My latest Boston Marathon training update

Boston Marathon Training Update

So my latest Boston Marathon training update has a little twist this week. My training has been on hold this week. I’ve taken some extra rest and recovery as a precaution due to extreme tightness in my right calf and piroformis at the end of last week. Last week I attempted Yasso 800’s. My attitude going into the run was less than upbeat. The sky was gray and drizzly and the wind was whipping. I dutifully suited up to run and laced up my shoes. I warmed up but my legs felt tight. I should have spent a little longer stretching and getting my muscles ready. I hit the first three Yasso’s hard and fast. Each 800 meters (or 1/2 mile) 3:19. It felt good to go fast but my legs felt tight. On the fourth one my calf seized up about a quarter of a mile in so I quickly slowed to a jog and then a walk. I stopped, let my breathing and heart rate slow down and attempted to stretch everything out but I couldn’t get the tightness to release. Feeling frustrated I called it quits and jogged home. This was the first workout in this training cycle that I have had to bail on.

Active recovery is key!

When I got back to the house I checked in with my coach who said not to worry too much but to focus on the end game of getting to the line at the Boston Marathon. Rather than becoming bogged down by feeling too negative about things I quickly went and took a hot shower and then got out my Enso roller to attempt to roll out my calf muscle and hip flexors. I also grabbed my RUBZ ball  (tools for active recovery) which is excellent for working on loosening your piroformis (and dealing with issues with Plantar Fasciitis too). I took Saturday off and enjoyed a day out with my kids. We included a trip to the pool. It felt good to be resting my legs. We also did some extra fun stuff this week including dyeing our Easter eggs!

Long run Sunday training update

Sunday was a new day. Thankfully my long run was only 14 with the first 8 at and 8:45-9:00 pace which felt easy. My calf felt ok and loosened as I ran. The last 6 miles called for me to drop my pace to 8:05-8:10 pace. Dropping the pace felt easy and I ran the remainder of the run between 7:29-8:05 pace except for the incredible, monster hill that I have to run each time I run this route. After the run I made sure to stretch and get to the shower quickly.  My calf still felt tight and my pirofomris was in a giant knot. I had my husband use our Brookstone Percussion Massager to see if we could get my piroformis to release. Thankfully after a while it seemed to relax.

14 mile training run complete

On Monday my calf was still feeling tight so I checked in with my coach again. She suggested additional rest and a trip to the Chiropractor. I have taken several days off from running this week and have been rolling and stretching. I visited the chiropractor on Wednesday. He confirmed the my pelvis is out of alignment again (this was a major issue with my back and piroformis last year)  which I had been feeling in my piroformis and my right hip. He did some gentle adjustments and sent me on my way feeling looser and lighter.

I am feeling extra nervous about running at this point as I don’t want to end up with a muscle strain or pull so I have been more than happy to take a bit of extra rest this week. On Saturday I will be running (not racing) the Eastern States 20 Miler as a training run for Boston. Hopefully my body will cooperate and my calf won’t tighten up too much. I plan to run the first 10-14 miles at a moderate pace and then hit the last miles at marathon pace. I am looking forward to the weekend too because I will be hanging out with Sarah from Run Far Girl for a little pre-race rest and relaxation tomorrow night at the beach in Wells (where we enjoyed the Rise. Run. Retreat). We are both running the Boston Marathon for Team Stonyfield. It will be great to catch up about training and blogging and just to hang out!

Wondering what the weather will be on marathon Monday. We are back to snow again here in Northern NH!

We are definitely getting into the home stretch of Boston Marathon training. I am very excited to race and being smart about my training (keeping my fingers crossed) that my body stays in one piece for marathon Monday. I think that next week a massage may be in order as a part of my active recovery!

What difficulties have your run into recently during training? Are you currently dealing with an injury? What are your best strategies for managing an injury or possible injury?

Happy Running!

Proud member of Team Stonyfield for the 2016 Boston Marathon