So this weekend I decided to run my first double-digit run since training last fall. I’m not officially “training” for anything right now (my next race is the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler on April 1st) but I had no big plans this weekend so figured why not?
All in all, it was a good run and I am happy I did it. But it did not go without some minor drama.
I enjoyed an ideal pre-long-run breakfast of toast, PB, banana, and a yo bowl. Plus ½ Picky Bar and a handful of Honey Stinger Energy Chews . Pretty standard.
My route was a simple 5-miles out-and-back along the Schuylkill. I had a pretty good mix synched up to my shuffle. However 2.5 miles into the run, the stupid piece of sh*t died on me, and I swear I charged the thing overnight. (Side rant: Save your money. Do not purchase a Shuffle, spend the extra $100 and get yourself a Nano. Trust me.)
I’m sure you understand how completely maddening it is when your source of entertainment for a long workout suddenly decides to not participate. But, I figured I had an hour left and I could do anything for an hour. So I popped the piece of sh*t Nano into my pocket and kept trucking. After 5 minutes of self-pity, I completely forgot I didn’t have my tunes, and actually enjoyed the time alone with my thoughts. On Saturday mornings along the Schuylkill, there are plenty of other runners, walkers, dogs, etc. to keep you occupied, so the quiet time was actually kind of lovely.
Fast forward about 5 more uneventful miles to about mile 8, when suddenly my left plantar fascia started “burning”. Now, this happens from time to time, typically when I race. It is not frequent, so I haven’t really implemented a strength training/rehab regimen. And whenever it has acted up in the past, it always goes away within 5 minutes. It’s honestly the strangest “injury”. It feels like intense burning, where my arch almost feels like it’s going to snap (sorry).
Actually, in my opinion, this picture from foot.com is a very accurate visualization:
http://www.foot.com/info/cond_plantar_fasciitis.jspBut, the thing that makes my plantar fasciitis so strange is, if I slow down the pace a bit, it always goes away within a couple of minutes. So, this time, the burning was probably the most intense it’s ever been, where I actually had to stop and walk. After MAYBE 15 seconds of walking, I wanted to see if it was still hurting, so I broke into a light jog and – it was gone. Completely gone. It is so strange. And it didn’t bother me again the rest of the run. Heh.
Anyways, as suggested by this excellent post by Strength Running, perfectly describing it as “The Vampire Bite of Running Injuries,” I got home and massaged the crap out of my arch, hoping this doesn’t become anything frequent or worse.
I obviously need to keep an eye on this, with (full) marathon training starting later this year, as it typically only comes when I run longer distance.
On another note – how was your Superbowl Sunday? I’m an Eagles fan, so wasn’t too invested in the game. But I made these S’mores Cookies that were a hit!
I followed this Vegan S’mores Recipe off Foodbuzz, even though they’re not technically vegan, by use of the eggs (Although I’m sure you could substitute with a flax egg... which means you can also eat the batter...) Be careful to use natural graham crackers, as HFCS typically sneaks into generic brands (annoying).
Oh, and push the marshmallows into the dough a little bit to help them stick! The pumpkin in the recipe makes them super moist. Looking forward to making them again soon.
Q: Ever get the plantar fasciitis? What is the strangest feeling running-related “tweak” or injury you’ve had?
So this weekend I decided to run my first double-digit run since training last fall. I’m not officially “training” for anything right now (my next race is the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler on April 1st) but I had no big plans this weekend so figured why not?
All in all, it was a good run and I am happy I did it. But it did not go without some minor drama.
I enjoyed an ideal pre-long-run breakfast of toast, PB, banana, and a yo bowl. Plus ½ Picky Bar and a handful of Honey Stinger Energy Chews . Pretty standard.
My route was a simple 5-miles out-and-back along the Schuylkill. I had a pretty good mix synched up to my shuffle. However 2.5 miles into the run, the stupid piece of sh*t died on me, and I swear I charged the thing overnight. (Side rant: Save your money. Do not purchase a Shuffle, spend the extra $100 and get yourself a Nano. Trust me.)
I’m sure you understand how completely maddening it is when your source of entertainment for a long workout suddenly decides to not participate. But, I figured I had an hour left and I could do anything for an hour. So I popped the piece of sh*t Nano into my pocket and kept trucking. After 5 minutes of self-pity, I completely forgot I didn’t have my tunes, and actually enjoyed the time alone with my thoughts. On Saturday mornings along the Schuylkill, there are plenty of other runners, walkers, dogs, etc. to keep you occupied, so the quiet time was actually kind of lovely.
Fast forward about 5 more uneventful miles to about mile 8, when suddenly my left plantar fascia started “burning”. Now, this happens from time to time, typically when I race. It is not frequent, so I haven’t really implemented a strength training/rehab regimen. And whenever it has acted up in the past, it always goes away within 5 minutes. It’s honestly the strangest “injury”. It feels like intense burning, where my arch almost feels like it’s going to snap (sorry).
Actually, in my opinion, this picture from foot.com is a very accurate visualization:
Anyways, as suggested by this excellent post by Strength Running, perfectly describing it as “The Vampire Bite of Running Injuries,” I got home and massaged the crap out of my arch, hoping this doesn’t become anything frequent or worse.
I obviously need to keep an eye on this, with (full) marathon training starting later this year, as it typically only comes when I run longer distance.
On another note – how was your Superbowl Sunday? I’m an Eagles fan, so wasn’t too invested in the game. But I made these S’mores Cookies that were a hit!
I followed this Vegan S’mores Recipe off Foodbuzz, even though they’re not technically vegan, by use of the eggs (Although I’m sure you could substitute with a flax egg... which means you can also eat the batter...) Be careful to use natural graham crackers, as HFCS typically sneaks into generic brands (annoying).
Oh, and push the marshmallows into the dough a little bit to help them stick! The pumpkin in the recipe makes them super moist. Looking forward to making them again soon.
Q: Ever get the plantar fasciitis? What is the strangest feeling running-related “tweak” or injury you’ve had?