Following my last run, which was 2 days ago, my right knee was sore for the entire next day. By the day after that, it was fine. My right calf (likely my soleus) felt sore, especially if I did a calf raise. Despite this, I ran on Tuesday night after the kids were in bed. Also, I spent Monday and Tuesday wearing my new Altra Samson shoes. That means I essentially spent 2 days "barefoot" when I would have normally worn shoes.
By midway through my run, I could tell that both calves were tired with the right being more noticeable than the left. I also noticed I finished almost 2 minutes slower than when I ran the same route two days earlier.
Distance: 2.5 miles
Weight: didn't check
Results: my right medial knee was sore afterwards but not as badly as I would have predicted (as of writing this, it can tell it is very minorly sore, but not as noticeable as Monday). My calves and ankles were also sore (kind of a fatigued sore. Otherwise, I felt fine.
What I Learned: It is possible that being "barefoot" for 2 straight days might have fatigued my calves more than I realized, leading to my slower time and extra soreness last night.
What I am most concerned about is my knee. Every other physical symptom I have experienced in this journey has fallen under the category of transient, exercise-related sorenss. That sort of stuff gets bettter and goes away.
The right knee soreness seems different. It seems more joint-related. This concerns me because it is very similar to what I remember from when I was last running several years ago. If it does not improve, my future with running is going to be limited. It is as simple as that. If the intermittent soreness I have now gets worse, becomes more intense and/or more frequent than something will have to change.
Plan: For now, I will run every third day instead of every other day. I will also wear my regular shoes the day after a run to give my calves a break, but I will wear the Samsons on the next 2 days. We'll see how it goes.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Day 65 - Altra Samsons, finally
So I finally got my pair of
Altra Samsons (not terribly impressed with the efficiency of the shipping process). They arrived on Friday but I have not had a good chance to run in them until today (Sunday). Running last night was a possibility, but I was quite tired. I wanted my first run in these to be when I was fresh so I could evaluate them realistically.
To this point, all of my running has been barefoot, which has limited me to an extent. Can someone develop a thick enough callus on the sole of the foot to regularly run on concrete and asphalt? Probably, but I haven't seen it in my feet yet. That is, of course, where shoes come in. What was the purpose of the first pair of foot coverings? They were likely for protecting the foot. That is all I really need.
The best way I can describe them is running slippers. There is no support in them. They are not constricting in any way. They have a sole that is flexible but not soft. The sole is relatively thin, such that I can feel small rocks under my feet but they did not hurt. They came with a thin insole, but I removed that, which I think helps with fit.
What was running in them like? I pretty much forgot about my feet. Without focusing on what the soles of my feet felt like, I could focus on my form and technique. This was quite valuable. In the past, I was often distracted by raw feet. Most of the run was spent thinking about good posture, light foot strikes and a quick cadence. One other note, in the last half mile I began to notice a hot spot on the outside of my right Achilles'/ankle. Thin socks might be needed. We'll see how it goes.
Please keep in mind these are my first minimalist shoes, so I have no means of comparison to other models.
The run was 2.5 miles long, right in my neighborhood (HOORAY!) and I finished it in 23:46. That is faster than I have been running. I would be willing to bet that I was less inhibit by having some protection for my feet.
With only one run under my belt, the Samsons seem like a good investment. Time will tell.
To this point, all of my running has been barefoot, which has limited me to an extent. Can someone develop a thick enough callus on the sole of the foot to regularly run on concrete and asphalt? Probably, but I haven't seen it in my feet yet. That is, of course, where shoes come in. What was the purpose of the first pair of foot coverings? They were likely for protecting the foot. That is all I really need.
The best way I can describe them is running slippers. There is no support in them. They are not constricting in any way. They have a sole that is flexible but not soft. The sole is relatively thin, such that I can feel small rocks under my feet but they did not hurt. They came with a thin insole, but I removed that, which I think helps with fit.
What was running in them like? I pretty much forgot about my feet. Without focusing on what the soles of my feet felt like, I could focus on my form and technique. This was quite valuable. In the past, I was often distracted by raw feet. Most of the run was spent thinking about good posture, light foot strikes and a quick cadence. One other note, in the last half mile I began to notice a hot spot on the outside of my right Achilles'/ankle. Thin socks might be needed. We'll see how it goes.
Please keep in mind these are my first minimalist shoes, so I have no means of comparison to other models.
