A perfect 5 for 5 this week...I've run everyday...and everyday I've run alone. I left early this morning to try to get in an extra couple of miles. I looped around to see if anyone came out at 5:45am, but didn't see anyone. I was a few minutes late so I just continued on the Lindon loop that we have been doing on Fridays. I decided to run it in the opposite direction for a change. I don't think I've ever run that route in the reverse direction. It changed the dynamics quite a bit. I welcomed the variety. I hit the 8 mile mark a little more than1/4 mile from home. Right about then I felt some tightness, kind of a knot, beginning in the top of my right calf. I decided to stop, stretched it lightly, and then walked for a couple of minutes. It soon felt fine. I jogged the rest of the way home without it bothering me. There was some tightness there in my post-run stretching, but thankfully no pain. I've been re-reading "This Running Life" by George Sheehan. I bought it, hard cover, for $1.98 at the BYU Bookstore back in the late 70's or early 80's. It was my first book on running and had a significant impact on my running. I read yesterday about a bunch of running B's. Big toe - try to wear out your shoe under your big toe; Buttocks - upper body quiet like riding a horse, below the waist is the horse where all the work is done; Belly Breathing - use the diaphragm to breath; Back - keep the back straight to open airways; Balance - the functions of the upper body are breathing and balance. I added Beat - a turnover of about 180 steps per minute...3 per second...a 1-2-3 waltz beat per second. I was thinking about all these B's during the run and trying to monitor how well I was doing. I think focusing on "Big Toe" got me to run on my forefoot more, which worked the calves harder. It was a good run, and I really enjoyed the milder weather. I hope the better weather helps get my running buddies out more regularly.
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