The "what the hell do I call my training log?" training log...

Steroo

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Working till mental o'clock. Came home and had to help Dilbert Og get his bike ready for a race tomorrow, so no running again. On the other hand if crisps and red wine are a cure for tight calf muscles then I'll be grand if and when I get to run tomorrow (before or after work, who knows?).

Snap on the crisps and red wine!

Dilbert75

Runners' depression around here, I'm afraid. Had a grand 10k run on Tuesday, though I was feeling a little tight in the legs and went by the Physio's to see if I could book a rub-down. They were closed early, as it happened.

Then, as I posted on the DCM12 Graduates thread, I was mid-Meno session on Wednesday when trouble struck. I'd done my 3.2km warm-up in 18.19, avg 132bpm with no problem. The first 3.2km was dispatched at an average of 4.09/km (157bpm), with the 800m after that in 4.35. I got about 2.1 or 2.2km into the next rep when I felt the calf tighten. I kept going to 2.4km before I stopped to stretch it out. I'd kept an average pace of 4.14/km (158bpm) at that point but the stretching didn't work. Tried putting some pressure on the tight spot but no good either. Rather than risk doing damage I called it a day and walked back to the car.

Got home. Tried icing it - no good. Tried a heat pack and that gave some relief. Rested it for the couple of days - helped by work hours. Was out walking for a while yesterday and it felt tweaky again but this morning it felt grand. Was out with Dilbert Óg Beag on the bike this morning and it felt fine again so I said I'd give a run a shot. Planned to do the loop of the town first and, if that went well, do an out-and-back to finish off 32km.

It didn't. By 2km I'd stopped to rub out the calf and again by 5km. It seemed to loosen up when I was running so I kept going and it never got painful, just tight. Ended up doing 12km and checked in at home. Said I'd give another rub to see how it felt, see if I could make it any better to let me maybe do another lap. And I made it...

...worse. Ended up barely being able to walk on it. So an evening spent with it on a hot water bottle, followed by a salt bath, and I'm back to being pretty mobile but in no danger of running any time soon. Am waiting for a physio appointment but for now I've missed the second 20mile run of Meno's plan (the first was the day of the Clonmel half).:(

career_move

Crap

Big Logger

Hopefully the rest will benefit you in the end. It takes a few weeks to lose the fitness and you still have a good month of training left.

Dilbert75

It's not all glum. I've still a lot of work done. Hopefully I'll get an early appointment and I'll get fixed in no time... [\hopeless optimism]

Tom Joad

Sorry to hear about the injury Dilbert - hope you get sorted and back on the road soon..

career_move

Dilbert75 wrote: »

It's not all glum. I've still a lot of work done. Hopefully I'll get an early appointment and I'll get fixed in no time... [\hopeless optimism]

If it's just knots in the calf muscle a physio will sort you out in no time - you're in for half an hour of torture though

Dilbert75

career_move wrote: »

If it's just knots in the calf muscle a physio will sort you out in no time - you're in for half an hour of torture though

If you listen very carefully between 4 and 5 today you might well hear a very high-pitched squeal all the way from Wexford. That'll be me...

Dilbert75

Yeah that was me. Two calves knottier than a warehouse of old wood. Will prob be back for more hardship later in the week. Have to stretch and heat them both over the week and take to the bike instead of running. But looks like there's nothing seriously wrong, touch wood.

Runchick

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Yeah that was me. Two calves knottier than a warehouse of old wood. Will prob be back for more hardship later in the week. Have to stretch and heat them both over the week and take to the bike instead of running. But looks like there's nothing seriously wrong, touch wood.

Geez bad luck C bloody calves are a nuisance...I don't think a daily rub would sort mine out never mind monthly but glad to hear its nothing serious, you'll be back in no time

RedRunner

Double damnation!:(

Hope you are back on the road soon.

Dilbert75

Two visits to Physio and no running from Sunday till today. The good news is that the physio work seems to have paid off - the calves that were both rock hard (literally) on Monday were relaxed by yesterday. Paid a quick visit last night for some taping on both calves, in preparation for an adventure race today.

Format was 6k cycle, 6k run (up Sugarloaf Mountain), 9k cycle, 2k kayak and 15k cycle. Run was tough - very steep in several places and very uneven surfaces. The trail also wasn't just exclusively being used by humans - at one stage a herd of sheep ran across in front of me. All I could think was that it was a good job Belcarra wasn't up there then or he'd still be there. There were horses too and I asked them to please not kick me when I was passing. They didn't.

Climbed to the top, among a good few recreational walkers (many of whom were standing aside to let the racers pass). Coming back down was just as difficult as going up, if in a different way. One step wrong and bits of me would have been splashed across rocks half the way down the mountain. Managed to avoid it thankfully.

Rest of the event was uneventful - was nice to meet a guy afterwards who admitted to having tried to catch me on a good few occasions but, by burning down the hills, I managed to stay ahead of him by just over 40s. Ended up 52nd out of 167, which I was very happy with.

Calf was stiff after the range but I think that was probably from running in the cycling shoes, as it's loosened out a bit since. Hopefully I can get back to running again. I've a marathon to train for!

upthe19th

Good man C. Jaysus you're a glutton for punishment :P. Hope everything settles down now. The big day is fast approaching.

