Run — 2026-09-16

2.01 km in 12:09 — 6'03" pace at 150 bpm (max 163). First run back after the Sep 13 ankle flare, and the break-in run for the new Asics GT-2000 (stability, "really cloudy"). Went out quick — km 1 in 5'56" — then bilateral achilles tightness at km 2, milder than the old shoes. Not lactate: the same dorsiflexion signature, fifth run running, softened by the new drop + stability.

Data

Metric	Value
Distance	2.01 km
Duration	12:09
Avg pace	6'03" /km
Fastest pace	5'56" /km (km 1) · burst 5'23"
Avg HR	150 bpm
Max HR	163 bpm
Cadence	168 spm (max 177)
Stride	98 cm · 2,047 steps

Metric	Value
HR recovery (2min)	22 bpm (dropped 22, 158→113)
VO₂Max	46 ml/kg/min (held, "average")
Aerobic training stress	1.2 · watch recovery: 8 h
Total / active calories	156 / 138 kcal

HR zones: Extreme 0 min · Anaerobic 3 min · Aerobic 7 min · Fat-burning 1 min · Warm-up <1 min. Splits: 5'56" → 6'08" → 0.01 km in 5s (5'56" + 6'08" + 5s = 12:09 ✓). Running form: ground contact 292 ms, balance L 50.1% / R 49.9% (symmetric — no gait compensation showing today).

Sleep — Night before

6h 37min · 00:18→07:08 · REM: 13% · Deep: 27% · HRV: 98 · Resting HR: 54 · Woke: 2× · Score: 82/100

Two beers + nicotine-withdrawal insomnia (fragmented, rolling in bed). HRV held at 98ms — better than pre-quit for the same two-beer input. See Sleep/2026-09-16.

How it felt

Monday: running shop, feet tested, bought the Asics GT-2000 — lots of support, "really cloudy". Told to give it a few light runs to break in; this 2 km was the first. First km felt faster and great in the new shoe; at km 2, achilles-tendon tightness in both legs, but not as bad as the previous shoes. Asked if it could be lactate. Left ankle still not 100% — still cracking on ankle circles, a bit swollen — but the shoe support helped with it.

Comparison

Metric	Sep 9	Sep 10	Sep 13	Sep 16 (today)
Distance	3.24 km	4.05 km	2.57 km (stopped)	2.01 km
Duration	19:21	26:52	20:49	12:09
Avg pace	5'58"	6'38"	8'06"	6'03"
Avg HR	157 bpm	154 bpm	133 bpm	150 bpm
Max HR	180 bpm	169 bpm	149 bpm	163 bpm
Cadence	168 spm	162 spm	150 spm	168 spm
Sleep HRV	127ms	123ms	119ms	98ms

The engine is intact, the tissue is still the repair item. 6'03" pace at 150 bpm with VO₂Max held at 46 and HR recovery at 22 bpm (his usual 18–24 band) — the aerobic system never looked shaky, on a fragmented-withdrawal night. Cadence back to 168 after the 150 limp-on-Sep-13, and balance 50/50, so the ankle is carrying load normally again. What's unchanged is the calf/achilles tightness at ~km 2 — that's five runs in a row now, and it is not lactate.

Verdict

Not lactate — and that's the important correction. Lactate is a burning muscle ache that comes on during hard effort and clears within minutes. Bilateral achilles/calf tightness that appears ~2 km in and then eases is the dorsiflexion restriction announcing itself — the exact signature logged on Sep 6/9/10/13, and the leading indicator that flared the left ankle a week ago. The GT-2000's higher drop and stability reduce the demand for that missing range, which is why today's version was milder. A shoe doesn't create range — the mobility floor stays the actual fix.

The one thing to coach is the opening. km 1 at 5'56" was fast for a break-in (feeling good in a new shoe always does this), and it seeded the km-2 fade. Next run, open deliberately at ~7'00" and let the achilles warm into it.

On the ankle: cracking on circles with no sharp pain is gas in the joint, generally benign — but it's still swollen, so keep circles in the pain-free range only and back-of-the-leg work first. The shoe offloading the peroneals is exactly what a stability shoe should do; it's not the cure, just less demand. This was the right-length comeback/break-in run, and the down week (one slot + the company hike) is still the plan — the hike on uneven ground is the bigger ankle test than any run.

Connected

Sleep/2026-09-16
Runs/2026-09-13 (the flare this run returns from)
Health/mobility
Half-marathon-plan

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