Shin splints...Oooh the Shin splints...

Pre-run, drinking water, while Juno impatiently
waits to go. The dog loves to run!

Aaand it's been nearly a month since my last post. I'm a slack-tastic blogger. If it makes you feel any better, I haven't slacked on running... Even though the pain in my legs and my ceaseless attempts to make it stop unsuccessfully makes me want to throat punch the next person I see - Bad news for The Stud...I kidd, I kidd. Wanna get caught up? Keep reading, then feel free to comment and tell me WTH I'm doing wrong :)

First, I'd like to start by saying I went from 300 views at the beginning of February, to nearly 700 today. AWESOME! I know, in the grand scheme of things - and compared to bloggers with more followers - it's not that many. But I'm still excited! And from all over the world! SUPER Awesome! So, thanks for reading!

After that first run (you can read about it here), I researched how to run. Sound silly? Yea? YOU'RE SILLY! Ahem... I mean, it's a legit concern. Think about it. Do you really know how to run? Well, I didn't. I was loud. I was breathing heavier than a couple teenagers in heat. My stride was uncomfortably long. Not to mention I was striking with my heel. So I got to researching how to run correctly, as well as breathing techniques. I stumbled upon a few sites here and here about proper running, like where on your foot your strike should hit, and how to breathe when running. I caught on to the breathing pretty easily, and I don't have to focus on it as much as I thought I would when I'm running. The actual running technique is easy too, just a matter of retraining yourself how to run in shoes. Also, here's another C25K site that I considered before I got the Zombies, Run! app.

So in the last month, I've gone on a few runs. 4 to be exact. Here's how it played out: Week 1 - 1 run. Week 2 - 2 runs. Week 3 (this week)- 1 run. Remember when I said I was using the Zombies, Run! 5k training app? Well, it's super fun. I'd love it even more if my legs weren't hurting so bad. The first week, I did the first one (how chronological of me). Essentially, how the app goes is, you do each drill three times and then your drill changes. So each "week" (I use quotes because the first week turned into two...) you do the same run three times.

...Aaand as soon as we got home.... Bless her. 

Post run when we went to the greenway. 2.25 miles
and this little girl led the way the entire time. 

The first week consists of a 10 minute warm-up walk, followed by 10 minutes of walk/run drills, then a 10 minute free-form run - which just means you can run/walk as much as you want. That first day, I went to a greenway close to my house with Juno, and started the app. I had read on a bunch of running sites that stretching before a run could actually cause injury, so I stuck with the warm-up walk. I was excited to be out there running until I turned and saw some people (I assumed homeless) following me. I kept running, but felt a little weird. Then Juno kept stopping and turning around to growl at them. Now, I'm not saying she's the smartest dog in the pack, but she is quite intuitive. So I turned around and just barely caught them ducking behind a large rock. Now, the greenway doesn't curve back around, so I'd have to pass them on the way back to my car. It creeped me out pretty bad, and Juno freaking out didn't help matters any, so I ran up to the road and back tracked around them. I ran back and forth from my car to about a 1/4 of a mile down the track for the remainder of the run. I didn't see them again, and Juno was pretty chill so I went ahead and finished it. I ended up doing 2.25 miles. Once I got back to my car, I stretched out my legs with a few basic stretches for about 5 minutes. I was exhausted, sore, and I felt like balls, but I had done it. For a week afterward, though, I could hardly walk. My legs were so sore and tight. My calves specifically. I waited a week before I ran again....

So, here it was a week later and I was ready to go. This time, I stretched (basic runner's stretches) before the run, and a little more after the 10 minute warm-up. Juno and I ran around the apartment complex instead of going to the greenway. Saves money, and I don't get chased by hobos here. I started the warm-up, and my calves started tightening up right away (hence, the stretching after the warm-up... I figured it'd be better to stretch after my muscles are warmed up) It took a lot, but I finished up the drill sorta strong, with 2 miles. After I got inside, I stretched (OUCH OMG I HATE MY MUSCLES) and drank another 20oz of water (I had had 64oz earlier in the day before the run), got in a hot-as-I-can-stand-it bath, and then rubbed icy-hot on my legs. I was able to walk just fine the next day, and my legs felt great. Two days later, I did the third and last drill for the Week 1 set. I cried. I finished it with 2.18 miles. But I was hurting so badly, I could barely walk up the stairs to my apartment. I went with the same post-run routine from the last run, and felt a lot better, but I was still concerned with how much it hurt during my runs. So I tried something different with the fourth run - yesterday - and still no luck. To make matters worse, the new drill consists of longer running intervals with added heel lifts after each one. So even more work on my already incredibly tight calves. After the post-run routine, I still felt uncomfortable but it was manageable. But my feet hurt now. So I'm thinking with the stretching, the water intake, the upped potassium (forgot to mention that earlier), the correct stride and breathing techniques... I'm pretty sure it's all coming down to my shoes. My nearly $100 shoes. Balls.

I was told by a friend at work that Fleet Feet will watch you run, measure and look at your fee, and fit you for a shoe (or an insole) for free. So I'll be heading to the store here in town sometime this week/weekend to hopefully find some relief. If all else fails, I'm going to take a break from the 5k training, and stick to something like yoga to stretch out my muscles and build up my strength. It could all come down to weak calves, after all. But I'm almost positive it's my damn shoes. Word to the wise! Get fitted for pro running shoes by a running store! It's generally always free, and your feet and legs will love you for it!

Well, there you have it. You're all caught up, and I'm starving - time for dinner! <Speaking of, I'm thinking of starting a clean-eating cleanse, so .... more on that later. Research, research, research!!

Until next time, y'all! Happy Wednesday!