Did a 4 1/2 mile run this morning--actually yesterday morning now. It was a good run. Feet were only moderately raw feeling afterwards and that was mostly gone by mid afternoon. Did the same run last Sunday morning but it was cold enough (40F or so) I had to wear the huaraches. No gazelle moment, though.
On Friday morning's run I had a gazelle moment. I should say that on one of the running videos, maybe on the Two Rivers web site, the guys appear to be running effortlessly over stone walls and through fields and such--like gazelles. It was about a 5K run, some dirt road, some modest hills. The last hill, about 1/2 mile from the end, I stopped to walk near the top to keep my heart rate from maxing out. When I started running again, with a fairly steep 3 feet or so more uphill, it seemed effortless, and the moderate downhill from there to home was a breeze. I had been really paying attention to form that run--lifting feet quickly, running low, etc, and afterwards I could feel it in my thighs. My legs were just a little wobbly the first few times going up/down stairs.
The turkeys I encountered on Friday's run seemed like they're getting used to me. Some were on the other side of the road and just moved onto the shoulder. Some ran off ahead of me and into the woods to my left. Perhaps it's obvious to note that there's no bouncing when the turkeys run. If I didn't see their legs they would look like they are gliding.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
An Effortless Run
So last Sunday I finally tried a road I've been avoiding. I thought it would be too narrow with too many cars. Well it wasn't as narrow as I thought and on this Sunday morning between 7 and 7:30 there were only one or two cars. It turned out to be a great 3.8 mile run. The road felt really smooth. It seemed effortless even though that leg of the run was uphill all the way. On the return leg (different road) there was a short section dirt road that I also had avoided. That turned out to be fairly smooth also; almost no rocks on the tire paths, which made it close to firm beach sand. I did have some slight left calf tightness after about 3 miles, but it didn't last long after the run.
So what's the catch? I did the same run on Tuesday morning and it was so-so. It felt like much more work, the road was average smoothness, more gravel bits on the sandy dirt road, and I developed a new hot spot on my right foot--a pre-blister under the fifth metatarsal base (near the cuboid) near the end of the run. It had felt like a blackberry thorn or small cut but I didn't see or brush off anything. All I can figure is Sunday's run was so easy I lapsed in paying attention to form.
But I had been checking my form every few minutes on Sunday--lowering my body, lifting feet before the touch down. It didn't seem like much more than usual at the time. I guess that's all it takes.
So what's the catch? I did the same run on Tuesday morning and it was so-so. It felt like much more work, the road was average smoothness, more gravel bits on the sandy dirt road, and I developed a new hot spot on my right foot--a pre-blister under the fifth metatarsal base (near the cuboid) near the end of the run. It had felt like a blackberry thorn or small cut but I didn't see or brush off anything. All I can figure is Sunday's run was so easy I lapsed in paying attention to form.
But I had been checking my form every few minutes on Sunday--lowering my body, lifting feet before the touch down. It didn't seem like much more than usual at the time. I guess that's all it takes.
Monday, September 5, 2011
6 Points
So the Friday before last I did 4.5 miles and my feet were raw afterwards but still all better on Monday. Monday's run was 3.8 miles and there was lots of debris from the hurricane. It was a fun run and I did a few short segments at a faster pace--maybe two 100 to 200 foot segments on a slight down hill slope. No problems the rest of the day. The following day no problems until I took my shoes off around 6PM. As soon as I walked around my right foot started hurting.
The pain, which was 5-6 on the 1-10 scale, went from second toe, across the foot to lower outer ankle (between ankle and heel). It hurt a little on stepping but mostly on lifting the foot and no pain at all with no weight on the foot. By bedtime I had massaged (no pain with massage) and iced it and it felt a lot better. By Wednesday morning it felt pretty good so I did a 2.5 mile run to try it out. There was a little discomfort but felt good all in all. The rest of the day, at work, the pain came back though not as intense as it first was. I found it didn't hurt if I walked on my heel. I figured I better not run again until it got better.
Thursday it didn't start hurting until about noon. Friday it took 'til about 3. On the weekend, no pain at all so I did 3.8 miles again today (Labor Day). So far, so good. I'll see how it is in a few days. Seems like a lot of the overuse injuries take a few days to surface.
Wildllife count this morning: 11 turkeys and a 6-point buck. The turkeys didn't get off the road immediately but ran ahead of me for a few hundred feet and some flew off into the tree canopy. The deer looked at me for about 2 seconds, assessing the threat I guess, before bounding off into the woods. I wonder if my quiet footfalls made him think twice.
The pain, which was 5-6 on the 1-10 scale, went from second toe, across the foot to lower outer ankle (between ankle and heel). It hurt a little on stepping but mostly on lifting the foot and no pain at all with no weight on the foot. By bedtime I had massaged (no pain with massage) and iced it and it felt a lot better. By Wednesday morning it felt pretty good so I did a 2.5 mile run to try it out. There was a little discomfort but felt good all in all. The rest of the day, at work, the pain came back though not as intense as it first was. I found it didn't hurt if I walked on my heel. I figured I better not run again until it got better.
Thursday it didn't start hurting until about noon. Friday it took 'til about 3. On the weekend, no pain at all so I did 3.8 miles again today (Labor Day). So far, so good. I'll see how it is in a few days. Seems like a lot of the overuse injuries take a few days to surface.
Wildllife count this morning: 11 turkeys and a 6-point buck. The turkeys didn't get off the road immediately but ran ahead of me for a few hundred feet and some flew off into the tree canopy. The deer looked at me for about 2 seconds, assessing the threat I guess, before bounding off into the woods. I wonder if my quiet footfalls made him think twice.
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