Day 3: No Sunday Day Off
6 miles: 43:02, 7:10 pace (7:31, 7:10, 7:09, 7:02, 7:03, 7:08)
Since it's only day 3, I can't justify taking Sunday off.
Nice, breezy afternoon run.
I felt really sore the first mile, so I stopped and stretched for about 5 minutes. After that, I soon felt much better and went on to run consistently over the next 5 miles.
As a runner, it's important to learn the different types of pain you feel when you run. You need to know the difference between when you are sore, hurt, and injured. Here's a quick description of each and what you should do.
Soreness: You know the pain is just soreness when stretching will lessen the pain. Soreness also has a tendency to go away as the run goes on. On a day you feel soreness, take extra time to stretch and start off slower than usual. Make sure to stretch extra afterwards too and when you get home, alternate heat and ice on the sorest areas. Ibuprofen is also helpful, just don't abuse it. If you're sore and you start off a run too fast, it could escalate the pain to "hurt."
Hurt: When the pain increases as you run and/or you have to change your stride to compensate, you are most likely hurt. When you are hurt, you should cut your run back. Take the same treatment steps mentioned above and assess the pain the next day. When you are hurt, you may need a couple days off. Make sure to use these days to continue treating the hurt areas. Whatever you do, fight the temptation to continue on as scheduled because it will most likely result in you getting injured and that's what you MUST avoid.
Injured: You know you're injured when you can't go on without extreme pain and a major limp. In this case you need to self treat as mentioned above and reassess your situation after about 5 days. If you still can't run without significant pain, then it's time to call your doctor.
I've seen people who deny they are injured and claim it to be soreness. This results in a more serious injury and missing more time than necessary. On the otherhand, I've seen people claim they are injured, when it's clearly just soreness from the day after a taxing run. These people sideline themselves unnecessary, struggle to get in their mileage needed to stick to a consistent exercise plan or get in sufficient race shape.
So be honest with yourself. Assess the pain and take the appropriate steps to recovery.
