Yesterday I experienced something I have only read about in runners' magazines and blogs...leg cramps while running! I had read so much in the Boston and New York marathon sections of runnersworld.com about leg cramps, but I couldn't imagine how you would get a cramp while running. Well, it's quite painful actually. I went to pilates again and then attempted to run two miles afterwards. The purpose of this is to train on running on tired legs. I'm attempting a 10k, and I know my legs will be tired half-way through the race, so I need to learn to just push through it to the end. During pilates, my triceps were cramping (how odd is that?), but my legs felt okay. I stretched a bit and hopped on the treadmill. Thanks to my iPod battery being charged (thank you, wonderful husband!) I was kicking along at a good 11 min/mile pace until about 3/4ths of a mile, when my calf just tightened up. I tried to 'run through it,' since I had read about other runners just 'running through the cramp.' Yeah, the cramp didn't go away, and I'm still a baby runner, so I stopped at one mile. After a bit of stretching it felt better, and it's fine this morning. I'm learning all about how important it is to 'listen to your body' and pace yourself instead of pushing too hard, too early. My question is, how do you deal with leg cramps in training? If you may very well have them during a race, shouldn't you have experience running through them? But when do you just need to stop, because isn't a cramp your body telling you that something is wrong?
If anyone reads this and has ideas, please let me know. Although, the only person that I know reads this is Becky...hmmm, but she has some running books. Maybe she can do research and help me out!
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