Speed Bumps in Training for the 10k in May

Training for the 10k is coming along with occasional speed bumps along the way. This week finished with 35 minutes of jogging/walking. I was able to jog the whole time except for Thursday. After jogging on Wednesday, I was just too tired to jog the whole time Thursday. I jogged for a bit and then finished off by walking the rest of the 35 minutes. Saturday I did the whole 35 minutes jogging and went about 2.7 miles. Actually, that's quite an accomplishment as I am not and have never been a runner. I used to barely be able to run 5 minutes! Next week begins the running only weeks. It starts with 20 minutes, progresses to 35 minutes and then starts in on mileage.

When I'm jogging sometimes I write what I want to say on my blog in my head with all my physical complaints, my lower calves hurt, my hands/wrists hurt, my foot is going to sleep and so on. Fortunately, my complaints are sorting themselves out. I'm going faster and my lower calves aren't hurting like they were, I'm tucking my thumbs inside my fist and that helps my hands/wrists not hurt and I switched to my old running shoes and my feet don't go to sleep.

I have one problem though that I'm not able to fix on my own. I'm dealing with exercise incontinence in my running. It's been a problem for about two years and I've managed it, but the other day it got the best of me and I said enough! I saw the doctor and I'm working to solve the problem. How great to have no worries about running, doing jumping jacks or other high impact exercising! I forgot how much I miss that. I wouldn't have said anything about it in my blog, but when I was talking to my friend JWo about it, she said she's read articles in magazines about it and wondered how many woman don't exercise because of it. I love to exercise and can't imagine my life without it and thought if I could share with other women that this is something that can be overcome, than it would be worth whatever mild embarrassment I might suffer by sharing a little TMI. Barbara Woolner, a runner, wrote brief article about incontinence in Runner's World magazine. "I got a couple hundred letters from women aged 15 to 61, most of which said, 'I thought no one else had this problem.' The typical letter was full of frustration, helplessness and embarrassment, plus delight that someone finally talked about the problem."

If you're having a problem with exercise incontinence, there are solutions and you don't have to suffer or give up on being active. Call your doctor and set up an appointment and be proactive with your health! I'll keep you posted on what happens with me. Maybe it'll be a solution for you too.