A new running route, a longer long run (again), and a brutal day on the hills

On Tuesday, September 14, 2010 I retired the Nike Air Spans.  They will forever be known for getting my fat ass back into shape - as well as for an uncanny ability to collect rocks in the tread.  I may forever be retiring that particular shoe in general because I have deemed it a bit too light for heavy distance training. 

I created a a new route from my home and found it to my liking.  I loved the scenery on this run as well as the general newness of having a different route. Perhaps I wanted to block out all my summer running routes from memory, as those were some pretty brutal days, but either way I had fun on this route and would find myself using it a good bit in the future.  My right ankle, the one I turned the previous Saturday at McMullen, bothered me a good bit on this run.

The following day I decided to throw myself into a a brutal hill workout.  As the link shows, I mapped a 1.4-mile loop through the Old Bell neighborhood - infamous for its rolling hills - and decided to do it five times consecutively for what amounted to a seven-mile tempo run with steep hils.  Note the elevation chart.  Fun times!  My already sore ankles took a beating on this workout.  I came very close to hitting my target times, which pleased me to no end considering this was once again completed in awful heat and humidity, but I found myself wishing I had chosen a route with fewer downhills in the days following this workout.  My ankles and achilles tendons were turned to gelatin.  I was worried I had invited some injury, but I just paid special attention to the sore areas and did some extra stretching.  I shared this run with Eggers and he did a variation of the workout a week later. 

I figured it was essential to do some easy runs after that workout, and I labored through a 4-miler the next day and an 8-miler the day after that.  Saturday (the workout was Wednesday) I did a 14-mile long run at McAlpine with Oelz and Brinkley.  My ankles were sore for the first two miles but felt fine after that.  This run was tough but things are getting a little bit easier in general.  I took the next two days (Sunday-Monday, September 19-20) off and rested my sore body.

For my next series of postings, I'll get you caught up on what I did from 9/21 - 9/25 and do my best to include some thoughts on things other than running - such as what's wrong with the Panthers, my thoughts on the pennant chase, and maybe a few other things.