Race for the Cure

Race for the Cure is possibly the biggest race I’ve ever run, except perhaps the Boston and NYC Marathons. Organizers claim about 50,000 registrants for the 5k run and 5k walk; I suppose half of those showed up for the 7:30 am run in almost perfect weather, 55 degrees and cloudy. Here is a little slide show of pix that Sunshine and Sweet Pea took at the race.

I started almost at the front of the pack and still had to slow a little for other runners in the first half mile. I wanted to test myself, to see if I’m slower this year than last, though it may not have been the best race for that.

Time for the certified 5k distance was 22:40, and pace was 7:32, 7:09, and 7:14 for mile 1, mile 2, and the last 1.1. My current PR from last year’s Monticello Riverfest 5k is 21:22, so this was 1:18 longer. Hmmm. I’m OK with that, considering the difficult start and the lack of any incentive other than pride.

Problem: Plantar fasciitis in the left foot. My heel hurt when I got up in the morning, again during the race, and even more afterward. Nuts. This has been building since before last weekend’s marathon, and not getting better. I’ve had this before; here is a proposed treatment, thanks in part to suggestions from Jim:

• Twice-daily stretches of the calf muscles and achilles tendon (standard “runner’s stretch”),
• Night treatments with the Strassburg Sock,
• Tennis ball rolled under the sole of the foot several times a day to stretch the plantar fascia itself,
• Arch support in regular shoes,
• No hills or speedwork, and
• Increased cushioning when running, e.g. softer shoes and softer running surfaces.

Let’s hope it works this time. I’ll let you know.