Summer Series 7 and 9 miler and Trumbull Sunset 5k

I am happy to report that I did the right thing by skipping the Norwalk Summer Series 7 miler on July 12th. The day after that race I decided to go out for a short run to see how my calf was feeling. I ended up running a slow and relaxed 3.5 miles with only slight discomfort in my calf. I found that if I didn't extend my leg all the way back that it felt pretty good.

The next race that was up in the air for me was the Trumbull Sunset 5k on Friday July 18th. Since I'd had a few training runs without much problem I decided to give this one a go. In my short warm up session the calf still felt a little tight and it was also a very muggy evening so I opted to run the race very slowly and happily settled for a 9:10 pace.

In the days leading up to the 9 miler my calf felt significantly better each day so I was determined to run this race. However, with the lack of miles in training and my inability to run well in the heat I knew this would be a pretty slow race for me too. I made it through the first 4 and a half miles with no problems, but then needed to take a few short walk breaks. I also met up with Sean Fogarty near the 7 mile mark and chatted with him for a few minutes while we walked up the hill. After that I was able to run out the rest of the race and finish strong. My overall pace was about a 9:40 and my calf felt very good.

Don Capone handing out awards after the 9 miler.

Brian Fidler receiving his award.

Sean Fogarty receiving his award.

I'm not sure if anyone has any suggestions, but my biggest problem right now is with my feet. I am getting hot spots on the pads at the base of my toes and some painful calluses and blisters around my slight bunion. I keep trying different pairs of socks, but can't seem to figure out why this is happening. I tried running without socks a few times, which helped at first, but then I got blisters on the backs of my heels from my shoes rubbing against them.