Today was just another typical day around here. It warmed up to almost 20 degrees with the windchill making it feel below 10 degrees. The good thing was that it was so cold, that the temperature wasn't going to drop much after dark. I was slow to get out there today, so I didn't start until 5:30 in the evening. It was already dark by then.
Originally, I was hoping to make this a faster run. However, the cold temperatures made me change my mind. So did the fact that my left ankle area has been bothering me since the long run on Monday. I still wanted to run 10-15 miles today though.
Since it was dark, I decided to stay local and run the neighborhoods again. I put on my fleece vest, but my arms felt cold, so I swapped it out with my jacket. I hoped that would break up the wind a little more. It wasn't really windy, but any little breeze has an impact when it is this cold.
I skipped doing my usual loop around my neighborhood. Instead, I headed straight for the other neighborhood. It was a very cold start until I got warmed up. These conditions are probably as bad as anything I've run in before this winter. This winter, they seem normal. It is so brutal.
I started with the one short loop. I felt alright, but not fast. I could feel my ankle area bothering me slightly. In the cold, the pace was slow. One thing I do like about running at night is that I don't look at my watch very often.
After that short loop, I ran the long main loop. There were a lot of cars on the roads and although I had on a headlamp, I had to watch out. I was wearing all dark clothes. I passed some people walking throughout. One guy with a dog, I almost didn't see any nearly ran into.
I got through the first 3 miles and already my ankle started bothering me. It was most prominent when running uphill. I notice that if I run on my toes, I feel much better. I can only do that for so long though. It wasn't killing me, but it was definitely annoying me. I wonder if I am overcompensating for the minor issues that I've had on the top of my opposite foot. I don't even notice that any more.
I wound up going from focusing mostly on how much the cold sucked, to thinking about my lower leg area. I kept playing around with my stride. It seemed fine on the downhill parts.
I battled and made it up the climbs. There are quite a few of them on this rolling terrain. I went around one of the other shorter loops that I like. By the time I was done with that, I was really starting to struggle. I gave up on the idea of running 15 miles and was shooting for 10 miles. I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to do that.
I was at mile 7 and decided to keep at it until things got worse. Eventually, I some how made it to mile 8 as well. When I got back to the elementary school, it was 8.5 miles. My pace had begun to slow thanks to the problem. I figured by now I could tough it out and finish.
I opted to run the long loop through my neighborhood and a shorter one there as well. For some reason, the leg/ankle felt fine for about a mile within this time period. Maybe because I was nearly done with the run. The last half mile was a struggle and my form was all over the place. I was glad to finish and then I limped home.
I guess it is something that I'll have to monitor. I'm going to try to work the tightness out. That is really what the problem is. It isn't painful, it feels like the muscle is tightening. It kind of feels almost like a shin splint, but lower down my leg.
I still plan on running tomorrow, but if it continues to be a problem, I may need a rest day or two or three. That would be disappointing because I want to get in another 70 miles this week. However, I have to look at the big picture. Now is the time to be cautious, not to push through problem areas.
10 miles - 1:26:17 (8:38 pace)
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