Monday, April 12, 2010

Tight Calves....again!!!

Hi There,
This one seems to be come back to haunt me every year for the last two years around this time of the season. Tight Calf muscles that cause my left Achilles to be a little tender while out running. The odd thing is its always in the same spot just about halfway up my lower leg. This happened last year just before the 10 miler and I was still able to break the hour for that distance, so I'm not freaking out just yet.

Now I'm not sure if this is due to pushing a little harder in workouts than I should (while I don't think as I'm still only running one track type workout a week) or upping the mileage too quickly (again I don't think it is this as my mileage is pretty much similar every week) or not giving myself enough recovery between workouts or not doing enough stretching after workouts, I think it is a combination of the last two factors as this last week or so I've been trying to run an interval day and then a Long run the next day, rather than leaving a recovery day between like I was doing all winter. Plus I did something stupid like started adding mileage to second runs on Tuesday and Thursday which only come 3 hours after my first run of the day.

I'm going to have to reschedule my training back to like it was in March. I'm also going to have to forget about running to work for the moment as I'm not going to start adding more miles if I can't run the miles I normally run right now. I ran on Saturday for 75 minutes on the treadmill (nothing new there been using the treadmill once or twice a week since November) leg was great, ran for 2:15 yesterday and the leg was complaining every time I ran down hill. This doesn't bode well for either the 10 miler or the Policeman's half Marathon. But I'd rather miss one or both (if need be) or just run them and not race than miss my first goal race of the Spring at the end of May.

Since our son was born one of the first things to go and one of the difference makers between getting injured and not getting injured was my weekly yoga class. Now I try and get in a twenty to forty minute yoga dvd session when I get home from work, but I don't do it every night and its not the same as going to a class. I've been trying to get to a yoga class but there doesn't seem to be that quite fits my schedule. Meaning a class that is on after my son goes to bed, normally though by the time 8:00pm rolls in I'm only good for sitting on the couch. 

Injuries are good for one thing, they teach us to slow down (even if its just a little) think about what's happening to the body.  So this week I'll organize a couple of massages and try and get to a Yoga class on my lunch break at the Y.I'll also ride my bike since that is a not weight bearing exercise it shouldn't aggravate my leg.  I'm also due to see my Chiropractor this week, which I'm thinking I may have to see more often as I feel the need for more adjustments during the season will help keep the body aligned for all of the running that I'll be doing in the build up to May and then New York in November.

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