Going Long (again) in 2024

Easy run with hill bursts/strides thrown in at miles 3, 4, 5 and 6.  Average pace was 8:35.

15 mile long run.  Rehearsed everything that I plan to do marathon morning, so started eating 4 hours before running - a total of 1200 calories - 200 grams of carbs.  Started running at 10:20.  That part is going to drive me nuts marathon morning.  I just want to get going!

I overdressed.  It was -10C/15F, but with a stiff north wind.  Once I got out there though, I realized I had too many layers on.  So I sweat a lot.  Then that made me cold.  Go figure.

It snowed a lot last night, and the roads were not nice.  So, I changed my route a bit when I found a one mile stretch that was not so bad, and I ran back and forth on it 6 times.  Boring, but it worked.

I planned on running miles 12, 13 and 14 fast, but that was the section of road that was rough and into the wind.  I ended up running mile 12 in 7:38, but right at the end of it, my right achilles tendon really tightened up.  I didn't know what that was about, but didn't want to take a chance running fast on it, so I slowed down for the final miles.  

Total running time just over 2 hour and 4 minutes, at a pace of 8:17.

I'm sitting here with the achilles tendon on ice, hoping and praying it's not an injury.  It's just numb right now.  I'll stretch it out after I clean up and see what it feels like.

Evening Edit:  I don't think it's the achilles tendon.  I think it's the flexor digitorum longus muscle.  That, I think, is good news.  Cause:  likely running on uneven (snow and ice covered) surfaces and on soft snow.  Same effect as running on sand.  I've been icing it all day, and using my ultra sound device.  Hoping I can run on it in the morning, but will use the treadmill as a precaution, since the roads are still quite bad.

6 easy treadmill miles at a 9:10 pace.

Yesterday was not a good day.  After the right leg pain, I found out my room in Boston was cancelled due to some emergency.  I was left scrambling to find another place.  Fortunately, it worked out.  There was a new airbnb listing and I got it.  Same price as the one that was cancelled, with better features and a bit closer to downtown.  So, at least that worked out for me.

The leg is still a question mark.  And I'm not quite sure if it's the flexor digitorum longus or the achilles tendon.  Either way, it's up close to the calf muscle. I wouldn't describe it as a pain, so much as a tightness.  My concern is that it might progress to pain/further injury if I keep running on it.  So, I'm not quite sure what to do.

It didn't seem to get any worse during the 6 miles.  But tomorrow I'm scheduled for speed work.  Do I push it, or do I back off for a few days?  I'll keep icing it today and make that decision in the morning.

My final speed work session.  3 x 1 mile intervals at 6:40 with 600m recoveries.  It actually felt easy, with the only concern being that right flexor muscle.

I switched my days around - took yesterday off instead of today.  There is no swelling, but there is pain when pressed.  Walking is fine, and even running is not bad.  More pressure than pain, and it is not affecting my stride in any way.  It didn't get any worse during the 8 miles, and running speed did not seem to make it any worse either.

So, I'll run my 10 miles easy tomorrow, and then switch my 8 mile race pace tempo run to Saturday.  If I get both those in, I'll not have lost any training at all.  I guess my only concern is making it worse.  I'm hoping that, since there is good blood flow to this muscle, it will heal quickly.  And I'll stick to the treadmill so I have a predictable running surface until I'm feeling 100% (or until the snow melts!).

10 easy miles; 9:10 pace on the treadmill.

I'm going to say the leg is better this morning.  After 10 miles, for sure I was feeling it.  But again, not pain, but tightness.

Tempo run on the treadmill.  8 miles at 7:39 marathon pace.  Same as last week:  one minute level, 2 minutes uphill, one minute level and 2 minutes downhill, repeated 10 times.

No discernable change in the flexor muscle - no worse anyway.  Again, I can't say it hurts, so much as it feels tight as I run.  It's not affecting my stride in any way, so I'll keep running.  I have a feeling it's going to be like my old groin injury - a friend that comes along for all the runs but doesn't really slow them down.

AND, that's ten weeks of training done.  Eight weeks to go.