Back to the track

Monday night I put on my brand-new Kinvara I's (Yes, I know, I'm two years behind, I'm a shoe-hoarder) and headed to the Tulane track.

Me and my new-old shoes on my floor furnace, the lethal fixture that means we can never have small children over in the winter. 

My run group recently moved back to the Tulane track after a brief and ill-fated stint at City Park, where thousands of children ran beneath our feet at every turn and yelled, "Track!" in tiny voices at the slower adults. It was great that they were running, and three year olds in  tiny New Balance shoes are kind of adorable, but the track was just too crowded. I'm glad we moved back to the college track, especially since it's in my neighborhood. When I finish a workout I'm starving and thirsty and want to get home STAT.

Our workout wasn't tough: it was a three-minute distance trial (how far can you go in 3 minutes?), followed by a 400 jog, then ten 300's - 200 meters at 2 mile pace, 100 meters "fast", and a 100 meter walk back to the start. Short workout, but hot temps - so this wasn't easy after all. It was high 90's with high 90's humidity, heat index 105. And did I mention I'm kind of out of shape? I did 0.6 miles for the distance trial, but I was holding back since I knew I had more workout to come. The track was a little empty since a lot of runners had raced in tri's this weekend, so I was the fastest one out there - NOT. Second fastest! I got passed by someone I know is not as fast near the end of the three minutes. I was feeling pretty out of shape when he passed me! But turns out that was all he had: he could only complete 2 out of 10 of the 300's to follow, then went and threw up!

I completed the workout, but I was feeling more and more pain as it wore on. By cool down I was visibly limping and that night I couldn't sit or walk. Misery. I know I was cleared to run, but I am questioning the wisdom of that - what if the pain makes me alter my gait and I injure something else?

Besides the soreness and inflammation, though, the track felt good, and I definitely need to get some speed going. I was pleased to be recovered by the next morning, and also pleased that the pain was mostly left-sided. It's tended to be right-sided, so I've done ultrasound to the right side twice, and it must be helping since pain on the right was so much improved. Next session I'm hitting that left side!