by ·Comments Off on Running a Half Marathon: What Happens When You Do Things You Aren’t Supposed To

Background

This is an account of a half marathon I did on 01 Nov 2015.  I didn’t prepare for this run.  On top of this, my left foot ankle felt sore, and I put on a pair of shoes I’ve never used in a training run before (i.e. new pair of shoes).  It was Halloween the night before, and so I stayed up late–sleeping past midnight.

All these things didn’t align with running a 13.1 mile course.  In this article, I will share with you the result of this run.

The Result

I completed the run in 2 hours and 17 minutes (2:17:36 to be exact).

The weather was mild, but got hot after one hour of running.  My Nike Air Pegasus 30 actually held up well–meaning that it felt great and its newness was not a factor in my run.  As a matter of fact, it helped keep the soreness on my left foot and ankle under control.  It felt very comfortable, and it felt great over the varied terrain (concrete, asphalt, dirt, and gravel) the run presented.

My lack of training really kicked in at around mile 7.  There my pace started to leave the sub 10 minute pace and into the 10+ and 11+ range.

Mile 6 to 7 Splits

Mile 6 to 7 Splits

Below is my splits chart.  It has more pace data point and provides a visual on where things went south for me.  At point 1 below, my pace just started to go up almost linearly over distance and reached a plateau of 11:40 pace at around 11 miles.  Coincidentally, 5 miles was probably the longest distance I have run recently in my sparse running schedule.

Splits Chart

Conclusion

The are three things you can conclude from my half marathon experience.

  1. It is possible to get a new pair of shoes that would help reduce the effect of some form of injury on a run.  The injury wasn’t bothering me enough that I could not run.
  2. Even without training for a half marathon, you can complete one.  Especially if you are in good heath.
  3. Without training, your body isn’t tuned enough to handle the prolonged run.  In my case, my pace degraded after mile 5, and settled to a pace that I could maintain to the end.

If you think this was useful, let me know.  If you have had a similar experience, please share by commenting below.

by ·Comments Off on 2013 Stockton Run Against Hunger

Stockton, California, is well known for being many things, like being the epicenter of the real estate boom then bust, the crime capital of the nation (a few years ago), and for being known as a city to go bankrupt in 2013.

There is at least one positive thing going on Stockton’s side–it’s dedicated people and the Stockton Run Against Hunger–hosted by the Emergency Food Bank (EFB)of Stockton.

Every year, this event gets bigger and better.  In 2013 they were estimating that about 5000 people will participate in this event.  This is good for the EFB since the proceeds for this all goes towards funding the acquisition of food and support for those that truly need help.

2013 Stockton Run Against Hunger (kids event)

2013 Stockton Run Against Hunger (kids event) (source: Forlanda)

If you just enjoy running, the course is very flat.  It makes for a good training run whether you are doing 5K or 10K.  Just be aware that if you are looking to do a PR, make sure you are close to the front since people don’t really pay attention to the pace placards that are intended to help people place themselves with the appropriate group at the starting area.

If you don’t put yourself in front, be ready to do a lot of “zigging” and ‘zagging”.  Regardless, it still makes for a good training run.

Next year I look forward to doing the 2014 Run Against Hunger.  If you are in the area, make sure to check it out.

by ·Comments Off on Safe Running: How to Minimize Risk from the Dangers of Running

RunningRunning is something I do to keep fit and healthy, and hopefully live longer in the process.  However, it is not without its risks.  The good news is that there are things you can do to minimize those risks.

These three places or situations present the greatest risk to runners–especially to those that do long runs:

  1. Crossing a street
  2. Coming across dogs
  3. Sidewalk or street hazards

Crossing a Street

The primary danger in crossing a street is being hit by a car.  This can happen is if you aren’t paying attention before crossing a street and the car driver fails to see you.  To reduce the chance of getting hit take actions that doesn’t depend on the alertness of the driver.  You need to take actions that put you in control of the situation instead of hoping the driver will see you.

The first thing you should be doing is running against car traffic.  This will allow you to see oncoming cars and take action to avoid them should they go out of control and possibly run over you.  This is just a basic prerequisite to safe running.

The most dangerous situation can occur when crossing a street as illustrated  in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Crossing a Street

Figure 1. Crossing a Street

Before crossing a street, common sense tells us to check all directions.   You’ll need to watch out for cars that are turning into or out of the street you are about to cross.

