I just finished my third consecutive week at 70 miles. This week was on 6 days though. I decided to take Monday off because of three straight days of tight calves. Let this be a warning, spikes, although incredibly cool, can also be incredibly cruel. It's my own fault. A full workout on spikes was never a good idea. I fully intended on running the first 2 sets in my Kinvara's but I just wanted to run spikes. That's what happens when you don't get your quota of fast track work throughout the year. So after sluggish Friday, Saturday, and Sunday runs, I wanted to give my calves a day to recover.
I consider 70 my sweet spot right now. I'm tempted to keep creeping the miles up, and with an impending 50k on the way, it would seem to make sense. But, I'm going the cautious route. I just missed a year of running. 18 months if you count the haphazard training I did this spring. I'm finally healthy and running normal and there is no need to push it. Besides, I know that I've still got more work to do on my strength imbalances, and my gait. I'm pretty excited to work with Carolyn Watson on that stuff. It will be great to put the treadmill and video equipment at the store to good use and try to make some of the subtle changes that will only help my running. Its always the little things that get you.
I'm about one week away from my first real race. I've already got the nervousness and anxiety when I think about it while running. A fast 5k just seems so hard. They always hurt, no matter what the fitness level is. The real issue is the unknown. I have an idea of my fitness, but this will give us a real measure. Minutes and seconds, to be compared to 14:57. This will set the tone for the rest of my fall, both racing and training.
I've got a ton of Saucony gear arriving at the store tomorrow. That's super cool. And its always great for motivation. I'll be rocking the blaze orange, ViziPro gear all over. You can't miss me, and I won't get mistaken for an animal, and shot while out on the trail. Perfect. But in all seriousness, Brooks Nightlife has nothing on ViziPro. I'll take the orange no matter what! And after my spike debacle, I'm definitely racing in the Saucony A4's for the 5k. We'll see who shows up for the final All Comers meet of the season next Monday. I'll probably end up front loading the upcoming week so I can hit my miles, and get in a relatively easy Sunday run prior to the race. Monday races are strange. They just don't fit into training.
And that reminds me. Sam Alexander and I were talking about this on our run today. I think we need to have a 1k loop course in downtown Bellingham to race a blazing 5k. Prize money and all. It would be cool to pan in conjunction with some other event, so that there are unsuspecting crowds that will already be gathered (like the people at the Bite of Bellingham) who will turn into a raging crowd as the race goes by right in front of them. Who knows, it could happen. I'll leave you all with that thought.
Feel free to just post a link to somewhere if it's more easily explained that way, but why is it that spikes put more strain on your calves?
ReplyDeleteThere are a few reasons that spikes do that. Spikes are typically lower profile and less drop (back to front) than most shoes, including racing flats. Without any buildup under the heel, the calf and achilles go through their greatest range of motion. That combined with increased intensity of the workout and a more aggressive foot strike position put more strain on the calf. And I think the kicker is the spikes, which don't slip at all. Because I can run my brains out in a low profile racing flat without issue but spikes will get me after just a few short intervals.
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