6 Mile Run, Check -- PF again, check

My first run in three years was 22 minutes around my neighborhood. One loop...2.2 miles. My legs, not my knees, were sore within a few hours and walking was interesting the rest of the week. I rode the bike the next day, and ran again the day after just to keep it going. Through all my years of sports I've learned you have to get through the soreness by more exercise.

I quickly bailed on the outdoor running, and hit the treadmill to protect my knees. The treadmill, or "dreadmill," can be boring, but it's winter anyway, so the workouts have gone really well. The key is a good Ipod playlist. I used the 10% rule to go from that first 22 minute run to weekly long runs of one hour. I'm running at an easy pace 6.3 mph (9:30 miles), but time is the key right now not speed. The running is coming along nicely, and my change from heel-to-toe running to more of a forefoot running style is going very well. Still a bit nervous at times when I feel any soreness or strange feelings in my knee, but so far so good, and my knee is pain free.

The problem I have is the same one I experienced when training before my last tri (3.5 years ago). I have Plantar Fasciitis again. I actually started noticing it before my running program walking the golf course this summer, but it's worsened or at least become more noticeable since I started running again. The problem with PF is there is no real cure except stopping exercise. So, I'm using all of the stuff I tried before (night splint, stretching, rolling my foot on a golf ball, etc.), and it seems to have quieted down after a week of "treating" it. It's a small hiccup that's not unexpected, and I hope it can continue to be managed without interrupting my routine.

Swimming is coming along great. I'm up to 3,000 yard workouts, and my plan on slow and steady seems to be working very well in the pool. I feel like I could do the 1.2 mile swim right now. I'm not over-confident about the swim as I want to feel great getting out of the water which means you can swim far more than the distance on race day.

There is plenty of time still before the July event, and right now training is limited to creating a solid base for the real training starting in March. Plenty of time to get the workouts, a few days of skiing, and a weekly round of golf in now. It will get nuts come baseball season and managing a new squad.