Ice and Aleve

After running on the rocks and roots of the Superior Hiking Trail last Saturday, my feet and ankles were a little sore. Not injury sore - more like mild DOMS soreness in the intrinsic muscles that don't normally get worked when running on smoother terrain. The same kind of DOMS sore I get after running a couple of miles barefoot (or actually, in Vibram Five Fingers KSO's). So I decided I needed to do a little more barefoot running to strengthen up my feet since I'll be doing a marathon on that same trail in September.

Shoulda waited a little longer for the lingering stiffness in my left foot to go away before setting the piggies free.

Sat: Superior 25K race on SHT
Sun: very short strength training + biking
Mon: busy work day - off
Tues: strength training
Weds: 6 miles easy - felt great, but feet still a little tender.
Thurs: 2 miles barefoot - riled up the extensor digitorum longus tendons in my left foot.
Fri: very sore left foot. Aleve. Ice. More Aleve. More ice. Strength training - open chain exercises only for the lower body :( Went to garden store and bought $100 worth of flowers to plant.

Hope to nip this tendonitis in the bud, but realize that poor blood supply to tendons can result in even minor injuries taking weeks to heal - especially if I try to rush it. Was really hoping to get a 15-16 miler in tomorrow, but that's not gonna fly.

I'll have to take this one day at a time. I hope I have the patience to do what I know I need to do.