Honestly, it was probably inevitable.
The workout
started fine. Cold, but fine. 800m warmup, plans for 6-8 800s with 400m
recovery. The warm up was fine, and the drills and strides before the
first 800 were okay too. By the end of the first 800, however, something
wasn't right. I was three seconds off my target pace, which isn't bad
for the first interval. The problem was that I already felt tired. My
turnover was poor, I couldn't engage my hamstrings, and my shins were
aching.
The second and third repeats were each an
additional 2-3 seconds slower then the one before it and the shin pain
was worse. I'd had a tough run the morning before but I was trying to
convince myself that it was because I'd taken four days off in a row and
am struggling to get back into a routine. And that is part of the
truth. But the real culprit, at least for now, is my damn shoes. My beloved
Kinvaras. As soon as I put my new pair on last week, they didn't feel
right. Not like the prior pair, which I loved and ran MCM in.
These
didn't hug my arch and had no cushioning. I had similar calf and shin
pain last week when I ran in them but I thought it was a lack of
stretching or being out of shape or anything else. I just didn't want to
have to return my pretty pretty shoes. It looks like I have no choice,
especially once Coach George basically told me they were a piece of
crap. Not that it mattered, because I was already upset about QUITTING
on the workout. So I wandered up and down the final 100 meters of track,
crying about being fat, slow, and a quitter. Usually I can leave my
shit on the track and power through, but not today.
All in all a pretty bad start to my morning. I'm going
to return the shoes tonight on my way home, going back to my old
Triumphs. I'm not sure what I'll race in on Sunday, my old dead Kinvaras
or new Triumphs. I like a little time to get comfortable in a new pair
of shoes before I race in them, so it is a tough call. Although to be
honest, I won't really be racing this Sunday. I'm in no shape to do more
than treat it as a long run and practice for the 1/2 I have coming up
in 5 weeks. I just want it to be over with and I hate going into a race
with that feeling. Being under-trained sucks, especially when it is no
one's fault but your own.
I'm going to go back to
eating my feelings now. You may carry on with the rest of your day.
Thanks for stopping by. Obviously, advice and words of encouragement are
always welcome. Oh! And thanks to Cris and others on the track this
morning for their kind words as I trudged along. It was much
appreciated.
we've all been here, and you will get through this. I'm not "racing" Sunday either because I'm not in shape, but instead I'm excited about running on a cool morning in my city. and running easy means I'll actually enjoy it instead of being stressed about what the clock says. I've already conned Liz & her sister into starting with me, you should join us. we'll cheer you right up.
ReplyDeleteDid someone say... _cool morning_? YAY!
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I had a hard time today too (and broke my resolution not to push too hard in my workouts). In my case, I was just struggling some with my breathing -- I think because the air was so damn dry.
Funny about the Kinvaras -- that's actually all I ever run in (except for racing, where I wear the Saucony A4, which is even lighter). But I think every foot is different. In my case, so far, all of my major injuries have been associated with more supportive shoes (broke my foot while wearing Adrenalines), and I get a lot of arch pain everytime I try anything besides the Kinvara. But I'm just a bit of a freak. :)
George pretty much says that all minimalist shoes are pieces of crap. Seriously. It was one of those days - it happens. The best you can do is take care of those nagging aches and pains, and then get back out there. Also, enjoy every single minute of the race this weekend!
ReplyDeleteI'm not planning in racing Sunday, either. It's been almost a year since I've run that far. Besides, I want to enjoy the sights.
ReplyDeleteProud of you for trying through the pain! Sometimes you have to quit or risk injury.
Sorry to hear you had a rough time the other day. I guess the only advantage to it being a shoe issue is that it *should* be relatively easy to fix, though it's unfortunate you have to return your pretty shoes.
ReplyDelete