Victory!!!

After a week filled with shin splints and frustration, I was excited, yesterday, to get out and try out my new Mizuno running shoes, and very hopeful that they would make a big difference. Imagine my disappointment when I continued to have shin splints, which shortened my run considerably. The good news was that they were nowhere near as severe as they had been on Sunday, the last time I attempted to run. I figured my sore hamstrings might be contributing to the problem and vowed to get up today and give it another go.

This morning, I spent considerable time getting down and dirty with my foam roller on the floor, focusing on my legs and shoulders (thanks to yesterday's bear crawls, my shoulders/biceps/triceps are needing some extra love and tenderness today). By the time I set off for my walking warm-up (almost a mile), I was feeling a lot looser.

When I began my running route, I was cautious at first, running slowly and feeling my legs out for any sign of pain or distress. As I got moving, I was pleased to note a complete lack of shin pain. So I pushed a little harder...and a little harder. In case of pain, I had planned to push myself for the first mile-and-a-quarter, then reassess how I was feeling and whether I'd stop there or keep going. I reached that halfway point of my run with nary a problem, so onwards I ran. The sweat was flowing, my breathing was focused, and I was in that wonderful mid-run mindset where everything is focused on how good my body felt. My mind was clear. I felt great.

I reached the two-mile mark and turned onto a main street, facing what is always the most difficult part of my run--the last half-mile. I struggled here, walking a tiny bit and sternly muttering to myself to quit being a pansy and to keep running. Finally, I reached the stoplight that marks the end of my course in a burst of exhausted glory. I checked my stopwatch: 28:35. A new best time!

Panting and laughing, I started my long cool-down walk back towards home (M. the Reasonable once excitedly called it an "active recovery"--I walk a mile-and-a-half after my run so that by the time I get home my breathing and heart rate are back to normal. I love my long walk home--after a good run, the endorphins have me feeling like I can conquer the world, and I get some great ideas in that time). After a week of pain and being away from running, it was so good to get back out there, pounding the pavement--free from pain, enjoying the sunshine, and feeling good.