Venturing into the Unknown

Even though it now seems long ago, incase you were wondering what did I do over my break, well that is simple, I trained. How much you were wondering well: since Dec 11-Jan 4 I put in:

Total Hours: 96 hours 

Running Distance: 390km 

Swimming Distance: 135 km

21 hours of Strength Training 

A few Sufferfest Workouts on the Bike 

Calories Burned: 52,000 (equivalent to 15 lbs of energy used) - or in terms other may understand based on the time of the year very roughly 24 entire 9 inch apple pies

It really was the best, and one of the toughest blocks of training I've done in my life. Definitely the most amount of time spent training that I've ever done. It really made me wonder and dream about becoming a professional athlete because I could see myself doing that day in day out. Maybe some of that was because I hadn't been able to train like that in a while with my injury, but mostly although I enjoy physiotherapy and can see myself one day treating the world's best athletes, I don't think I will ever enjoy anything more than feeling I get when I'm outside grinding through the miles, or in the pool pushing myself harder and harder, or in the gym doing pushup after pushup.

Since the break training has actually still been going very well despite a heavy workload from school. I do feel quite run down and exhausted by the end of most days, well maybe sometimes right in the middle of them, but I have been able to get some real solid training in, especially when it comes to running. On Monday, I was out with some team members battling through the bitter wind for a long fartlek style workout. Tuesday was more of a easier 75 minute run, and then Wednesday I hammered my best workout in what seems like an eternity. I was supposed to do a split tempo run for roughly 25 minutes, since the rest of the team was doing a workout inclined to a 1000 or 1500 meter runner and I'm not just yet able to rip off that pace. However, since I would be doing the workout on my own anyways, I just didn't see the point of doing a split tempo run. Monday's workout was already a fartlek type workout doing a timed pyramid of sorts ranging from 6 minute to 2 minute intervals and back up, and that was done at tempo pace for me. I didn't see how doing such a similar workout a couple days after would benefit me in any way, and really felt that the only way I was going to be ready to get back to doing some of the quicker workouts, like the one the rest of the team was doing, was to do a quicker type of workout. So I delved deep into my training logs, and thought about for a good amount of time the night before about what I wanted to do. What I came up with was:

•  2X1000m at roughly 10k pace
• 2X200m (here is the speed component) at 3000m pace
• 2X1000 again at 10k pace, 
• 2X200m again at 3k pace
• 1X1000m at 10k pace 
• 1X200m at 3k pace 

The 1000s had 90s rest in-between each and the 200s had a good amount of rest at a 1 min, but then transition from the 2X200 back to the 1000s had only 1 min. Overall the workout went better than expected and it was a huge confidence boost and big step towards my debut on the track in 3ish short weeks. Initially, when I woke up and saw lots of snow on the ground my pace prediction seemed like a huge stretch. I decided to run over to Bayfront Park, which is roughly 5k from my house - which made the workout overall 20k, since it is always cleared. It actually made for just a gorgeous view to have during a workout to see the sunlight over the bay (the path is literally maybe 6ft from the water or ice in this case). Only problem was that despite the paved path which is pretty wide (maybe 12 ft) being cleared of the deep snow, there was a thin layer left on top which made for some slippy conditions. Despite having my feet slip back on every stride I was able to really grind hard (the heart got up to 190 thanks to the conditions) and was able to hit 3:15 for the 1000s and 34 sec avg for the 200s which works out to 2:50 per km.

Friday's and the weekends runs and swims went equally well, especially my run on Sunday. I really felt my stride was finally starting to really open up and I could let loose for a few stretches on the back half of that run. Then came today - Monday. After a bright and early start to the day, ran over to the pool for the 7:30 swim, and swam that fastest I ever have for 100m repeats. Ran, back grab my running stuff, and warmup ran over to the coach's house for the Monday Road Workout. I won't delve too much into the details because you never know who is listening. I will say the 15 repeats were all done at 3:10/km or under on the slippy road surface. Luckily and thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it could've been as the coach amazingly shovelled a path through the snow around the entire block for people to run on. So after that workout and then some core, I'm feeling great, tired, but great. Just finished a few hours of research for my various courses, and off to "class" to discuss a few case studies in a bit.

