What I've been missing on my short runs

In addition to my long runs on the weekend, I do one short run during the week.  That run usually occurs on Wednesdays.  This past Wednesday I went to the gym and then planned to do a short run afterwards. I was a bit excited for this run because I was actually going to run in town like I use to. To make things even better the weather was BEAUTIFUL. It was a Wednesday evening in November and it was HOT!
This is the park across from the gym where I started my run.

I left my car parked at the gym and started right from there. I started running down the Main street. Boy it felt so good to run on the sidewalk. Because I do so much trail running, I hadn't ran on the sidewalks in such a long time. It reminded me of all the "good" runs I use to have.  My plan was to run downtown and across the big bridge and down to the park (big decline), do two laps around the park, and then run back up over the bridge (big incline), through town, and back to my car which was parked at the gym.  

I felt so good running on the sidewalk that I ran the entire first mile without my intervals. About a mile and a half into the run I worried that I might not make it back into town before it got too dark.  There are street lights in town and over the bridge, but not at the park. I was worried that I might not have gaged my time correctly since the whole time change thing last week. For this reason I only decided to do 3.1 miles. As I came back into town I ran the last mile in its entirety as well.  Even though it was only 3.1 miles, it was a great mid week run!

THEN..... the next day my calves hurt like crazy! I only did 3.1 miles, how could this be?  This was my first run since my 18 miler the weekend before and I don't remember my calves hurting that bad even then.  Then I realized, I bet it was the darn incline up over the bridge that I ran twice.  All my training runs have been on flat surfaces. Yes, I know I am doing myself a dis-service by only training on flat land and not doing hill work.  I guess I will have to work on that. 

I was able to stretch my left calf out at the gym on Friday afternoon, but just couldn't get rid of the tightness in my right one.  For that reason, I ended up skipping my long run on Saturday!  I know, I can't believe it either. I have been so faithful to my training plan.  I justified this by reminding myself that I DID do 18 miles last Saturday and that it was okay to skip a run if I feel I might do more harm then good. Besides, I'm really not proving anything going out there and doing another 10 miles just for the sake of getting miles in, right?   -M

26 comments:

  1. Kudos to you for listening to your body. I always battle with myself when I'm sore and know that I need the extra rest day, but don't really want to take it. In the long run, missing one training run won't have a negative impact on your overall training.

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  2. I've been sticking to flat surfaces because of my low back & know its not helping me on most races, but so what - I'll deal with that later - I dont want pain.
    Good for you scaling back on Saturday - its the big picture idea.

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    1. I can't remember if the marathon course is completely flat or not but I figured it can't hurt ( or will it?) to try some hills!

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  3. those sneaky hills get me every time! its pretty flat where i am as well so its hard to get the hill work at all but my calves know instantly when i do! lol

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    1. My normal route is completely flat so this was quite a different run for me!

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  4. It could be the incline or it could be the flat surface. Any change in terrain can cause my muscles to be sore. My body's adjusting and I feel it the next day. You want to make it through training to your race, and some extra rest will help.

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    1. I never thought it could be the flat surface. Hmm that could be too!

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  5. I've been loving my short runs. Yesterday, my 4 miler was a bit painful! Never been complacent with a short run--they surprise you once in a while!

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    1. I probably should be doing more short runs but it is hard to find the time.

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  6. Hills kill me! We have close to none here so even the littlest one does me in. I'm glad you listened to your body and did what's best!

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  7. No, you definitely don't want to do more harm than good. Wise decision.

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  8. Ugh! Too bad that happened after a great run. I wonder if part of the problem was the running surface change--sidewalks would be much harder on your body than a soft dirt trail.

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    1. Yea, I just realized that could be part of the problem too!

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  9. Short runs can be good too! Sometimes if I know I am going short I am not afraid to push my pace a little more bc I am not afraid that I won't finish. Having said that, my trainer tells me I need to have a short hard run that I can't finish bc it's good training. hmm

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  10. I think that listening to our bodies is the best thing that we can do!
    Also, what is with the weather? it's even fairly warm (not cold) here in the UK.

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  11. Sometimes I think short runs can be more painful than long runs because your body doesn't have quite the same time frame to work out all the kinks.

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  12. It's like when people run downhill and all the sudden realize that their quads are on FIYAH. Hills are the jam, if you can find a way to work them in :D

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  13. I hate hills. They hurt my IT band so I avoid them like the plague!

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  14. I think you were smart to skip that long run, This summer I missed almost 5 weeks of training but by cross training still maintained my fitness. One missed run does not wreak a training plan/race day. Do you use a foam roller? I find those really helpful after a run that includes hills. Don't forget about all the on ramps during the Mickey Marathon. You will be happy if you use those hills for training a few more times!

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  15. I think you were smart to skip that long run, This summer I missed almost 5 weeks of training but by cross training still maintained my fitness. One missed run does not wreak a training plan/race day. Do you use a foam roller? I find those really helpful after a run that includes hills. Don't forget about all the on ramps during the Mickey Marathon. You will be happy if you use those hills for training a few more times!

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  16. Your listening to your body, and no one knows it better than yourself on what is right or isn't!

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  17. Getting out there can make a real difference. Sorry to hear that it didnt go away. Hopefully the rest will help. I think with the 18 miles, you should be ok for a week off.

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  18. I'm never a big fan of hill work, but I find it makes a big difference in the strength of my legs and my overall cardio. It does a number on my calves too though! And then it's always so hard to admit that you need to take extra time off from running, so kudos to you for listening to your body!

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