Bike and Run

Ok I started the ride super conservative. I had been told i would get passed right and left, and yes, that is what happened. Coming out of the water i felt good, i started my fueling plan right away and even added in a banana from aid station one. Things were fine, i felt good, if not a bit too slow but i hoped that all i had been told was right. The crowds were awesome. The ride felt good, and as i started to feel more confident i started to push a bit harder, but all within my boundaries. The first loop of Verona I took SUPER conservative. I couldnt remember for sure some of the sweeping turns, and it appears from the road rash that others didnt remember them either. So it wasnt til the 2nd loop that i bombed down the Garfoot road and a few others. My Garmin read 54.5 mph for my max speed. That is a record if its true. Then again my Garmin sometimes says i ran a 4 min mile so I am not sure i am buying it.

I did pass a ton of people on the back half and felt SO strong. All seemed to be going just fine. My Left calf felt a bit tight, even during the swim i was trying to plantar flex and dorsi flex it but everytime i stood ot try to stretch it it felt fine. so i just sorta shrugged it off. My Left upper trap felt like it was on fire, and i am sure it was, it felt like a sunburn, but i had a jersey on so it wasnt that. Just muscle burn. The balls of my feet hurt. But heck this was all just random stuff. The only "issue" i had was the tops to the PERFORM bottles kept poppingoff, leaving Gretta getting a wet shower of sugar, so i got a bit bummed at that, and of course i would hit a railroad tracks and then it would go everywhere.

Got back into town, road up the helix ( that is evil) and was reminded to not get out of my shoes til the top. I did a flying dismount VERY CAREFULLY since my feet seemed to want to maybe not remember how to hit the ground but it was fine. Handed Gretta off and went to change!

T2 was speedy, i think the extra minute for sunscreen and a long pee were well worth it. I was happy with what i chose to wear and my legs seemed to be spinning along fine. I made sure to not run too fast, even if the first few miles seem downhill i was totally being careful. miles 1-4 are easy no matter what so lets make them easier. I took a gel at around mile 3 and another salt stick and...

WHAM. Door slams.

I started to immediately get nauseated. I figured i just needed to run it off. But it just got worse. I cant even tell you much more about that run. I dont remember when the walking started but i know i ran with a 2nd gel klutched in my hand until about mile 13 when i knew i couldnt take it.

I tried clif shot blox, ugh, bad...then i tried a few powergel blasts, ugh again. I choked them down and felt worse. I kept taking water at the aid stations and ice bc i started to feel really really hot. It was a dry heat, so i didnt feel like i couldnt breathe it just felt hot. ice was going in my hat my top my shorts and around mile 14 i had the first feeling that the shoes were wet and my big toe calluses were slipping around and it felt like i had a needle in there. I sorta just blocked that out.

I ran by Jen on State Street and said DAMAGE CONTROL, and she said "that is fine!" so i felt ok about this even if i didnt really feel OK:) Some good things are that i kept moving forward, i really didnt feel l had to walkuntil i started really getting GI cramps and also knew i needed to TRY to get something in me. So coke it was. Coke and ice chips. But it was hot bubbly Pepsi. How disappointed:) At one point a kid handed me a cup and i said " what is it ?" realizing it was a cup of potatoe chips. yuk!

The fans were amazing, my stomach was starting to gurgle, i could hear it like it was sloshy and i didnt feel bloated if anything i felt like my abdomen under my sternum near my diaphragm was tender and hard. And of course then my Left arm started to hurt so i had to really keep that thought out of my head. Its funny how you go to places like that. It wasnt dark, per se, but it wasnt positive either. Then when i started telling myself that this race goes against EVERYTHING i preach as a Physical Therapist who works in wellness and preventive exercise i knew i needed to do a 180 on the mind talk:) I felt good in my legs and all my strength and core work from the summer was paying off, i had no reason to walk other than to get my stomach ok and to try to take in Kcals, my legs were slowly feelign the effects of no fuel but overall I did not have any musculoskeletal issues so i just kept plugging along. When i was running i felt pretty ok. So hey, I will take what i can get.