A car in position 1 (see Figure 1), for example, would have a better chance of seeing you, the runner, before you cross the street.  if you can definitely tell the driver is going to let you pass before crossing, you can cross, but proceed with caution.

The car in position 2, is concentrating on cars going the opposite direction.  As such, he may or may not see you.  Do not take a chance, just let that car turn before crossing the street.  The only time you should cross before the car in position 2 turn is if there are cars blocking the path of the car in position 2.

A car in position 3 is probably the worst one.  That driver is concentrating on turning right, spending most of his time checking traffic coming from the left.  He can easily not see you.  The solution is easy.  Just run around the rear of the car, totally removing the risk of getting run over.  Just make sure there are no other cars going in the opposite direction though.

Coming Across Dogs

Figure 2. Beware! Cute Dog

Figure 2. Beware! Cute Dog

When I run, I usually run across a dog or two.  Most dogs I see are behind a fence.  These are the noisy ones that bark at anything or anyone moving.  These are probably the least dangerous of them all, unless they figure out a way to get through, over, or under the fence.

Dogs that are being taken out by their masters for a walk are also possible risks when running.  When you see a dog on a leash, you can’t tell how well that dog is trained, even if it looks cute, cuddly, and friendly.  So continue to be cautious and keep you distance.

Remember, all dogs have an inner instinct to run after anything running–that means you the runner.  You can tell if their master is taking control of their dog when they start pulling the leash shorter, ensuring the dog cannot reach you should it decide to take a bite of you.

The most dangerous dog are those that are just out lose.  Although they are probably domesticated, they may have already developed some wild instincts to chase after things.  if you do see a dog like this, either stop jogging to see how the dog reacts, or cross the street away from the dog so that it doesn’t get close enough to chase you.  You’ll know when a dog is after you!  If your avoidance tactics fail, and you find yourself  face to face with a chasing dog, act like your reaching for the ground.  Most dogs will stop.  If the dog continues to come closer, really pick up a rock and throw it at the dog.  If you are on open ground, it would be no use trying to run; you’ll lose.  However, if there are obstacles or structures the dog can’t handle, use those to your advantage.

Sidewalk or Street Hazards

If you are a long distance runner or are doing a long run, more than likely you are running on the street or sidewalk.  Watch out for the following:

  1. Uneven pavement —  you can easily get tripped up by an uneven pavement
  2. Oil spillage from cars — you can slip on oil spillage
  3. Pot holes — stepping unexpectedly on a pothole can cause some serious injuries
  4. Sandy sidewalk — sand can get slippery when you are stepping a thin layer of it
  5. Overgrown tree root–tree root can become a sidewalk hazard to runner if they start to pop up and force concrete sidewalk slabs to jut up on one end

Final Notes

Running can help you fit and healthy provided you stay alert and heed the warnings of this article.  If you don’t, you could be shortening your life or putting yourself in danger of getting injured.

So watch out for cars, dogs, and street hazards.  Enjoy safe running.

by ·Comments Off on Running: How to Avoid Injuries from Slips and Falls

If you are a runner, it is only a matter of time before you find yourself on the ground having fallen or slipped during a run.

Running as a hobby or a way to stay fit is great.  If you have a great running route, it is a way to enjoy the beauty of your neighborhood, your park, or nature’s landscapes.  It is definitely a way to feel the inner you once you’ve reached a state of equilibrium during a very long run.

However, this feeling can quickly be interrupted when you take a spill.  If you don’t know how to roll, you can end up with injuries that will put a major damper on your training.

Below is an illustration of how a shoulder roll is done.  Although it is shown in a martial arts setting, the rolling concept is exactly the same.  Once you get used to rolling, your body will automatically go into rolling mode when you find yourself taking a trip.

How to do a shoulder roll

by ·Comments Off on Getting Faster: All Out 8 Times in 30 Minutes
All Out 8 Drill

All Out 8 Drill

Since starting this drill to help me get faster, I’ve pulled back on some of my running.  Although this might work well for younger folks, I think it doesn’t work well for me, and probably others who are in my age group (50 plus).  Read on if you want to know more and how I’ve modified it to help reduce strains and injuries during training.

