A.M. Slept it in again to speed up the healing. The plan today was 2x2.5 mile tempo at around 6:00 pace in the middle of my regular 10.1. So 1.37 into the run I started the tempo. Ran at a fairly steady pace and finished 2.5 in 14:43 (5:53 average). On the positive side HR behaved - was never above 152, and even dropped to 149 in the last half mile. This is almost normal, maybe even just plain normal if we account for the warm temperatures. However, I could feel a mild side ache on the right. I know what that means. The body says it is still healing from the illness. Also, while I did not mind the pace I did not feel exceptionally energetic and anxious to run fast. So I decided to forgo the second tempo, and just jog to the finish. Total of 10.1 in 1:14:32. Then 2 more with Benjamin in 17:22. Kept thinking about the plantar flexion thrust. That's when you flex your calf while on the ground, it raises you up on your toes, and also propels you forward. Haile seems to be running off that thrust quite a bit. I am interested in it because my quads fatigue quickly, but my calves are always fresh, which means they are bumming it. If I could learn how to use them properly for forward propulsion, this could make quite a bit of a difference. I have the oxygen, plenty of it, some could go to the quad, and some could go to the calf. Maybe I could even learn to push my HR to 178 with this calf recruitment.
In the past I felt I could not do it well because of landing crooked. Now after a couple of months of no shod running the landing crookedness is becoming less problematic. But I am still struggling with the thrust. Now the problem is the ankle joint. It feels too weak for full power calf action, I am afraid to injure it. It is good that I have enough neurologically subconscious common sense to know better than go wild with the plantar flexion. But it is bad that the ankle join is weak. It is probably a matter of time before it gets stronger. Maybe 4 months, maybe a year, maybe even two years. I need to be patient. P.M. 2 with Jenny in 18:52. Julia ran 1.5 in 13:54. Then 0.5 with Joseph in 4:36. He smashed his record of 4:54. So much for the Jo-Jo little leg shuffle. Julia ran the first quarter with us, then picked it up and finished in 4:24. So her total time for 2 miles ended up being 18:18, faster than Jenny's.
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