The Daily Log 1/13/09

Distance: 4.10 miles
Time: 37:20
Pace: 9:05/mile
Weight: 193lbs
Terrain: Rolling
Temperature: Very Cold
Gear: Long-Sleeved Gobbler Grind Tech Shirt, Adidas Running Fleece, Under Armour Running Hoodie, Adidas Long Training Pants over Under Armour Compression Pants, Reebok Stocking Cap, iPod Shuffle, Nike Air Zoom Vomero Shoes
Hydration: None
Fuel: None
Medical: Right Shin
Recovery: Stretches, ice, Aleve
Shoe Mile Count: 301.55 miles
Days until Marathon: 5

Not great. My shin hurt pretty much the whole way through, which in itself was frustrating, but the pain also seemed to transfer to the other side of my leg on the high calf. My guess is it's all related. While the pain was an annoyance, what was more unsettling was the fact that the anterior pain made my leg feel very weak, like I had no power to push off on my steps. Yikes!

Compounding the misery was the fact that it was extremely cold, which meant I had to wear my rather heavy hoodie the whole way through. That always makes for a heavy run, and I even one-upped that by selecting a new route, though it was over somewhat familiar streets. Idiotic probably, though I don't really think it was the route that was to blame for my woes.

The weather and terrain of course shouldn't be a barrier to success on Sunday. Forecasts are exactly as the race directors have predicted. Starting in the 40s, finishing in the mid to high 60s, and over a pancake flat course to boot. So the only thing I really have to worry about is this annoying injury. Yes, I've probably only got myself to blame, but I mean, come on, it couldn't have waited a week to kick in?

Other notes: Surprisingly, given my lack of leg energy, my pace was pretty respectable, probably close to what I'm planning on running on race day. Also, I went back to the old shoes today and they felt pretty good, so I'm leaning towards going with those. That being said, I am probably going to take both pairs and decide when I'm out there which to use based on how good (or not) my shin feels. The better it is, the more likely I'll go with the old ones. If it still feels really weak, I might run in the new ones and risk some foot pain to give me some extra cushioning.

Given today's struggles, I've decided to skip tomorrow's 3 mile jog and might not even run again before Sunday, though I'd like very much to at least do a mile or two on Friday or Saturday so that I can test my leg and assess the damage.

Last minute complications aside, nothing short of a tsunami is likely to keep me from lining up on Sunday, and unless I just can't even stand up, I'll run through whatever pain comes my way, even if I have to go slower than I'm hoping. I've told everyone I'm doing this now, so if I fail, everyone will know, and that's more of a fear than any injury.

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