Weekly Log 30-Jan-12 to 5-Feb-12

Monday:  0 miles

Tuesday:  0
Day 3 in a row with no running.  Feeling lethargic and like a junkie going through withdrawal symptoms, but on the positive side today was the first day in almost a week that I did not have a dull pain going up and down stairs, so I hope I made the right choice to take a few days off.  Let's see what tomorrow brings ...

Wednesday:  5 miles
1st day back running after a 3-day hiatus.  2 miles trails, 3 roads.  Felt good, but not great.  Very slow 8 minute pace.

Thursday:  4 miles
Ran closer to 7 minute miles, and threw in a few faster short surges.  So I think I can do it and run Super 5K on Sunday.  The dull pain came back, although with less intensity.  Talking to runners with similar shin splints symptoms and researching on web indicates rest is the key and either stopping or reducing running.  Also suggests this could last 3 weeks to several months.  Let's hope on the lesser side.  I'm in new territory here, so I'll play it day by day and assess after Super 5K whether to give more rest, cross-train, or continue.  Very frustrating.

Friday:  7 miles
Longest and best run in over a week!  Three progressively faster miles on roads (6:42, 6:28, 6:12), followed by two miles on the beach, and a two-mile cooldown.  That's more like it!  The left leg buckled at mile 2, and I thought about walking but hobbled through it for about 10 yards and it was gone.  Dull pain still there, but I ran through it.  My comrade has told me "chin up", so I scrapped the plans to pick out a cemetery plot and will leave that for another day.  This boy has a race to run, and today is race day minus two.

Saturday:  6 miles
2 miles on trails, rest on roads.  Was thrilled to see Westerly runner Mary Minn running in Chin Hill (no, I did not have a WTAC membership application on me!), as well as people hiking on both Mastuxet and Champlin trails.  Actually did some gazellin' in Champlin during which time I forgot completely about my shins until I stopped running and took a break at Charlie's Overlook of Atlantic Ocean and Block Island.  7:15 pace overall.  Psyched for Super 5K tomorrow!  Snagged one more Westerly runner (Jeff V); he promised not to wear his NRA singlet!

Sunday:  6 miles
Super 5K!  While unfortunately it was not a super day for the Pats (21-17 loss), it was for the WTAC (1st place!).  See separate race write-up.

Weekly total:  28 miles
Lowest mileage since I started this blog last November, but that's OK.  At the beginning of this week, I didn't know if I'd race at all with the shin splints and seemed to take one step forward, one step backward much of the week.  I had a great finish at the Super 5K well ahead of my expectations, and that gave me a much needed huge mental boost that I can work through this and will just have to be smart to periodically back the miles down.