Dirk's Junkie group - CLOSED (Page 16)

You got it buddy.  She'll do fine.  Have a great day and we'll talk to you when you get the chance.

Thanks again for the advice on the half marathon.  That sounds like a good plan.  You're right about the long runs.  I can push it longer, I'm just nervous about it.  The ART has been doing a great job on my achilles and it's about 80% right now.  I think I may start this week by adding a half mile to that 5 miles I did on Sunday.  That way in about 6-7 weeks I will hopefully be up to about 8 miles.  Too aggressive?  Just stick to my short runs?

Done and I will continue to think of you all throughout the day.

I'll be thinking of you and your wife, Dirk. I'm sure she'll do fine.

Great news, and you're covered on the prayers whenever you need it.

I think if you're feeling good away from running, adding a bit won't hurt.  But GO SLOW.  Then go slower. Use all the advice we've gotten - light on your feet, easy stride behind you, etc.  And don't make a 5 miler your only run like last week.  I know you're rehabbing, but I'd rather see you out there 4-6 times a few miles at a time.

I know this is tough, but maybe the HM has to wait.  Ideally I agree with Dirk that to really race a HM properly, you need a good string of at least 20 mpw and a long run at least 8-9 miles.  That's a minimum.  Training to finish is a different story, but I know you and finishing isn't what you're after.

Evaluate your calf before, during, and after your runs.  You know what the Achilles thing feels like, so be sure that nothing feels like that especially when you're not running.  And do the Baroody instructions (whatever he has you doing) like it's your job. 

Excuse me if sound too much like a mother hen/coach, but I just spent most of a year on the running sidelines trying to constantly push an Achilles thing too hard and not letting it heal.

Matt, I got your bike frame boxed up last night.

PM me your mailing address and I'll get it in the mail to you as soon as I'm able.

It may be too early to start thinking about this, but I have no idea what times I should be aiming for in my race.  My goal is really just to finish, as this is my first tri, and aside from last year's 10K, the first race I've ever been in in my life.  But, that said, I think that I should have some kind of goal time-wise.

I don't have any concept of what is a fast finish, a middle of the pack, or a back of the pack, for anything.  I kinda want to think about that while I'm training so that I can get an idea of how prepared I am as I go along.

David

Warren, your run training looks excellent.  How are you feeling?  Is the achilles feeling OK?  Specifically how do you feel the morning after your longer runs? 

The pace looks good and slow, but that's always relative.  Are you monitoring your HR?  And if so, what kind of HR are you seeing on average?

The rather painful experience I had earlier this week in my feet was from a multitude of things.  The most prominent of which was pain at the back of my heels that was aggravated by my Sunday trail run.  Last year my Sunday trail runs (also my long run) was a staple of my training and my heels were tender all year (achilles attachment).

I decided to retire my trail running shoes because the heel counter in those shoes has always pressed on the back of my heel and I realized Sunday that they were too small because my toes were crowded and got very painful by the end of the run.

They are Adidas Adizero XTs.  I am a huge fan for a number of reasons, so I bought a new pair: Adizero XT3.  They have a much improved heel counter!  No pressure that I can tell from my test fit.  And there are some other improvements as well, plus I got a 1/2 size larger.

I really love these for trail training as well as racing.  I don't recommend them for running off the trail as many shoes are better suited for that purpose.  But these are more sure-footed and stable on the trails than I ever thought possible.  I used to run trails in my training shoes and literally would turn my ankle about once every mile.  With these shoes, I've only been turning an ankle about once per season.

The attached pic (if I can succeed in attaching it) shoes the old ones on the left and the new ones on the right.  I love brightly colored shoes, unless they are trail shoes.  Because they look nasty after the very first use.  Earth tones are called for in trail shoes IMO.

(shoes.JPG)

Thanks.  I'm feeling amazingly good through out the day.  The Achilles and the entire calf haven't had any issues at all the past few weeks.  I definitely feel like I could run long again the day after my longest run.