When I started this, I was following this training regimen:

  • Monday:  Rest day
  • Tuesday:  Ride stationary bike for 30 minutes.  The first 10 minutes is at an easy warm up phase.  The next 2o minutes is where I apply the all out 8 drill; by 30 minutes my legs are tired, and sometimes I would have difficulty standing for the first few seconds immediately after finishing.
  • Thursday or Friday:  Run for about 30 minutes.  Use the same time and work out pattern as the stationary bike work out.
  • Sunday:  Do long run (anywhere from 6 to 20 miles); apply the all out drill on the last 30 minutes of the run.
  • During weeknights I cross train  by doing Taekwondo (a Korean Martial Art)

On my second week of doing this, I felt my plantar fasciitis flaring up as well as some right hip pain.  Note that I’ve been training in my minimalist shoes (the Five Finger Bikila LS).  This is probably the root cause of this.  The hip pain, which I haven’t felt since 2 years ago when training for my first marathon, is back.  I think the heavy impact of intense running did my hip in.

To modify my training regimen, I’m only going to apply the all out 8 drill to my stationary bike workout.  I will not do it for the short 30 minute run.  For the long run, I will do 4 repetitions of  gradual accelerations at the end of the run to help my end of run kick.

I will keep you posted on my progress on this, and post my race times to see if this truly helps with getting faster.

by ·Comments Off on Running Soft: Arm Swings
Run for Life book

Run for Life by Wallack

I’ve been reading this running book titled “Run for Life.” Their premise is if you do certain things in your running and cross train, you should be able to continue running up to the age of 100!  The secret?  Run soft and do strength training.

Well today I focused on one aspect of this–running soft–mostly focusing on my arm swing.

During my long run–just over 20 Km (12.8 miles to be exact)–I focused 100% of my effort to ensuring my arms were just over 90 degrees bent and were swinging on the vertical plane.  Occasionally I would make sure my knees and heels were going up.

The proper swinging of arms, according to the book, helps keep the running balanced.  If you swing your arms across your body, it causes lateral stress on various parts of your body, especially the hips, knees, and ankles.  This unbalanced running is what causes the injuries.  So if you swing your arms in the vertical plane (basically forward and back), you reduce or eliminate the extra stress.

Here’s how I felt after the long run:

  • Left calf sore — I think this was sore because I was partially correcting my form by trying to bring my knees and heels up during the run; normally my left foot drags, which causes the uneven wear on my left shoe compared to the right.
  • No knee pain on either leg — Last year or the year before I felt serious pain on the right knee; later after the right knee recovered, I felt pain or soreness on the left.
  • No hip pain — I normally feel pain on the right hip.  This time around I felt none.  That is a good thing.
  • Hamstrings sore — My heels don’t go up enough, which means that my legs, on the turn over, would be limited in speed; since I did better heel kicks, it would only make sense that my hamstring are sore since the hamstrings are doing extra work.  Note that by bringing the heel up, the leg is shorter on the turn over, allowing the leg (as a unit) to move faster from the back to the front.  This is just plain physics.

Run for Life is probably the most comprehensive book on running I’ve ever read.  The information in it are very relevant for all ages, especially for those over 40 years of age just trying to stay fit.

I will share more useful information over time; for now think about arm swings as part of the overall process to run soft.

by ·Comments Off on Race to Stay Motivated to Run
Run Races to Stay Motivated

Run Races to Stay Motivated

Running is probably the cheapest way to work out without excessive side costs.  It is also one of the best ways to stay fit.  But sometimes, just running on a regular basis isn’t enough to stay motivated.  You need that something extra to help pull you along and keep you excited; otherwise, you’ll simply feel bored and worn out, and eventually just stop running altogether.  So how does one stay motivated?

Some people stay motivated because they have running groups or running buddies who can help them stay motivated and who can help the run more bearable, especially those long runs.  But what if you don’t have any running groups or running buddies?  How can you stay motivated?

The best way I’ve personally done it is by signing up for races throughout the year.

Here in the Central Valley, I didn’t realize how many local races there are until I signed up for one of the local small town events–the Micke Grove Zoo Zoom 5K.  There are practically several events almost every month as shown here at the On Your Mark Events schedule!

Signing up for running races is great for motivation for the following reasons:

  •  It establishes milestones over time on which you know you’ll have to run.
  • Nothing is better at motivating you to go faster than to try to beat your last race time.
  • Running with a group helps you run faster than normal; the race excitement can actually shave off minutes from your normal time!
  • After a race you want to know when the next one is so you can do it again.

