Blame the shoes not the hills

So, just as I was beginning to concede the fact that I had gone all hill wimpy, due to the two-month running hiatus I took not too long ago, I learned tonight that that may actually not be the case at all, and that I could still, in fact, be the Contador (le sigh) of running!

For about a week and a half now I’ve been feeling an awful lot of tightness in my calves, kinda like how I imagine a boa constrictor would feel wrapping its coils tighter and tighter around me, and at first I thought maybe I had overdone it in the gym, which wouldn’t be all that unlikely given that I really have no idea what I’m doing in there, but then I thought for sure it was the New West hills – what else could it possibly be I lamented to myself, and pretty much anyone else who would listen, you guys included 😀

But tonight, two of my favourite mom-daughter running chicks informed me that it’s no coincidence the tightness showed up shortly after purchasing my Mizunos. Lori and Chelsey recently invested in a pair of Mizunos themselves (they got the exact same pair without realizing the other had bought the same pair too – and it’s not the first time they’ve done that! Now that’s a connection!). Their Mizunos are full support, while mine are heavy support. When I told them that it was taking a bit to get used to the supported heel (more aesthetically than anything else) they both told me that at first their Mizunos caused their feet to be a bit on the tender side post run – hey, that’s been happening to me too!And then later, when I was again lamenting over my tight calves, Chelsey piped up and said “It’s the shoes!”

I’m told that they will jiggle again 😉

Because there’s more of a heel in the more supported shoes, you’re actually running more on the balls of your feet than anything else, which is a good running technique according to those speedy Kenyans! And they both promised me that once the shoes were broken in – no more tight calves for me! I’ll so be smoking up those hills just you wait and see! Yay 😀

TONIGHT’S RUN:

  • 6:15 p.m. BG before: 7.8 (2 GU chomps, no bolus) (temp basal -50 per cent)
  • Distance: 10 km tempo
  • Average pace: 6:32
  • Time: 1:05:27
  • 8 p.m. BG after: 7.1

I’m finding it a bit hard to digest a meal at 9 p.m. or later. How do you guys fit eating dinner into your evening training schedules?

5 thoughts on “Blame the shoes not the hills”

  1. Haha about the shoes. I have no idea how we keep doing that. And I don’t know how I yelled out it’s the shoes in between my dying gasping breaths. Anyways, even if you look at your picture you can see how the shoes tilt down from the heel. They will jiggle again after you break them in, I find if I take running breaks they still are tight. But hey, I’m okay having nice calves. Beauty is pain. As for the meal, you could try eating a little before running, then eat a little after running so that you’re not eating a full meal late at night? But I’m not sure how that works with your BG. See you tomorrow…? Argh.

  2. Thanks for visiting my blog. I do most of my training over my lunch hour. Though it takes a while to get used to it, I usually have a small meal (PowerBar) about 30 minutes before I run and then follow it up afterward. I think one of the advantages to being diabetic is I’ve learned to be able to eat anytime, anywhere.

  3. I’ve heard this from folks who run in those fancy vibram five finger shoes (the shoes w/ the toes) but never had an issue w/ my mizuno’s. hope your calves are feeling better. great run!

  4. “It’s the shoes” is actually one of my favourite running quotes. That’s because it “Can’t be me!”

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