I've just started wearing the HR monitor again, so your HR question comes at the right time.  My HR has been in the high 130s/low 140s once it settles.  For reference, last time I did a HR test (last spring the one here on BT) my running FTHR was 165.  140 is about the point at which I start to have to pause occasionally while I'm talking.

I admit the hardest thing right now is to keep it slow.  As I feel better, my natural tendency is to let it loose a bit.  My plan is to build up to the 40/80/120 time level, which should be about 43 miles and should be early March if all goes well from here.  I'll be right around 31 this week.  At that point, I'll decide if/how to add some speedwork, but until I get the build complete it's all about conservative time increases.

First of all...I got 3 runs in last week including that 5 miler!  I would have done more, but Baroody said wait until he gets a couple treatments in.  You were right though....he's a miracle worker.  It took a couple sessions to free up that area, but it's much better now.  One more appointment on Friday and I should be good.

How the heck are you managing to keep your pace that consistent!?  I vary almost a minute at the same effort/heart rate.

Thanks for the HM advice.  It does kind of suck, but I'll try adding a half mile to the long run as long as I can get all my other runs in.  I am going to try to get 13-15 miles in before the long run each week.  Which basically means 2 two miler's and 3 three miler's before the long run.  I think I can do this.  My 2 mile runs have become pretty easy and if I can manage to keep the pace down, I think all will be good.  How does this sound?

The shoe doesn't look much higher than a normal running shoe, is the body of the shoe stiffer?  After my last experience of trail running I need to do something to support my ankles if I want to keep trail running.  I figured my only option was to wear some ankle braces like I did when I was playing basketball, bad part with those is that they do not offer much flexibility!  If I can get a shoe that gives the support I need I may need to do that.

Dirk: I hope everything is going well with your Wife!!

David, I would really challenge your perspective that you need to have a time goal.  Of course, if the race has a time-trial start they usually press you for an estimated swim time.  That would be legitimate.

The advice that I give to any first-timers (and gave to my children when they did their first) is that they should feel happy they did the event from the moment they cross the finish line.  My kids didn't take that advice, pushed too hard, and suffered so much that neither one of them wanted to do another triathlon!

There's a second good reason for that advice.  If you START the race planning to feel good even at the finish, then it drastically diminishes the likelihood that you will start out too fast.  Here is what I consider a successfully executed triathlon:

• Able to maintain a jog from the water to my bike
• Don't fall/crash or forget any gear in transitions
• Able to complete the 'run' portion without walking (although I don't saddle beginners with this goal)

And to be totally honest, I can't imagine many people that wouldn't have the goal of NOT being last.  But I don't know anybody that has ever looked down on the last place finisher.  We all realize that that person had to work harder and overcome more that day than we did.

You know what?  One time goal that I think I would be glad to help you identify is a swim time goal.  But the time I would help you come up with is a MINIMUM time, not maximum.  Because if you purposely hold yourself back appropriately during the swim it actually WILL make the rest of your race better.  (that is true for anyone who's not a high level swimmer)

Haha, I'm a cyborg.  One thing I've learned about my body is that it is VERY consistent. My resting HR is the same every morning when I check it; if it's off by even 2 or 3 beats I know I'm probably fighting something.  I eat similar foods most days and hydrate like crazy every day.  I also tend to run the same routes, and I know when I make this turn it's 6 minutes, that tree is 13, the pothole here is 22, etc.  When I dial in a pace, I usually hit the landmarks within a few seconds without trying.  And since the Achilles issue, I've really searched out flatter routes so that helps too.  Hills kill me from an effort standpoint, as does heat.  I know it's the extra weight, and I'll be working on that more this year.

Okay, that makes sense.  Thanks.

