Friday, Dec. 24th, easy pace getting faster

A very good recovery run. It's clear that I'm hitting another threshold in my running where I'm getting stronger and faster. This was an easy run for me and 1 yr. ago, my easy runs were in the 8:30 - 9:30 pace range but now my easy runs are sub 8:00 pace. Today's run was 5.68 miles in 44:55, for a 7:58 pace. I've hit a point where the delta between my race pace and easy pace is about 2:00, with my race pace ranging from 5:45 - 6:15 pace and my easy pace ranging from 7:45 - 8:15 pace.

I've had a slight pain in near my right heel for the last few days which is a very early indication of plantar fasciitis if I let it go for months but I know immediately what's wrong. I've been lazy with my pre-run and post-run routines for the past 2-3 weeks and this is the result. So, I'm back to my traditional pre/post run routines which include pre-run towel crunches and golf bal rolls, all targeted toward the plantar muscle, and post-run routines that include calf raises and eccentric calf raises.

The key to injury free running is a very complete and thorough understanding of your body. I know that strong calves are the key to avoiding any achilles or plantar issues and, for me, the only way to maintain strong calves is daily and regular calf stretches and strengthening. This is one of the advantages of having been injured when I started running years ago and today I can point to the causes of most potential injuries.

Notice I said "potential" injury because I'm now able to avoid real injuries by addressing the problem in the very early stages. But, this is the reason why so many runners are injured every year, because 99% of runners' are not dedicated enough to spend the years of consistent running that it takes to listen to and understand your body, but if you do, then you can develop your own specific routine to avoid injuries.

HHH