Just chuggin along

Just chuggin' along

Thursday: Running continues to go OK. No orthotics, 8 x 230 @ around 4:30 yesterday. Some minor achilles burning, but more just general soreness in the muscles of the feet and lower leg, and not limping this morning.

Wednesday: Easy 30k with Pat on

Massage from Brett, I'm in a very shabby state and can feel it during the massage, but there's no alternative other than to stick with it.

First Continuous Swim - Oh dear!

First continuous swim - 1km

Downloaded the Garmin 910, which converts all the data into a cheerfully colourful chart. Looking at the lap-by-lap graph shows a downward sloping curve that seems to infer that somewhere in the next three laps I would have sunk to the bottom of the pool, which is all rather discouraging - The folks at Garmin really need to work on that.

That said, my triceps are quivering as I type, which probably reinforces the Garmin's fundamental point.

1k in 20:48. and as unimpressive as that might seem, it's better than my usual first dip.

Garmin tells me that my first lap was 49 seconds with 25 strokes (SWOLF 74, this deteriorated to a lap of 65 with 30 strokes (SWOLF 95). Averaged at 2:04/100 SWOLF 91.

Another tick - on my way.

Thinking about a "onesie"

Weight 89.9

Attempt at 3 x 900m @ 5:00/k pace this morning. Baled halfway through the last one when my right achilles started to burn. Walked home, quick ice before driving to work. Some 2 hours later all is well - just a little tender. Not sure if I quit just in time or whether I'm spooked and pulled-up unnecessarily, but in any case I live to run another day.

Might leave all running to the afternoons for a while, everyting seems a little better lubed at that end of the day.

Scheduled for a swim at lunch today if work permits.

RJ 12 today, so a good morning of present opening etc. If anything illustrates the bridge that kids are on at this stage of their life, he wanted the picture that Paul Pelletier drew for him "properly" framed and "onesie". It's easy to think a onsie is stupid, until you see them in action. And then you secretely want one yourself.

Plenty of small ticks

Weight 90.0k

All in all a pretty good week. 175k on bike, recommenced running, touched the water and got a first (rather punishing) massage. No pain or limping today, though Achilles remains tender to the touch and still quite thick in the right leg.

Friday: Ride home – 38k in good time

Saturday:

am Ride cut short to 45k due to Harry the Wonder Dog’s overnight vet stay.

pm 8 x 230m @ 4:00 pace at Dukes with Riley

Sunday:

am: 1km of easy swimming with riley to reintroduce myself to the pool
pm: 30k in the crappy wind. Easy effort, concentrating on getting the pedals to go around. (Thinking of getting some slightly shorter cranks to try and alleviate some persistent patella discomfort).

Hawaii ironman yesterday. All the usual buzz, but it’s hard not to see some very dark clouds looming for IM triathlon.

 

Feelin good

Weight at 90.2

Thursday evening: W/u 1k, 12 x 70m @ 4:45 pace; 10min 3 x 350m at 4:45 pace. HRT sat in 140-156. Silly heart rate given the distance and intensity, but there you go. Fat and untrained = uncordinated which requires more work to make the whole thing move at a given pace.

All at Dukes Oval - Nice setting for an arvo run - we might become friends.

No residual pain.

Brett booked for Tuesday night.

Ride home today + w/e will put me well over 200 for a second consecutive week.

Small session, but its done & I ain't limping - On my way

The Honey Badger

Weigh in: 90.2

Sensible eating has (largely) been in place for a couple of weeks now.

More consistent training is occuring

Wed 2 x cc in 32:30 (ave 34.x)
Tues 12 x 60m easy
Mon Eastern Creek Race - Spat early.
Sun: 8 x 60 easy + 30k easy
Sat: Solid 80k Greendale + Lappo

I was reading about the honey badger today. Wikip: “When mating, males emit loud grunting sounds. Cubs vocalise through plaintive whines. When confronting dogs, honey badgers scream like bear cubs. Next to the wolverine, the honey badger has the least specialised diet”. Well didn’t that all send me scurrying for the mirror. Good news! still an overweight, pasty-skinned accountant – uncomfortable few moments nonetheless.

Time to Start Running

A good week on the bike. First week over 200k for a couple of years, and some of that at (and occasionally above) threshold. Love Strava.....

Time to start a running plan (stairs and general strengthening have gone well as a reintroduction). 8 weeks to see if my achilles will play ball, or else I'm buying a Malibu to take to Port in May.

Most (but not all) of my achilles problems occur when I am "restarting". The better I'm running, the further in the rear-view mirror achilles problems seem to be. Whether that's because a consistent period of running leads to good technique and good times, or whether good techniques reduces injury risk. Chickens and eggs.

In any event, I'm prepared to be patient this time, concentrating on getting rid of the accumulated scaring, remodelling technique, and releasing the lower leg muscles.

See how we go with:

1. Break up existing scar tissue. Consider Graston Technique or similar to break up the existing scar tissue that is still all over the right achilles - currently 4cm thick. (Simon did this under ice-numbing some years ago and it seemed effective).
2. Improve flexibility and movement of all the bits down the back of my ass and legs with a weekly massage.
3. Run daily even if only very lightly. Knee and achilles seem to work better with a daily lube.
4. All running on grass for the foreseeable future. I don't think this necessarily benefits achilles problems in itself, however compensating for sore knees and road shock when the general infrastructure isn't yet strong is "technique-altering" and stupid. Even Monday night's run felt a lot better at Hunter Fields.
5. Work on technique first. Start with easy 12 x 60m intervals. Progress with interval-distance some continuous running at the end of 8 weeks. The whole system just needs to start engaging again, and slow slogging of continuous k's won't improve running form, and is unlikely to prevent injuries.
6. Review technique: Get the video out for some technique review.
7. Experiment with ditching the orthotics and clod hopper shoes. Two worst bouts of achilles injuries that I've had have been in Brooks Beast and Trance. Both heavy and inflexible in their own right, but throw in some orthotics and it is like having bricks on the feet. Running form and technique appear to be better in lighter (at least mid-range) shoes, and I suspect that technique might be a better guard against injury than motion control shoes.
8. Get weight down. Not sure what the connection is, I don;t think it is a load-issue with achilles, but again extra weight means shitty technique, which I am holding as chief culprit at the moment.
9. Fish oil and that other whacky anti-imflammatory stuff: Almost certainly witch-doctor treatment, but possibly worth a shot