Yesterday’s run was a 5k (3.1 miles) on the treadmill. Not my favorite place to run, but with shin splints rearing its ugly head, I’ve decided to go with a smooth soft surface. My pacing is just terrible, too, so I’ve been using the dreaded treadmill to try and work on that. I have to admit, it was not a brilliant running experience. I had a big change to my running form about a two months ago now, and I’m still adjusting. That change, in addition to minor lower limb injuries, has made my running difficult and full of effort. Plus, it has slowed me down considerably, adding as much as a minute per km (or 2 per mile) to my previous slowest times. I’m using muscles I’ve seemingly never used before, and I have to mentally scan my body regularly to ensure I’m maintaining proper form. It’s a real drag.
The run was tedious and I didn’t really enjoy it. However, I did get in the distance I needed, albeit at a time that makes me want to cry. I’m not sure I can keep up this treadmill running - it is too demoralizing for me. After it was done, I did feel better. That is one of the (many) good things about running, even if the run itself is awful, you do usually feel better having run than not.
On a side note: I saw my physiotherapist this morning. More ultrasound and acupuncture on the shins, and I had her check out my new-ish shoes. Apparently I bought them a half size too big. My feet have been swimming around in them with my light summer socks (hello-o!). I’ve already put about 160 km (100 miles) on these babies, and they did seem extra-roomy. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay attention to this newfound space until switching a few weeks ago to a lighter-weight sock for spring. How did this happen, you might ask? Well, I went from a stability shoe with a heavy orthotic (way too much correction my PT said) to a neutral shoe with no orthotic. When I went to purchase these a while back, I asked to try on the same size I’ve worn in Saucony for years, and the running store didn’t catch on. To be fair, neither did I until about 100 kms, and even then, I didn’t mention it for another 60. The store gave me a nice discount on my new, smaller shoes. My they’re snug. Can’t wait to try them out. Could this be adding to my lower limb issues? We’ll see on Thursday.
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