Week 16 A little Sore

Learning from Experience For Molly & JD



Rollers ...my new best friend

There is a certain enjoyment in running that I have come to experience only recently and it is down to the way the programme has been crafted by Zach .80% of the running has been on the basis of taking it slow and easy. No demands , just run easy and run for time on the feet .This seems to be working but has really made me slow down and even walk but more importantly I am breathing and enjoying the run. See the piece by Sarah Russel   Why Run an Ultra on the Runners Connect Website 

Quite the opposite to running with my dog , Molly , it is fast and furious for the first few miles and then a trot before it sadly ends in a lie down in the sand . The unbridled love and joy of first being out on the run gives way to the dreaded distance and misjudged pace which is the kill switch for a great run. But after all she is a dog not an ultra runner.

The week started with the usual Distance of Choice and with a hard 4 days behind I was feeling a little sore in the left calf .Unfortunately on Monday  I ran an easy 10km but by 8km the left calf was pulsating and hurting .I got home but the leg was stiff and the muscle really sore . The next 3 days were just trying to recover .I had a good massage from Adele and that helped but decided against running for 3 days. On Friday I ran an easy 75 minutes or 10.6kms and it felt OK but I could feel a tightness at the base of the tendon in the left calf  at the Achilles tendon . I also got some anti inflammatory cream and tablets and that helped.

Saturday's run was a lot better .I ran for an hour at Trigg and felt it but there was no pain . In the afternoon we did a short cross fit session with just bench press up to 52.5kgs for me and then practicing some kipping moves .



Sunday a long 3 hour run at Kings park with the pack .As it was overcast and drizzling we all got to wear our rain jackets . I also tested out my nutrition.I had 600 calories of Tail wind for the 3 hour run but I was only starting to take in Nutrition at about 90 minutes into the run. I also had a Vespa Concentrate which I made up with lemon cordial and drank half at the start and the rest at the half way mark. I did feel a little faint at the hour mark but that soon passed. I kept a very slow pace and after about 50 minutes of running round Kings Park ended at the Kokoda Trail and with the 10 or so walkers and runners at Kokoda  I did 5 repeats or 325 metres , then it was on to the  DNA tower and I ran up and down the grassed area of the tower before 5 repeats or about 150 metres of elevation. Finally  I hit the 2 hour mark and ran to Mount Street and ran down the street and ran partially up the hill walking the rest for 5 repeats of 325metres before running back to where we started .19.6km and I estimate about 900m of elevation although Garmin is showing less .

A very short running week with under 50kms of running but the leg was holding up and no speed work this week .