My total time for today's 25K (15.5 miles) was 2:54:30. The weather was a bit warm (got into the 70's quickly) and my nutrition on Saturday was probably lacking a bit (i.e., Phillip made me drink beer while we watched Auburn get beaten down). Perhaps the biggest problem was our Thursday softball games; my quads were still sore Sunday morning! If Thursday games bring that kind of weekly soreness, Saturday morning runs are going to be roooough.
I ran with parts of the Yellow Blob up until ten miles, at which point I decided it was time for some run/walking. Up to that point, my pace was 10:11 per mile. Over the next 5.5 miles, I averaged 13:11, with a good bit of that slowdown due to a lot of walking in mile 14. In that mile, my left foot went bonkers, as the bone right below my ankle started aching real bad. Thankfully, I finished in time to get the correct sized finishers jacket, and I'm excited to say, the race stepped up with some nice swag (pockets and a quarter-zipper on the microfiber jacket this year; all for $35!). Odd distance, but good swag; that's the 25K in a nutshell.
Now, let's focus on my feet (they're not pretty, but bare with me, and let me know where I go astray). My current injuries, I think, stem from my right Achilles problem that started about this time last year. After a Spring of a slightly sore left heel and left hamstring, both went crazy over the Summer, but only the heel showed no sign of fixing itself with rest. A myriad of "heel pain" studies show that a nighttime split is the most sure-fire approach to healing thy heel, so as we know, I got a Sock. Simultaneously, a consultation with the Tree Doctors left me with this advice; get insole orthodics from a running store to try and shore up your arch (they didn't want me to try a full on custom orthodic, as there's no guarantee it will work). I returned to running, and the ArchMold insole/Sock treatment combo seemed to heal my problems, though by the Half-Marathon, it was clear my feet were going down a path of general pain and suffering. No amount of Socking and icing has seemed to solve the pain issue.
Maybe the Sock fully healed me by itself, and the insoles are unnecessary and are the cause of my pain; certainly a possibility. However, the Tree Doctors were fairly adamant that I try insoles, and since everything I've read says most running problems can be solved with some kind of othodic, I feel compelled to continue down this path. Therefore, I purchased some SofSole Arch insoles today at Luke's. They are much less rigid than the ArchMolds, but still provide a hefty amount of cushioned support for the arch. This will let me give the insoles another chance, and will make a transition back to a non-insoled shoe (should that become necessary) a little easier, as these new insoles are more like the traditional feel of the shoe. So there you go. Marathon #5 is riding on this; hopefully it works!
I've recently been on a kick of finding exercises that are specifically designed to help the core running muscles. In that quest, I ran across these really good videos at RunnersWorld. I would certainly encourage you runners to take the time to check them out. If this link doesn't work, just go to runnersworld.com and check out the training area of the video section
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I wouldn't worry about the quads from softball. It's probably just a first week thing. I had the same problem. However, do worry about your foot problems. Be careful. Softball always seems to always my ankles and feet sore. Cleats are not nearly as feet friendly as running shoes.
As far as insoles go. If you're really determined to use them, at this point you should consider going to the orthopedist and having proper ones made for your feet. I think at this point you can't trust the store bought ones anymore.
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