The Joy of Racing, the Agony of Resting

I last spoke to you through this medium in the midst of Week 11, right after logging three straight 19 mile weeks. I now come to you after logging 23, 27, and 28 miles the last three weeks. After racing three times, on two days, over the span of five days. And after taking four days off now due to a minor calf strain. First, let's address that 150% bump in mileage. I simply went from running 3.8 miles five days a week, to running 4.22/4.45 six days a week. While that's roughly a 15-20% increase in daily mileage, it isn't that big of a jump when you aren't running high mileage, my body handled it really well.

Here is the exciting part. I returned to racing for the first time in three years with a 2.9 mile road race, called the Columbus County Farmer's Market 5k in Whiteville. I went in with the goal of running 7:20 pace and finishing in the Top 10. I came with 2nd place off 7:16 pace, moving up from 4th to 2nd in the final mile. I followed that up four days later with a return to the track after 6 years away. I raced a mile and a 800m at an all-comers meet in Chapel Hill. The goals there were to run under 6:40 and 3:00. Luckily, there was about an hour between those two races. Unluckily, me and my friend only got there five minutes before my mile race. My warm up consisted of a one lap jog, and a 100m sprint from the bathroom. I didn't have time to change out of my trainers. I still ran 6:29. Yeah, I know. I recovered from that effort, got into my racing shoes, and rocked a 2:47 800m. Safe to say I'm in much better shape than I thought.

Okay so about this calf strain, I had a pre-employment fitness exam for the Border Patrol last week, and afterwards I came home to run 5 miles and do a few strides. For one of them, I had a neighbor join me before he started shooting hoops, and it turned into a sprint. Didn't feel anything then, but it was a bit sore that night. Ran the following morning, did my strides, and from there on my calf has been pretty useless. It's starting to come around, which is good because I have a pre-employment medical exam tomorrow, and another fitness test in three days. Once it has cleared up, I'll be able to return to logging mileage, continuing that patient buildup I mentioned in 'Brick by Brick'. This complete down week allows for a bit of extra recovery after 13 weeks, or 3 months of consistent mileage. None of that fitness building was in vain, as now I'm at a new level for when I "begin again" next week.