Freethinker ~ Freerunner

Like a boss!  I ran two hours today with the last third at a faster pace on what Hal Higdon calls a (3/1) workout.  I averaged about 7:55 for the first ten miles, then I dropped down to about 7:20 for the last five and half.  I feel very accomplished in the sense that I was able to stick to the plan by even pacing the first ten, and then still had enough left to run the last five at a faster pace.  So many times in the past I've run out of energy by then end because I spent it all up front.  

Kevin and I ran Turkey Mountain today.  It was a beautiful 60 something degrees, all be it very windy.  Kevin ended up bailing out at 4.3 miles and I decided to keep going.  I wanted to hit my planned seven miles.  Kevin had run his long run yesterday and was therefore spent.  I was having a great time by myself running on one of the trails that I had not run on before.  I was about one mile from my finish when my left foot came down wrong on a rock and I heard a snapping sound as my ankle twisted outward.  I could tell immediately that I had suffered a mild sprain, although not bad enough that I was able to jog and eventually resume a bit of a run until I got back.

I stretched a little bit back at the car and could immediately feel the loss of range of motion, not good.  The good news was that I did not appear to be swelling.  I drove the twenty five minutes home and began icing it fifteen minutes on and fifteen minutes off.  About twenty minutes ago I decided to wrap it.  I probably ice it a little more tonight and see how it feels in the morning.

I have the Grassland Run in exactly eleven days and I anticipate given the severity of this particular sprain I will be 100% recovered by then.  

I decided my left ankle was healed up enough to resume training this morning.  I can only feel remnants of the sprain in the slight tight feeling when I roll or stretch it inwards in the direction of the roll that caused the injury.  I don't believe it will affect my running going forward so long as I don't land on any uneven surfaces and roll it to the same side again too soon.  I will be cautious for sure.  

This morning I ran 6 800's at about a 6:50 pace.  I feel good and am looking forward to my last long run this Sunday before the Grasslands Trail run in Texas next week. 

I ran an easy four this morning just to prevent the soreness from setting in from my 800's yesterday.  Tomorrow morning I run for two hours as my last long run before Grasslands one week from today.