Dilbert75

upthe19th wrote: »

Jaysus you're a glutton for punishment

Sure aren't we all? Some of us have different punishments to others; some of us choose to "enjoy" several different types of punishment successively. I can tell you though that my lats are reminding me today that 2km in a kayak is not something I'm used to doing.:eek:

Runchick

Hey C do you wear compression socks? I've just starting wearing them after runs and can't believe how good my calves have been feeling since, they really seem to be making a difference...

Dilbert75

You know my physio said that to me on Friday after she did the taping. There were a couple of people wearing them yesterday and I was thinking of trying them. It'd be worth trying them, I guess. Why did you choose to wear them after, rather than during, runs?

Runchick

Dilbert75 wrote: »

You know my physio said that to me on Friday after she did the taping. There were a couple of people wearing them yesterday and I was thinking of trying them. It'd be worth trying them, I guess. Why did you choose to wear them after, rather than during, runs?

Can't stand them during a run but put them on for a few hours after and the normal niggles in my calves seem to have gone, hey might not make sense but its working...worth a try

ncmc

Glad to hear the calf problem was nothing serious, that adventure race sounds like fun! It's nice to mix things up a bit to avoid boredom.

Dilbert75

Actually... right calf is sore again after a gentle 5k jog this evening. This is starting to get irritating.

Dilbert75

What a write-off of a week, running-wise:
Monday - working late.
Tuesday - working late and then a rare social occasion.
Wednesday - working late + driving to Galway.
Thursday - working late + driving home from Galway.
Friday - working late + driving to Dublin.
Saturday - Daddy duty (while Dilbert Óg beag became an All-Ireland U14 Bronze medallist at his music competition:D) Mrs. D had a tough day at the Dublin HM and finished 2 mins behind her course best, having backed off after seeing that poor man at 11m. (She was feeling the pressure at the time and that took the good out of the effort). She was still 4th in her category though.
Sunday - at last I got to exercise. 16.5km in 1:33 or thereabouts. My own watch wasn't charged when I went to use it so I took Mrs D's - the advantage of not having all my usual data and screens was that I just looked at the time screen and didn't pay any heed to the speed or distance. Calf was mostly grand as I went from the in-laws' house, to KCR, down to the canal and over to Poolbeg and then back again. Couple of twinges and I know tonight that it still isn't right - when I'm running I can feel it if I push on at all.

5 weeks left and nothing longer than 18m run so far and a total of 16.5k in the last week, 11k the week before (plus some cycling). There'll be no records broken in Dublin this year. Ah sure it'll be good to finish anyway.

Oh, and I bought a wetsuit.

career_move

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Oh, and I bought a wetsuit.

Is this the beginning of the end for dilbert the runner?!?

Well done to dilbert og

Dilbert75

career_move wrote: »

Is this the beginning of the end for dilbert the runner?!?

Nah, I wouldn't say that. But I get bored very easily so a bit of variety keeps me interested.

career_move

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Nah, I wouldn't say that. But I get bored very easily so a bit of variety keeps me interested.

They're not as nice as us on the tri forum you know ....

blockic

career_move wrote: »

They're not as nice as us on the tri forum you know ....

And that is where he will be going if he keeps this nonsense up!

Dilbert75

blockic wrote: »

And that is where he will be going if he keeps this nonsense up!

Jeez - this must be what it's like being in Fine Gael.

Dilbert75

9.7km at a leisurely enough pace. Right calf in a heap again.

ncmc

Dilbert75 wrote: »

9.7km at a leisurely enough pace. Right calf in a heap again.

That's awful C, I think those 'low level' injuries are tough to deal with. Very hard to know how to proceed, running versus resting. What are your plans for DCM?

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Nah, I wouldn't say that. But I get bored very easily so a bit of variety keeps me interested.

I agree, I am finding it hard to get enthusiastic about another marathon. Am considering trying something like cross country or trail running, just to keep the interest levels up.

Dilbert75

ncmc wrote: »

That's awful C, I think those 'low level' injuries are tough to deal with. Very hard to know how to proceed, running versus resting. What are your plans for DCM?

Well I'm entered into DCM and I've a Physio appointment - for dry needling - on Thursday am so it's really a matter of seeing how that goes and how the leg responds. Best case, if something dramatic doesn't happen, I'll plod around. Worst case I'll be a cheerleader.

I agree, I am finding it hard to get enthusiastic about another marathon. Am considering trying something like cross country or trail running, just to keep the interest levels up.

Have you considered adventure racing?

I've alluded to it before but I'm deriving less and less satisfaction from training harder and harder to eke minutes off my running times. Maybe long, stressful hours at work are not helping but that's a reality till January anyway.

I couldn't really put words on it before but I've just finished reading the Jim Stynes book. He commented at one stage on the conflict between ego and soul. Always chasing perfection and targets feeds the ego but not the soul. Doing things that make you happy and bring you peace feed the soul.

That's what I think I prefer at the moment - life is currently full enough with working long hours trying to meet (mainly work) targets so I want to do something for my relaxation, not to put extra pressure on myself.

So for me that's part of the attraction of adventure racing and triathlon. I know people who do them but I don't feel I want or need to compare myself with them - it's purely for fun.

I'm sure that's another target painted on myself but anyway.

Gavlor

Some great points made there C

Dilbert75

Btw the Jim Stynes book is well worth a read. But if you're emotionally unstable tread carefully - it's pretty harrowing in places. Must have a look for the documentary - I missed it when RTE showed it.