Disappointing Recovery Week

I went into last week excited about a recovery week, and pumped about what I had accomplished in the 4 weeks prior.  Unfortunately my recovery week was sort of ruined by a strained calf muscle.  During my last long run (10 miles) my right calf cramped up with about a half-mile to go.  I decided to run through the cramp, and just slow down a bit since I was almost done.  The next day my calf was incredibly sore.  I went on a slow 6-miler the following day thinking that it would loosen up my calf.  The next run felt pretty good; however, I could feel a nagging tenderness in my calf every step of the way.  The end of that run marked the beginning of my recovery week.

I had planned to only run 14 miles during my recovery week, but I was only able to manage 8 miles because of my calf.  I took Monday off, as planned, and then ran 2 miles on Tuesday.  That was a pretty rough run, and it prompted me to skip my scheduled 4-mile run on Wednesday and my 2-mile run on Thursday.  I also took Friday off, since it was a scheduled off-day.  I figured that after a few days off my calf would be ready to go on Saturday for a 4-miler and boy was I wrong.  I cut my run short at 2.4 miles, and felt devastated that I had gotten myself into another injury so soon after recovering from extensor tendonitis in my foot.

When I got home I did what I think most runners do, and tried to think of any quick fix I could.  New shoes, calf sleeves, different electrolyte drinks, some new miracle recovery powder, etc...  Then I had a little bit of a revelation.  I thought back to training for my first marathon.  I didn't experience a single injury in the 6 months leading up to it.  I was sore a lot, experienced some knee and hip pain, and the marathon itself was a horrible experience, but I'm starting to question what really caused the negative experience.  Here are a few things that I think killed me last time around

• I ran the marathon the day after returning to Seattle from Paris, France
• I never recorded my mileage for a single training run (it was all time oriented)
• I under-trained
• I had poor running form

After thinking about my previous training experience I decided that maybe minimalist shoes aren't for me.  I am confident that they helped me correct a heel-striking tendency, but I don't think that I can handle the mileage necessary to complete a marathon in them.  I pulled out my old Mizuno Wave Rider 12's and went for a run yesterday.  I figured that the raised heel would alleviate some of the stress on my calf during the run, and I was right.  It was a slow 4-miler, but I felt good afterwards.  

Where to go from here?  I think I'll pick up a new pair of neutral running shoes to wear for the bulk of my mileage, and use the Kinvara 3's for 1-2 short runs per week.  This should keep my form in check, and also give me a little more life out of my shoes.  I'll plan on carrying a hydration pack on any runs over 8 miles, because the cramping last week was completely my fault.  I only had a handheld, and was completely out of water for the last 2 miles.  Last but not least, I'll probably pick up a calf sleeve to get me through this injury because I know I won't rest it properly for 1-4 weeks to allow it to heal completely.  I guess I really am a gear nerd!

Recovery Week Training Summary:

Monday:       Off

Tuesday:       2.00 miles; 19:55; avg. pace 9:57/mile

Wednesday:  Off

Thursday:      Off

Friday:          Off

Saturday:      2.40 miles; 22:15; avg. pace 9:17/mile

Sunday:        4.01 miles; 40:20; avg. pace 10:03/mile

Total Miles: 8.41 miles

Average Pace: 9:49/mile 

Happy Running!  (right?)