If you are running to stay fit and can’t find a way to stay motivated, why not sign up for a race today?  It may just work for you.  After all running is something almost anyone can do.

by ·Comments Off on Top Three Reasons to Use Minimalist Running Shoes
Left foot hitting on outer heel

Modern Day Running Shoe

Let’s get down to the meat of this article–the top three reasons to use minimalist running shoes.  Here they are:

  1. They are lighter, making it easier to run faster and longer.
  2. They give your run more spring for every step.
  3. They allow the foot to hit the ground naturally

They Are Lighter

Minimalist running shoes are absolutely lighter.  Pure and simple, less padding and less structure mean less weight .  When your feet have less weight to carry, it just makes sense that you will run faster and longer.

About one year ago, I purchased my first minimalist shoes–the Vibram FiveFingers Bikila LS running shoes.  Note that I have not run “barefoot” in any shape, way, or form since I was a little boy in the Philippines.  I’ve worn normal running shoes–the type I’m moving away from now–since I’ve started running, back in the mid-80s.  The Vibram FiveFingers Bikila LS running shoes  look like this:

Vibram Fivefingers Bikila LS running shoe

Vibram Fivefingers Bikila LS running shoe

As you can see, they look like gloves for your feet; they don’t really have much padding and support.  When I first got it, I took it out for a test drive and ran with it for about two miles.  After that run, my ankles were a little sore, and my calves were very sore!  At this point, I realized that I really need to ease into this.  I checked out one of my running magazines which featured minimalist shoes and found the Saucony ProGrid Mirage Running shoe.  This pair isn’t as bare as the Vibram.  It is still considered minimalist; however, it still had a bit of padding and a bit of support.  It looks like this:

Saucony Progrid Mirage

Saucony Progrid Mirage

This shoe is very light and has very minimal height difference between the heel and the toe.  I first ran with this at the 100th anniversary Bay to Breakers in San Francisco.   The only thing was that it was a bit tight around the toes (I have wide feet, that’s why).  However, after I broke it in, it felt better.

During the Bay to Breakers run, this shoe was so light that I didn’t even notice that it was new.  Every step of my run had that extra spring, and it felt great.

More Spring For Every Step

Speaking of spring in every step, minimalist shoes do not have as much heel as most common running shoes today.  As such, your heel may not hit the ground first.  Instead, your foot will land around the mid or fore foot area.

If you’ve been running with regular running shoes for some time, and you start using minimalist shoes (like the Vibram FiveFingers Bikila LS or the  Saucony ProGrid Mirage), you will notice soreness on your calves.  That’s because your calves are acting like springs.

Because you are using your calves more, there will be spring in every step you take during a run.  It will feel like you have more energy because the force of landing is mostly preserved and recovered from the spring-like action of your calves.

Compare this to the energy wasted when you use a running shoe with a thicker heel padding.  With a thicker heel padding, your tendency will be to land on your heel.  And as your heel lands, the force of the landing is absorb mostly by the padding, your knee, your hip, and the rest of your body parts above your hip.  It is no wonder why the number of running injuries have increased over time as the modern shoe designs have used faulty premise regarding foot comfort during a run (i.e. more heel padding and shoe structure is better for running).

Allow The Foot to Land More Naturally

The running shoe Industry has really changed the face of running for the masses.  Ever since they’ve worked to make the ride softer/smoother, neutralize pronation (over or under), and added more support, the number of running injuries have risen.  Why is this? The industry has pretty much arrested the natural running motion of the foot, causing the various foot injuries we hear about from fellow runners:

  • plantar fasciitis
  • Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome
  • Runner’s knee
  • Hip pain
  • Shin splints
Since training for my first marathon, I’ve experienced many such injuries or pains.  Originally, I blamed most of these to over-training.  But after reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, it all made logical sense.  The shoe industry was in fact causing people’s feet to get weaker with their fancy shoes (higher heel, more padding, more structure, etc).  In effect the foot and the muscles in it were getting weaker as a result of the shoes providing more support.  This is akin to putting the foot in a cast; this results in the foot muscles getting weaker and basically experiencing “atrophy”.
In reading  Born to Run, Christopher McDougall mentioned that there are tribesmen in Mexico who can run over one hundred miles or can run for days.  For these guys, running was a way of life.  Here’s the interesting thing.  None of them suffered from the western foot injuries mentioned earlier.  As a matter of fact, the tribesmen only ran with hand-made sandals.  They didn’t worry about over or under pronation; they didn’t have extra padding on their heel either.
Because their feet are not restricted and over protected, they are free to move and land as they were intended to be.  Note that the human foot has 26 bones and 33 joints.  It is a complex bio-mechanical structure, and it is naturally designed to move in various ways to absorb the shock of an activity like running.

