NYC: Week 5

Holy COW!

It turns out the cramp in my calf that cut my long run short last Sunday was a bit more than a cramp.  Readers' Digest version: I'm convinced now that the "little twinge" I felt in my Achilles during the San Diego Marathon was a bit more than a twinge and has never actually healed up.  From the base of my heel to my calf is sore and tight as a drum.  Between that and having a 10-k on Saturday, I took a slower week than normal and with fewer miles.

Moo.

Last year, I had done basically nothing after my first ever half-marathon in June - the Rock N' Roll Seattle.  I decided I would run the City of Westminster's Holy COW Trail Stampede since it happens literally in my backyard, and it kicked my butt!  I was not in good shape, and it was a motivator to get in gear for my first marathon in Phoenix four months after that.

I haven't exactly been tearing it up the last few weeks, which is just fine, but I definitely wanted to do better than last year.  I also didn't want aggravate the calf strain.  I stretched it out for a good twenty minutes before the race, and I had a little extra boost since Gabriella was there with me to do the 5-k. :-)

My first step off the line, I felt a lovely little pain shoot up the back of my leg but fought it off.  It got a little better as it warmed up some more, but it definitely slowed me down.  It was also hot and sunny again so I took a measured pace and knew right then there would be no PR's.  It was a good run, and even though I thought about stopping to stretch a couple of times, I gutted it out.  Turns out I finished 12th overall and brought home a silver, second place cowbell for my 30-39 year old division.

Not bad for a gimpy, almost-40-year old man.  This week, I'm taking a couple days off to let things heal and shortening the Sunday long run.  It's early in the training grid, and I do NOT want to screw up NYC.