Week 5 - My calves will be the end of me!

Week 5 started off to a much better start, thanks to cooler temps and lower humidity.  Such a relief!!  I even completed both of my "assigned tasks" from last week.  More to come on that later, though.  My weekday mileage stayed the same, with a 2 mile increase of the long run on Saturday.  I felt good through the week.  My calves didn't bother me.  I've been using The Stick every night and although I can still feel some knots in my calves, they're no longer painful.  I shipped my Garmin back to the factory for some rehab on Tuesday.  I feel so naked, running with out it!

Thursday I had my appointment with the podiatrist.  I really just wanted to get my toenails checked out and see if there was anything I could do to stop them from falling off during each training cycle.  Turns out I'm "slightly flat footed" (doctors words, not mine), in which I've been wearing a neutral/stability shoe.  My 2nd metatarsal has taken on extra pressure because of it, causing the bone to thicken (he took 3 x-rays), and the nerves to become agitated and basically hurt!  My calves are also very tight (go figure....) which causes me to draw up my toes in my shoe and my toenails start to take on pressure.  Thus, I lose toenails.  In addition, my right leg is longer than my left.  Hmm...is that why my left hip and knee bother me after long runs??  So after rigging my current insoles to allow for my toe issues and inserting a heel lift in my left shoe...I'm all set.  The best part however, came when he insulted my shoe choice.  And I quote...."I suggest you start choosing more mature shoes", in reference to my adored-Sperrys. Whatever.  I wore my running shoes/insoles/heel lift that whole day and had no ill-effects on Friday..

Saturday morning, 5:00am rolls around and I get out of bed to do my 14-mile long run.  We were leaving for an overnight trip to Columbus with the kids and my in-laws at 8:30am, so I had to get out there early to get it done.  The dingo accompanied me for the first loop (8 miles).  About 2 miles in, the rear, outer-aspect of my left hamstring (where it inserts behind the knee) starts getting tight.  I figure the tightness will go away, so I just keep running.  All of the sudden I feel a huge cramp, move across the back of my leg (just above my knee) and up the back of my leg.  I walked a few feet, stretched, and then kept running.  It remained pretty tight the rest of the time, but the intense cramping subsided.  I made it around the first 8 mile loop, dropped the dingo off at the house, used the potty and then set off for the second 6-mile loop.  I took a GU at mile 5 and some Shot Bloks at mile 9.  It was a great morning for a run.  It rained very lightly a few times in the beginning, so as the sun was rising, a beautiful rainbow formed over head.  I got my inhaler Rx refilled and used it correctly (thanks to advice from my PharmD running friend/partner) before the run, and my lungs felt great.  My left leg/hamstrings were definitely not happy with me by the end of the run, but it wasn't anything I couldn't push through.  I stretched my legs really good afterwards and then iced my left hamstring.  I wore my Zensah calf compression sleeves in the car on the way to Columbus and then slept in them that night.  Unfortunately, walking around a museum all day with a 30+ pound 3 year old on your hip doesn't necessarily help matters.  I woke up Sunday morning and my entire left leg was achy.  Whoops...perhaps I shouldn't have done my entire run with the heel lift in for the first time.  The thing is pretty tiny though.  I never thought it would make that much of a difference.  Lesson learned!  There would be no rest for the weary (although my kids did sleep in until 9:30 am for the first time EVER) as we were spending the day at the zoo.  Nothing a little ibuprofen and some quality time with The Stick couldn't help with! 

All in all, it was a great week.  I was glad to get in some good runs.  I was second-guessing myself and my ability to run this marathon.  Being in the city where the marathon will be run and seeing the finish line area, etc gave me new excitement.  11 more weeks to go, baby!  Until next week ~ Embrace Your Pace and Run Happy ~