Half Marathon, Part Deux.

It’s been 10 days since I decided to start training for a half marathon.

I’ve been running once in that 10 day period.

Why, you ask? Well, a number of factors.

First, I probably overdid my first run. In my zeal to start training, I turned on week 7 of the Podrunner Interval “first day to 5k” for my first training run, which is a 5 minute warm up, 25 minutes non-stop running and a 4 minute cool down. Up until that point, I had been doing (warm up-run-cool down) either 3-15-2 (on days I had my circuit training class) or a 3-20-2 on days I’d run. Since I increased my mileage/run time (and see point #3) so dramatically, I woke up the next day with a sore Achilles tendon in my right leg. To treat it, all the reading up on that said “don’t run”, so I didn’t. I went to circuit training and volleyball, which were deemed to be OK exercises to do, but repetitive, high impact activities (i.e. running) were out.

Secondly, during my rest and recovery period for my Achilles, I caught a cold/flu/scurvy and was sick for 5 days and missed 2 days of work. The only activity I’ve done in the past week is play volleyball, and boy does my body feel it. It’s hard to describe the feeling of being a diligent exerciser that has to not exercise for a while due to injury, etc. My body wants to move!

Thirdly, I bought new running shoes. During the time I was recuperating, I read up on the aches/pains I’ve been getting in my right leg: the foot nerve thing, the Achilles issue, a new knee/hip ache issue. All the signs point to my shoes. Since I started running, I’ve used ASICS Gel-1100 series shoes…until last year when the company changed the last from a neutral shoe to a stability shoe. This makes a difference for me because I’m a under-pronator, meaning my feet have a tendency to roll outward and I need a shoe that has no stability on the instep (i.e. a stability shoe; meant for over-pronators). Because of this, I switched to the Mizuno Wave Rider 12, a neutral shoe. I’ve discovered that not all neutral shoes are created equal, though. I’ve had more problems with my feet (callouses, etc) with the Mizunos that I never had with the ASICS.

Problem is that ASICS doesn’t make a neutral shoe anymore suited to my type of gait (that isn’t $120). So, thanks to Road Runner Sports, I got a pair of the Nike Air Pegasus + 26 after a consultation with a representative at Road Runner. They have a 60-day perfect fit guarantee, so if these also don’t work for me, then I can exchange them for another pair without any trouble. I also realized that I need to get a new pair of Superfeet for my shoes too, as the ones I have have been through 2 pairs of running shoes.

So, tonight I’m going to do a run/walk interval in my new shoes w/o the Superfeet, then pick up a new set at Ye Olde Part Tyme Jobbe when I’m working tomorrow.

Speaking of Ye Olde Part Tyme Jobbe, one of the supervisors* is going to run a mid-summer 10k with me and offered to help me train. This is a two-fold bonus: she’s run 10ks and more before and it’ll not only give me a goal to shoot for that doesn’t seem as daunting as a 1/2 marathon but also help me get over that 5k hump I seem to experience every time I try to push to a longer distance.

So that’s exciting! Let’s just hope my stupid, aging body can adjust to the new regime. Any tips out there to deal with the joint (hip/knee/ankle) soreness that comes with running longer distances, or do I just have to suck it up and deal with it (w/ice and ibuprofen, naturally)? Any foods I should eat/not eat as well?

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* This same supervisor has been egging me on to do a sprint triathlon since she did her first last summer. I can handle the running and the biking, no problem, but the swim training wouldn’t work for me, financially or time-wise. I can swim just fine but I’m not a fan of it. Plus, running a 1/2 marathon is more doable for me than a tri. Someday, maybe.