Running In Place

Ok ok I’m trying to listen to my body, I’m never sure what the flip it’s trying to say, but my ears are wide open.

After Saturday’s wonderful run, I started to have some vague pains in that ankle. Sometimes a throb, sometimes an ache, sometimes a burning sensation, sometimes above the ankle, sometimes at the juncture of the foot and ankle, sometimes at the outer calf. Never severe, but always noticable. I spent Sunday in dazed, depressed anxiety. Monday I started RICEing and popping NSAIDs, Tuesday I felt better but decided to be patient. Yesterday I ran an easy 2 miles and today 3.5 that was not as easy as it should have been but went well anyway. Tomorrow I will rest and Saturday is a nice, flat 5K race. I feel much better psychologically today, following a few days with a lump in my throat.

I think that the training plan I’m using is reasonable in that the weekly distance increases are not greater than 10% but there is also a speed day. Really, any kind of speed work is something that I had not had any previous experience with and I wonder if adding speed and distance all at once is more than I am presently ready for. Hell, I don’t know, am I overdoing? If I back off the speed day will I be underdoing? Until Sunday everything felt just right but evidentally it wasn’t. Ok, I am not going to obsess. I’m going to trade my so-called speed day in for a moderate run for now and continue with the long run increases. No freaking out. Just going forward.

On a happier note, I went to my sister’s for lunch yesterday and and my 2 neices (ages 11 & 8 ) accompanied my run on their bikes. The older one started expressing an interest in running and we talked about doing a local 1K or 1 mile Fun Run, at which point, little sister also decided she was interested. I think it would be so great to share running with them! They’re already doing 10 mile bike rides with their dad, so I’m sure they would smoke me in no time!