Painful 8 Miles, with Elizabeth

I ran with Elizabeth today in muggy, cloudy weather. And the run was painful for me: My right shin, medially, was still hurting! The pain was pretty strong in the beginning of my run and it dissipated over the course of 8+ miles, though it was there throughout. It was also in my left shin in a mirrored place but it wasn’t as strong there. It was hard to go fast at all today because of the combination of heat and hurt, but in not caring about pace, I logged some good miles.

Elizabeth and I talked a lot during the run. Most of the run was pleasant, though in the beginning I felt I was going to have a heart attack! (I chose to forego the heart rate monitor for today.) It was 77, then 75 degrees, with about 70% humidity and light sprinkles at times.

There were a number of runners in the park today; I figured it had something to do with a New York Road Runners class given the number of serious, fast runners in the mix. It didn’t do much for my ego, as I started to feel pretty fat and slow, but as I explained to Elizabeth, I’ve been trying to compare my current self with a better-trained self of about September or November of last year. I ain’t in that kind of shape. Plus, I’m not that far off of shape I was in at this time last year. However, it’s been hard to get to that level because it’s been so hot.

So the pain was pretty severe. I also put on my Mizuno Wave Precision 10s for the first time, which felt a half size small. This was not a problem when running, but it felt like a problem when walking because my toes felt pushed. I’m going to see if this shoe size is tolerable for me to run in. My brother says it’s slightly lighter and closer to the ground than my prior Wave Rider 13s. I didn’t notice a difference and other than the small fit, they rode well.

ArginMax and quercetin were just before my run, and about two hours before was a 6-inch Subway sandwich which may have weighed me down a bit today. All in all, it wasn’t a great run performancewise, but I did get in the mileage, it was with great company, and I did it on a day I also had work. It’s starting to feel really nice when I can fit in work and training.

And I enjoyed a Protein Zone Naked Juice after the run. All 32 fl. oz. Don’t worry: I had 4 Beano just before chugging it.