I also came up today with a great New Year's Resolution while I was running back from the pool, that I'm thoroughly excited to try and commit to. I don't think that anyone on the planet can say what they eat is healthier than me, specifically in terms of the content of their food. I pack in plenty of protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals into my diet, and maximize their absorption by combining various nutrients with other specific foods. However, the timing of my dietary intake really needs some improvement. Everyday, I eat breakfast (banana, protein granola, 0% Greek Yogurt, and coffee/esspresso) then train for 4 hours, and then eat a huge meal (a healthy one but a huge one - muscle milk, cliff bar, coffee, bagel w/ peanut and banana slices on top). My problem is not really the size of the meal, because after all that is not only serving as my lunch but also my post-workout/run/swim meal. Instead the problem is the fact that after eating this major meal, I'm still hungry. I need to restrain myself from immediately eating afterwards because I know at that moment I don't need it. So I wait until late afternoon where I'll have another Cliff Bar, then later dinner, and then after I'm done all my work and am ready to sit down to watch something before bedtime, another meal acting as a dessert/treat/having to catch up on my calories for the day because I'm usually behind by that point. So the resolution is that I want to start fuelling during my workout much better, and that includes gels, and more water. I used to have gels quite often in the past during very long runs, but lately I haven't really used any because I never really felt I needed to. I basically got so accustomed to running on empty throughout workouts and training in general that I have never actually felt hungry or thirsty for that matter during a session. So this resolution is not meant to help quench hunger or thirst that I've had during exercise, instead it is meant to help stop the feeling of eating a huge meal post run and not being full at all, because essentially my body at that point has gone so long without food (usually 6-7 hours between my breakfast and my post-workout meal) that it is just packing it calorie after calorie without any effect. I'm still going to have that post-run meal, because I need it after all that training, but now I hope that after that meal I feel satisfied. Also by adding a few hundred calories during the workout sessions, I will reduce the nightime treat meal accordingly by a few hundred calories to stop me from having this massive meal right before bedtime.

To finish this post, my mindset throughout this particular training block is pretty simple, "just do your best." I'm not aiming to win any of these track races given my strength lies in the longer distances. Despite feeling incredibly nervous at times for these races since it is uncharted territory for me, I'm really trying to look at these upcoming track meets as an opportunity to improve as a runner. The way I figure it is the fast I run the 3000, the faster I can run a 5k, the faster I run a 5k the faster I can run a 10k, the faster I run a 10k the faster I can run a half-marathon, and the faster I can run a half marathon the faster I can run a marathon. In addition to building some speed, I hope that some of the anxiety eases as my hip continues to improve by the workout and by the week, and that I can actually maybe have some fun doing something that after next season I will never in my life have another opportunity to run indoor track. Until next time, happy training. 

#Grind#Powerthrough#MilesonMiles

The title is a really good summary of how this break has gone like so far. Last week with the arrival of my newest training partner, the Garmin Forerunner 920xt HR, for don't ask me how much money, my training took on a new level of drive and motivation. Some numbers: Since Dec 11-22:

1. 47 Hours of Training (not including stretching or warmup drills)
2. 108 km of running last week (sorry coach - 3km more than was supposed to) and 180k overall of running in the 12 days
3. 70km of Swimming with 12 days straight of heart thumpin workouts -- some of the workouts include 60X50m leaving on 55 for first 40 then on 50 last twenty, 30X100m leaving on 1:35, and in my opinion my toughest workout which was (1X200, 2X175, 3X150, 4X125, 5X100, 6X75, 7X50, 8X25)
4. 25,000 kcal burned - equivalent to 7.2 lbs of energy
5. And 9.5 hours of Core/Lifting

In other news, well there is no other news really, After I finish my training where a day usually consists of: waking up 6-6:15am grabbing some Advil, running the the pool for swim at 8am, then running back home dropping my bag in the door switching shoes, and right back out the door for 70 minutes or so running, back in, a quick glass of milk, then straight into basement for 45-55 minutes of core/lifting then lunch at 1:15 or so it's pretty much going into a coma like state for the next few hours of napping/browsing the web and training data. Hopefully I can keep this pace going and don't get burned out by the end of break. The last couple days I've been feeling ridiculously tight and sore in the mornings so I'll probably get a massage tommorow afternoon, unfortunately I'll have to pay this time unlike during the year where I can get massages Mon, Wed, Fri from the therapy crew for XC/track team for free.