Running down that finishing chute was the best thing EVER. Kate told me to make sure to raise my hands over my head, and so i did, and i high fived people! I had convinced myself to smile that entire last 13 miles, and to tell myself i was fine and good, so i wanted a picture that showed that. Ooops. I took my hands down too soon and my finisher pic looks like a robot with rigor mortis in the upper body:)

The Post race was a blur. You dont need to know nor do you want to know, but lets just say I went down pretty fast and Rich got my head downd, medical came over and rich said my pulse was strong and we were good. I have to thank my sister who helped me clean up afterwards ( TMI) and I think there may be some new lulu shorts in my future. My good friend STeve who got me drinks and laughed at me, even tho i was appalled at my post race condition, and Rich's daughter Emily who came all the way up from Chicago for the day with her cowbell. I am sorry i didnt get a massage from her! Anyone of you who lives in Chicago, drop me a note, she is a great LMT!!! You need to see her!

Overall I cant ask for a bettter day. The swim was scary, the ride was great, the run i had legs for but i think i had too much sodium. Live and learn.

And as of today I can walk stairs, i finally was able to eat again tuesday ( yea it was bad) and now i am happily eating anything in sight.

So that is all i have for ya. I need to let Triathlon take a rest for a few weeks here, but looking forward to some more fun in 2012.

Is it December Yet?

Thanksgiving felt alot like Christmas. Part of it was this: SNOW.

And This: COLD. This is my cold weather look. The look you have when you wear a down jacket OVER your running gear and pack a change of clothing so your under armour sweat soaked top can quickly be removed when you transition from that 10 min of roasty toasty heat to the " GIANT CHILL" that sets in after 10 min and 30 seconds after you stop moving.

We ran the turkey trot at the Mn Boat Club. Happy to say that my sister Elizabeth took top honors and i ran with hubby Rich who pulled out his first sub 9 min mile 5k. Way to go honey, on top of it we ran on a trail covered in fresh snow with a temp of 8 and a windchill below zero.

On terra firma i think he could have pulled out an even faster time! But he didnt want to talk the last mile so i just chatted away to entertain ( bother) him:)

I dont really know the exact number, i kinda think when anything gets below zero its all the same to me really. It's just cold.

And where can you run a 5k and win a pie? Blueberry and Key Lime.

Now we are talking....

It also felt alot like Christmas bc my sister came home from Texas, with my nephew Chippy.

Chippy Long legs, here in the orange, is getting taller by the minute. They arent usually home at Thanksgiving so it felt like Christmas to have them here. I was ready to open presents when i realized i still had month to rally on gift purchases.

We did some family tennis, and that was a ton of fun. Of course my left forearm is sore, not the arm i use to play, but the arm i use to control my backhand so i feel a bit old and creaky lately.

Speaking of old and creaky, the running news is this. I am able to start running, as I have been a good soldier and followed my return to run protocol to a T. If anything i keep telling myself I dont need a winning run time in January. But it has been tough, not only the feeling that I am old and creaky but the fear. I know that as i run a bit more, even tho its slow, I will regain the trust and JOY i have for running, but it has been rough. I feel quite thankful for the good work I am having done on my body and back, and for the fact that I was wise enough to STOP before I made things really bad. I have had REALLY bad before regarding Hamstring Tendonopathy, and so I did NOT want to go there again. This week starts week 4, meaning i am up to a 20 min jog at 1 min/mile slower than training pace. I did not say Race Pace, I said TP. So that is all fine and dandy since the cold and snow likely help take care of that all by themselves. Weeks 4-8 are a gradual increase in time and mileage, which puts me right on schedule for my Xmas present to myself. 6 miles, rolling, pain free. Pace not observed!

Sorry if you couldnt read the article in the last post. I cant tell you why i can double click on it and expand it, and you cant, sorry:(

November

Well I kinda wanted to blog, and I kinda didnt. Like some of you there isnt anything too riveting ( to steal from Jen) going on right now. Up here in MN its the calm ( 50 and sunny) before the storm ( DLS, and colder temps and snow) but for now I am doing my best to stay in the moment, and as i told Rich today " going thru the motions " of training.

