LR#2 - Week 8 of 10, standing still

On paper, this was the last week of my fundamental period. But according to the workouts I have been able to do, it is really more like the end of an introductory period. I have been laying off to give “pre-injuries” a chance to recover. So I have not done specific endurance intervals in over 3 weeks. The only speed work I have been able to manage is a fartlek run here and there. Better than running myself into an injury. But on the other hand, I don’t think I’ll make any gains this summer in my 5K time. I was hoping to get to 19:00 from 19:53 in early June.

One error in my training program was a lack of a real introductory/base training period. I figured I was strong enough from my last 13.1 that I could go straight into more intense training. That was probably wrong. I probably needed the base training time to give my body some R&R from lots of long runs this spring.

I’ve had two very weird muscle pains in my right leg—one in the glut and one in the ham. Weird because when I stretch them out, the pain disappears. I think the source of my recent pains is my new shoes. This summer, I sized-up from a 7.5 to an 8.0 because I needed more room in the toe box (black toenails). But I am coming around to thinking that the bigger size is not snug enough in my mid foot, particularly on my right foot. After watching Tirunesh Dibaba win the women’s gold in the 10K, I was thinking about her form and trying to emulate it during my runs this weekend. She is so relaxed and smooth in her stride.  In trying to be relaxed, during my long run on Saturday, I noticed that my right leg was really tensing up. Then I noticed my foot was slipping around in my shoe, both on impact and during the kick forward. I think the constant micro adjustments I was making on my stride resulted in severe soreness after my runs. On Sunday, I tightened up the laces and concentrated again on relaxing. While I had some residual soreness in my hot spots, it didn’t get any worse.

Both injuries came about after switching to size 8; however, both injuries came about after hard runs in the size 8s. Is it the shoes, or am I shifting the blame from my coach (me) to my footwear?

Monday (7/30): 20 minutes elliptical, upper body strength; yoga

Tuesday (7/31): 30 minutes elliptical, core

Wednesday (8/1): plyo

Thursday (8/2): 60 minutes elliptical

Friday (8/3): rest day

Saturday (8/4): 12 miles, long and slow, and lots of hills (1300 foot total climb) in Torrey Pines, to the Glider Port, Blacks Beach, and back.

Sunday (8/5): 6.5 miles, recovery/easy run, in Mission Bay Park. 

Torrey Pines Glider Port

LR#2

Kristen