3rd LSD - The longest and most painful

Woke up late but managed to start my run at 6:45am sharp. Something wrong with MapMyRun and can't save/ subsequently log-in, so will describe the 15.85km and the pain.

Started around my normal Sengkang route. Air was cool this morning with a breeze. Ran towards Serangoon Road. Stopped a while to admire the new bridge they are building over Serangoon River to link Buangkok Drive to Tampines Road. Then continued down Serangoon Road and Upper Serangoon Road towards Kovan MRT.

Feeling a bit winded but kept a comfortable pace. Felt the discomfort below the knee just before the end of Sengkang East Ave. Was thinking this morning that the area just below the knee has not recovered from previous LSD. But decided to press on. Just told myself to take smaller steps up the pavement slopes and exercise the self-control to slow down pace & jog down slopes using heel strike first. Still, could feel something just below the right knee through most of the run this morning. The white BTT vest I wear most of time is already soaking wet by the time I hit Serangoon Road and stuck to my back. But it wansn't uncomfortable then.

Up the fairly steep slope near Kovan MRT, U-turn at Hougang St 21 junction and back towards Kovan MRT. By now, my legs was starting to tire badly. I stopped at Kovan MRT toilet for 3 mounthfuls of free tap water. Then, walked towards the bus-stop. Continued the jog up Upper Serangoon Road towards Hougang Central from there. Towards Serangoon Road, I encountered stitch, right knee discomfort, right leg shin pain (hopefully not shin split) and my calf muscle on right leg feeling tight. I decided to 'cut-short' the LSD and turn left into Sengkang East Ave towards Sengkang East Road instead of up Rivervale Drive. I decided on a more direct route towards home in case I meet a real emergency cause I forgot to bring my MRT card along.

Vest was wet and stuck to my back and chest. I find the wet vest was really cold due to the breeze. It would really have been good to change to something dry. Was seriously concerned about getting a chill though. I was thinking that this vest which I have worn many, many times and washed many times may have 'lost' its dri-fit coating (as someone said) but the way it clung to my chest means no nipple rub/bleed. The SCSM vest which I only wore for the 2nd time the previous Sat was Dri-fit but flapped about so much the it cause the nipple to be sore and then to bleed. Not sure of this deduction is accurate though.

Next time I must avoid Sengkang East Ave on the way back cause of the construction of the Tiviola (not sure of spelling) HDB Premium flats. There was water flowing to the pavement and could not run and had to gingerly step over the water flowing to the wet grass. The pavement was sandy with brown and reddish sand and a bit dusty.

After I turned into Sengkang East Road, I walked quite a bit cause my calf muscles for both legs felt very tight. Reached my start point (home) and decided to do my 2km route to warm down and clock extra mileage though I wasn't sure how much mileage I had done by then (it was ard 13.85km). After another 500m of walking, I decided to jog 500m. Well, it was more of 100m jog cause both calf muscles tightened very badly and cramped on me and I had to stop the jog and start the walk. More than 1km to home. I decided to walk home. Calf felt very tight. Then 2 ladies passed me by. They ran so strong and steady I felt I should run a bit (silly, rite?) Thought I try to start a very, very slow jog. Ouch!!! Calf was so very tight and pain just below the knee came back. Decided to walk, walk and walk. After walking some more, decided I try to do a very slow shuffle the last 200m. But could not :( Very bad case of cramping on both legs. So walked back. Almost limp. Did a bit of stretching of my calf and legs (and the stretching hurt real my calf really bad). But was really painful to stretch. 15.85km in 2hours 14 mins with lots of walking esp the last 3km.

Think I will take a week break from my LSD and hope the knee recover. Based on the knee pain, stitch, painful right shin, and leg cramps, probably over did the mileage the past few weeks. I've got till July to clock my 21km for my SCSM 21km target. Fingers crossed but will 'listen to my body'! :))