The run was 2.5 miles long, right in my neighborhood (HOORAY!) and I finished it in 23:46. That is faster than I have been running. I would be willing to bet that I was less inhibit by having some protection for my feet.
With only one run under my belt, the Samsons seem like a good investment. Time will tell.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Day 60 - a little break
Yes, I took a day off. There was a variety of reasons for this. First, I ran/biked/ran/biked 4 days in a row (last Wednesday to Saturday). Second, I hadn't seen Michelle & the kids for several days. Third, on Monday, I could not find time. Simple enough.
Does it sound like I'm making excuses? Yeah, I kinda am.
Realistically, a little bit of a musculoskeletal break was probably just what I needed anyway.
Last night, after the kids were in bed, I went back up to West's track and did 2.25 miles, barefoot of course. My Altra Samson's are on the way and should be here on Friday. We'll see.
As a side note, when I ordered the shoes from Altra, I also ordered a new seatpost from a company called Velo Orange. The shipping for both items was the same. My new seatpost arrived, in good order, on Monday. My shoes were shipped on Monday. Both of these companies are small, US-based companies. One of them has their ducks in a row. The other does not.
Distance: 2.25 miles
Weight: 215 lbs (checked at Pain Center scale)
Results: Once again, my right medial knee was sore while I was running, but not afterwards. I have not figured this out yet. I'm definitely waiting for the other shoe to drop. When is my right knee going to start to hurt even when I'm not running? Hopefully it won't. We'll see.
Another thing I noted today was that I could finally begin to get a feel for running lightly. The best I can do to describe it is a sensation of springing my foot up or like quickly pulling my foot off the ground (kind of like there were hot coals).
What I Learned: Learning and adaptation takes time. Thankfully, I have time.
Plan: My new shoes are coming Friday. I should run again on Thursday. On Thursday, Kenowa Hills will be having their first football game of the season, where my niece and step-niece will be performing with the marching band. What to do, what to do? At a minimum, I look forward to trotting around my neighborhood without tearing up my feet.
Does it sound like I'm making excuses? Yeah, I kinda am.
Realistically, a little bit of a musculoskeletal break was probably just what I needed anyway.
Last night, after the kids were in bed, I went back up to West's track and did 2.25 miles, barefoot of course. My Altra Samson's are on the way and should be here on Friday. We'll see.
As a side note, when I ordered the shoes from Altra, I also ordered a new seatpost from a company called Velo Orange. The shipping for both items was the same. My new seatpost arrived, in good order, on Monday. My shoes were shipped on Monday. Both of these companies are small, US-based companies. One of them has their ducks in a row. The other does not.
Distance: 2.25 miles
Weight: 215 lbs (checked at Pain Center scale)
Results: Once again, my right medial knee was sore while I was running, but not afterwards. I have not figured this out yet. I'm definitely waiting for the other shoe to drop. When is my right knee going to start to hurt even when I'm not running? Hopefully it won't. We'll see.
Another thing I noted today was that I could finally begin to get a feel for running lightly. The best I can do to describe it is a sensation of springing my foot up or like quickly pulling my foot off the ground (kind of like there were hot coals).
What I Learned: Learning and adaptation takes time. Thankfully, I have time.
Plan: My new shoes are coming Friday. I should run again on Thursday. On Thursday, Kenowa Hills will be having their first football game of the season, where my niece and step-niece will be performing with the marching band. What to do, what to do? At a minimum, I look forward to trotting around my neighborhood without tearing up my feet.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Day 56 - White Pine Trail
Since I was working up in Cedar Springs today, I thought I would use the White Pine Trail to do one of my runs. My hypothesis was that the trail would not be quite as rough on my feet as sidewalks or the neighborhood streets. I was wrong. My intention was to try for 2.25 miles but I had to stop at 1.74 because my left foot was getting a little raw. I didn't see the point of leaving bloody footprints along the trail. The good new is that I sold my bike frame and have ordered a pair of Altra Samsons. I'm pretty excited.
Distance: 1.74 miles
Weight: didn't check
Results: as I mentioned above, my left forefoot got raw. It is not as sore this evening as it was earlier. While running, my right knee was sore. This has been common recently but the funny thing is my knee feels fine shortly after I'm done. This, I can't quite figure out.
What I Learned: Yes, I need shoes.
Plan: Honestly, I should run on Sunday but I will probably take a break. If anything, I will do some sprints on West's practice field.
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