With my second tempo run coming up on the 24th a 20 minuter I'm really hoping I can hit my goal pace. Last Wednesday despite my body feeling good in the pouring freezing rain and wind, I was unable to hit my goal time. But I don't feel that I was limited by my hip, more so that I hadn't done a tempo run since September and was therefore not used to the turnover the pace required. Pretty much I'm having to teach myself how to run fast again, trying to find the optimal balance between turnover, and stride length. But I think with time it will come. Also I felt I was probably somewhat limited psychologically because I'll admit I was a running scared throughout the entire tempo to really push my hip. I'll be looking for the 20 minutes to hold 3:30, and if not feeling great grind for 3:34 and under. If that goes well on the 31st I try for 3:20-3:24. This is all in an effort to whip myself into decent enough shape that I don't get too embarrassed on the track and run <2:53 for 3000m - 8:39 and under and I'll be content for Jan 31st. Until next time, happy training.

Won't back Down

Now that exams are over I can finally update my blog after a long lay off filled with lots of studying, training, and coffee. I mean lots and lots of coffee. Seriously, one day of last week, I had a double espresso in the morning, went to class where someone brought a couple trays of coffee, and because others in the group were light coffee drinkers, and I couldn't bear to let hot black coffee (even though it was tims which tastes disgusting relative to what I'm used to) go to waste, I had two large Tims cups of coffee, only about 30 minutes after my morning espresso. I then had my usual Starbucks coffee in the afternoon, and then a espresso when I had got back home from school. A little bit later, one of my roommates who had purchased an awesome new espresso machine that day, offered my one, and obviously I accepted. Suffice to say it was a really good night of studying. But really to tell you the truth I don't actually feel very much when I drink coffee, I feel immune to it. The only time I actually feel any effect is when I don't have it. I would never go a morning without coffee, it is essential, it is routine, and based on previous experience it would likely trigger a migraine that would last for a couple days -its happened before where I ran out of coffee or had to leave in a rush. But if I do miss a coffee around mid-afternoon which may happen from time to time (maybe once a month) if my schedule is crazy that day, then I certainly feel the effects. I don't get a headache, but just feel exhausted. Yesterday afternoon was one of those days, did my final exam, then core workout, then had a meeting with my coach, then went on a 70 minute run (ya you heard me - but more on that later), then went to a physiotherapy appointment, and by the time I got back it was 5 and I had to start packing stuff for home. About an hour later when I sat down in my chair I fell out cold asleep for about 30 minutes upright in my chair.

