(Also, leave me alone about these pictures. My roommate is a surgeon, aka is gone a lot, so I have to use mirrors and self-timers to help out with training pics. pffftt.)
OK well another thing that came in the mail were my Chia Seeds. Remember how I said that Chia Seeds hold about 12x their weight in water, and help to curb appetite and insulin production? Well, we're going to see just how awesome they are. You can sprinkle them on top of food, put them in your drink, or soak them in liquid and they turn into gel and take on the taste of the liquid.
WAIT! I just got an AWESOME idea. I'm going straight to my fridge to put them in gatorade. Ok, so while I finish this post, I'll wait for the Chia seeds to grow into a gel blob. I'm a little freaked out though because Chia seeds make me think of the movie Gremlins, where you splash water on those cute and cuddly suckers but as a result they turn into scary gremlins. Anyway...
Ok, so my run...my run my run my run. Another fail of a five miler. I tried my best to fuel up properly before the run, got some gatorade, made sure I ate some carbs, went to the bathroom, and stretched. However, I got out there and needed to stop every half mile because the area above my ankle that is also a part of the calf muscle often gets tight and cramped. I felt fine physically, but once that area gets tight, I'm no good; its like someone pinches the muscles and makes it feel like I'm wearing weights.
After doing some research, I stumbled upon an article in the Scientific American that discusses this very issue, which I suspected to be Lactic Acid buildup. My susipcians were confirmed upon reading this paragraph:
"Contrary to popular opinion, lactate or, as it is often called, lactic acid buildup is not responsible for the muscle soreness felt in the days following strenuous exercise. Rather, the production of lactate and other metabolites during extreme exertion results in the burning sensation often felt in active muscles, though which exact metabolites are involved remains unclear. This often painful sensation also gets us to stop overworking the body, thus forcing a recovery period in which the body clears the lactate and other metabolites."
I find this condition to be SUPER annoying because it hurts. It's also SUPER annoying because you know your body can run, but then these muscle areas make it hard to do anything. I even had to stop and sit on the pavement to massage the area in question.
In my research, I realize that I need to do a lot more targeted stretching before and after a run. I also need to do more tempo runs to improve my lactate threshold. I believe what is happening, upon intense examinations of my recent runs, is that my body is having a freakout moment over the increased speed and longer runs that I am requiring it to do. A tempo run just helps to train your body to run faster for longer periods of time. I do see myself getting faster but also having a hard time sustaining that speed. Like...tonight I ran 5 miles just under 40 minutes. My pace lately has been very quick, but my legs are having a hard time keeping up.
The remedy? I need to slow down a little and let my body adjust. Then, as I continue doing speedwork and long runs, my body should be able to handle the changes accordingly. So instead of a 7:30-8:00 min mile, I should try to run at an 8:30 pace, until my body acclimates itself to the intensity.
Also, I should foamroll a hella lot when I get back. Sorry for the foul language.
You's welcome for those pictures.
Hey...lets check on the chia seeds now!
Weiirrddd.
Well they tasted completely gel-like. Like gatorade jelly. This should be interesting. Happy Friday!
Groooosssss...
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