Track at Brookline

My calf did not hurt during the track workout this evening.  

Hallelujah!  

On top of the great health status, I also ran at peak performance (fast and consistent!).  

It was a relief.  This is the first workout in a couple weeks that my calf did not hurt while running.  I have a couple possible explanations as to why the pain has subsided.  

1.  I did attend church this afternoon with my sister and nieces.  They did some volunteer work and I suppose some of the good deeds rubbed off on me.

2.  I incorporated the strength training exercises prescribed by the physical therapists at Marathon Physical Therapy

3.  I also introduced and added the exercise suggestions from massage therapist Lisa Gorman from 360 Neuromuscular Therapy Massage.

4.  I have massaged my quads, hamstrings, calves, shins, and IT band a lot over the last couple weeks.

5.  I warmed up for a solid 30 minutes prior to the workout with massage and dynamic warm-ups.

6.  I wore light flexible Nike Free 4.0 Flyknit shoes with Blue SuperFeet inserts!

A tiny tint of red added to the bottom from the sweet red Brookline track.  Fancy materials over on the other side of the river!





7.  For the last couple weeks, I have been wearing compression socks as advised by the PT.

8.  I hung out with Maggie and Elizabeth today, which included short sprints and lots of kneeling.

I am not certain whether it was a combination of 1 &7 or 2, 6 & 7 or all of these, but I am on the road to a strong race!  

This evening, I ran 800 repeats on the track which is two laps around a standard track and equals a half mile.  It is an ideal "speed" workout for marathon training.  Sadly, I can't tell you the physical reasons why it's the ideal distance.  I only know because the best and most successful marathon coaches and trainers advise to include 800 repeats.  The workout is referred to as the Yasso 800s after Bart Yasso.    Based on the reading about Yasso 800, my marathon time will range between a 3:05 - 3:09 marathon.  Phew, that is fast and seems a little unlikely!

Thanks for your support! http://www2.mda.org/goto/katierunschicago2014

Day on a Foam Roller

With my training gearing up and reaching up and over 10 miles on the long runs, my legs are tired.  

That is a usual occurrence with marathon training.  The part that has stopped me for a couple days is some over tightness in my right calf muscle.

I know, the old secret has been broken.  Don't say it out loud and it won't be real!  The pain is real.  The race is real and more importantly, the cause is real.

Action has been taken! 

Due to my new job, I have discovered and made a great connection with Marathon Physical Therapy .  The team at marathon PT know the importance of endurance events and how to get each athlete to the starting line. 

 

I'm going to be ok!  

I met with a therapist early this morning on my off day from work.  

I retreated home and followed their advice.  I sat on a foam roller, a lacrosse ball, and massaged out the tightness as much as possible.   See above for an understanding an instruction of foam rolling!

This photo is not completely accurate for a couple reasons.  

1. This is not me
2. You cannot foam roll correctly with two people
3. This is not from today

But ... for entertainment factors, I did use that foam roller and I did see these two monsters today!  It was a big day out in the "city" for my little ladies.

Anyway, I did a whole lot of push ups, squats, hips monster walks, and calf raises to get ready for Chicago!  It's less than 100 days!