First Time On Pavement
Ouch. That’s all I have to say. I was supposed to do 3 miles today, and this was the first day where the weather was warm enough to run outside in the early morning before work. Normally, I can average a 10 minute mile on the treadmill without too much trouble. I knew running on pavement would be more of a challenge, so I allowed myself 50% more time to complete my 3 miles: 45 minutes.
I made a decision not to look at my Wal-Mart pedometer until after my 45 minutes were up. The first few minutes were OK, but before I long, my lower legs were in pain. Not so much my knees like usual, but my leg muscles.
After the 45 minutes were through, I looked down at my pedometer and found that I ran….3.57 miles. That’s about a 12:30 mile. Yikes! Afterward, when I went to the locker room and bent down to untie my shoes, what could only be described as lightning bolts went through my lower legs. Ho-lee-cow. PAINFUL!! But better I start getting used to pavement running now than later in the year. Hopefully, I can build up some kind of tolerance to it.
I’m starting to wonder if those pedometers are all they’re cracked up to me. Those things depend on a bounce to register a step, and therefore distance run. I also doubt my stride is a consistent 24 inches every single time, as my pedometer thinks it is. I’d use one of those GPS things in the watches, but my usual training place runs in a loop, so that would probably register as 0.00 miles! 
Tomorrow, after working for a few hours, I’m heading out to a specialty running store and getting my 2007 shoes. Time for a new pair, it’s been a year (thanks Tom!!).
Tomorrow is also my long run: 7 miles. I may do that run in my old shoes…and on the treadmill. I need to recover from today!!
March 24th, 2007 at 12:03 am
Dude, get a Garmin Forerunner 201, 205, 301, or 305. I use the ancient 201. It logs everything I do. I don’t micromanage with it, but I use it for “passive logging” rather than having to think about it. You can mate it with a PC (but it ain’t gonna work with yo’ linux). I run loops, too - it will do just fine for you. EXTREMELY accurate, and more data than you can handle.
TRP
March 28th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
As far as the pain in your legs, I can tell you what you in all liklihood are experiencing. Bones, over time, tend to adjust their density to the amount of shock they are subjected to. There are “microtears” happening during the course of running from the impact of a no-give surface. The treadmill, while maintaining your cardio capabilities, has better suspension on it than my first car did which allows for a significant amount of shock absorption through the machine itself. As you have already come to realize, pavement is not nearly as forgiving. You’re in new england, some public school or another is bound to have a rubber-paved track which would make for a decent transition place going from treadmill to pavement. A combined 16 years of army sports medicine has taught me this. Maintain a good calcium level in your diet (coral based over lactose based) and you’ll notice a marked improvement shortly thereafter. Running shoes should be turned over every 6 months. Also have your arch checked to see how high it is to get the best shoe for you. For instance, when I could run, asics were it for me. Gel didn’t expand in hot conditions like nike airs and the arch on most models. Had the right arch support for me. This will cut down on the harshness of the adjustment your bones will have to make.
March 31st, 2007 at 1:06 am
Since I know nothing about the science of running, I’ll have to agree that Scott’s statements are likely/plausible… change of surface is killer. In fact, going from pavement (99% of my running) to softer surfaces is brutal for me (reference: Grove City X-country on grass versus suburban NJ XC on pavement). Definitely go heavy on calcium. Buy a second pair of the same shoes (alternate workouts) and get rid of them at 500 miles or a year (a set calendar time is too vague). Go Jedi and get a different brand/size/type for your second pair. Like Scott, I run in Asics… the best shoes are the ones you’re putting mileage on.My reasoning for the asics is the softer rubber compound on the outer surface. My unique bio-mechanics suffer with any degree of slippage.
Mind you, I don’t pretend to give advice (in other words, ignore this post). My trade for that is I don’t take advice from anyone… except for Yannis Kouros or John Geesler, both of whom I’ve had the pleasure of competing with.
TRP