November last year is a blur, as is October. When your fiance is diagnosed with cancer and you cancel your wedding, only to decide 10 days before to hold it, there isnt much time to be thinking " wow, i miss summer, i miss the warmth, and I AM COLD." Granted we will celebrate a wonderful year on sunday, and last night as we went to bed ( well I was in bed, Mr. Politics was up glued to the TV) he said "This year has been filled with the most LOVE i have had EVER." That makes me feel warm and happy and good about my life outside Triathlon. And no matter how hard i try to act as if " I am hardcore, I can handle this s$%^" it doesnt get any easier as you get older. The urge to just take up knitting, or more seriously just do yoga or go back to tennis is there.

So. I was diagnosed with a couple tendonopathies yesterday. After 3 weeks of rest ( and actually 2 weeks prior to BOUS) I knew that resting this was not going to help it. I cant say i was surprised. I am really proud of myself for knowing that when things get chronic and you have no symptoms and cannot reproduce your symptoms other than running, that you had better get yourself to someone that knows something about tendonopathy. I dont have the energy to write all about what this is and how i know this, but if you want to know more or want advice ( I have lots of if) comment and i will email you. So...since i had this before in my L leg I didnt think i had it again in the R side. But with all things chronic, they can set in pretty fast and before you know it those buggers are setting up housekeeping and you are screwed. Last time i had proltherapy shots in my common HS tendon and it worked. But it was laborious, hurt, and really i didnt run for about a year or more. ( The shots are just irritants, sugar or saline, sometimes now the use PRP, ( Platelet rich Plasma) but overall the goal is to annoy the tendon) and then it reheals stronger and with better sarcomere lengthening, etc...ooops. sorry.

So for now i am in good hands. I had my first TFM ( Transverse Friction Massage) to each tendon insertion, 8 min to each site, where it basically goes numb. After that I Was able to run, with no symptoms. Then its BID 15 reps, 3 sets of eccentric HS and Glute MED work. I tell ya that is tough. Again the goal is to make those tendon insertions angry. and if my sore posterior today is right it was mission accomplished. But its not the sore from the injury and that is a good thing, its sore bc the insertions are barking at me. Just what we wanted. NO nsaids, we want that inflammation around. I am to keep my normal routine and to try running as able. Jury is out on this. I want to try but i am also reading more protocols ( they are old) that says to wait till i am fully pain free. This is confusing bc i was painfree before this other than running, and I will have some symptoms running its just that we hope to delay those more and more with each treatment. I should also likely clarify, this isnt pain per se. It's a gripping or grabbing at the insertion. It is something you can work thru ( stupid) if you dont catch it.

The guy i am seeing was able to diagnose this with palpation, as i was negative for the traditional HS tendonopathy screens. This is good, as I had self diagnosed myself ( of course i did) as negative but when he got on that tendon it was a quality that was much more taut than the Left, and i felt that right away. So it goes. I am in good hands, and even tho I do know how trying this diagnosis can be, I am confident bc he is confident. I cant take it much further than that or i will go insane. My goal, dare i write it, is to go for a run on Christmas Day without any symptoms. See, Christmas made easy.

And again Liar Liar pants on fire, is that i have not swirled thoughts about next season in my head. That is just how i am. Coach can tell me to relax all she wants, but i cant deny that the feelings, maybe irrational, are there. That i wont train for an IM if i am not 100% healthy. So best to get that out on the plate now. I know i think alot about this stuff ( body, therapy) its bc its what i do for a living so that is hard to let go of. I also think i have a VERY good sense of my body and so friends, family saying "dont worry about it...it will heal" I appreciate that, I do. But it isnt always what I need to hear, sometimes i need to hear " That F'ing stinks. Yea you have a right to be scared and afraid and cautious."

So the Limbo that some of you talk about, I am right there with you. Keep an optimistic view and stay in the moment, and allow yourself to be in limbo and know its ok to be a bit ornery. At least that is what i told my husband bc no celebrex on day 1 of my cycle means he had better not expect a bright and cheery bride:)

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