LSD (23 K) in Oleno's Running Socks

Feb.4, 2019

9.9 K: 57:30.47

13.1 K: 1:13:30

Total 23 K: 2:11:01

Following the interval training on the previous night, I did LSD for a little more tha two hours just to relax my body. I ran in Oleno's running socks to practice how to manage rough areas of the course. One thing I learned in Tateyama Wakasho Marathon 2019 is this: race is different from practice. I mean it seems so obvious, but there was one difference that I had never been aware of this. And it is this. When you run in bare feet in practice, you tend to choose to run relatively smooth areas. When you run on smooth surface, you can run in ideal running form. On the other hand, in the race you have to deal with rough areas which are often unexpected. Suddenly your regular running from gets screwed up, and you ended up using muscles that you do not normally use in practice runs. One example is iliopsoas, or the muscle at the top of each thigh that helps you lift your leg. This hardly ever gets pained in practice. But in the race I started feeling ominous discomfort before reaching the halfway point. Around the second aid station at 11 K the road condition started deteriorating, and I had to carefully maneuver through rough areas. Consequently I had to make more use of the iliopsoas. Thus the early discomfort in that area. 

This experienced taught me how important it is to simulate the race condition as much as possible when you have a practice run. Tonight I chose to run on rough areas on purpose to get used to the discomfort that I must deal with in real races. As a result, my soles got chapped here and there, and I got a pretty nasty cut on my right big toe.  The cut will heal in a day or two. So I'm not so worried about that. But one of the running socks got two holes, one in the heel, and the other in the outer side of the ball. The set me back 3,780 yen. They said they use the same thread used for a bulletproof vest, so I was counting on them. But I got holes in one after running in the pair only less than ten times. I'm a bit disappointed. 

I might just go back to running in aqua shoes. They are inexpensive and durable for the price. Just for an experiment, I ordered from Amazon socks used by SDF members when they go for a long training walk. They are supposed to arrive tomorrow. They cost 2,525 yen for three pairs. I'll try on a new pair tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. They are not designed for running, but I am hoping they will endure a few times of 10 K jog or so.