Friday, July 30, 2010

Sunday 25 July: M7 Marathon : 3.47.58

With splits of 1.48 + 1.59 it was garbage. The week before the second half was strong and exhilarating. This one the second half was depressing and like running on sticky tar. The quicker forgotten the better.

Injury update

The Achilles issue has not gone away and it is getting me down. My times are slow because I just cannot put in 140/150k weeks like I have done in the past. When I was injury free those distances in a week week were done easily and the time were 20 minutes faster.

The last Friday I saw a post on CR about Shock Wave Treatment for Achilles issues and with success when other treatments had ailed. This was good news so as we do in this age it was a net search fro some hours - to fins out what it was, how successful it was and what type of injury could be treated. All the information sounded good so the search was then to find if the treatment could be had in Sydney.


This is good Article:

That lead me to South Sydney Sports Clinic at Kensington.

I had an appointment on Monday with a physio. That went well and xrays were taken and viewed. I then had an appointment with Dr Grace Bryant OAM a Sports Dr. Her CV is fulof being on Olympic and CTH Games teams as the Dr. Also at the clinic is DR Nathan Gibbs who is well known in Rugby League circles. So it looked liked I was in the right place for experience.

Diagnosis:

Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy - simple terms and inflammation where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel. So the extreme pain is when you press the bone at the back of the heel NOT when you squeeze the Achilles above the ankle.

Treatment:
  • a simple stretch to be done 3 time a day and not the usual stretches that are done for Achilles issues;
  • anti inflams for a short while;
  • nitrate patches; and
  • shock wave treatment (late next week and maybe two more sessions a couple of weeks apart);
  • and if all that fails taking blood out spinning and injecting back some of it (forget the name of the procedure)

The DR was very pleasant and informative. She says that the combination of the first 4 should work and I should have a significant improvement in 2/3 weeks. Lets see and hope this issue will just go away.

Consequence of injury:

  • reduced training distances and intensity;
  • slower race times;
  • a concern about being able to compete in any ultra's later in the year because of the inability to run over uneven ground and up and down hills (shown by the inability to make the time in GNW and the very slow time at North Face);
  • being 6/7 k overweight !!! Now that will slow you down in any event and add that to a reduction in training and .... so

NEW MONTH

NEW APPROACH

NEW ATTITUDE

NEW AND BETTER RESULTS

Monday, July 19, 2010

Hunter Valley Marathon : 3.40.51

Not the quickest time this year but a very satisfying run.

How you say? It was the strong second half that was very satisfying.

It was a very steady first half and a hard push to maintain the pace in the second half as the long steady hills on the second lap take their toll. I made to half way in about 1.49 which was about on target.

I ran strongly in the second half for about 1.51 split. I was counted past halfway in 48th position and finished in 34th. I was pleased with the strong second half - not for speed but the strength up the hills. I managed the hills very well and passed most of the runners on the up hills and once on the top was able to push on hard.

I guess sometimes it is not the time that is important or satisfying but how you run it and feel you have run it.



Monday, July 12, 2010

Week starting 12.07.10

Monday: 15.6k @ 6.25 in 99.44 (Call it Loop1)
Just a steady run with the pace falling away in the second half when most of the hills are encountered. I will just keep plugging away at this loop for the rest of the week.

Tuesday: 17.6k @ 5.52 in 103.38
(Loop 1 + Park loop)
Ran the same loop as yesterday and then doubled back and did a short sharp hill to add 2 ks tot he run. I felt much betetr today. More smooth and not as tight. It was a pleasure to run in the pre dawn that was cool but not cold. I am not sure of running medium long in the week before the marathon but then again this marathon is not much more than a training run. That is I will run it as hard as I can but there will be no taper - just like a usual training week with the Sunday long run.

Wednesday: Decided on caution and did not run

Thursday: 15 July: 18.8k @ 5.34 in 104.45 (Loop 1 + pool loop)

Almost the same as Tuesday with just a couple of more hills thrown in at the end. Pleased that there was a significant increase in the pace. Felt strong all the way subject to the achilles discomfort.

Friday: 16 July: Loop 1 as Monday but 5.28 pace in 84.33

I was almost going to not run but decided a short 15k would be fine. Wanted to see if I could get under yesterdays pace and still feel comfortable. Managed that and improved 15 minutes on Monday's time which goes to show how slow it was. A 5.30 pace is a betetr base building base when the k's are being built up.

No real pedictions for Sunday but around 3.45 - 3.50 will be the aim. I want a little left for the following weekend.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Sunday: Back into it

No watch and no regard for time. Ran about 15k over all of the hills around the Bay. I will measure and time it on Monday.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Update

I did not run a step from the CG Marathon to the following Sunday. I cannot remember last time I had 6 days off. I just felt like I needed a mental and physical break and I was busy at work and went in a few days very early.

With 5 marathons in the next 6 weeks then there will not be anytime to really recover and train in that period. However it is time that I changed focus for the second half of the year. The focus will be on as many k's as possible to build a base.

The only focus marathon left in the year is Melbourne in October. Other than that the marathons will all be run hard but they will be part of the bigger picture of base building for the ultra's later in the year. I expect that I will try to run them in about 3.45 so that I can resume training within a day or so. I still plan to run some ultra's but the achilles is not recovered and I am really concerned about my ability with that issue to be able to make the distance within the cut off time.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Gold Coast Marathon : 3.37.13

Splits of 1.44.30 and 1.52.43. Short report disappointing time and a disappointing time and a ..... . Get the idea.

I die too much in the second half and I need to get back to high weekly k's and longer runs each day otherwise the base is going to evaporate. Problem is with me running 3 marathons in three weeks later in July I don't have any chance of any training except a few recovery runs in between.

I guess I had better start to adjust to the idea of some slow ones. However Hunter Valley and Bush Capital are not fast events anyway so I guess the aim will be quicker than last year. The M7 I am not pacing this year so I can run at my own pace.

Friday, July 02, 2010

Thursday & Friday

No run on Thursday as I was planning on Friday a quick lap of the Bay.

I woke up at the usual time on Friday for a run then thought 'what am I doing planning to run a quick lap of the Bay and try to get under 30. What for?' My aim is to run a good Gold Coast marathon not a quick lap of the Bay. So getting my priorities right I didn't run. I guess that will give me a three day taper.

Still predict the same time but will be trying to get close to the 3.25 I ran last year.