Outside: 'How Our Totally Average Runner Broke the Sub-Five Minute Mile'

Still increasing the distances incrementally ... at this rate I'll be able to do a 5K by the 2020 New Hampshire primary.

Thinking my cheese-paring ways are going to have to be put aside for some "real" running shoes, though. I'm picky about very little other than wine and golf balls ... Titleist ProV1xs only, please ... but nothing else. But these Target specials I'm clopping along on are going to have to go.

 

What are you struggling with? Legs or lungs? Even when I was first starting out, it was always the legs. I'm rarely out of breath. Stair climb training is another matter.

 

The legs ... they hurt ... of course I'm outta breath ... I'm a not-quite-as-fat almost-55-year-old. But fuck, as I push myself another 1/8th of a mile, my left leg says, "Dude ..."

 

I don't think it helps that my left leg is an inch longer than my right. I only notice it when I'm running or skiing (turns to the left are really hard as I can't lift that leg as high as easily). Makes it hard to hit a fade, too (the weight shift causes me to want to dip down and flip the club through ... I can draw the piss out of it, though).

 

Now that the kids are back in school, I'm getting back to running a few times a week. My issue is with my hips. They are always sore. Tried to work in some stretches, but they haven't had much effect. Any suggestions for loosening up those muscles/joints?

 

Do an active warm-up. Not that static stuff.

A short sample:

Hips (5-10 each, each leg)
Fire Hydrants
Hip Circles
Iron Cross
Scorpion’s Tail
Scissors & Splits
High Low Bicycle
Hamstring Stretch
Hurdle Seat Rollover
Leg Swings

 

Vodka

 

Hokas are the truth.

 

I will have to look those up.

 

A couple links:

Turn down the sound on these unless you're a masochist. Be careful with how fast you perform these initially. No need to go as fast as they do, as you are (I assume) not young and limber.

This guy makes a very good point about lumbar stability:

 

Throwing someone out a window will do wonders for your confidence.

 

I'm proud of Whitman Jr., who ran an 8:10 mile with me yesterday. He's 8. Whitman Jr. Jr. ran a 6:26 half-mile. She's 4, rapidly approaching 5.

I told Whitman Jr. I would buy him a Playstation when he gets under 7 minutes.