Easing back in

First off I suppose I should let everyone know that I CAN RUN AGAIN! Not far (yet), and not fast (yet), but the physical therapy folks gave me the go ahead to start running  for realz with the caveats that I:

1.       Promise to do my calf stretches before and after my run.

2.       Warm up before the run and cool down after.

3.       Not add too much mileage at once.

This seems like bush league warnings, but if you know me at all, you know that I tend to not do either of the first two things like, ever, and as to the third I’m prone to suddenly deciding that yes, a double-digit run WOULD be a good idea. Rules are a good idea.

 

I’m thrilled because I really didn’t want to pitch my Shamrock Shuffle entry for the second year in a row.  Last year I signed up and then had to go out of town and I gave my entry away. Unwisely I gave it to a really fast guy.  Hmm – do you think they noticed when ‘I’ placed 10^th in my age group? Why yes they did.  And then someone must have looked up the finish line photos to confirm the strangely high placement and noticed that suddenly I was a dude.  You can bet that time disappeared from the official results. Kind of a bummer since I was hoping it would put me in a super-awesome corral for this year’s race. Then I was worried that I’d be banned from all future Bank of America races (Shuffle, Marathon) but they seem to want my money more than my integrity and they accepted my registration and put me in Corral C (which I legitimately earned – last year’s fake-o time would have had me in the A corral).

 

So anyway, I ran three miles on Wednesday at Chick’s Night – very slowly and with two walk breaks when I thought I possibly felt a twinge in my calf.  But, no pain when I got back to Fleet Feet and nothing in the morning.  Then this morning I ran three miles with no stopping – again no pain.  It was no speed fest and I got a little winded when I was talking and running but other than that it went OK.  I’ve started wearing my Adidas Boost shoes and I like them.  I don’t notice much of a difference from my Brooks Pure shoes except I don’t seem to click my ankle with the shoes as much as I usually do – a plus. They are nice and cushiony and the uppers are very comfortable.  I’d like to start wearing my Newtons again but since they tend to make you use your calf more than other shoes I suppose it might be a good idea to hold off on them until I feel 100% better.

 

I’m thinking about running tomorrow morning too, but two days in a row might be a bad idea. Plus, I’m hosting a Thanksgiving in March dinner party tomorrow and my house is currently a pit of despair and needs a full day of cleaning. Like ALL DAY deep cleaning.  The only up-side to going running is my group would meet at the Fleet Feet Breakfast Club run at 8am so I’d be home by 8:45 and ready to start the day – not necessarily a bad plan.  Left to my own devices I would probably sleep in until 9 which would put me behind the 8-ball since I need to pick up the turkey at 9:30 and start getting it ready for the oven.

 

Next week my dream schedule would be:

M: Run 4

T: Sculpt, spin

W: Run 4

Th: Sculpt

F: Run 4, roller skate (I’m going to an open skate with a friend who is a derby girl)

Sa: Run 5

Su: Sculpt

With a few sundry other group fitness classes or swimming thrown in for good measure. What do you think – too much too soon? Just right? Not enough?

 

And hey - were you all at last night's Taste the Madness event at Fleet Feet-Old Town? If not, you should have been! The drinks were super tasty (especially the Bloody Mary's from Stu's) and lots of nice winter apparel and accessories were on sale (and are still on sale). I bought myself a cute lucky #13 shamrock tee for the Shuffle (if it's not freaking freezing on race day), and a nice black Icebreaker wrap dress - who knew they made clothes that I can wear to work? Anyway - if you missed it you should have been there!