Yesterday, I woke up and there was about an inch of snow on the ground. I didn't want to mess around and take a chance with my injury issues, so I opted to skip out on the BCR run. I had to try to get in a run today though.
The plan was just an easy afternoon 4 miles. It was quite cold today (below 30 degrees). At least it was sunny out. I went out to the Nor-Bath Trail. I knew the worst weather would be the worst when running into the wind on the way out.
I started from Jacksonville Park. I was disappointed that the trail was snow covered. It wasn't a lot of snow, just a layer, but I thought it would be clear. Most of the grass is clear and all of the roads are completely clear. I was initially disappointed, but in the end, it might've been a good thing.
I started off nice and comfortable. I had no problems. I decided to try using KT Tape around the shin area before the run. I wasn't sure if that would work, but it was about my last option.
I crossed Airport Road without any problems. The snow wasn't bad at all. It had a lot of foot traffic, so it was pretty well packed down. It had decent grip and I guess it was actually quite soft too.
The first mile was a solid 8:30. I passed a guy that was walking three dogs. That was a challenge to get around. They looked like Huskies and they must've been loving this weather. As I approached Bicentennial Park around 1.5 miles, I felt strong. When I got close to mile 2, I looked down and saw that my pace was a little over 8 minutes. That meant I was running much faster than I thought on this mile. It ended up being a 7:29 and it felt very easy too. I guess that's what fresh legs will do for you.
I could've turned around, but I felt so good that I couldn't resist continuing on. I figured that I might as well keep going until I started to at least feel the first signs of pain. The last time out, it was around 2 miles. I figured that it must be coming by 2.5 miles. It never did and I turned around right before that point. That was in front of the Weaversville Road crossing.
I came back and had a slight uphill, but still encountered no issues. I was amazed. I kept waiting and waiting. It was weird having my mind free to think of other things, instead of the pain.
I was getting quite warm now, with the wind at my back. I opened the vest and took off my headband and gloves. It was very nice going in this direction. I hit mile 4 with no problems and continued on. Again, I cruised over Airport Road.
I was almost at 5 miles, but I felt so good that I opted to keep going. I figured why not run to mile 6. I went out and back on the short section toward Bath. In total, that is close to a mile long. I thought there was a guy way up ahead on the path, but it was just the wall at the end of the path.
I got back to Jacksonville Road. Again, my shin had no issues. I was starting to think that maybe the KT Tape was working its magic. In the final tenth of a mile though, I ran on the road and it seemed like a tweak of the shin was beginning. Maybe the soft snow had more of an impact than the KT tape.
Whatever was the cause, I was happy to be pain free for a full 6 miles. That's progress. I guess I'll have to stick with the KT Tape and maybe I'll need to get back off of pavement and onto soft surfaces. That saved me in the spring and summer and I hope it would work again. It's worth a try.
Tomorrow, I'm probably going to try to bike. I haven't been on the bike in a couple months and don't enjoy it, but it is a necessary evil at this point I guess. I need to be cautious. I want to ride for a couple hours to replace my long run. Maybe I'll stick to trying to run every other day. I'm definitely hoping that I can run again on Tuesday. I want this week to at least be a little more productive than last week.
6 miles - 45:54 (7:39 pace)
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