One Last Go

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 17:20
Location: Powhatan to Ottawa Route

As I mentioned in my last post, Deborah and I will be moving into a new home soon. Therefore, all the local routes I've been running this past year will soon be used no more. Yesterday I ran my last mile on the Powhatan Route, and tonight I ran my last 2-mile on the Powhatan to Ottawa Route. One by one I plan on getting my last runs in on each of my routes this week. The good news is that the house we're moving into sits in a much more runner-friendly area of town. There are running trails along the major streets and it's near the Mojave River, which will be a fun natural trail.

Unlike the PR I set yesterday, though, I was not able to set a 2-mile record. I ended up with a 17:20, the same time I ran on May 16th. Since then I had run this route in times of 16:38 and 16:29, so I know I can do much better. But my problem tonight was leg pain. As soon as I began running I felt a soreness and tightness in my legs all over, from my shins around to my calves, up and down. It caused me to run stiff and it was hard to build a fluid stride. I pushed through, though, and I finally began to loosen up during the 2nd mile. However the whole run suffered because of my compromised legs. Running that mile yesterday may have contributed. I wasn't used to running on my toes and using muscles for sprinting and I think I was just sore and achy from that today. I may take tomorrow off in order to let my legs heal. All things considered, though, I guess 17:20 isn't bad (for me at this point in my training) when I was hurting like that. There once was a time when I would have run that run in over 20 minutes because of muscle pain like that. So I've come far since last year.