Hey all! I have been slacking with the blog posts but not with the running itself. I have done pretty well sticking to the plan, but needed a little bit of tweaking this past week. I went to NJ last week Thursday (7/25) to visit my BFF and see Bon Jovi at MetLife Stadium (which was AWESOME!). Thursday was a rest day which worked out well, and Friday was only supposed to be a one mile run. I planned ahead and brought my running stuff with me, and planned out a tiny route around Jamie's place so I could be sure to get my run in on Friday morning. Saturday was supposed to be a 3 mile, but that one didn't happen. The combination of being stuck on the bus for so long on the way home, plus the train that got me from NJ to NY, and I'm sure the number of drinks I had on Friday night also, did a number on my feet and they were just so so so swollen. I call it "fat foot". I had to change things up and take care of myself for a few days so I didn't cause any additional injury. So I just tried to load up on water, stay as far away from sodium as possible, and stay off my feet (keeping them elevated) whenever I could. So other than the mile walk between Penn Station & Port Authority on Saturday afternoon, no walk/run happened between Saturday & Monday.
The runs for the week were supposed to be Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday. Rich and I switched it up so that we'd end up doing a run on Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday instead and still get the same amount of mileage in. Tuesday night was pretty nice - still on the warmer side, but the humidity wasn't as terrible as it had been in the past week weeks. We went to the track at the high school and it was a nice change. I used to love running on this track when I first started running. I know it doesn't really replicate what it'll be like to run on the actual ground, but my joints definitely appreciate the bounciness of the track floor. It's different than the track at the indoor gym - more bouncy I'd say. Thursday night we went to the indoor gym and did 2 miles there.
I did end up buying the compression sleeves that had been recommended to me by several people. My calves have continuously given me problems and I was hoping they'd help. They don't do much to get me through the runs - I'm still feeling the calf tightness while running, even with them on. But I have found that if I put them on when I get home, and usually wear them to bed as well, that they help my recovery a lot more. They feel a little weird - I actually still feel like I'm wearing them even after I take them off. But my legs don't feel sore at all the next day.
Today is supposed to be a 4 mile run. I am pretty sure this will be the longest I've done since doing the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving in 2011. It's been a long time since I've done more than 3 miles! I think that being out there today doing that will really make this 13.1 start to sink in that it is an actual thing. Hopefully we can hold off until later this evening with no rain and do the run out on the high school track again. Will try to update tomorrow!
