Speed Break

I took a break from speed work this week. I guess I probably needed to since I have raced every weekend but one since the Nashville Marathon. Along with a race on the weekends I have been doing speed work at the clinic on Tuesday nights or making it up on Wednesday if I missed. Not this week.

After Saturday's run I thought I felt a twinge in my left outer knee. Monday night I ran 4 miles with Annette and Michele. It was there again, not bad but just enough to feel every now and then. I have had ITBS before and I know what it feels like when it hits. This was the start of it maybe. So I figured it was just raising its ugly head a little to tell me to slow down some.

Tonight was the first time I ran since Monday so I used the IT strap just in case. My left heel was still bugging me on and off so I put on my achilies strap also. Kelly had been shopping with Annette so she came over to run with me. She also was running with an IT strap so we made the perfect pair.

Thank goodness I didn't feel anything, or maybe the strap worked. Maybe it was the two days off. Our first mile was fast and hard @9:47. At 85 degrees maybe too fast for us but we managed. I tried to slow down some, but it seems for me anymore I tend to run faster than I should be then have to walk to get a quick breather. I guess I'm weird, but walking doesn't bother me and Annette has said that walking slows her down but speeds me up for some reason.
Our second mile was a 10:10, even warmer it seemed. Very breezy with a hot southerly wind. Our third mile slowed a little to a 10:26. We called it quits at 3.3 miles, I probably needed more but it was just too dang hot to be running. I guess I may have to start getting up early in the mornings and try to run. I miss those cool winter runs now.

Saturday we are suppose to run a different kind of race. Its called the Mt Magazine 15k and its all up a mountain. There is no winner and no times are kept. Every finisher gets a trophy and the last person to finish gets the biggest one. I have never done this one but several of our friends have done it and said it is a lot of fun. I'm thinking we may be warped a little to want to run up a mountain in the heat of the summer! Hey at least I will get a trophy!