It has been three weeks since I've posted an update. The one major thing (well major in my eyes) that I dealt with in the past few weeks was coming to terms with the fact that I wouldn't be able to run the SF Marathon. Because of my injury, I got way off track on my training regimen. I will, however, be ready to run a 1/2 marathon by July 31st. So I downgraded from the full to the half, and that sure is better than not being able to run at all. This will be my third 1/2 marathon, and maybe my fastest? The route will have several hills, so it may be challenging to beat my time from the Oakland 1/2 (which was flat), but I'm going to give it a shot.
The last three weeks I have intensely focused on my stride and the number of steps per second I take while running. I still run with the metronome, but now use it for about half of my runs. Each week for the past five weeks I've been adding one mile per week. Dr. Jess had me start with just 3 miles, which was tough considering I was running 14 before I got injured. The exciting thing is that by increasing my steps per minute to an average of 180-182 I have gotten a little faster. Last week my long run was 6 miles, and I kept an average pace of 9:08.
This past work-week I only managed to run once, but I had a strong 3 mile run with an 8:28 pace. I had a few stop-light breaks during the run, which helped, but overall I didn't actually push myself that hard. This week I think I will try for an 8:20 or 8:18 for my short run.
On Thursday I went to a yoga class for the first time in a long, long time. I go through spurts where I attend a lot of yoga classes. Then I will go for months without attending any. I struggled during Thursday's class, which isn't normal for me, and a sure-tell sign of how weak my upper body strength is. Today, Sunday, my arms and shoulders were still sore. It's time that I incorporate more cross-training into my weekly routine.
Looking ahead to the 1/2 marathon, I figured out this past week that I needed to start increasing my long run mileage by more than 1 mile per week, otherwise I wouldn't be ready. Today I ran 8 miles (increase of 2 from last week). I ran down to Lake Merritt and back and was, again, surprised by my time. For my long runs I usually clock between a 9:30 and 10:00 pace, depending on the length of the run and whether it is a new distance. Today, I successfully ran 8 miles with no pain during or after the run. Not only that, I ran an average 9:07 pace for the 8 miles. I think that might have been my fastest 8 mile. I would have gotten a sub-9 minute mile if the run had been flat, but the incline on the way back dragged my time above 9 minutes.
All in all, while getting injured was not fun, I am starting to think that I am becoming a stronger runner. By focusing on my form and working on key muscle weaknesses, I am slowly getting faster and hopefully, more efficient. I am still going to Dr. Jess Greaux about once a week. She has been exploring other parts of my right leg to see what other muscles are having issues. We discovered that I have a really tender and tight spot on my upper thigh, slightly to the back of my IT band. I also have a lot of tenderness in the lower part of my calf. The good news is that the area surrounding the upper portion of my peroneus muscles is markedly better. The scar tissue in the muscle and the nerve entrapment are almost entirely gone!! Now I just need to get the remainder of my leg muscles healthy!
I've now got my eyes on the inaugural Half Moon Bay Marathon in late September. I haven't registered yet. I am going to wait a few more weeks to assess how my body is feeling and whether or not I continue to make progress. I also need to plan out a new training program that will prepare me in enough time. There are so many marathons to choose from in the fall, that I am confident I'll be able to find one that works.
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