This has been a crazy busy few months with work and life. My running has taken a dip thanks to an achilles issue. I was running more often and greatly improving times and distance, where I had reached slightly over 9 miles in a run. The local running club started doing group runs on weeknights and weekends so I was able to run during daylight hours and my 8 year old Stella, was able to join me since it was in a safe area. On the third group run we were doing a 3 mile run, easy, around the park when about 2 miles in I felt a stinging and burning sensation in my left calf . I stopped, stretched, walked a little, and then slowly jogged backed to the car. I elevated, iced, and rested for a couple of weeks to make sure I was ready for the Baltimore 5K with my family.
On May 11th, 2013, we were picking up our packet for the Color Run in the parking lot of Camden Yards along with about 12,000 other people. Stella and I were running it this year and my wife, Allison, was walking it with my son, Grady (almost 2) and Georgia (4). I felt great, stretched and warmed up. The weather was beautiful and the race organization was awesome too. Stella and I took off at the start and she dragged her feet a little as we ran through Camden Yards. It was beautiful and such an amazing experience. I realized quickly in that Stella and I were passing loads of people in our wave and we were catching the previous wave. I let her control the pace and I try to teach her about controlling her effort to save some for the entire run. We hit the color stations and breezed through coming out bright, and sometimes hacking if someones inside the station got a little overzealous with the powder. We were continually making our way through the crowds and I checked my phone and saw that we making great time. I felt great and she kept making me pull harder. (I am so proud of this little runner). As we rounded the last curve and saw the finish line I told her she could run as fast as she wanted and cross before me, but she had to wait on the other side. She started to sprint and I tried to keep up with her. We were passing a couple of college aged girls with about 50 yards left and they started to run faster too. Stella ran even faster, so they ran faster. It became a foot race between an 8 year old and 20 something year olds. They did finish slightly ahead of her, but I had to restrain myself from laughing out loud as an 8 year old gave them a run for their money. Stella is a natural. 3.04 miles in 29:21. I think it would have been a sub-30 5K.
We were walking around waiting for Allison and the kids to finish , when Stella decided I wasn't colorful enough and used the color packet that some woman gave her to "spruce" me up a little. I took a direct hit of neon red in the eyes, with my phone in hand. After getting my vision back we caught up with Allison and hung out to relax and party. After standing around my achilles started acting up again. Thats when I knew it was time for new shoes. I spent the next week in pain and discomfort, which means no running.
I went to Annapolis for training for work and while there I went to a running store, Fleet Feet Sports. The staff was awesome and listened to me about my injury history and looked at me feet, walking gait, form, showed me some tips for helping with my achilles and properly fit me for sneakers. they didn't ask me what shoes I wanted they brought me a bunch of different shoes to try on and made me run in them. I found the perfect pair and some inserts. My new Mizuno Wave Rider 16's are the first pair of non-Asics I've ever owned. My last pair, Asics Gel Nimbus 14's really turned me off after having owned and loved the three prior generations. The changed for the worse.
While I was in Annapolis and falling in love with the area AGAIN, just as every other time i'm there, I ran with my friend Jen. She mentioned the Annapolis 10 Mile Run (A-10). It's a historical race that challengingly takes you through beautiful Annapolis with a lot of hills during the crazy Chesapeake August weather. I signed up with the nervous excitement of a kid at Christmas. (http://annapolisstriders.org/2013/a10/a102013InfoA.htm). I am a little nervous for having a race that goes beyond 5K, and about the hills since I live in an area where we have "A" hill and it's not much of one. I know I'll be ok.
I came home on a Friday night from the 3 days in Annapolis and met the Sunday morning running group for a 5 mile run. It was my first run after a few weeks off. The group I ran with are awesome, but I was not aware of their pace. They are fast. I was dying with being off so much, but they pushed me to an average pace of 10:26 min/mi. I felt great running, but bad because they kept coming back for me since I was dragging and had to walk some. I came home cleaned up and went to run some errands and sprained my foot getting out of my car wearing flip flops. Figures. So another week of no running and still keep getting a lingering pain in my foot. I started doing Yoga again to help loosen myself up, but it isn't any replacement for running.
I am hoping to be back up and running again shortly and started adding my mileage back, even though I know i's going to have to be doe slowly. Thank you for reading! If you have any suggestions or tips for the 10 miler for me shoot me a message. I'll take all the help I can get.
Miles- 17.51
