Woke up refreshed. First steps in the hotel were golden. Quads, hamstrings, calf muscles were all on board for another day. They felt better than even the first day of running which was one of the best surprises of the trip so far. Coach Birmingham had warned me about the third day. On all of his journey runs (TransAmerica, lower 48-state attempt, Maine to Key West), he said the third day was the one to be concerned about. After the third day the body finds ways to adapt to the fatigue and 50 miles almost becomes a routine by that point.
Well, my legs felt as if they had been running 50 miles for weeks on end the way they reacted. Every stride felt fresh. If I was forced to run a "fast" marathon at the beginning of day three, my legs were up for it. Sitting at breakfast before driving to Lakeside to start the day I was extremely positive. In fact, a gentleman who had seen me the night before limping gingerly made a comment at breakfast: "you look ready for another day, much better than when I saw you last night." And I could feel it too.
The first mile from Lakeside went by and nearly halfway through I could feel a sharp pain in both of my arches. At one mile I stopped at the car. I had learned through plenty of runs before from Coach Birmingham that wherever there is pain in feet, legs, knees, etc., elevate the side that hurts. Less pressure on the area that hurts can alleviate most of the pain. And it had worked the day before when I felt my left knee acting up. I had elevated my left foot with a cut-out insole and the knee responded the rest of the day.
I tried the same method with my arches. Two insoles on both arches that were in pain did the trick. For a mile. By mile two, the pain was worse. Switched shoes. One mile went by. Tried without the insoles. This game went on for about 8 miles. Stopping every, single, mile. Sometimes I'd stop in the middle of a mile to adjust the insoles or shoes. By mile 8 a different problem developed. The outsides of both of my feet began to hurt. Ah, the fifth metatarsal. I had previously dealt with a stress fracture in my left fifth metatarsal years ago.
Put insoles on the left side of the left shoe to elevate the fifth metatarsal. I was hoping the pain in the left arch would simply go away without elevating it. That was the case for a few miles. But the outsides of the feet would only get worse. Tried switching every shoe and combinations of insoles and more insoles. Miles 8 to 16 were at a crawl. And I was okay with the pace...three miles in an hour would get me plenty far down the road in a day's time. But the miles were excruciatingly painful. By mile 16 it was evident that I could not continue for the day without causing more damage to the feet.
So, the decision was made to make it to the hotel and hang out for the day, maybe head out again later.
Ice, elevation would be the order for the rest of the day. An attempt was made later, but after a half-mile it was clear the pain was much worse. There was a visible limp and no productive walking could be had. Back to the hotel.
The legs feel as fresh as can be - feet have taken a pounding.
Well, my legs felt as if they had been running 50 miles for weeks on end the way they reacted. Every stride felt fresh. If I was forced to run a "fast" marathon at the beginning of day three, my legs were up for it. Sitting at breakfast before driving to Lakeside to start the day I was extremely positive. In fact, a gentleman who had seen me the night before limping gingerly made a comment at breakfast: "you look ready for another day, much better than when I saw you last night." And I could feel it too.
The first mile from Lakeside went by and nearly halfway through I could feel a sharp pain in both of my arches. At one mile I stopped at the car. I had learned through plenty of runs before from Coach Birmingham that wherever there is pain in feet, legs, knees, etc., elevate the side that hurts. Less pressure on the area that hurts can alleviate most of the pain. And it had worked the day before when I felt my left knee acting up. I had elevated my left foot with a cut-out insole and the knee responded the rest of the day.
I tried the same method with my arches. Two insoles on both arches that were in pain did the trick. For a mile. By mile two, the pain was worse. Switched shoes. One mile went by. Tried without the insoles. This game went on for about 8 miles. Stopping every, single, mile. Sometimes I'd stop in the middle of a mile to adjust the insoles or shoes. By mile 8 a different problem developed. The outsides of both of my feet began to hurt. Ah, the fifth metatarsal. I had previously dealt with a stress fracture in my left fifth metatarsal years ago.
Put insoles on the left side of the left shoe to elevate the fifth metatarsal. I was hoping the pain in the left arch would simply go away without elevating it. That was the case for a few miles. But the outsides of the feet would only get worse. Tried switching every shoe and combinations of insoles and more insoles. Miles 8 to 16 were at a crawl. And I was okay with the pace...three miles in an hour would get me plenty far down the road in a day's time. But the miles were excruciatingly painful. By mile 16 it was evident that I could not continue for the day without causing more damage to the feet.
So, the decision was made to make it to the hotel and hang out for the day, maybe head out again later.
Ice, elevation would be the order for the rest of the day. An attempt was made later, but after a half-mile it was clear the pain was much worse. There was a visible limp and no productive walking could be had. Back to the hotel.
The legs feel as fresh as can be - feet have taken a pounding.