Trail Running

With one more week to go before the final really long training run before Boston, this weekend's long run involved mostly not allowing the niggly stuff to evolve into a full blown injury.. The past two years, training for Boston, about this time in the training is when I've taken on foot pain that has caused me to have to cut back the mileage the final month and do just enough to let me run Boston with a good chance of finishing.

The left foot has a bit of plantar fasciitis at the moment, probably from running in the Newton shoes three of the past few days with less heel on the shoe and a different contact/lift off angle changing stresses. Anyway, I split the 14 mile run today again. This morning's run at Kensington was a 9 mile counter-clockwise loop in order to go as easy as possible on the left foot tendonitis. The direction makes a difference because since the path slopes towards the lake for drainage, it gives me more left foot arch support running in that direction which seems to help the ankle. The run itself was respectable, other than the unscheduled toilet pit stop after 5 miles which cost my time 2 minutes. Thank goodness for the facilities, however. After downing a quick Muscle Milk and a ten minute drive to Huron Meadows Metro Park, I did another 5 miles in a trail race................. coming in second in my age group, finishing four seconds in front of the number 3 and number 4 age group finishers. Starting slowly, then passing people all the way to the finish was great fun.

After a nice taste of spring the past few days, it turned cloudy, colder and windy today but the rain held off until after the runs, thankfully.

My training pace seems to be about twenty seconds slower than past winters at this time, but getting through uninjured would absolutely be worth the tradeoff.

Went to Scott's this afternoon and changed the oil in his generator and with Chris, the furnace filter. All around, a good day.


Thurs 5 miles 8:48 HR 150 46 degrees wearing the Newtons
Fri 3 miles 8:44 HR 146 45 degrees wearing the Newtons
Sat 9 miles 8:38 HR 152 36 degrees 11 mph wind back to the Asiics Kayano 16's
5 miles 8:27 HR 154 trail race some slightly muddy

last day of WINTER! Can opening the Georgian Bay cottage be far off?