I started running 10 years ago… more or less. I first tried to run around a tiny lake, a bit less than one mile. And I failed!
Then I stopped for 2-3 months and tried again without success.
I stopped.
5 years from now I restarted running in a gym with a coach, I did some 5km, 10km and one 20km learned interval training and stopped again.
Later with a start to run program and another coach there I trained to compete on 5km then 10km and finally 20km again, with harder interval training. And at some point I could walk anymore after a run. I tried but the pain was too high. I went to a sport physician, he looked at my shoes, put me on a stand, asked me to have x-rays on my legs (to measure them) and then without finding anything wrong, proposed some cortizone because at my age that’s the only thing that will still works (I was around 35).
Well, how to tell you, when I heard about cortizone injection, I was like a kid that didn’t want to go the bath… no, not a kid, a dog! So I stopped running again. But this time only for a while, I wanted to try something different.
Indeed at that time I was only able to walk with my trail boots. Other shoes gave me pain in my right knee… I had to find a solution. I wanted to run again!
Then some friends told me about “born to run!” and I read it. At the same time I was around 90kg and the weight was probably one of the issue so I tried to go paleo.
Why do one mistake at the time when you can do multiple at the same time.
While the book was amazing I re-started to run to loose weight (small run below 5km to avoid pain again) at some point removed my shoes and continued running.
What the hell! That hurts! All this gravel everywhere. And of coure once you walk on this small stones they stick to your wetty feet and hurt even more 3 steps further. Anyway I continued, walking a bit on the grass when it was available, or under the trees, avoiding roots and branches.