On the cusp of the Twin Cities Marathon 10-miler
Well, I guess tomorrow morning is when the rubber meets the road, or in this case, the running shoe meets the road. Sunday, Oct. 5, at 7:13 AM Central Time, the Twin Cities Marathon starting gun sounds. (Yes, 7:13…not 7:15 or 7:30…the marathon organizers run a pretty tight ship!) Several thousand runners will stride through the picturesque and chilly Minneapolis/St. Paul streets, enjoying the fall colors & the camaraderie, and trying to not collapse in a heap. A few of us more gravity-challenged folks are opting for the less grueling, more realistic 10-mile run. This will be my 5th TC 10-miler, but my first after recovering from the plantar fasciitis ordeal. So I guess we’ll see if the strategies I’ve listed in the book Injury Afoot – which this blog is based on – stand the 10-mile test. (Actually I know they do…I just ran 6-9 miles several times in recent weeks, but proving it on the course of a nationally-recognized race makes it more official.)
A few things I’ll be sure to include in my pre-race prep for foot protection:
Gently stretched Achilles tendons, calf muscles, and hamstrings. Same thing for the lower back. I have good, sturdy inserts in the shoes already to support my arch. And I’ll make sure to warm up thoroughly, with plenty of slow, gentle walking, then working up to faster walking, then to a slow jog. All just precautions. I currently have no heel pain at all, but I never want a recurrence.
Anyway, wish me well. For me 10 miles is a long way!