I was just going to go to the gym and spin and try a new tabata workout, but as soon as I stepped outside I knew I had to at least try to run. I am so over passing up beautiful weather because of injuries! 

So ran I did! I decided to run to my Fleet Feet store which is right along my running loop to see if they could offer any last minute advice for figuring out what may be causing my tendon pain. The guy checked out my shoes and said they were okay, and then asked if I would run for him so he could watch my form. 

According to him, I’m running too much ‘on my toes’ and leaning forward too much, putting a lot of pressure on my calves and Achilles. He asked if I had been doing speed work, and pretty much the whole first half of my training (until I got injured) was filled with PR’s, faster running, and speed work. *Light bulb goes off in head* He said my body, while running LONG distances and trying to keep that form, has not had time to adjust. To put it simply, he said—you probably wouldn’t slap on a pair of Vibrams and head out for a 20 mile run, right? Essentially, in some form, that’s kind of what I did. I ran on my forefoot because it made me faster. And because it made me faster, I continued to run on my forefoot. He said if barefoot/minimalist running, forefoot running, or even Pose technique running is something I want to incorporate, I shouldn’t do it while training for a marathon. 

SO! After I left the store, I continued on my loop and tried to fall back into my regular form, which was kind of hard. It felt like I was heel striking, even though I wasn’t. But, I completed 8 miles pain free, which isn’t something I’ve gotten to say in a while. I’m feeling a lot better about NOLA. 

The only thing that sucked about this run was the WIND. Still so windy. I made about 6 different turns in my loop and the wind was at my face no matter what. It was still an awesome run, though! *If only my legs were that long….*