Damn the Pain!

Damn the pain!

Yesterday’s five-miler started out great.  After the first warm-up mile, the second mile, without trying too hard, was 6:26.

My best “opening mile” since July 2007.

The “opening mile” is actually the second mile – the very first mile is simply a warm-up, in the 8-9 minute range.

Mile three is a “recovery” mile with slower jogging, three minutes of backwards jogging, some walking and stretching, etc. 

Mile four is designed to be the fastest mile of the five.  I use this for conditioning and especially for learning to gauge pace.  I mentally aim for a mile time, then study my 400, 800, and 1,200 split times to see how my pace is going.

I also try to run negative splits, meaning, the second half is faster than the first half.  Last month, a did a mile time trial, and clocked 5:38, with 2:53 and 2:45 splits.

I had juice left at the end, because I was running about 90%.  Going a full 100% felt risky, since I hadn’t run that hard in nealy two years.

Yesterday, however, at the mile four, I was excited.  But quickly became discouraged as the pain started right away and I couldn’t shake it.

Naturally, I backed off, and jogged the rest of the way, called Dr Wagner, my podiatrist and scheduled a 10:15AM appointment.

Now I’m back on Celebrex, and an anti-inflammatory heel cream.  I also delivered a script to my friends at Florida Hospital Celebration Health.  Electric-stimulation and massage therapy might be helpful.

I remain optimistic.  How can I not?  

Hope you have a great Saturday.  Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

By jeff noel

Retired Disney Institute Keynote Speaker and Prolific Blogger. Five daily, differently-themed personal blogs (about life's 5 big choices) on five interconnected sites.