Running again!!!!!!!!! yay =)

After 6 weeks rest due to a stress fracture, I finally went out on my first couple of runs again!

The first was last Friday with my sister, we covered 1.83 miles without any pain or discomfort- unusual discomfort, I mean. In order to keep the pressure off, I didn't even take my watch with me.

Prior to the stress fracture, I had signed up with my sister for a running class, and I have been hoping to be well enough to take part in the class. The class was today, it was coached by Scott Fickerson, SBCC's track & field coach. Other than Team In Training, where I trained for my first half-marathon, I have never taken any formal instruction, so I thought it would be good to do it, to learn some new things, from an experienced coach, and to encourage my sister to run. Since the stress fracture, I felt that it will be the best way for me to recover. My goal for this 6 week class is to get to a 100% and begin training for the Santa Barbara Marathon (Nov 6th) at the end of July.

Scott, a laid back total California guy, seems cool. He created a schedule for 4 different groups "self-selected" by ability level for each of the 6-4day- weeks. My plan (which I talked about with him) is to be with the A group for a couple of weeks, the B group the middle weeks, and the C group for the last two weeks.

The first work out was a 3x 5' runs w/2' walk breaks. Easy enough. For some reason, I was the only one in my group to make it an out and back exercise, the rest did the exercise all the way out, and I guess ran back. Coach asked me what happened to the rest of the group when I came back by myself, I pointed, and he said, "I thought it was self explanatory..." I think this is the kind of stuff we "runners" know but we take for granted. While these first couple of runs feel like baby steps I am so immensely thankful to be able to be out by the beach, in the summer heat, and in my running shoes!