Running update

So for the past LONG time I haven't been running, just using the elliptical machine. I hate it. But, I do it because I want to finish this race. I've put a year of my life into this race, I'm going to cross that finish line. I've changed a couple things with my shoes and what not:

1. I'm using the Asics Kinsei shoes for "running", because they have a high heel and lots of cushioning.
2. I took the heel lifts out of my shoes so that my foot sits better on my new orthotic. I really feel the orthotic under my arch a lot better now.
3. Instead of using the ankle brace I'm wrapping my foot and arch with the Ace bandage everyday, because it gives me added arch support and compression on my shin.

This combination seems to be helping. The wrap technique I use is from that book my dad lent me:
I need to memorize it because I'll probably be doing it in the transition area at the race.

Today I tested all this experimenting outside. This is the first time I have done a "run" workout outside in weeks!! I know I'll be walking in this race so I figured I'd better get used to it now. My workout was 10minutes walking (as fast as I could) / 2minutes jogging. I did this 6 times, so a total of 1:12. I covered 5.03 miles and my average pace ended up being 14:20 minutes per mile. I'm happy with this. Its a very small step, but I felt no pain and it felt great to be outside, even if I do look ridiculous power walking! If I can keep this up for the next 5 weeks until the race, it would be great.

I'm hoping I can walk one loop of the course before the race (13.1miles). My goal is to get to where I can walk for 10min and jog for 5min. Then maybe I could get this marathon in under 6hours. At this point, that would be a miracle. I'm going to take this very slowly though. I'm just glad the walking outside went well. I wasn't sure what to expect initially. Everyone tells you "don't worry, just walk in the race", but no one thinks about the possibility of not being able to walk!

My post workout therapy includes stretching, especially the calf and hamstring, and the top of my foot. Then Mike rolls my shin and calf with a rolling pin. (Just like "The Stick", but a whole lot cheaper!!)
This gets blood flowing in the area and acts like massage to loosen up any knots that might be causing restrictions...or nerve entrapment....
Next I roll a tennis ball under my foot to stretch my plantar fascia and loosen up my foot muscles. This always feel good. Then I ice my shin/calf for 10mins, and I'm done! Hopefully all this craziness will work!

MIKE

My physical therapist, massage therapist, psycho therapist, chauffeur, bodyguard, shoulder to cry on, personal chef, dog walker, solver of life threatening problems, personal trainer, motivator, eternal optimist, love of my life, best friend.

All my new stuff

This week I acquired some new toys! First I got a lighter and more ventilated helmet, its about 40g lighter than my old one. Apparently, over 120miles that makes a difference on your shoulder and neck muscles. The ventilation difference in awesome, check them out:

above: old helmet below: new helmet

I also FINALLY sucked it up and bought some nice sunglasses to protect my eyes from all the glare on the road, and stuff flying up at me. I got them at the mall for $155. That's a steep price but I got a lot for it: 2 sets of lens (dark tint and dawn/dusk tint), a hard case, a bag, cleaning cloth, sport strap, a regular strap, and the frames are really good quality. They also come with a LIFETIME warranty!! I'm stoked about them.

I am also trying out a new seat this week. Its been very popular with the local triathletes so I figured I'd give it a try. I was fine with my old seat for a long time, but then this past weekend I rode 120mi and I was really uncomfortable. I'm trying to get lower in my aero bars so I think the pressure of leaning over like that is making me uncomfortable. Enter, the ADAMO GEL SADDLE!!! (I'm test riding it, haven't paid for it just yet....got to make sure it's going to work first! I'll write a review in a bit.) My old seat is the one on the left. It had a cut out, but the nose just wasn't working out for me. Look at the Adamo from above:The only problem I foresee so far (I've only riden 20mi on it), is that the front is a lot thicker than my saddle, so I can't pull my knees in as much....we'll see...

My last new accessory for the week is a pair of arm warmers that I scored for FREE! My friend Misty (one of my idols, she is a multi time Ironman) gave them to me, because she had two pairs and the mornings are cold now. That is a picture of the logo on them, I'm not sure who makes them but they are super comfy and nice and warm...I'm in love!


THINGS I'M THINKING I NEED BEFORE THE RACE:

1. Compression tights for the "run". They will help all my tired muscles, but especially my shin and calf on my bad leg. Either this or I'm going to wear compression socks or sleeves. I truly think this stuff helps. I ordered compression leg sleeves (as an alternative to always wearing the socks I bought) two days ago. The sleeves are made by Zensah, I didn't get pink ones, I just got white ones. (Trying not to stand out more than I already do!)

If I get tights it will probably be the CW-X StabilyX tight. I'm thinking of tights, only because by November 1st it will probably be too cold for me to run/walk in shorts. I don't really like the idea of wearing tights, but if they help me then I'll get over it....

