Everything You Didn't Want to Know About My Runs

Hill sprint day.  2 mile warm-up.  Dynamic stretching 8x10 second hill sprints.  2-3 mile cool-down.

 Missed Saturday.  My shins were really tight.  I haven't been stretching daily.  I also stopped wearing my calf sleeves because they are stretched out and I wondered if they were even helping anymore.  I suppose they were doing some good.  I think the biggest problem is that the slow pace with high turnover rate really worked my calves more than normal.  I think I need to ease into the higher cadence.  At any rate, I put the sleeves back on today and am wearing them post run for recovery.  I'm not expecting big things for my benchmark on Wednesday.

 Now that I've worked my way up to 8 hill sprints, I think I'll start doing 400m intervals on Mondays and see what that does.  My plan is to start with 5 and work my way up. 

I'm struggling to get to my goal of at least 40 miles a week for various reasons.  I will try to hit 37 this week and get to 40 the week after that.  I am down to 197 lbs and my pants are starting to fit, or rather, not fit, like they did a year ago when I was ready to run St. George.  I also have noticeably less body fat.  I still have a way to go, though.  I'd like to get down to 180, but have a hard time envisioning that.  I should give running 40 miles a week for 6 months a try and see what happens.  If I do that from here on out, I should be able to hit 1,000 miles for this year.

Timex 

I hurt my ankle yesterday.  It usually hurts in some way or another.  I've sprained it a few times in the past and there is a migrating sort of stiffness that comes and goes as I run.  Last year, it was there while I was running on the treadmill in the winter.  Then, one day, as I was running, there was a loud pop and the pain was gone.  It didn't bother me much during marathon training, but after I tapered, and spent less time on it, it was back again when I ran the marathon.

It really hadn't been bothering me much since I started up again this year.  But it has been getting more intense lately.  Yesterday it suddenly felt different when I started my 7th hill sprint.  There was a more intense pain on the side of my heel on the side of my leg that is inside.  Is that medial? It was like a bruise.  It made it impossible for my foot to pronate normally.   I ran through it--hoping for another big pop to bring it back to tolerable.

Today it was still there.  I almost stopped after about 100 yards, but decided to see if it got better after a mile or so.  It did get less painful, but there was a warm sensation there as I continued to go.  I'm not sure I'll be able to do my benchmark tomorrow. 

Timex 

I decided to do my warm-up for the benchmark and see where I was.  After a mile, I decided I needed to rest my ankle and get better so I stopped. 

I'll try biking for the rest of the week and try running again next week. I just can't quite get to 40, can I?

18 miles on my bike.  It was fun, but I have to pick a different route to get the same kind of effort as I get running.  There was too much downhill at first.

Timex 

Mountain biking at Big Water to the Wasatch Crest.  I hadn't been up there this year.  It was great, but I need new brake pads.  The ride down was more thrilling than I'd like.  I did make some pretty cool technical moves at high speed down some steep passages with blown-out front shocks.  It is good to be able to pull that off, but not necessarily the kind of thrill I'm seeking anymore.  I really need a new bike.

 I was able to do the first switchback on lower Big Water up to where it meets the trail in 3rd gear.  I made it most of the way to the first bridge in 3rd and sometimes 2nd gear.  I didn't use 1st gear until the switchback after the first mile.  I've never done that before.  In fact, I used to stop and rest at that switchback.  It is nice to be where I can rest in 1st gear while still climbing. 

 Didn't see any moose but I did see a pair of deer. 

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