break on through
I am definitely a warm weather runner. Well, maybe not a <em>real</em> warm weather runner, but since the Cleveland temps have risen high enough that I can do most of my runs in the 50 degree range in just a t-shirt (or at worst just a longsleeve tech shirt) and a pair of shorts, my running has become inifinitely better.
I’m not fatigued. I feel strong. I can hold a much faster pace — even into the dreaded wind.
Other than the temp, I have made three other changes that I suppose could also help account for my better running. First, every night I have been working on those gosh darned knots in my calves. The left one is the worst — there is a spot about mid-calf where if I press it just makes me want to yelp. I’ve been massaging that spot, pressing on it as hard as I can, etc. Since I have started to do that, my legs feel much better when I run. They aren’t quite as tight and they have much more spring. They do not feel constantly tired and fatigued.
Second, I’ve started drinking more water right before I run. I used to stop drinking two hours before running because sloshing stuff in my stomach grossed me out. Now, I’m drinking a small amount right before I go out. I notice my mouth isn’t dry.
Finally, I’ve started doing two or three runs a week on the dirt. Really the only two good dirt trails near where I live are the bridle trail between south Mastick hill and Cedar Point (approximately three miles one-way) and the dirt “bunny” trail (the Wildlife Management trail) behind the Nature Center. The latter trail requires running laps to get a decent distance, but running five or six laps on an almost perfectly level, packed dirt trail through the woods is not the same as running laps around a track. I don’t have a Garmin, so I’m not quite sure how long the trail is. But I’m going to guess each loop (by how long it takes to run and using the Google Map Pedometer) is somewhere between 2/3ds and 3/4ths of a mile. So its not that bad a loop to run. (Plus the loop is about as flat as you can ever find — perfect for tempo runs and stuff like that) I think the dirt running is helping my legs — its such a nice break from concrete.
I think I may finally be breaking on through to the other side with my running. I am feeling strong and I even have the confidence to push the pace a bit. What a change from just a couple weeks ago. Wish I knew why my running suddenly improved, but I guess I will just take it!