Check them out here: Compression tights

2. New running shoes...its just that time.

3. New chain on my bike. My chain and cassette were replaced on 7/9/08, now the chain has a little over 1500miles on it. Time to replace it. Chains are like changing the oil in your car. If you don't change the chain regularly then when you do you have to change the cassette too....if you like spending lots of money go for it....

4. Leg warmers for the bike ride. That way if I get warm I can roll them down and take them off quickly! Way better than long bike tights, that locks you into wearing them for all 112miles.

5. Good thick socks for running and riding.

I'm sure there is more, I just can't think of it right now.

Its cold!!

I'm sitting here typing a blog entry instead of riding my bike, and I feel like crap about it. My problem is that I woke up this morning and saw this:

Temperature - 60F
Wind - 15-18mph NNE
Wind Gusts - 25mph

Not fun...not fun at all...The wind I can handle, but 60!! It was 80 last week...How could it be 60!!??

Anyway that was my first problem. The second problem is that I stepped on the scale.....Why? You ask, because I'm an idiot. I've been trying to lose weight for a long time, at the beginning of the summer I was FINALLY under 135, I really want to be 130. So I start training for an Ironman, you would think that would equal weight loss...no. Its been fluctuating between 135-138 all summer, which is endlessly frustrating, and then last week I saw 140....tried to stay positive...water weight from electrolyte intake, muscle mass, slow digestion...whatever. And then this morning...144. I don't have words for how depressing that it.

Needless to say, I didn't go for my frigid bike ride, I couldn't even go back to sleep. I just sat up thinking and worrying and crying. I'm probably going to regret writing this on a public blog. I just don't know what to do.

I know one problem I have is eating at night. I have been doing much better with that lately, I think I just developed a bad habit somewhere along the way. Anyway I'm going to start putting updates on this blog concerning my eating habits, I think it will help. I've been dealing with all this alone for so long that it feels good just to type it.

On another subject: RUNNING
I was able to run for a total of 35min on the treadmill last Friday. I did 30min elliptical/6min treadmill, 4 times and then finished with 10min on the treadmill. That made up my "long run" workout, a total of 2:35. SO BORING!! But I was pretty happy with the running part of it. I still had some pain in the top of my foot, and my shin, but it was substantially less that it has been. Hopefully this won't cause another set back.

My plan is to do this every Friday, increasing the run time slowly. Hopefully I will get to 1hr of running before the race. That would be the best I can hope for at this point.

Running advise from my hero

Things have been tough lately. Its getting closer and closer to race day, and I'm still not running. Its been 5-6weeks now, and I'm falling apart mentally. Everyday I try to make the best of the situation and train as best as I can. Its just hard to work so hard when you're not sure you will even start the race.

So I was over at my parents house the other night and started talking/crying to my dad about all this mess. I am SO lucky to have him. He's my hero. He is an Olympic sprinter and a marathoner....where did those genes go!?!? He knows everything about running, and understands how important this is to me. Only another runner can hear "I NEED to run 26.2 miles, I really NEED to!" and not look at you like you're from another planet.
We talked for a long time, I told him about my peroneal nerve entrapment and what I've been doing. Here is his advice: Heel lifts. He uses them and thought maybe they would work for me. So on Saturday I stuck some heel lifts in my shoes before going to work. It will be hard to tell if it works or not, but I'm going to walk around in them for a few days, and see what happens.

We also looked through some running books and I ended up borrowing the one in the picture. From reading it and talking to my dad I decided to also use an ankle wrap everyday when I'm walking around to help stabilize my ankle. The peroneal muscles are used to evert the ankle, so stabilizing the ankle will take that pressure off the muscles and allow it to focus on healing that nerve. It also serves to add compression to the area which can increase blood flow therefore speeding up the healing process. (hopefully)
Over that wrap I use an ankle brace that I bought at CVS awhile ago. It has two rigid stabilizers on each side of the brace, so it really helps out. Hopefully between the rest my ankle muscles are getting and the heel lifts and the elliptical training, things will start to look up. I'm not going to try running for another week. Maybe on Friday I'll attempt my 2.5mi run to the gym...maybe...

On a positive note, I got a workout routine for the elliptical machine from an inspiring lady who recently finished her first Ironman after training through a similar injury. (Thanx Colleen!) Basically I substitute my runs for elliptical workouts, I do it 3 days a week:

Day 1 - 1:30, 45min Zone 3
Day 2 - 1:15, 4x8min Zone 4 w/ 2min recovery
Day 3 - 2-2:30, long run Zone 2

The HR zones for the elliptical are 10 beats per min lower than your normal running zones. Hopefully I will get to where I can run to the gym, do my "long run" then run home. That would be good for my racing confidence.

I got away all year..untill this week!

All summer I swam in the Intercoastal Waterway/Banks Channel and was lucky enough to escape the wrath of the jelly fish!! All summer...until Friday! Damn it! And it hurt SO BAD!!! I thought my whole arm was fire. I nearly screamed!! I got tentacle lashes all over my arm, and now its just a red, bumpy, blotchy mess....look at this:

GROSS!!!!!!!!!

