Strategy for a hilly 10k on Sunday in Ohio

Thank you! What would you suggest re: calf twinges at the end of the race? Is that a thing with supershoes? I need to find faster racing shoes that won't wreck my calves.

The slight side stitch at 5.5 was managed with disciplined breathing but I had to focus from 5.5 on home.

How many miles on your old VF2s? You probably just need a new pair of racing shoes. A good pair of supershoes will save your calves a lot more than regular daily trainers.

Good point, probably about 150-200. Time for new ones. I sometimes have to remember they don't last as long.

I talked to a veteran marathoner and he said it might not be the shoes at all, but actually the Maurten powder in my handheld. I was trying to use it up. He said there is not enough sodium in it to fuel me and sometimes that could be an issue.

I then realized I had run Grandview Half in 1:32 with two nuun salt tabs, one at 5 and one at 9 (I ate half and put the rest in my water) and had NO cramping at all at the end--calves didn't even spasm after stopping. And it was hot and humid like yesterday.

Just saw this. Looks like you arrived at the possible answer I’d have considered. Hydration and electrolytes are pretty common culprits, even though that may not always be the case.

I try to be careful with hydration and electrolytes more or less all the time, with special attention the day before and morning of a race. And I suppose you know that becomes more of an issue as the race becomes longer and the conditions hotter/more humid.

I don’t know if you already do this, but if you wind up with calf tightness in circumstances other than the ones you described, I’ve had some good experience with doing eccentric calf exercises just with body weight on stairs — usually warm up by doing both the positive and negative components using both legs together for a set, then going up at a medium rate with both legs then dropping slowly on one leg all the way down, with 2 to 3 sets for each leg. Sometimes also with stretching afterward and/or stick rolling. I’ve usually only done that for longer periods when I feel like something might be coming on or if I’ve had a cramping issue during or after a run. but one time I actually did them 3-5 times a week for a whole training cycle just because I had run into some minor calf issues just before.

I do foam rolling/stick rolling but not enough, thanks for that. Calf raises are great too, I do them often in Irish Dance and I have a slant board in my car too and at studio.

LRC is not perfect but it's the best place to get training advice short of a coach!

Cool, and you may be aware of this but just not voicing it at the moment: focus on the eccentric movement. That’s important.

Probably one of the better places. And posters like Kvothe and NERunner probably know more than the average coach selling their services to hobbyjoggers