CALF!!!
Tonight's training was a complete and total nightmare (except that all 3 of us were together)! It was the plan to go 10 miles, but it ended up being a bit more like 8 - 8 excruciating miles (mentally and physically torturous). Here are some of the factors that contributed to one of my most disappointing training sessions in quite some time:
1. It was HOT (about 84 degrees) - now back in July that wouldn't have been hot, in fact it would have been a welcomed break from the upper 90's and 100's, but now, I've sort of transitioned into the 50's-upper 60's so . . . it felt quite hot.
2. I ate terribly today and I know that above most all other factors - this played a HUGE role in my lackluster performance tonight. I totally regret it, but work just swamped me and I failed to take care of my nutritional needs. It's not the first time, but yet, every time it happens I vow to never forget how horrible I perform as a result . . . and yet, I still end up in bad nutrition land from time to time. Ugggg!
3. The shorter days really depress me - they make me feel panicked that I can't get the mileage in before it gets dark (no, my mom doesn't make me come home when the street lights come on, but . . . it makes me feel as if it's really late and then I start worrying about having to get home to go to bed so I can get up for work - dude, it was like 7:30 p.m. - I'll need to work on this and learn to deal with running in the dark) - any advice?
4. Something horrible has happened to my left calf. Seriously - I'm quite scared! You may not know but I've been hurt with one or more things all summer (for the last year . . . or honestly the last 10 years actually). A few of my more problematic ailments have been shin splints, plantar fasciitis, mega blisters, who-ha pain, a right inner thigh strain, and lower back pain. Mostly I push through - and was only a little concerned about my inner thigh pain (the rest I knew were just annoying pains in the . . . various locations and nothing serious). But tonight, tonight it's different. Tonight I'm scared. Starting at about mile 4, it hurt - A LOT and it didn't get better, not with walking, not with slowing down, not with stopping and streching. Every single time the ball of my foot pushed off - PAIN! It made me remember that after the F4F my left calf felt crampy so I remember stretching it for a couple of hours after the race. I remember taking photos and having to stop to stretch. It hasn't hurt since until tonight at mile 4. It feels as if I had a HUGE charlie horse last night and just didn't get it stretched out very well - that lingering, can't step down on it, tightness. What if it's pulled? What if it's torn? What if it doesn't get better to let me train for Florida (T minus 4 weeks before taper begins)? What if it doesn't get better period - what if I have to one day start over training from the beginning? I have already registered and paid for several bigger races (Riley, Rat, Woof, WHM, Geist). I stretched, took a hot shower, stretched, iced, but blog friends - it still feels as if I had a HUGE charlie horse. HELP!!!!
Leave it to me to actually post my weekly goals (see here) - definitely sealed the deal that I would surely not be able to complete it. Dang me!!! I can only remember 4 training sessions (out of 60) where we set off for one distance and cut it short ("C" - remember the 4 miles in the morning when it was hot, we stopped for water back at the cars and sat on the park bench and looked at my HUGE blister - yikes! Once we set off for the PCT 10K route and turned around at Hardees because it was 106 degree heat index and turned around. Let's not forget the time I thought I could do nearly 7 miles on my own AFTER setting a PR at Runners On Parade - NICE WORK Wells L!. And lastly, tonight!).
How do you overcome a hugely disappointing training session?
If you were in pain, you should not be disappointed that you stopped! It's important to listen to your body. Push through discomfort = Get stronger. Push through pain = Injury.
ReplyDeleteI would ice your calf, check into compression socks and try to put this out of your mind. The only way to get over a bad session, for me, is to have a good one :)
Take care of yourself!