After all that ranting on how much running hurts and sucks, I stubbornly went out for today's scheduled long run (6 miles). It was such a nice day and I wanted to show my running who was boss so I said why not? I figured if it really hurt, I'd just turn around and be mad that I tried running in the first place.
Well there was no turning around today; I felt great! I did get tired around 45 minutes but that's to be expected since 5 miles has been my longest run since the half. One bad thing is though that my achilles was a tiny bit irritated on and off throughout the run as well as now post-run. I'll certainly keep an eye on it and ice it (I currently have my right leg in a bucket of ice water as I write) and if it doesn't improve or get worse, then I'll take some time off. For now though I guess I'll keep trucking along, albeit cautiously. Here's what the week look now:
Monday -- 02/07 -- Run Easy 20 minutes, Stretch
Tuesday -- 02/08 -- Pilates or Strength class
Wednesday -- 02/09 -- Run, Easy 3 miles, Stretch
Thursday -- 02/10 -- OFF
Friday --02/10 -- Run Moderate 4 miles, Stretch
Saturday -- 02/11 -- OFF
Sunday -- 02/12 -- Run Long 6 miles, Stretch
Total: 15 miles
2 comments:
Hey Chelsea,
Good days, bad days, they come and go. Enjoy the good ones. It sounds to me that you are learning how to listen to your body, which is a lifelong process for runners. Try not to get discouraged. Log your details, and review the logs periodically. You'll see trends, and learn how to avoid/repeat them.
I could write essays about your achilles, but not enough room here. Treat it carefully. Remember, do not stretch an inflamed tendon, you will make it worse. Instead, work on releasing your calf muscle (massage, rollers). Icing is great, so is a slight elevation to your heel during your runs. And be cautious about increasing the treadmill incline if your achilles is sore, keep it flat.
Hang in there.
Thanks, Douglas! I actually have taken the past four days off after all that; my achilles hurt quite a bit later Sunday evening and Monday so I figured it was best to sacrifice a little training time now rather than a lot later!
While I log my runs, I don't do a very good job of logging other variables (sleep, eating patterns, etc.). Perhaps I shall start to see if there are some patterns.
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