I Lied

My next post (this post) isn't going to be my Chicago Marathon goals.

I feel the need to comment separately on my last 20+ mile training run. Twenty miles is still an unusual and significant event that I can't let it go by without mention.

So, here goes...

As mentioned previously, my right knee and leg muscles have been complaining a bit lately. Enough, in fact, where I would report it on my personal pain/annoyance/concern scale at 3 of 5 (5 high). It had my attention.

I think I found the source...and the cure.

New shoes.

Funny how having a little bit more padding and stability in my shoes can make such a big difference. I felt I could squeak out another 50-60 miles out of my old shoes to get me through the last 20 miler this past weekend before starting the break in of my race shoes during the taper. It didn't work that way. I had to break them in early. The legs needed it.

Here's how I know the issue is with my shoes.

During the previous Saturday's 16 miler, I started experiencing sharp right leg muscle pain that almost caused my leg to lock up on me. In fact, I had to walk a bit to loosen it up after I stopped for my last water/GU break. This was on the heels of the pain developing during my Higgins Lake trail training run two weeks ago.

During the week, my 6 miler in new shoes went fine. No pain.

My 9 miler, in old shoes, left me back in pain again.

I was still a bit sore (and concerned) going into Saturday's scheduled 20 miler. I started out with a bit of pain. In fact, it slowly got worse during the first 5-6 miles. I stopped for a water/Gu break and, afterwards like magic, no more pain. I completed 21.0 miles and barely felt sore afterwards. I was wearing my new shoes.

I'll still be proactive by icing down a bit and elevating but I'm reasonably confident that my shoes were the source of the problem. In fact, almost every time I start getting leg muscle pain, the shoes are the problem. Time to stop trying to squeak a few more miles out of those old kicks!

21.0 miles

2:34:27 time

7:24 pace

I looked back at my last LR before Bayshore in May and I ran the exact same distance in 2:34:50. Based on this, I'm reasonably certain I'm still in the same shape as I was for my last marathon despite the fact that I dramatically reduced my speed training this summer. I'm happy about that!

Also, I did make it into the book store this weekend. I decided on Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. I can already taste the words dripping with satire. Mmmmm. Brain candy!

Glad to see people are still reading Faulkner and, well, just reading. Seems like a lost art these days.

One complaint: Why can't you find Sinclair Lewis' (pictured) work in your typical book store, they might have one or two but never his entire selection. He's the first American winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Get with the program people!

Happy trails.