As I said in my previous posts, I am addicted to running. However, after enjoying the positive aspects of running, I am also going through the harsh realities of running.

The first two months, I ran with my cross training sneakers. The maximum distance I ran was 3 miles on those and they were ok. As a classic newbie mistake, I had gone out and picked out my running shoes by walking into SportMart and picking the shoe on sale with the aid of the ‘salesman’. The shoes obviously felt better than my cross trainer shoes for running, so I kept running on them and kept increasing mileage. I was doing 4 and 5 miles quite easily on them.

Last Wednesday, my left ankle and knee started to hurt. Visited the doctor who suggested rest and to check my shoes. By then I had read about pronation and how to pick running shoes. So I headed to Running Revolution, in Campbell CA, which was highly recommended by more experienced runners.

Of course, I was running with the wrong sized shoe and the wrong type of shoe. I am flat footed and I needed a shoe with good support. Even such a shoe, like the Asics Gel Fortitude wasn’t helping with my pronation, I had to be fitted with a orthotic device which corrected my run.

I must say I love the new shoes and orthotic device. I have always walked like a duck, all my life. With the new shoes and orthotic device, I was finally walking straight. I loved it so much that I actually woke up my wife and did a catwalk to her to show her I could walk straight.

I waited a couple of days and thanks to my eagerness, went out and ran my first 10k.

The run itself was a lot of fun. Absolutely no discomforts during the run. The first time I ran with my back upright, I had little back pain at the end of the run. My knees and ankle were acting up a bit again after the run, but I couldn’t tell the difference between pain and soreness.

I was (am) totally thrilled by this run. 10k. Imagine that. Who knew I could ‘run’ that distance? In jest, I went ahead and signed up for the San Jose Rock n Roll half marathon in October. The 13 mile distance did not appear daunting, particularly after having run 6.5m.

I iced my legs and ankles and after a days rest, ran another 3 miles.

I should listen more to my body. On the 3 mile run, my left knee was beginning to act up. Instead of stopping, I pushed ahead and completed the run.

The pain started almost immediately after the run. It was acute. Motrin, Ice and rest didn’t help. A doctor visit followed. Other than discouraging me to give up running and stick to elliptical trainer, even before he looked at my knee and ankle, the doctor put me on Ibuprofen and referred me to a physical therapist.

I am wearing a leg brace now, icing it like crazy and eating the Ibuprofen. I am beginning to realize that injury management and pain is the bigger challenge in running, particularly when running regularly and planning to run long distances.

I am learning about running form and correct ways of running, albeit late in the cycle. I am learning about shoe types and analyzing the difference between Chi Running and Pose Running (which apparently is the Nikon vs Canon for the running world).

I am also busy eating Manohar’s head, Sriks’ head, Durgi’s head and my wife’s head with my constant ramblings.

I hope to be fit and start running again, very soon. But that San Jose Half Marathon looks so far away.

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