Yesterday I had a nine miler scheduled. I almost skipped it. Almost. The entire day was filled with clouds and rain, and then some more rain.

I had three choices:

1) Suck it up and run in the bad weather. I’ve done it before, but I prefer to avoid it if I can.
2) Skip the run and hope that I do well for the race next weekend.
3) Spend some quality time with the treadmill.

I chose #3. After lying in bed all day watching movies and catching up on some blogs, I knew it was now or never. So I geared up and headed to the gym before I changed my mind.

Can I tell you happy I was with my decision? Sure, the treadmill can be boring. And staring at CNN on the television in front of you for over an hour can be painful at times. But, I was in my running zone the entire time, which was wonderful.

Not only was I listening to my favorite music for a good bit, but it was also fun to know that I had subconsciously dressed up like a leprechaun.

This was my second run in my new lime Recovery Socks. They work just as great as the pink ones!

Anyways, back to the treadmill. The ones at the gym cut-off at 99 minutes, and while I knew I had a pretty good chance of beating the cut-off time, I didn’t want to put pressure on myself. I had goal to finish under 1:50:00.

So, I split it up into two runs. I did five miles, then reset the machine, and did another four. I also stuck up a post-it note so I could focus on each mile at a time.

The times on the left were my goal times and the ones on the right is when I actually finished the mile. Great way to keep yourself motivated! I ran for 4 min. @ 5.5mph, then walked for 1 min. @ 4mph.

Using some math I calculated out the splits:

Mile 1: 11:26
Mile 2: 11:22
Mile 3: 11:25
Mile 4: 11:34
Mile 5: 11:21
Mile 6: 11:23
Mile 7: 11:21
Mile 8: 11:22
Mile 9: 11:18

Total:  1:42:32!

Not only did I beat my goal, but I ran 9 minutes faster than my last 9 miler two weeks ago! It was also my fastest “long run” during training so far!

I’m not sure where this “speediness” has come from, but I hope it’s here to stay for awhile.

This week my focus is speedwork on Thursday and trying not to think about the 10 mile race on Sunday. Eek!

In January last year, I did something I never in a million years thought I would do. I signed up for not just a half marathon, but a full marathon as well! When I was able to run a 5K the previous fall I wanted to see how far I could actually run. I thought it would be a fun challenge and I dove right into training.

After three months of training to “finish,” I ran across the finish line of my first half marathon in a little over 2:43. You can see my full recap here. I was in pain, but also so proud of myself for setting a goal and reaching it.

After a few weeks off to recover, I slowly started to build my mileage up so I could start training for my next goal. A marathon. This is when the problems started.

After running my previous shoes literally to the ground, it was time for some new ones. I liked my previous ones and never had any problems with them, but felt that I may need a little more support to tackle 26.2. So, I went to a different running shoe store and got fitted. They put me in a high arch shoe and they felt fine. So I was happy and eager to get started with training.

A few weeks passed and I started to have a pain on the inside of my right calf. I thought maybe I pulled it, or just didn’t stretch enough. When I couldn’t run more than half a mile without being in extreme pain, I knew something was wrong.

I went to a physical therapist and after an hour of questions, flexing, and tests, he diagnosed me with Posterior Shin Splints.

Here’s a little information on them: “The muscles most affected in posterior shin splints are the Soleus and the Tibialis Posterior. In the leg, these muscles are firmly attached around the back of the knee. They run down the back and inner side (medial side) of the leg, and attach to the foot. If the foot is in a proper alignment to the leg, these muscles function efficiently and pain-free. However, when the foot is pronated (the foot rolls outward at the ankle and you walk more on the inner aspect of the foot), these muscles are forced to become twisted as they attach to their respective foot structures. The twisting of these muscles can cause tiny tears in the muscles, or the muscles become “pulled” and inflamed. This will produce pain.” Source

Unfortunately, with improper running shoes, unusually tight calves, and weak hips, something was bound to go wrong sometime! Because of the pain, I had to downgrade to the half marathon, and put the full on hold for awhile.

I exchanged my running shoes for a pair with a lower arch (Saucony Omni 8), and went to physical therapy for 90 minutes, 3x a week for 6 weeks. I am proud to say I have not had any pain since!

I have also started running in compression socks to prevent anything else from happening. My legs feel amazing after my run and I am extremely happy that I have had no other problems.

So, after running two more half marathons and training for another one with no problems, I started to think about completing a marathon this year. There were so many things I had to consider. Spring or Fall? Would I be able to train properly? Would I be able to train this year, or wait until next year? What marathon would I choose?

Finally, after figuring out some things, both good and bad, I reached a decision…

This summer and fall I will be training for the Marine Corps Marathon on October 31, 2010! I am excited and terrified at the same time!