Walk-Stretch-Run

It is surprisingly awesome that my body has metamorphosed into a machine that can just keep running day after day, after day. Less than 24 hours have passed since the marathon and I am powering up for an easy 10-12 miles. Don’t get me wrong, the hamstrings are still there but less tender. It is 43F with NW winds @ 18 mph creating a feel-like temperature of 36F. Hopefully this cold ambience will keep the swelling down. At the same time, another sick part of me wants to learn to run hurt and/or in pain. “What’s up with that?”

With the California goal race 89 days 5 hours and 38 minutes from this moment, I want to share my current weight; 173.6 pounds. Just typing out the word pounds makes this value seem that much heavier. And let’s be honest, relative to my 5’ 10.5” frame it is a very pudgy burdensome factor for a “runner.” And a disturbing one at that. Am I embarrassed sharing this data? No, not really, it is another form of accountability. Tomorrow I can wake up and reflect, “Remember when you said you were 173.6 about 90 days out? Don’t get bigger than that.”

While warming up with the dishes I am in the pulsating grip of the Palm Massager, attempting to electrically pummel my hamstrings to mush. And then the hard stuff comes out after the last of the soap suds disappear down the drain of the empty steel basin below. I am smothering my semitendinosus and biceps femoris with China Gel and an entire 3 ml sample-packet of Biofreeze. This topical combination is so strong my eyes are now watering and the burning taste of menthol is annoyingly camping out in my oral cavity. At least I am not thinking about the leg muscles.

Finally outside (@ 3:34 a.m.) a light rain is drizzling its way through the cold dense air. Walk – stretch the hamstrings – run is the repetitive sequence to keep moving forward. I am learning to run and walk in pain. “Wow, this is fun!” Ok, not so much. During each stop to stretch I am counting one thousand, two thousand, three thousand…up to 12 – the intended goal for today, and taking the time to visualize each step. Even though it was extremely slow while discovering a new relationship to pain, the walk-stretch-run strategy worked. Another day down en route to June and continuing this one year 100-miles/week streak.

Time = 1:53:53, Distance = 7.92 miles, Pace = 14:23/mile*

Time = 1:05:17, Distance = 4.25 miles, Pace = 15:22/mile*

*I don’t stop RunKeeper when I use the restroom, bend-over stretching, drink water, eat (which can be a somewhat lengthy event), etc. So please don’t give me slack about true-running pace, you can look at my race times for that. The pain forced breaking this run into two efforts and obviously recovery is not heading in the right direction…yet. To each his/her own on the journey, carry forth.