Last week: 47 miles total (Mon-0 miles-BAA Marathon watching, Tues-8 miles, Wed 6 miles-GCS track workout-10X400m 82-83 secs, Thurs-12 miles felt great and extended the run, Fri- 6 miles, Sat-8 miles, Sun. 7 miles Reds Shoe Barn 5 mile race).
Overall it was a good week. I was thrilled to be back on the track again. Thursday was one of those great days. I could have run forever. I don't know why I wasn't sore after the precious day's track workout. Saturday I ran, but probably should not have done so before the race. My hip was a bit off on that run (I believe a decent description of my hip comes from Carson Boddicker which he describes as "the inability to control the femoral head within the acetabulum"). I did some stretching, but added in two hip stretches. I think I did one in the wrong direction and I believe that threw my hip off for Sunday's race. I was mighty uncomfortable before the race and struggled on the warmup run. I tried to stretch, but not stretch too hard, but my hip was back to where it was on its worst days in the past. It was not a good race. I had to stop to tie my shoe, but at that point who cared? (results here) I think I have run a slower 5 mile race only once in my life.
I was wearing new shoes. I am trying out a pair of Karhu Racers. They are more of a shoe than I am used to wearing and I don't like white shoes, but I was thinking it was time to try something new. The new Asics Hyperspeeds that I had been wearing were making the top of my big toe sore. I have used these since Thursday for all my runs and I like them a lot except that I have to learn to double tie the laces. There is not too much heel, so I still land midfoot and the fulcrum things does seem to help transition my foot a bit more easily. Karhu are a Finnish brand of shoe. They have been around since 1926. I remember the brand in the 1970's from Runner's World magazine, but have never worn them before.
My hip had me uncomfortable all Sunday. Then I did a psoas muscle release and used that silly looking Muscle Angel thing I bought at the Boston Marathon to work on my left piriformis and glutes. I was regretting that purchase until this. Boy, could it target the tight spots more effectively than any ball or device I have used in the past. It could dig right in on a tight muscle target so precisely. After that, I did about an hour of Z-Health joint mobility work on all my joints from the toes, to the ankles, knee, hips, pelvis, thoracic, shoulders, and neck. I skipped the arms. Rather than do the drills from memory or the DVD. I used the manual and reread all the directions and did them slowly with good form. I felt great after all that work. Monday was supposed to be an off day, but I felt so good I ran and had a wonderful 8 miler with super alignment, looseness, and balance. It felt 100 times better than Sunday's race! Now to keep things going that way! I am pleased to be able to get out of the bad alignment so easily. Last year, I would go through a week or two of trying to get out of the joint pains and misalgnments after a day like Sunday.
