[boyaka]

I've been doing a lot of running, and last night I was thinking about my progression and how important it is to not push yourself too far/hard into injury. I've gone through all sorts of bodily injury and growth, and have gradually increased the intensity and duration of my runs over several years.

Here's the advice I decided on:

* First focus on duration. Exercise (cardio, I jog/run) at least 20 minutes. Go as slow as you need to be comfortable and dont worry about distance. Stop or slow down at any sign of injury, focus on good form.

* Gradually increase distance/duration goals. I started aiming for 3 miles or 30 minutes, then I increased gradually to 6 miles / hour (what I currently do). Continue paying attention to your form, and also to your breathing. Sometimes I get pains in the chest or feel short on breath, and if I try mixing up my breathing techniques I feel better. Try to breathe into your nostrils.

* Increase intensity. I commonly get advice from very fit people to do high intensity training. I tried to early on, but my body would just have a really hard time with it. I'm finally just starting to increase intensity, particularly toward the end of my run. Master good form and breathing before doing this, and preferably when your body doesnt hurt.

Speaking of pain, I've had a lot of growing pain through this process. There are certainly different types of injuries in regards to whether you can continue exercising on them. I don't know much about the technicalities here, but if it feels better as you run (this happens with my feet/ankles) then it's prbably good for you to exercise on (RICE vs MEAT or something). Don't run on the injuries that need rest, but don't let the injuries that you can exercise with hold you back.

Also speaking of motivation, I constantly have that lazy and tired feeling of not wanting to go, but I always feel better when I do. Controlling yourself is key for all of the things i mentioned, especially for getting out there and doing it!