Last week was an easy week for me from the perspective of running.  From my last long run last week to this weekend’s long run, I didn’t run at all.  And guess what happened?

I basically took a week off, not because I really wanted to, but it was a necessity.  Remember, in order for me to get runs in, I have to wake up early.  Last week, I’ve been sleeping late which make it extremely difficult to wake up early.

So, in order to get enough sleep, I had to forgo running for a few days.

Then last Sunday, I did a long run—about 16 miles.  It wasn’t a bad run, until I got to around 12 miles.  At around that point, I started feeling soreness on my left calf.

I continued running through the pain to completion of the run.  A few hours after the run, my left calf was really sore, to the point that I dare not put pressure on it.

Anyway, I decided to rest my legs for a couple of days.  This morning, I did my interval training, and I was OK for a bit, but I could still feel the soreness on my left calf…not good.

The moral of the story are…

  1. On long runs, gradually build up distance again, after a one week or greater break.  Rushing to longer distance faster than recommended can actually slow your progress as a result of injury.
  2. Make sure to get enough sleep.  It is hard to get motivated when you are sleepy.