But anyways to the important stuff - training. Now that I have the next little while (3.5 weeks) off from school I am starting a really heavy training block. The leg has got a whole lot better in the last week, and I've been shaving 5-6-7 seconds off per kilometre on each successive run. Plus the mileage actually wasn't that pathetic. Last week was 85 kilometres, this week I'll probably hit 95. Although the leg was actually sore today on my way over to swim. Its about 2.5km each way (so 5k total to-and-from the pool), so I figured even though it was supposed to be an off day from running after 8 days in a row, 5k was no problem. Well it was pretty sore, not awful, but not like it was yesterday where I finally dropping 4:20s on my 16k run - ya it sounds pathetic considering I need to be rolling sub-3 minuters for races in 2015 - but it is a far far way from where I was about 2 weeks ago, or a month ago where I wasn't able to run at all. I don't actually think it was the running on the supposed-to-be day off as the cause of the discomfort because 2.5 either way is not enough to hurt it. I think it was just the brutal weather conditions, like seriously where the heck did this snow come from, holy smokes its still coming down. Yesterday I ran in shorts, today I was mid-shin deep in snow. I figure a combination of two factors contributed to the hip hurting today: 1) the height of the snow on the sidewalks meant that I had to drive my knee up a little more which made my hip a little annoyed, and 2) the slippiness of that snow (like my goodness it was like a skating rink) meant that my foot would land and slip back a little every stride which put a little stretch on the hip on made it a little angrier. Anyways, no worries, I'm sure I'll be fine for tomorrow's run. Unless that is I actually tired myself out too much with today's swim. Let me tell you it was a fast, long, and downright exhausting one. 2 hours of high intensity stuff, no pull bouy that entire time so lots and lots of kicking. The set was a nice easy 500m to warmup, then 250m all out with kick board and fins on, then around 400 m of drills. Then hit the main set which was, 500m at moderate-hard pace, then 5X50m sprints leaving on 50 seconds, 1X100m, then 5X50 leaving on 50, 100, and then repeated the set of (500, 5X50, 100, 5X50, 100) four times. So total the set is 4X500m, 40X50m, 8X100. Afterwards a cool down. Ran home, and hit a 45 minute core workout. Tiring, but a solid way to start the training block. Here a 50 from a couple weeks ago, a 37 sec 50 to start for that workout 30X50m, then 20X100.

Wow just saw how the video shows up on the blog site - terrible quality you can't see anything, whatever.

In terms of the schedule, assuming everything keeps progressing how it has been (other than today), me and my coach put together a game plan which is as follows: 

 - Hit my first workout next Wednesday - a 15 minute tempo run at 10k pace. 

- Run two doubles per week and aim for 95k this week, 100k next week, 110 the next, then 120 and sit at 120 for a while (not big mileage but you'll understand why when I explain a couple of the workouts that are planned on the indoor track Wednesday nights in January)

- 20 minute tempo on the 24th, then 25 min on the 31st, all at 10k pace (so roughly 3:10s) 

Her plan is to just stick to tempo runs in December for me to build back leg strength, to be able to handle the workouts in January. As she said for me, really track is just a bonus, since all the focus is really on the XC Canadian Championships next fall in Guelph. The schedule for races is:

- make my debut January 31st in the 3000 at the York Open

- Race another 3000 at the Windsor Team Challenge (one of the biggest meets of the year)

- And finish with a 1500 at the Hal Brown Last Chance Meet at UofT

- By finish that is hypothetically speaking that I'm not in the Top 3: teams can only enter 3 for the OUA Championships, and based on the fact that our team is super deep for track and that I had a really long lay off compared to everyone else building hard miles on miles throughout the XC season with fast races in between, I'm probably not going to be able to whip myself into top 3 speed in such a short time. Not to mention on the team there is a runner who won a silver medal at the Canadian Championships this summer in the 1500, another who is on the short-list for Team Canada in Rio for the triathlon. So ya it'd be tough to crack the top-3 regardless, but especially when considering my injury. But anyways after the track season we planned a likely early outdoor schedule to be: 

- 5k in Burlington on Mar 1 

- 5k in Hamilton Mar 29 (when she said, "So the Around the bay is on the 29, so you could do the 5k," I thought in my head, "What about the 30, I want my revenge," then out loud "Ya the 5k sounds good." 

