Next Event

On 10/21 I will do another 10k - Home Run 2006, at Stanford. I had about given up on the idea of doing a lot of running, but have found some things that helped:

• New shoes. My old Asics were worn out. I went to Runner's Factory in Los Gatos and had them look at my gait. I over pronate. I bought a pair of Empire IIs, which offer more support. Also I went to a larger and wider size, to give me feet some room.
  
• I changed my stride, based on something I read in Triathlete magazine. I was overstriding, so now I make sure my foot strike is under my head, and that I lean forward from the ankles.
• With the help of my older daughter and her grisly anatomy book, I realized that the pain along the outside of the calf, the pain around the bones on the outside of my ankle joint, and the pain halfway back along the outside edge of my foot were all related. The fibularus longus is a muscle along the outside of the calf that turns into a tendon along the outside of the ankle, passes through a groove in the ankle bones and fastens to the bone halfway back aong the outside edge of the foot. Tightness in the muscle can lead to pain in all the aforementioned places, as well as to overpronation. The fix isn't just to stretch the muscle, but also to strengthen the muscles that balance this one. So, I am doing a combination of stretching and wobble board work, but it's going to take a while before I can do away with ...
  
• Ice, ice, ice.

I ran a 10K yesterday, and don't feel nearly as bad as I thought I would. I stiffen up when I sit, but if I move around I don't hurt.