Tri-GEEK

Trying to manage this tight pesky calf while simultaneously running jogging ~40 miles/week has been like a full time job challenging so I'm pulling out every trick in the book and applying it. Massage, Acupuncture, Bio Freeze, Po Sum On, Trigger Point, stretching, strengthening, ice, heat... pretty much everything (except rest). Last time coach and I were talking he asked if I had compression socks. Yes, I do. And I wear them around the house and to bed sometimes. And I did wear them for the marathon and I did make it through 21 miles before my calf tightened up then so maybe they helped? But I still don't want to wear them out in public. Like, never, out in public. He suggested I try training in them to see if they might help.

Ok, but see I train in public. So this wouldn't that be like, well, breaking some rule about the level of dorkiness one is willing to go to?

I was going to wear them for my long run on Saturday. I really was. But then my friend Sarah called and asked if she could come run with me. Sarah is a runner. And in classic runner style she arrived at my house wearing a sports bra, shorts, socks, and shoes. That's it. Then there's me- the dorky triathlete. I've got my gels and my water bottle and my visor and my heart rate monitor, and well, I just couldn't pull out the compression gear on top of it all. So I didn't. And I made it through the run just fine without any calf issues.

But as an aside... I honestly don't know how Sarah did it without a single gram of carbohydrate or a sip of water? That is the runner vs the triathlete thing for sure. Why is it that a triathlete can't run long without consuming gels but runners have no problem with it? I've always found this quite baffling. It's like we truly are a different species of athlete. Moving on...

I gave in and wore my compression sleeves on my run this morning. And, um, I so hate to say this, but WOW. I didn't just manage to get through the run. I didn't have any tightness at all- not even the manageable kind. OH NO. You know what this means, right? While I have gotten through 15 years of being a triathlete without training/racing in compression gear, all that is about to change. I'm having visions of becoming a full fledged complete TriGEEK who might just never take these sleeves off my calves. Dorky? Whatever. Mama can run without tightness! I give in.

You know what calf sleeves don't help with? Bee stings. Picture the scene... I'm finishing up my run this morning with a set of strides. Talking myself through them... stay relaxed and quick... light and easy and fast... and then WHAM. I run straight into a bee. Or maybe it flew into me. My first thought as I felt that stinger pierce my forehead? Sweet! I was running fast enough that a collision with a bee caused a sting! (Yes. I am a full fledged Tri-GEEK. We settled that mater already, didn't we?) I had about 10 seconds left on that effort so I kept running... when I was done I felt my forehead and squeezed the stingy spot pretty hard and ended up with the stinger in my hand. Nice. I finished off the set of strides before jogging home and man, it stung something fierce. Look! I even got a picture for your viewing pleasure.

Nothing says Tri-GEEK quite like a girl who takes pictures of the bee sting she got on her forehead while she was out running in her compression sleeves. Ha!