Holly called to let me know that she wanted to go to the movies and that she had ribs in the oven so we could eat before we went. This was all well and good, but now I had to adjust my workout plan to be done rather quickly and with the pain I’ve been getting in my left calf, my options were limited.
I headed for the Metropark knowing that I had to do something and it was going to be there. I had gotten my first new pair of running shoes from Mark the evening before. They were a lightweight pair of Sauconys…a shoe that was somewhere between the minimalist shoe of the barefoot runner and the heavily padded traditional shoe every shoe company has been making for the past 40 years. I had them in the car…which meant I had to try them out. At the very least, I could do some hiking in them. Umm…right.
By the time I climbed from the car and slipped into my training gear and new shoes, I had a plan. I thought I’d start with some easy jogging and then incorporate Survival-type sprinting, bounding and climbing moves with more light jogging in between. I guess I just thought well…screw it…I’ve got all winter to heal. I’m going to push this calf thing until it busts…or I do.
I began jogging on shoes that, compared to what I’d been wearing, felt like cushioned slippers. I’ve been going with the same, beat-to-death Asics running shoes for the past three years. They’re completely broken down and tattered beyond recognition. They were my answer to the minimalist shoe movement…taking a cheap pair of conventional shoes and using them until there was nothing left. Anyway, the new shoes felt…wonderful.
After 4 minutes of jogging, I hit my first picnic table and bounded up and down on it for 60 seconds. I followed this with my crossover steps up a steep 2-minute hill. When I crested the hill, I went back into a jog, but quickly veered into the woods, weaving through trees and jumping over obstacles for 60 seconds. I regained the trail and jogged for 5 minutes before reaching an open field where I did four 50-yard sprints with 10 second jogs between each one.
I was starting to feel a good burn now and the calf, to my amazement, seemed to be getting stronger with each new move. I picked another picnic table and did another 60 seconds of bounding before heading for the steep hill behind the Oak Pavilion. I really just walk/scramble up this incline since it is so steep, but it keeps my heart rate well over 150 bpm. The real fun comes after reaching the top and heading to the far side for a steep descent through the trees where the objective is to maintain your feet. It’s great for balance and agility…and a confidence booster if you can make it without falling…a real trick with wet, slippery leaves covering the forest floor.
I reached the bottom, breaking out of the woods and into the cabin area. From there, I ran back to the open field where Jason’s rugby team meets to practice. I finished the workout with four more 50-yard sprints as the rugby team was warming up. I stayed on my toes for all the sprints…a foot strike that places tremendous stress on the calf muscles…but was pain-free throughout. I finished and walked over to say hello to Jason and the rugby group before heading home. Jason stopped home after practice and said the team really does refer to me as ‘the crazy old man from the woods’ because they seem to forget I’m his father. The do get bumped in their helmetless heads quite a bit.
The shoes, by the way, were a hit. Though not completely pain-free, it was the best my calf has felt since the painful hike with the boots two weeks ago. I’ll give them a few more tries before admitting that maybe,..just maybe…it’s time to retire my faithful Asics.
Run/sprint/bounding Survival workout: 35 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 150 bpm.Calories burned during workout: 500.
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