Short Take

After all the hemming and hawing about what run I would do this morning, it was decided for me by the driveway work being finished this morning. So, I did an easy run to the Town Office and enjoyed the weather for a change. I did pick it up a little going up the Town Office Hill, but otherwise kept the pace easy. I felt good, and the shoe surgery on the Puma Deviate Nitros seems to have worked. No blisters, hot spots or irritation on either heel or Achilles area. Which is great news, since I do love the way I run in them. The left leg never bothered, but it didn’t feel quite right — I will figure it out, I am confident.

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The rest of the Story

What I am thinking about this morning?

The sun is shining, and the humidity has dropped to more reasonable levels. Which will be nice for today’s run. However, the left leg seems to be a bit more cranky than usual — I think it is due to the weighted eccentric calf drops working it harder. So, I am thinking about that and how to resolve it.

I am not really enjoying repeating the 5K plan, so looked at the Stryd 10K training plan, but at a lower level of time commitment than the one I had originally setup. This training plan fits my current level of fitness and limitations better than the other one.

Yeah, me — looking at where I am realistically versus that fantasy stuff that was my downfall so many times in the past.

Wonders will never cease.

Although, I am still considering the Under Armour all out mile challenge and properly training for it, despite the 10K Stryd plan that I have set up to start Monday. I want to see what U/A’s 1.0-mile training plan looks like. I know that I like to run fast (for me), but at the same time, I also know how much training for an all out mile will take out of me. Plus, this sort of training, probably would increase the risk of injury to my aging tendons — especially that left Achilles. Yes, I am meechy about getting re-injured when I am starting to run well again.

This is more of Harold being Harold and wanting to train for two entirely different things at the same time. I know that I can’t do both, and it will ultimately come down to which one excites and scares me the most. That is the one that I will force myself to pick. I need to challenge myself, doing things outside my comfort zone, while making sure that I don’t break the old body — too much.

The driveway guy showed up while we were enjoying breakfast. I thought they finished yesterday to let me know he still had a lot of work to do and apologized for not stopping by yesterday to check on the work that was done. I would have been happy with it the way it was. So, I have had my idea of heading into town to run a time trial has been changed for me.

This also means that I am not going to do the time trial today (probably just as well). I have to stick around and be available to answer questions, and don’t feel like doing laps or battling hills on a time trial — the choices around here.

Gotta be flexible and adaptable.

Planned Workout Description.

I changed my time trial to a 50:00 minute easy run to the Town Office and back.

What Did I do?

• Course: Town Office O/B 40:00 Minutes
• Location: Sidney
  

After all the wondering about what I would do for a run today, I had the decision made for me when the driveway guy showed up to finish the work. I had to stay close to home, and I wasn’t going to do a time trial by doing laps out front or beating myself up on the local hills. I ended up doing an easy run to the Town Office.

Not only that, but I had planned on getting in 50:00 minutes of running, but when I got back to the house, they were starting the driveway work, so I shut it down and puttered around the house.

The run itself was nothing thrilling, I ran comfortably until I got to the Town Office, where I had this wonderful idea of doing a hill sprint back up the hill. Well, I am doing that on most runs now when I have to go up that little hill. It helps me with my running form, strengthens the legs a bit, and allows me to gauge how the Achilles are doing.

No, issues on the hill sprint. It wasn’t all that fast, but I still managed a bronze on the Strava segment there, so it wasn’t too bad. After I caught my breath, I relaxed and ran easily back to the house. I don’t know if it is a combination of running slower and starting to get back in shape, but neither Blake nor Stevens Hills felt particularly awful this morning.

When I saw them working on the driveway, I picked up the pace a little and quickly ran around Howard Circle to get back home.

Injuries/Niggles: The left leg above the Achilles on the outside just feels off. It isn’t painful or anything, it just doesn’t feel right. When running or walking, I don’t notice it, but when I am sitting like this, it is almost like a dull ache. It will get better, I am sure — whatever it is.

Weather: Clear sky, 76 °F, feels like 76 °F, Humidity 66%, Wind 10 mph from N. Not nearly as miserable as it has been, but I still worked up quite a sweat. The breeze felt good.

Shoes: Puma Deviate Nitro — I think I got the heel so that it doesn’t bother me like it did on a few runs. There was no blistering or irritation from either shoe’s heel cup, which was great. I basically cut through the darker orange ring that goes around the ankle well and made the upper part of the heel cup into a pull-tab. It is working for me, although there was a good chance that I could have ruined a pair of $160 shoes. However, I couldn’t wear them the way they were originally, and I really like the way I run in them, so it was worth taking the chance.

Socks: White Danish — No problems.

Other Stuff?

They finished the driveway and Bennie won’t have his mud puddles to splash around in. It looks good and as long as I get the bigger rocks out of it before snow flies, the snowblower won’t attempt to strangle itself on them. I hate clearing rocks out of the auger when all I want to do is get the snow out of the driveway.