So, week #1 was not exactly a success in terms of following the training schedule. It was quite cold at the beginning of the week so while I intended to get my runs in during the early morning, it was a little tough to get out of bed to go running in -17C. Wednesday I did go to ultimate (yay cross-training) but managed to tweak my calf and couldn’t run on it for the rest of the week. I did get in at least an hour-long walk pushing the stroller Thursday through Sunday, so the cross-training part was definitely accomplished.
Today the calf was feeling better and the weather was glorious so I went for a jog. I have been having calf pain off and on for several years during the ultimate season, which started at Worlds in Finland in 2004. I know it is related to an imbalance on my left side, and the fact that my hamstring is not as strong as it could be. It all comes back to ACL surgery (10 years ago), and how I still need to keep working out the left side so it is as strong as the right.
In any event, the run was great. It was completely different than last week’s indoor run. I ran about the same distance (6.2 km) in less time (40 minutes) with hills and a headwind. Furthermore, it felt great to be outside enjoying the day and the time just flew by. I didn’t have a pre-set route so I just made one up as I went along. Using the google maps mashup, I was able to calculate how far I had run once I got home. I could have kept going, but I didn’t want to push the calf too much. This week is supposed to be warmer so I am hoping I’ll be able to follow the training schedule a little more closely. But, I’m not really too concerned about following it to the letter. As long as I feel good about running and am able to keep increasing my distance, I think I’ll be ok.