- 5k in Grimsby Apr 4

Frustration continues to Build

Wow, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's been 7 weeks since my injury on the Rail Trail on September 24. When the injury happened I knew it was bad. I was in a world of pain, a pain different than I've ever felt before. I knew it was bad, and yet I seriously didn't anticipate writing a blog post 7 weeks post injury, and still not even close to returning to running. I just did not believe that my body could be held down at the mercy of an injury for that long. Did I think I was indestructible, no of course not, I've had injuries in the past, many of them. But almost always I've been able to muster up the willpower and ignore the pain to either be able to run straight through the injury, or at least return to running before the injury had healed completely. For instance, after the Around the Bay this March, I finished the race in incredible pain, not able to put any weight on my leg, however, guess what I was back running in about 2 and half weeks. With this one, I really am confused and unable to run through the pain. I don't even know what the injury is at the point. I was told by two doctors that the injury was a strained rectus femuris muscle (hip flexor), and that I would be back running before I knew it. But I do believe I was wrongly diagnosed since here I am at 7 weeks still unable to run, yet able to bike, swim, and lift all the weights in the world with zero pain in the hip. I can clip in to bike pedals and do sufferfest workouts till I'm dripping in sweat and my heart rate is through the roof with zero pain. I can kick while swimming as hard and as fast as I want with zero pain in the hip. This is really the one that confuses me more than anything and makes me question the diagnosis, since the flutter kick uses almost entirely hip flexors yet there is no pain. And get this, after my 1 and 45 minute swim today, I water ran with you guessed it zero pain. However, tonight I started Day One of a friend of mine's physiotherapist and Dad in New Brunswick elite runners return to run program post-injury and yet on the run portions (it was 5 minutes speed walk, 10 minutes (1min run, 1 min walk), 5 minutes speed walk -- 5 minutes total of running) my hip was in a lot of pain. Honestly, I can't even describe the pain. To me the origin of the pain, the fact the hip flexion doesn't hurt, the fact that I can water run without pain, but only running with weight bearing is what hurts says that there is an inert injury in the area, meaning either an avulsion fracture of the illiosoas muscle of the lesser trochanter on the femur, a stress fracture at the neck of the femur, or a tear of the labrum in the hip. In either case here I am sitting after 7 weeks still unsure of my injury, still in pain, and starting the get the feeling of will I ever be able to run again and if so will I be able to run at a high enough level to accomplish my goals in the sport. I'm sick and tired of people asking me if I ran that race or that one, or asking me if I'm back running yet, or if I'm running track, or how the hip progressing. I'm tired of seeing emails from the coaches about the week's workout schedule. I want to be back, I want to get better. Between this injury and the suspected stress fracture in my right tibia, I haven't been healthy for something like 3.5 months. Why did the Sports Med. Dr. I saw not refer me for an MRI or some sort of imaging right when the injury happened. Now I need to go back to him and say, "SO, ya it's been 2 months since I got injured I would like an MRI on the hip because it's still not better." And the Dr will probably say, "Okay sure I could get you in maybe in 2015 sometime, hopefully before easter." Meanwhile, other athletes get super special treatment, hurt their leg and get an MRI the next day. What am I not good enough. All I know is next time I go in to see the Dr. I'm not going to be  Mr. nice guy Frank saying please and thank you for whatever. I'm going to go in and really say what I'm thinking, "Really I don't care what you think or not about the injury or have to say, just write me the referral for an MRI."All I found out from tonights Day one of the program is I could speed walk pretty quickly when I swing my hips like those pro-speed walkers. I was going low 6 min/km pace for the 5 minute warmup and cool down.

