Asphalt Junkies CLOSED AND GETTING OUR FIX (Page 153)

Dina, you said: "Now the question I have is should I continue trying to run? No question that running absolutely makes this worse. I am torn thinking a little running like a mile or two would be better than nothing and not cause that much stress but then maybe I should just take a couple of weeks, let it recover, wear the orthos and then try again."

I personally don't stop running unless absolutely necessary.  So I understand how you feel.  Since all symptoms point to tendonitis and this is typically not going to be serious why don't you try to continue doing either 1 or 2 mile runs?  Try using your orthotic since that helps.  Also consider buying a package of bunion pads to use on that cyst area.  That should keep it from coming in contact with your shoe.

If you can keep yourself from pronating with the orthotic and staying on the correct side of slanted pavement..(stay off uneven surfaces then!) You just might be able to rehab this without actually ceasing running.

In addition to those changes to your running, ice it for at least 10 minutes each day and if your runs are starting from your home, drop that foot in a sink of hot water for 10 minutes before each run.

Warren, there are 2 kinds of out of shape.  There is the kind of out of shape where you have been sedentary and it's very hard to regain the fitness.  Then there is the out of SPECIFIC shape where you've traded one kind of fitness for another.  If you play hockey and drop some or most triathlon training, then you have the 2nd kind.  In the spring you will find yourself able to get back to your previous shape fairly easily.

I think you should play.  Triathlon is hopefully something that's making your life more exciting and joyful.  So would hockey.  If you can't do hockey because of triathlon then you are a slave to it and it's not serving it's purpose in your life.

So you would play 2 days per week.  Is that all, or would you need to be practicing other days too?  How much time would it take?  As for triathlon, I suggest you find the best way to do the best maintenance training you can with the time left in your schedule.  Once we know how much time that is, then I will give you my opinion.

Good luck!

We both survived our pool sessions!  The munchkin didn't want to step foot in the water.  His teacher asked me if she could just pick him up and carry him in.  (I was sitting in a chair, not participating.)  I told her to go for it.  He didn't like it at first, but he started to have more and more fun with the other kids in his class.  At the end, he didn't want to get out!  Success!

My workout was tough!  I thought I was going to die after the warm up!  It got harder from there!  It was a masters session on steroids!  It was hard because she added in stuff to work on my specific weaknesses.  Personal swimming sessions developed by a coach that knows you are the best things EVER!!!!

Was the coach there driving you?  Because if you worked that hard all on your lonesome then you earn extra points.

Hey, isn't it cool how your son loved the water, but didn't know it?  Sometimes we need to be forced out of our comfort zones and sometimes get dragged kicking and screaming in to something only to find out that it's awesome.

I did it all on my lonesome!   It was tough trying to do math on my splits during a 20 second rest interval to make sure I could hit the next set right where I needed to be!  (No one wanted to share a lane with me!)

I'm glad he finally had a good time in the water.  It's been bothering me.  He even went for a time without wanting to take a bath.  It was showers only.  So frustrating!  Anyway, it felt good for me to hand over the reins, so to speak.

Well I finally get a chance to head up the pool today during lunch and there is nobody in the parking lot and I am thinking this is gonna be great or the pool is closed. Well it was the latter I totally forgot they were closed on election day. I didn't swim last week because of the storm and am dying to get back in the pool to pick up where I left off. I think I was beginning to make some progress over the last few weeks. I'll be there the rest of the week.

Decent article on nerves before a race and how to deal with them. None of this stuff has worked for me but maybe I am just not trying hard enough and am not focused as much as I should be.

http://lavamagazine.com/features/50-plus-tri-using-nerves-to-your-advantage/#axzz2BSG0dbo1

Paul, it's great to see you came back to the group to report on your HM.  That's really great time!  Congratulations!! 

It sounds like you have been able to make some progress with your back and that is really a bigger deal.  Hopefully the PT will continue to provide relief and recovery for you.  I thought the bike was giving your back problems?  Make sure you discuss riding with the PT before you start riding again.

I have done the same thing..........Make plans to swim, grab my gear, head to the pool...........Disappointment!  This has happen to me because I have over looked the schedule a little bit rather than trying to go on certain holidays.  The pool I swim at is run by the school system so I know better than to go over on holidays.  I think it's dumb but that's the way they schedule everything.  They are also closed on snow days too, which is even more stupid.

