10

Due to work this weekend I set out early Saturday morning for a planned ten mile jog. This time out I managed to keep a comfortable pace without over doing it. My thoughts were focused on the Disney half which is only two months away. As each mile past I pictured where I would be at on the Disney course. At two miles the Monorail line would be overhead. Approaching three would be the parking toll booths for Magic Kingdom. (remember to watch your step). Approaching four the Contemporary should be almost in view.

Back in my world the Contemporary would be near were I cross the local 2 lane highway which runs through town. As often happens I had to pause for a car here before proceeding. Shortly before mile five my mind drifted away from Disney and I began to notice and then dwell on a weak feeling I had in my left knee. This is one of those pesky things that plague me off and on. Today however, something clicked in my mind as I thought back to a conversation Justin and I had in Des Moines a few weeks ago. I had been telling him that I noticed running a faster pace felt more comfortable to me and that it bothered me not to have the endurance to maintain a quicker pace over long distances.

At 4.5 miles I broke into a faster pace, analyzing the differences in how my strides felt. As I slowed back down I had a light bulb moment. My left leg was doing most of the work. It was subtle but I could tell that my left was literally pushing me along and I was simply planting my right foot. It hit me that this is contributing to the Plantar Fasciitis.

I completed my ten miles as a wog/jog/run while experimenting with different paces. The conclusion is that if I can keep my pace below 12 my stride is more even. Near the end of my jog I managed a half mile run that according to my Garmin was a steady pace of 9. That really tired me out but it felt good. I finished the ten miles with an average of 12.55.


In the weeks ahead I am going to work on finding a balance of endurance and pace that will carry me through in January. I certainly need to step up my frequency of training. One area will be extended time on the elliptical. The machines at the YMCA are great and they have a stride that stretches my calf muscles really well. Here is what I’m thinking.

Mon 2 hours of elliptical or split with 1 hour biking
Tues 1 hour of elliptical or running
Wed 2 hours of elliptical or split with 1 hour biking
Thurs 1 hour of elliptical or running
Fri rest.
Sat long run,
Sun rest.