I may have spoken too soon. In my last blog post, I boasted about missing some training runs due to illness and not another injury. Yet, two months later (where does the time go), I am sidelined with a nagging calf niggle (I refuse to call it an injury). I have been able to get some of my runs in, but then it flares up again, and I am forced to take more time off. I have missed my last two long runs, which is really stressing me. I want to run this marathon and hope this calf problem is resolved soon.
However, I have completed other long runs, but some have been challenging. The difficulty has been related to the weather. I have run in frigid temperatures, deep snow, icy conditions, and brutal winds. But the distance (12-15 miles) has not been a problem. My last long run at the end of December was a nice and easy 15 miler in 9-degree weather with no wind. I was lucky enough to run on a flat, plowed trail. With only 60 days left (as of this writing) until the marathon, I am worried that missing any more long runs may force me to withdraw. I hope that will not be the case.
Since I have not been able to get these runs in, I have continued strengthening exercises and have been riding my fat tire bike to keep my cardio conditioning. Pushing those fat tires through the snow and ice and up those Eagle River hills has been quite the workout. Although that is helpful regarding fitness, it can’t replace the long run for marathon training.
Another difficulty I have been having is finding running shoes that have enough support (cushion) to get me through 26.2 miles but are not so cushiony that my knee pain returns. I did try the wider version (mentioned in this post) of New Balance Fresh Foam X More, but they did not work out. And being that the Saucony Kinvara Pro was so comfortable, I thought I would try another Saucony running shoe. I tried the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 which has been working out great so far. And right now, it is the only shoe I am running in. As much as I loved the Kinvara Pro, I believe that the carbon plate contributed to my current calf problem. There has been some data suggesting that the stiffer carbon plates can lead to injury.
The plan for getting back to running this week per Coach Laura:
- Stop foam rolling – I tend to foam roll daily, but she states that “pressure on tender muscles can perpetuate the pain cycle.”
- Ice 10-15 minutes twice per day (being that I am out of the acute phase)
- Run a flatter course or run indoors at the Dome
- Must be able to take the stairs comfortably without any pain before attempting to run
- Run on non-consecutive days and check in with her before Saturday’s Long run.
The Schedule for this week:
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday – 5 Miles
- Wednesday -Fat Tire Biking 60-70 Minutes + Strengthening
- Thursday – 5 Miles
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday-16 Miles
- Sunday – Cross-training + Strengthening
This is a setback. I was running over 30 miles a week, but hopefully, I can adhere to this schedule and at least get back on track.
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