So what's the gameplan

So last time I spoke I was really down because the hip was regressing and based on the timing it meant the XC season was done. Well it still is done, and I've told the coaches that yes I'm shutting myself down for the season. For me this was a huge thing to do, and as weird as it sounds this was a big step in my career. Its the first time that I've been real with myself, and honest. In the past, with injuries I've spend weeks on end in denial, and bargaining with myself to keep running in some way. But I vow to you guys now so that it is out there "I will not start running until pain is completely gone." When I say completely, I don't mean when it's 90%, it needs to be 100% or I will not run. I'm changing my philosophy from a percentage of how I feel to a binary system, it's either 1, 100% healthy, or 0 which represents 1-99% and I don''t run. I have abandoned the therapy from the PTs in the Sports Med clinic, and the manual therapist that I had been seeing. Why? I realized something, I am a PT student. I have a huge advantage because not only do I know what needs to be done, but I also know my own body better than any PT or other therapist does. I know what I need, who cares about this ultrasound, laser therapy, and deep tissue work. All I need is strength training. Listen the fibres are were torn people, and its been more than 2.5 weeks since the injury. Inflammation is mostly over so you can stop focusing your treatment on it. Collagen has invaded the area and build a tie between the majority of the fibres. I'm in the sub-acute phase so their is no need to keep treating me as if I'm in the acute phase. It's time to do strength training to stress the area. The body reacts by quickly laying down wacks of collagen in a mesh-like formation. This makes the area weak and not functional. What needs to be done is work the muscle so that the collagen goes from being in a random formation to being in a stacked pattern parallel to the line of tension. So I've been hitting the gym hard, then harder, then even harder the last few days. I'm doing full hip flexion with a tense therabands.Sure the first time I did like it hit like a (insert phrase here), but afterward a little better, than yesterday a little better, than today 5 sets of 15 reps hip flexion and you guess it a little better. Now when I say better I don't mean I'm planning on running tomorrow or the day after, it's still far from better, and remember it's either 1 or 0, there is no in-between. But now that I'm taking over the course of this rehab, I feel recovery is possible. Why? Well its pretty simple, I'm the smartest therapist out there - just joking, but not really. I will get better, and who knows maybe with my new rehab maybe I'll run the final two road races of the Niagara-Hamilton Subaru Running Series - a 7k and 5 mile race so that I could double as the champion at the end of the season like last ear and get another sweet prize. The first race will be a long-shot, but anything is possible now that I'm in charge and hitting weights hard, plus the pushups o man the pushups- 250 today after a long and fast swim workout (1000m, 200, 200, 100, 200, 200, 100, 50, 50, 100, 50, 50, 100, 50, 50, 100, 50, 50, 100, 50, 50, 100, 200, 200, 100, 200, 200, 100, 1000m), and about three trillion ab exercises, the 8-pack is on its way.

Setbacks

So just a quick short post after a long core workout and a real long swim. It's looking more and more like the 2014 cross country season will never be. There are seven spots to be filled for the team to compete in the championship races - the OUAs (Ontario Championships) and the CIS (Canadian Champs), and one more race left in the non-championship season at Queens where the OUAs will be held to essentially prove yourself to the coaches that you deserve a spot in that top-7. After getting some seriously painful and deep to the bone manual therapy, bruising the muscle from the outside-in to try to stimulate some tissue healing, I felt like I would be able to start running on Monday and maybe get one good speed session before Queens. I was planning on then making the trip to Queens with essentially no training, and run like I had nothing to lose, which I don't. I would run up at the front with the fastest runners in the country from Guelph, and just try to hold on as long as I could. If I blew up then so be it, but in the process I would show the coaches that with two weeks of actual training before the OUAs I would be able to run with the top-guns in the sport. Monday came, and it's amazing how sometimes optimism can be such a dangerous thing. I woke up and my hip was actually the worst it had been in the last 3 days. Just tried a few quicker steps on my walk over to school, not a chance running was going to happen. The leg was bad, the limp was back. Maybe tomorrow I thought, maybe just an easy run. Woke up, nope. Not better. Limped over to campus, and was back in the water, for yet another swim, 16 days in a row of swimming, no kicking, no progress in the leg. It's looking more and more like the season is over, and the injury may be much worse than I anticipated. Maybe it will be another week, maybe another 4. Regardless, I'm 99.9% sure Queens is not happening, and therefore OUAs, and CIS in Newfoundland is not happening. Right now I really need something to put on the calendar. I need something to look ahead to, to give me a plan, or a purpose. Right now, I don't have any direction to training. Quite frankly, I don't know why I'm still training. What am I staying in shape for, why am I waking up at 6 to go to the pool and swim 200 lengths at a time. As much as I enjoy swimming, it's a constant reminder of the fact that I'm not running. I actually thought last night, maybe on December 20th I can run the Lookout Mountain 50 Mile race just to give me something to think and train towards, cause at the moment I'm stuck, spinning my tires in the present.

Core Workout without any hip flexors

Sorry for garbage quality was off the camera on my computer.