On my last two runs, I completely changed my running technique. After so many years of running and not improving my speed, relearning to run properly is the first step. The main focus is on how I strike the ground with my foot. I’ve always done heel to toe. But after racing against professional runners and watching an endless amount of coaching videos on Youtube, I realized I was doing it all wrong.
After the first run of running 8km with a new foot strike, forefoot first, I was sore for days. Calves felt like they were on fire. My ankles felt ridiculously stiff. They snapped, crackled and popped every morning upon first steps after 7 hours in bed. It took me a week before I could get out on the second run.
The second run was much improved with a new foot strike technique. I was able to keep at a steady pace, targeting under 5min per kilometer.
After the second run, I was still sore in my calves. Overall recovery was much faster and I was able to get out on the third run just after three days.