5 miles

I added 5 miles on my Vibrams the day before a 5k race with really stupid inclines that went straight down for a mile and half and then straight up for a mile and half!

Sadly this isn't the stupidest thing I have done out on a trail run, but this one hurts worse than anything I have done in the last year.

My boyfriend bought his new Brooks Cascadia trail running shoes a couple days before the race and he wanted to break them in and get them dusty. My boyfriend hasn't been out with me but one time before and he didn't run so I wasn't planning on him doing much running, but as soon as he felt comfortable he started running. I wore my Vibrams to add a few miles on them thinking we would be walking.

I woke up the next morning with tight calf muscles and our first 5k together was at 1pm. Sports Authority was open so I went and bought some compression sleeves for my legs and decided to wear them during the race.

My legs were screaming at me and I was so irritated with myself because I know better than to do something stupid like new shoes before a race, let alone the Vibrams which is a whole different kind of change you have to ease into. I knew I was going to wear the Brooks during the race, but didn't think that wearing the Vibrams the day before would do any damage. Wrong.

The downhill part was almost laughable, it was SO steep going downhill and to top it off it was on pavement. The trail started with a level area and then it took off uphill. I decided to walk the first couple of hills to make sure I was going to be okay and on the 3rd hill, I sprinted up it. It actually felt really good and I wanted to sprint until I got to the next leveled out area and then slow down. When I got to the top of the hill and came to a slow trot my left calf muscle seized up and it felt like I had just got slammed in my leg with a hot orange.
Fearing the DNF (did not finish) in a race, I decided to just keep moving and not say anything to anyone around me. Around mile 2 the pain was radiating all the way up to my ass and down to my toes. At 2 and half miles I just decided that I wasn't going to redeem myself in any way shape or form and I just ran when I could, ignoring the pain and knowing I would pay the price for that later. At 3 miles my boyfriend who I had told to run ahead and take on those hills, came back for me after he finished his race and he ran it in with me.

After the race I peeled off the compression sleeves and iced my leg on the freezing cold concrete.

I was good the next day and didn't jog, run or hike. I tried to not walk on it at all. It's day 2 and I woke up feeling better, but I am going to take it slow until this is healed because I know something like this could take me out for a long time!

Kristine 0 - Vibrams 1

Total Miles: 12 miles