Summary

So there you go:  the top three reasons to use minimalist running shoes.

  1. They are lighter
  2. They give you spring in every step
  3. They let your foot hit the ground as nature intended them

Are you looking to use minimalist shoes?  Please comment below.

by ·Comments Off on Running the 29th California International Marathon
29th CIM Finish Line

Crossing the 29th CIM Finish Line

I’ve run two marathons in my lifetime so far, and I plan to run more.  The first time was the Chicago Marathon, and the second was the 29th California International Marathon (CIM).  In this article, I will compare how I trained for each and look at the results.

Training for the Chicago Marathon

Before I ran the Chicago marathon, I trained for an entire year.  I used a training plan from a book I read by Dean Karnazes (50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days — and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!).  This marathon training plan is in one of my postings if you want to get right to it.  Does the training take an entire year to do?  No.  I ended up running through the training two times.

The first time I completed it was around May-Jun 2010 time frame; I actually ran a marathon on my own; were my calves sore after mile 21.  I had to walk and jog periodically until I completed around 26 miles; it was pretty hot that day too!  My time was around 4:37.

The second time I completed the training plan was before the actual Chicago marathon.  I really stuck to the plan, which meant I ran anywhere from 4 to 6 times per week, logging in many miles.  during this second round, I injured myself a couple of times.  The first time was to my left knee.  I think I logged so many miles to the point that my left knee got very painful to the point where I could no longer run.  I stopped running for about a couple of weeks until I could run on it again.

The next time was maybe a month before the marathon.  This time the muscles under my feet were sore.  I experienced the pains associated with plantar fasciitis.  To treat it, I iced my feet regularly using ice in a regular plastic cylindrical bottle (I rolled my feet on it); eventually, it wasn’t as bad anymore and I could run on it.

Oct 10, 2010 came.  I ran the Chicago marathon and completed it in 4:57.  It wasn’t ideal running weather as it was warm (around 60’s in the morning, then 80’s later in the morning).  Were my legs sore!  The last 800 meters were a killer as a small incline caught me by surprise.  Then on last 200 meters I pushed to the finish line, even getting a chance to take a picture of the finish line from a distance.

Training for the CIM

I took a different approach to training for the CIM.  This time I used a training plan from Active.com which they provided for free.  The training was scheduled to begin in August and complete just before the CIM (Dec 4, 2011).

Before August 2011, however, I continued some degree of running regimen.  Running three times a week only with occasional cross training activities involving a stationary bike (non-weight bearing workouts).  I used a training concept I read from the book titled “Runner’s World Run Less, Run Faster: Become a Faster, Stronger Runner with the Revolutionary FIRST Training Program“.

The general idea is to run only 3 times a week with cross training work outs in between.  For the three runs to work, you need have a purpose for each run–interval runs, tempo runs, and long runs.  This comes down to achieving the following with each run:

  • interval runs – trains you to run faster
  • tempo runs – helps your body become efficient at processing oxygen; this way lactic acid are handled better, and as a result, you can run faster longer
  • long runs – designed to help your body get used to running for long periods of time; builds endurance
During this time frame, I also read a book called McDougall called Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (Vintage).  McDougall is on to something.  This inspired me to look into two thing:

Perhaps the problem is that my feet have been effectively in a cast for the many years I’ve been wearing running shoes.  This could account for the weakness in the muscles in my feet, and the issues I had with my plantar fascii.  So I got myself a Vibram shoe–Vibram Fivefingers Mens Bikila LS Castle Rock/Navy/Grey 44 to be exact.  All information regarding running barefoot says to take it slow, so I did.  On some days I do short runs, I would wear my Vibram Fivefingers Bikila LS.  Boy, did I notice a big difference; my calves were sore.  Running almost barefoot makes you want to land on your forefoot by instinct.

To ease my transition to barefoot/minimalist shoe running I also bought a Saucony Men’s Progrid Mirage Running Shoe,Silver/Black/Yellow,11 M US.  This is considered a minimalist shoe.  It has a very small heel to toe height difference.  I ran with this for this first time in May 2011 at the 100th Bay to Breakers (12K run).  Running in these shoes felt great, it was very light.