Paul congrats on the PR for the HM. That is an awesome finishing time. Man I envy you fast runners! Also glad to hear you are making some progress with your back and hope you can get back to riding the bike soon.

Paul, Very respectable time, a PR, and negative splits!!!   Home Run!

On my end, I'd like to report a very good string of training days.  The fun started on Friday with a 10 mile run.  Saturday I had a very hard 2 hrs 40 mins on the spin bike (90+% of threshold the entire time).  Sunday I took the day off.

Monday was 4 workouts.  Swim, Run, strength trning, run.  That was 2100meters? and 11 miles.

Tuesday was a hard, but regular Tuesday: 1:30 bike and 5 mile run.

This morning was 1 hr on the bike over 90% of threshold and 5.6 miles running, and I felt light and effortless for some strange reason.

I'm using this time of limited swimming to step up the bike a little.  Rather than my Wednesday swim workouts I'm doing yet another brick so Tuesday-Thursday are all the same brick workout.  I may even get a 2nd run in after work today.

Thanks for letting me ramble.

Jeff that is a really good stretch of training, good to see you are back so soon after having the surgery. I think you are making some of us look like a bunch of slackers.

I am off to the pool for the first time in over a week. My goal is not to drown or have the lifeguard have to come in and rescue me. Hoping to get a least an hour in today to work on my balance and bilateral breathing which I am doing pretty well with.

Just back from swim session and it was not bad. I seemed to be able to pick up where I left off which is good. The changes I have made seem to be helping and I am not reverting back to my old ways which is good too.

So one thing I worked on today was just simple balance. I was trying to do those superman and pencil drills and I cannot for the life of me float and stay balanced. I just seem to jack knife and my legs go straight down. I am pretty convinced my legs are not made of flesh and bone but they are made of lead. I am not sure what I am not doing right. No matter which way I shifted position it sort of ended with the same result. I am sure it probably is partly due to being relaxed and comfortable but alot of it has to do with body positioning. Any ideas or help would be appreciated, I will be back at it again the rest of the week working on this.

IMO, that's important only for Butterfly stroke.  And perhaps to help avoid injury, but I would say that's more about strength than flexibility....meaning that swimming will work the muscles to the front, the inner rotators, the front delt, the pecs but nothing in the back (unless you do butterfly) and you get a muscle imbalance.

Flexibility is good in general for a variety of reasons, I'm just saying it's not important for good swim technique.  Remember, during the freestyle recovery you are rolled about 45 degrees and the arm can travel right beside your body and be free of the water.

However, perhaps you are referring to the flexibility to obtain inward shoulder rotation that helps to achieve an early vertical forearm?

You are just pushing off the wall and gliding in your streamline position right? 

If your legs are sinking like bricks I have to think you are pushing them down.  Try arching your back so your body is curved and keep your chin tucked to your chest.  That should keep your legs from sinking until you are nearly stopped.

Jeff yes I tried pushing off the wall, stationary away from the wall just trying to float and holding on to the wall to see if I could balance that way. The results were all the same my legs would just sink. I will try what you are suggesting when I head back to the pool tomorrow and I'm pretty sure your right.

Yeeeehaw,  back in the pool tonight!

Also back to running...this is just crazy!  I gotta get back in shape to pig out on Thanksgiving!

So my deck is almost done.  Railings may have to hold off until we get past this bad weather we have coming.  Supposed to be snow/sleet/freezing rain tonight and tomorrow.  Super stoked about that.

On a personal note, my wife and I are applying to the labrador retriever rescue program, so cross your fingers for us that we get accepted as able to adopt.  I'm pumped about this.  

Oh I don't know what I was referring to.   After I'm done swimming and I'm sitting in the hot tub, I am generally doing the thing of trying to reach both hands behind my back, and I just figured having that type of good flexibility generally helps with swimming (freestyle)!

I think shoulder flexibility for swimming freestyle is super important!  A great stretch that I do every single day, multiple times per day is downward facing dog.  It stretches EVERYTHING!  It is the best go-to yoga pose for everyone.  Bend your knees to focus on your shoulders.  Bend your elbows to focus on your hips and calves.