Saturday, February 27, 2010

K, now it's my running blog until someone says hi

Elaine Dunn Started out great, Achilles pinged right on schedule, at 4.6, but it was a key run and a little ping so I kept going. Heart flipped on mile 9, very scary, also very short. Scared my water carrier son, but after a few seconds I was breathing normally, albeit very tired for the next four miles, 10+ min/mile. This is wher...e it helped to have an earlier decision: I have decided if anything happens close to what happened in Boston, I will simply slow way down until I feel better, not stop and walk. Of course I didn't pass out, was not altogether panicked, and so was able to keep going. Mile 13, still very tired and now in pain, not from Achilles but the entire skeletal area of my pelvis. I should have sped up there though. It all hurt. Something still going on with the hip bones/cartilage, maybe I should get an MRI. As usual, when I picked the speed up the last two miles, it was easier, not harder. Really struggling to find that 8:46 pace and stay on it...sometimes slowing down really doesn't help and I should have sped up once I got my breath back. My cardiologist calls it neurocardiogenic syncope. I just call it weird. But I'm happy to be home, safe, no real pain in my Achilles, and still able to walk, even before the ice bath. It's going to be okay. I guess my last amazing 20 miler was just that, amazing. And today was a bad day. Unbelievable how much variation in the way I felt between two fairly similar runs.
I wore the new Sauconys without inserts, yes I have read the book "Born to Run"....and my new Sauconys are fairly minimalist in the heel. I didn't need the extra cushy sink contributing to the Achilles pull so my problems were likely not related to my new shoes....just physiologic, unfortunately. I think my Achllles might be fine!

8 comments:

  1. Anybody who can run 20 miles is amazing. The way you talk about it is also amazing. Who ever knew that running could be such a science?

    I just have one question, how did your son happen to be with you at mile 9? Did he run all that distance with you, or did he cheat with a bike or a car?

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  2. He was my drink support, on a bike. I found a five mile segment of the trail and went back and forth on it.

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  3. That Achilles thing is worrisome. Mine for some reason has largely gone away, but I stretch it gently every day. I don't worry about ITB, but Achilles is my weakness, to coin a phrase. Is your coach getting you ready to run a 3:33 at Boston or are you targeting something a little slower than that? You must be getting down to the short strokes by now.

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  4. 3:45....but at Boston. It isn't recommended to shoot for a PR at Boston, which is of course exactly what I'm doing.

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  5. I haven't visited for awhile, I'll have to fix that. I've had achilles' problems in the past too, usually from overuse. Once it was so bad that I quite running for a few weeks and took up swimming. Now I'm a triathlete so maybe it is a blessing in disguise. Anyway, swimming really helped me, kept me working out and something about the movement really relieved any pain.

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  6. Thanks AZ. I hate the water and can't swim, but this is really making me want to take it up. I actually fantasized about it today as I was struggling through what should have been an easier run.

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  7. Elaine, sorry you had to work through some pain, but glad you got that 20 done. I hope you get that 3:45 in Boston!

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  8. Hi Elaine! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I appreciate your time and comments. It always floors me that others find some entertainment value in my selfish rants!

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