A very good run...

Wednesday, May 2, 2012
It was perfect riding weather and I hadn’t been on the bike in over a week and was looking forward to a long one when I found out I was expected to take Heidi back to Akron.  Though I normally pout when I have to change my workout plans, I managed to keep it together.  She’d done us a big favor by house sitting with Jack while we’d been on our trip…you absolutely CAN NOT leave Jack alone in your house if you have any hopes of returning…and not find a smoldering crater where once your house stood.

I threw my running gear in the van knowing I wouldn’t arrive at the park until close to dark.  It would be a short run, but I was determined to get it in.  For reasons known only in the deep recesses of a brain I seem to access only on rare occasions, a decision was made to run in the minimalist shoes I’d gotten last fall and used for running only once.  That run had resulted in sore feet and calves and I’d used them only for walking since.  I was planning to do a climbing trip in three weeks and risking it all for a short run in shoes that had crippled me once before didn’t make much sense…but I never let that influence my decision making.

I remembered when I’d used the shoes on that long-ago run that I’d changed my gait to make sure I landed more on the ball of my foot...the intention of the shoe since it has less cushioning in the heel.  This naturally puts more stress on the calf muscles while working foot muscles in an entirely different fashion…both things can be good when done in moderation…a word I’ve always been uncomfortable with.  Well…I wouldn’t be making that mistake again, I figured.

And I didn’t.

I started slowly, but felt light on my feet…the shoes feel more like slippers.  I decided not to check my time at certain check points I have on this short course and determined to just run comfortably fast…what I’d call a ‘Tempo’ run.  I approached the car at an even pace…making a conscious effort not to increase my speed over the final half mile as I would if I was trying to run fast.  I hit the stopwatch and looked.  I’d completed the course in just under 31 minutes, which was only 57 seconds off my pr.  I was quite pleased to see that I’d run my second fastest time ever on the course on a day when I was just cruising.  And…my feet felt great, though I had noticed a twinge or two in my left calf.  All signs are pointing to a condition level appropriate for some tough days in the mountains.
  
Run Duration:  31minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 525.