My aching calves.

Started my winter running schedule yesterday.


Wanted to embrace the "barefoot" style, so I ran in my racing flats, on the treadmill.


The plan was to run a  mile (or so) using a forefoot/mid foot strike, and then switch to normal running for the rest of my 3 mile run.


As I ran, I kept trying to think of myself basically running barefoot... on the beach.  That was my mindset... barefoot on the beach.  It was working well.  I was light on my feet, and running with a forefoot strike.


Well, I went a mile and felt really good, so i kept going.


After about a mile and a half, I could feel my calves were getting tired, so I thought to myself, "Self, you can run normally now."  But I couldn't do it.  I mean, I really had to concentrate to run with my normal foot strike... maybe it was the racing flats, maybe it was the treadmill, but I really think it was just because I was running without stopping, and I couldn't change my stride while I was running.... so I kept "bare footing" it.


After about two miles, my calves were really sore, and I was finally able to force myself into a more traditional foot strike, and finished the 3 mile run.


Within 20 minutes of finishing my calves were upset with me.  And they stayed pretty stiff all night.


Woke up this morning with extreme pain in my calves.  Had Mrs. Coach massage them for me this morning and put some icy hot on this afternoon.  


This is just a simple case of too much, too soon.  What I need to do, is to do like I did last spring on the treadmill and run actually in socks for a 1/2 mile or so for each run, and then put on shoes (and go outside, depending on the weather) for the rest of my run.


Still planning on running tomorrow morning, but I'm willing to cancel that too... I'm not going to injure myself immediately because I was an idiot on the first run.