Matt, when you look at the shoe's mid-sole it appears to be a standard, thick, cushioned mid-sole.  It is really much lower to the ground.  If you have worn racing flats then you know how being lower to the ground is more stable (but less cushy).  These look higher because the sides of the midsole wrap upwards to create more protection, cradleing, stability for the foot.

These shoes definitely don't support the ankle directly, but they make it much, much harder to turn your ankle. (ie. consider how often you sprain an ankle when barefoot!  Pretty much doesn't happen)

They are less cushy than road running shoes, but when off-road I haven't found that to be a problem since the ground is softer.

The upper doesn't come any higher than any other running shoe.  It has some design features that add stability when you step on a slanted surface or partly on/off something (like rocks and roots) that your foot and the shoe stay more securely anchored together.  The shoe's upper and mid-sole won't flex as much, which ultimately helps to minimize the ability to turn your ankle in it.

If you have a local running store with a decent selection they will probably carry this shoe and you can see how it feels.  Adidas are always 1/2 size smaller than other shoes, so add 1/2 size.

BTW, don't just buy any 'trail' shoe.  Many or most of them are just road trainers with a knobby tread and different colors.  It's the road training shoes that cause twisted ankles (at least in my case).  It's just a repurposed design.  There are 'real' off-road shoes designed from the beginning with stability in mind.  These Adizero XTs are one of them.  Adidas also makes a couple other 'trail' shoes that I don't like because they are the 'repurposed' type.

Another thought on that topic....If you simply go after ankle support with a shoe that's unstable (high center of gravity, narrow mid-sole...) a good hard turn of the foot can still happen, but because the ankle is supported you end up twisting your knee.  I don't know if you've ever done that but it's much, much worse than a twisted ankle.

As time goes on, you get used to the easy pace and you will eventually see results that prove the approach.  You begin to trust that it's making you better.  Then it's an easy habit to keep.  And of couse, if you have extra training threshold you feel guilty not using...just run further rather than faster! 

40/80/120 will be awesome!  I promise if you get there (which requires staying healthy) that you will be blown away by your run fitness.  Stay the course.  I hope you can trust me on that.  But of course, you ARE trusting me on that.  You seem to know, with your mind, that it's going to work....You just have the heart of a race horse. 

I was thinking this morning about how my first few years back to triathlon that EVERY run left me banged up and hurting.  Walking stiffly.  This was when I was NOT injured.  So I needed a day or two between runs to 'recover' from that beating before running again.  This 2 or 3 time per week running couldn't be sustained without inevitable injuries.

Since I wasn't running often, or far, I thought I should run hard.  I wasn't getting faster when I was training and I was always getting hurt.  I began to think that I was too old for this....then I blamed my weight (200lbs).  But when I finally pondered the situation and considered all that I had learned about injury prevention in my years as a runner I found the discipline to start small with daily runs. 

It's been a while now, but I can now run and feel great.  I got off the treadmill this morning after 5 miles and my legs felt better than when I stepped on the treadmill.   I can do multiple run workouts in the same day.  I can run 10 miles and still feel good (aside from last weekend's foot pain).

I just find that far too many adult triathletes are on that running rollercoaster and really need to go about the running portion of their training in a very specific way.  It's possible to really like running.

End of public service announcement.

Okay...shameless plug for our MS ride:

On the weekend of June 23-24 I will be biking 175 miles for Multiple
Sclerosis.  Although MS is the main cause, I will be riding for family
members lost to cancer and for family members like my mom, who because
of causes like this have survived and continue to beat cancer every
day.

I am asking you to join me in trying to create a world free of MS by
making a contribution to support my effort.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to creating a
world free of MS.  I believe in the work they do, and I invite you to
see for yourself all the good they've done for the MS community.  

More than 400,000 Americans live with MS, and your support can and will make positive changes in their lives.

Please help by making a donation - large or small - to help create a world free of MS.

Whatever you can give will help! If you can contribute a single
dollar, please do so.  I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

Thanks guys!!

Click here to get to my personal page and make a secure, online donation.

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