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The current, prolonged problems will not enable any running workouts, and accordingly, I decided that I will not run Berlin marathon this year. Instead of adjusting the engine for marathon preparations, I will now focus on exercises that hopefully put my left leg in order.
Take care wherever you run.
Time is crawling.
The summer weather is peaking and every single morning I'd be more than happy to jump up and go for a run. But then this worthless piece of a toe says no. This injury is really sad one. It's like nothing but then again it is a big deal.
Another issue that sort of bugs me is that I'm afraid that I'm getting more and more used to this 'not running' status. Yes, my heart begs for even a really pedestrian 3 miles jog, but my mind is not anymore fulfilled with pure anger because of not being able to run. Furthermore, for instance nowadays I don't mind if some individuals choose not to take care of themselves even if they could. Back in the day I left their wasteful physical presence in a second. Getting older is good - life's just easier this way.
This time the remedy's name is Trek. Instead of running, I had to find a mental and physical outlet of the current state of frustration by riding my bike. It's fun, yes, but with a strong headwind, it just sucks. But that's the code of life - you win some, you lose some.
T minus Berlin Marathon: 11 weeks.
T minus getting back at running: 2-4 weeks.
Btw. I hate swimming. H A T E it.
My new buddy, a broken toe, is getting more and more bearable. Thus, I've been able to hop on a bike and ride like an animal, a really tiny one. Instead of riding, I went swimming this morning. It was fun until I forgot that I am not supposed to make any turns by using my right foot...
I restarted my Summer vacation today, and now I'll enjoy the combination of riding and watching TdF everytime when I have a chance. But more than that I will enjoy the time off from work!
Berlin marathon: T minus 12 weeks.
Getting back at running: T minus 3 weeks.
I was about to be able to bounce back on the road. IT pain is gone.
But what do you know... Today I broke the fourth toe on my right foot. And that's about it. No triathlons or running for the next 4 weeks.
Oh and yes... today was the first day of my vacation.
The training program/plan is solid, of course. Execution is not so much. Basically, the rest days have been the only part which I've been able to follow this far...
IT pain was not gone, but it relaunched another attack. A week ago I got a cortisone injection which after all did not help. Rest has not helped, ice has not helped, massage has not helped, stretching has not helped, and so on.
Yesterday I started at a triathlon race without knowing if I can even start running after the bike. I did, but it was pretty pedestrian paced effort. Race itself was a really nice experience.
But now I really don't know what's next. Vacation, yes, but in terms of running the near future is plain black. Again.
Right. I returned from Lyon on Sunday. That evening I did a-must-ride of 64 miles just to get some exercise. On Monday IT left okay and I had to try if I'm able to start training on Tuesday. Everything was relatively okay.
On Tuesday I had a strides workout which went decently. IT/knee was silent until we (AP and fast American runner, Becky Wade) started to cool down. Then I knew that if I happen to run on Wednesday, it is going to be painful. As it was... Thus, I gotta back off once again. Today is off, tomorrow morning I might do Friday's workout, pace booster, and then I will get a cortisone injection. Hopefully it will finish the pain. So I hope that only couple more days and then I'm back at it... for real.
When you are stuck with IT pain, it looks like this (photo by Hellracer).
I'm now in Lyon, France. Ran yesterday. 30 minutes through pain. IT band is not easy on me.
The first training block for Berlin Marathon should start on Monday. Instead, I'm heading to doctor's office.
Yesterday I raced my second duathlon race ever. First one was in 1991 or 1992, and I vividly recall it being an awfull experience. I think that it was partially a XC race.
Well, yesterday was done on flat road which is a decent surface for "serious" biking. My preparations for this race included a disasterous Bike-Run x 4 workout couple of weeks ago. For instance, after that workout my running has mostly been a pain in the ass. And nothing else.
Then on last Wednesday morning I sneaked out for a early morning tempo ride (20km in 33:40 = 35.6km/h) during which I used aerobars (which I got to borrow from Ile) for the first time in my life. Based on this base training I dared to face 44km bike ride with 10k "warm-up" and 5k "cool down".
As fun as it was, the race itself was a pretty long (2:11:44) performance which included 3.5 minutes of sad examples of bad transitions both from run to bike and bike to run. But I took them as a hands-on learning experience. On the other hand, they might have prevent me for achieving higher podium spots than the AG bronze which I earned.
Next up... recovery.
I think that last time I wore spikes was in 2008 when I participated XC race in the US (Derwood, MD) or then it was in 2009 at Run Through the Grapevine (Mt. Airy, MD).
Anyway, on Sunday wearing spikes sounded a reasonable choice since we were going to run mostly on grass. But now I have to restate that choice: it was an horrible idea. Now both of my heels are peeled and torn. I can't even fit my running shoes on. Damn it.
Otherwise that XC race was a nice experience. I recall vividly that a moment before (30 sec) the start, at the starting line, I began to reason my presence in that race. Since I'm sort of a shade of what I used to be, my expectations for the race were minimal - not to finish last. What kind of goal is that? Another point of reality was that right after the gun will go off, I will just watch all the runners vanish into the horizon. Well, both of these ideas came true... But even if I was slow a crap (there was a moment when I was ashamed to on that XC track), I finished.
Next up... Duathlon Nationals. I just hope that I can fit my racing flats on next Sunday.
Stupid me with no patience whatsoever. Even if last Sunday's XC race was going to be a tough nut with decent preparation, I just had to kill my tiny changes by not being patient enough.
On Wednesday I ran with JK an excellent hill workout followed by a steady run. Nice. This workout felt great and I started to feel opportunistic about Sunday. But then on Thursday I had a change to join sweetie and the group of the triathlon warriors in their bike-run -workout. And that was a clearly a bad bad mistake. Of course I didn't see that before the workout...
Workout comprised 6k fast bike followed by 1k fast run (and this was repeated four times). Beforehand I promised to run at easy pace (6.20s), but no, it just didn't happen. Bike legs were around 23 mph, and running pace varied from 5.35 to 5.15. And this combination just broke my legs. Totally. On the following Friday I could barely walk and on Saturday my easy run was just an awful experience.
Accordingly, Sunday's XC race was miserable imitation of running. Already during the WU I noticed that my legs and my guts are far from providing any changes for pushing my limits. So, in race I broke down already before the 1st kilometer and the rest of the way I wasn't even sure if I will finish that race. I did, but with low success. The days after the race have been miserable, too. Legs are in pain and the left thigh is partially out-of-order. So, I hope that I will make to the starting line on Sunday.
So next up XC nationals and then week after that Duathlon Nationals (10k-40k-5k; I'm in AG 40-44).