We just kept swimming after I got over the initial shock, because Jen (swim buddy) said it wouldn't get any better if I got out. We swam 2.2mi with the current, so it took only 1:00:20....the tide must have really been moving us! After that we went for coffee and chilled for awhile....it wasn't hard to convince Jen that this would be better than running..haha..

A swing and a miss

Okay, well I thought acupuncture was going to save my world but now I'm not so sure. I went again on Tuesday and was so excited because I just knew that my run on Wednesday would be fabulous! Not so... My leg hurt so much on Wednesday I didn't want to walk up and down the stairs, let alone try to run. I don't know what it could be because I haven't run since Saturday and Sunday, Monday, Tuesday I felt fine. Maybe it was the water skiing? Who knows.

Now its Saturday and I still haven't run. I tried yesterday and couldn't make it to my mail box (50ft). I'm thinking maybe I spoke too soon about acupuncture. I might cancel my next appointment. I know its not fair to only go twice, and judge it so soon, but its very expensive ($60/visit) and I just don't feel good about it. I'm not sold anymore.

I think I might try to sink some money into Active Release with Dr. McGraw because I truly believe in him. He fixed a hip problem I had that no one else could. I think maybe twice a week for a little while will work, thats what I did for the hip. Its aggressive, and expensive, but I believe in it. http://www.activerelease.com/ Click there to learn more about Active Release.

I have also been reading a lot online about peroneal nerve/muscle issues and found some exercises to help strengthen the peroneal muscle and all the ankle muscles:

toe raises, to strengthen the anterior tibialis muscle (2 variations, 1st and 2nd photo)

rolling plantar fascia over a tennis ball to stretch and elongate it

balancing one legged on a BOSU ball to strengthen all the small proprioception muscles
pulling on a stretch strap to strengthen the peroneal muscle
(also do this inward for the posterior tibialis muscle)

seated calf raises with weight on knees

For now it looks like I'll be sticking with the elliptical again. I have the Wilmington YMCA triathlon in 2 weeks...its a 3mi run, I'm wondering if I'll even be able to do that?

Some really good advice

I had a terrible swim on Tuesday morning. My back and neck were sore from learning how to water ski on Monday, but I still should have been able to handle the swim. The workout wasn't hard. But regardless, my stroke sucked, I was hitting 21-22 strokes per length, and I need to be around 17-18. I couldn't hit the times, I didn't even have the energy to flip turn, I was short of breath...I was a mess.
Maybe I was too sore, maybe I didn't realize how much the 126mi bike ride affected me? I don't know. I do know that I was depressed and totally unmotivated. The rest of that day I sat around the house watching mindless television. It was bad. During this momentary lapse of pathetic-ness I emailed my swim coach to ask how I should deal with days like this, and if she had any good advice. Her reply almost made me cry. I love my coach. Here is her answer:

Don't be so hard on yourself. you are one of the most dedicated, focused and hardest working swimmers i've got. all of us have days like you had today. one of the things to do on those days is to choose one thing to focus on that you can do even if you don't have a lot of energy to swim hard. for example: work good turns, work on the finish of the stroke, work on swimming slowly with some every 5 breathing, work on dropping stroke count--since you're not hitting the times you want go slowly and feel good about hitting 17-18 strokes. This way you can leave feeling good about something that you worked on even if you're tired.

Try to get a little more rest this week if you can, and you should be fine by next week.

This kind of advise is something that I can refer back to for swimming, biking and running, I really appreciate how much she cares about everyone she coaches.

Broke my biking mileage record!!

Well I didn't get to the 140-150 that I hoped for because my ride buddy over slept! I rode out to the Hot 100 (~25mi) with a couple people from work and then rode two of the four loops of the 100 with them. After that they rode home and I joined up with another group to ride the other two loops. They pushed me hard! I had already ridden at least 25mi more than all of them! I kept up though, and even pulled for awhile. My heart rate was definitely higher than it usually is for long rides, but I figured that one time it wouldn't be bad for me.
Now I have the confidence that I can race the iron-distance, not just ride it. Before I knew I could handle riding 112 miles with my heart rate between 145-155, now if I wanted to push into zone 3 or 4 for parts of the race, I know I can. I was holding a heart rate between 160-165 for big chunks of time riding that last 50miles.
I actually wanted to ride home but I didn't want to ride alone after that much mileage, and it had started thunder storming. I ended up riding for a total of 7 hours. I burned a little over 5000calories, and my average speed was 17.6. That speed includes slowing down for others to catch up and cruising down to the food tent etc. So I'm thinking it was faster. I watch my computer a lot and saw speeds between 17-22mph mostly and a bit of 22-25mph when we had nice head winds :)
The guys at the shop are talking about doing a 150mile ride two weekends from now, so I'll get my goal! That will be awesome...incredible...who ever imagined that I could ride a bike 150miles!! Now if only I could run this well....