wanted to, but it wouldn't be worth the price I would pay later. I'll do fine with walking and hiking, thank you.
Incidentally, I used an app to measure my walk to my office, and it turned out to be 2.47 km (I was thinking it was around 2K). My pace this morning, at least, was 9:49.
John,
My dad used to be a dedicated runner. He actually taught me proper running form years and years ago. Even though I myself can't run properly (probably true even before the stroke), I use my Dad-given knowledge to silently judge the runners who pass me on the bike paths. Most of them fail to impress. They do things like drag their feet or slap them on the ground, swing their arms across their torsos (this wastes energy), run too bouncily (again wasting energy), and fail to manage their breath (as I can hear from all the huffing and puffing). When a runner passes me, I normally play a mental game of "Is this a marathoner?" Over 95% of the time, the answer is no.
Charles,
9:49 is a fast walk. That's a 6.1 km/h pace, which puts you way beyond my humble league. Remind me never to go walking with you.
My own knees aren't good for much anymore, but I can still jog, at least for a short while. As long as my legs aren't being asked to do anything extreme, they're still capable of taking me from place to place without any pain. But put them in situations where they're hyperextended or overly strained, and that's a different story.
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