Pumpkin Classic Prep

Last Saturday I decided to go out for a run. Nothing major, just a nice gentle run. I thought I could do anywhere from 6-10 miles. As always, a solid run is always good for the mind and helps to eliminate all of the stinking thinking that can be going on in your life.


My goal was to run my first six miles at a 9:31 pace and then slow down for miles 7-10 at a relaxed 10:31 pace. However, as soon as I started running, I felt my calf tightened up as if it could spasm at any moment. I tried flexing my calf as I brought my right leg forward hoping I could stretch it out; however, nothing seemed to help.

My first mile was right at goal: 9:28 pace. As my muscle loosened up, my pace picked up for the second mile ending with a 9:17 pace. It felt great to be out on the road again clearing my mind and pushing my body. Mile 3 was even stronger, an 8:57 pace. I felt like I could fly.

Wearing my new compression socks

As I entered the 4th mile, my playlist switched over to Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You." My mind filled with the lyrics as I pushed up the incline on Red Shale Hill Road. It's amazing how music can lift your spirits and push you to keep going. Once again, the music set the tone for the next mile with Usher's "Scream". Dang, there is nothing like a hard driving beat to make you want to move! During mile 6, I hit some pretty decent hills and the song seemed very appropriate: "Gives You Hell" by the All-American Rejects. Very timely music throughout my entire run.

Finally, in the 7th mile, I had to stop to stretch my calf while walking for a bit. My calf still felt incredibly tight. Since I was taking my time to listen to my body, I used the down time to send an inspirational text to a friend. I picked up the pace again and finished out 9 solid miles. I felt pretty good considering this was the longest run I've completed since IMLOU.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	28:50.5	9.01	9:52
1	09:28.5	1	9:28
2	09:17.2	1	9:17
3	08:52.6	1	8:53
4	09:31.2	1	9:31
5	09:18.4	1	9:18
6	10:09.7	1	10:10
7	12:05.1	1	12:05
8	10:03.2	1	10:03
9	10:01.6	1	10:02
10	:03.2	0.01	4:49

However, as soon as I stopped running, my calf tightened right up. I spent most of the day hobbling around. It tightened again Sunday while playing volleyball and again Monday after teaching Zumba. Ugh. I decided I needed to take the rest of the week off to rest.

On Saturday, I will be running in my first race since Ironman Louisville. I'm a little concerned about how my calf is going to hold up, but we'll just see how it goes. If nothing else, I can run my easy pace and just enjoy Pumpkin pancakes at the finish line.