I stated to experiment with the chia seeds.  You can make chia seed drink simply by mixing 2 table spoons of the seeds with 40 ounces of water.  Add some brown sugar for flavor (or whatever turns you on), mix, and let stand for at least one hour.  I leave mine overnight in the fridge, and it tastes good.  It really does give you a energy and because it absorbs water very well, it serves as a good energy drink for long runs.

OK.  Back to the training.  August came and went.  I began my training runs, doing only 3 purposeful runs a week and mixing in some occasional cross training workouts in between.  The core of my training was just the 3 runs per week.  Two week from December 4, I began to taper off.  On the last week, I did very little running.

December 4 in Sacramento area was great.  The weather was perfect for running–no wind and the temperature was around the 40’s.  On the morning of the run, I made sure I had a little light breakfast (just a light breakfast bar), and I made sure I was hydrated (drank gatorade).  Just minutes before the run, I finished drinking my chia seed energy drink.  For this run I wore my Nike Pegasus 26+ (not my Vibram Fivefingers since I’m not ready for that yet).

I had a strong first half (2:03), but I buckled at around mile 23 I think.  I had some of the most serious muscle cramp attacks in my life–on my left quadriceps and on my right hamstring.  I had to periodically stretch and walk just to recover.  Nevertheless I completed the run in 4:36!  Overall a good run.

Conclusion

Personally, I thought my training for the CIM was better for my body since I didn’t suffer any injuries during my training period.  However, I think I didn’t really follow the training plan as well as I could have.  I attribute the muscle cramps to this.  The preparation in the morning with the chia seeds also helped significantly I think as I felt a lot of energy that day.

by ·Comments Off on Listen to Your Body: Post Marathon Run Soreness

The kinds of pains you get a day, a few days, or even a week or two after a marathon run can say much about what you need to do in order to help improve your future runs.

Here are some of the pains I’ve experienced:

  • Sore quads
  • Sore hamstrings
  • Sore left ankle

Sore Quads

The CIM is a hilly course.  The uphills gave my quads a beating just on the edge of cramping up.  This means that I should do more hill work.  Unfortunately, the only hills available in the Central Valley within running distance are the over passes over highway 120.

I will have to incorporate various quad exercises in my cross training routine.  This can include:

  • squats
  • squat jumps
  • lunges (including carrying dumbbells)
  • jumping switching lunges

Note that I don’t go to gyms; all exercises I do doesn’t require any extensive use of equipment.  As a matter of fact, I prefer no equipment at all.

Sore Hamstrings

I read in Men’s Running magazine that the cause of sore hamstring is not getting the heels to go high enough.  In addition, they  also mention that getting the heels up helps with the foot turn over, and as such, results in covering more ground in shorter amount of time.  This translate to speed.

The one way you can incorporate getting the heels up in your run is by thinking “touch – lift” during your run.  The idea is not to have your foot spend too much time touching the ground.  So if you are finding yourself losing speed even though it feels like you are going harder, then think “touch – lift”.  By keeping this in mind, you can focus on getting your heel up, and close to your butt.

According to Mens Running, this is suppose to help with sore hamstrings.

Sore Left Ankle

My left foot, showing indication of over pronationMy left ankle felt sore after running the marathon.  I didn’t really notice it until one day after the run.

I didn’t even notice what caused it until two weeks after the run.  The root cause is a badly worn shoe.  My left foot just likes to hit with the heel first, resulting in the heel of my left shoe to get worn out first.

To be exact, my outer left heel hits first resulting in an over pronation.  The pain I get is similar to a sheen splint, except the pain I get is on my inner ankle, just above the ankle, towards the heel.

Because of the pronation, the inner ankle tendon is getting more stretching than it needs.

To correct this, I will need to do three things:

  • get better shoes (I didn’t have this problem when I was wearing the Saucony Progrid Mirage running shoes, where the heel to toe height difference is very minimal); at the CIM I used my Nike Pegasus 26.
  • fix my form; this may be a bit tough to do, but with the right shoes, I should be able to achieve this.
  • do ankle strengthening exercises

Conclusion

The long CIM run produced leg pains that dictate areas I need to look at.  The quad pains were indicative of the need to do more hill work or quad work outs.  The hamstring issues I felt were indicative of the need for better form.  Last but not least, my left ankle pain pointed to the need for better shoes and form adjustment.

You might say that a marathon run can make your body feel pain everywhere.  Yes that is true and generally normal; but parts of your body that feel the most pain is indicative of something.  So make sure you pay attention; your body is telling you something.