Best Day Ever

For the past week, the kids have been singing (or more like screaming) Spongebob’s Best Day Ever song in the car.  I have been fortunate enough to play a mini part in their duet as the background singer.  On cue, I must sing “best day ever” whenever my son points at me.  Disappointingly, I have been told by our very own Simon Cowell that, many a times, I am out of tune.

Whether I am a good singer or not, I think the positive vibe of the song has spilled on over to my running.  Yesterday morning’s run with the hubby at Filinvest, near Palm’s Country Club, was one of the best days ever in my running life this year.  Finally, I got to run 5k on the road without any hint of pain.  I’m definitely on the road to full recovery.

Two things I believe that contributed to the injure-free run: 

1. Regular deep tissue massage – I’ve been getting deep tissue massages at least twice a week for over two months now.  If my muscles feel tight, I’ll have an extra session.  Yes, it’s a hellish kind of experience; I sweat with the mere thought of my muscles being squeezed like clay, but it’s the main reason why my ITB disappeared completely since Condura Race.

2. Midfoot landing – I’ve been focusing on my form lately, making sure I land on my midfoot and leaning a little forward.  A reader from this blog and Boston Marathon finisher, Raffy, also noticed that I may be overstriding and I think he’s absolutely right.  I’ve watched the Chi Running video and that’s what I’ve been trying to practice. (Note to self: watch the video again!) This Newton video also helped a lot. (Thanks to Toby and Alvin who both, by sheer coincidence, mentioned this video last week. I had seen it months ago and completely forgot about it.)

Next step: Gradually build mileage again. It won’t hurt to run an easy 5k at The Southern Run too, right?