Got Your Mojo WORKIN'! group - CLOSED (Page 95)

x2 on patience. I started running-and everything else again in July 2010. By early November I was feeling really good-like I could run forever and feeling fast...that's when I started ramping up both mileage and intensity and that's when I first got injured-some sort of hip/quad/groin thing. That injury first showed up on an 8.5 mile run. Not long by comparison to today but my longest to date and at a good pace partly on trails. The good news about that injury is it forced me back to reality and back to patience and balance. Yesterday I did my speed workout and did 2.77 in 25 minutes-about a 9:02 pace. It was SUPPOSED to be a tempo run but I picked too fast a tempo, blew up a little over a mile and ended up with a brief walking interval and then alternating between run/jog to finish. So since January 1 when it took me almost 4 hours to finish 13 miles I am starting to consistently flirt with <30 5k's and recover faster without any serious pain, I also have become more respectful of 'certain" aches and back off instead of run through them. My feeling is the major improvements occur over the course of months and years not weeks. My previous incarnation as an athlete supports this when I bother to think back over those years. It took me about 3 years to go from a 12 hour solo century to a sub 5 hour century and most of that was built on volume over many months, and I started racing shorter races which added some speed to my distance rides.

I guess my point is the same as Steve said and to remind myself, because I am starting to feel frisky again, is to be patient and be smart

Alex, great job on the swim.  I noticed in your log that you have lost 22 pounds since January, that is awesome.  You are doing better then me, Im down about 12 pounds since January.  For some reason it's taking me a longer time to lose these pounds.

Craig - keep up the running. Im a long way off from a sub 10min mile.  I was hard on myself for the 1st 3 months of training.  I would look back when I was racing in my early 20's and running 7min miles and I wanted to get back there. Well Im 65 pounds heavier so I say to my self "SELF you are not slower, you are faster and stronger, Back when you were 20 you could not run a 5k with Savannah on your back (savannah is my 10yo daughter) so stand proud and run hard" My goal now is to finish the race without walking, the heck with the time, that will come later (65 pounds later).  I looked at your log and you are doign better then me.  Keep it up.

Steve - Pack you bags and come on down to the South for the race in July.  Im glad the swim is shorter because the bike is a good distance and 7 mile run, ok that is a long long long way.

That is exactly why I wear sun glasses and keep my mouth shut when I ride around the lakes!  Awful!

These are the exercises I do for keeping shin splints at bay:

Foot lifts:  Sit tall in a chair with knees bent 90 degrees, feet flat on the ground. Keeping your right heel on the ground, gently raise your right forefoot up and back toward your shin until you reach a point of slight discomfort. Return it to the ground. Repeat 10 times with each foot.

Ankle Circles:  Sit tall in a chair and pick your right foot off the floor and straighten your leg enough to allow free movement of your foot/ankle.  Move your foot and ankle in a circle as large as possible and comfortable without pain. Repeat 10 - 20 times each leg.

Big toe lifts:  Sit tall in a chair with knees bent 90 degrees, feet flat on the ground. Keeping your right foot on the ground, gently raise your right big toe up and back toward your shin. Return it to the ground. Repeat 10 times with each foot.

Alphabets:  In a sitting position, trace the alphabet on the floor with your big toe.  Do this with each leg.

Shin Stretch:  Kneel on a carpeted floor, legs and feet together and toes pointed directly back. Then slowly sit back onto your calves and heels, pushing your ankles into the floor until you feel tension in the muscles of your shin. Hold for 10 to 12 seconds, relax and repeat.

Calf Stretch:  With your hands against the wall, place your leg to be stretched behind you.  Keep your heel down, knee straight and feet pointing forwards. Gently lunge forwards until you feel a stretch in the back of your calf / knee. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 4 times at a mild to moderate stretch pain-free.  Repeat with your other leg.

I do these exercises 3-4 times through.  I also use "The Stick" to massage the tibialis anterior muscle (the muscle on the front of your lower leg.  If you don't have the stick, a rolling pin works just as well.

Craig,

Time and patience!  My discovery of the year?  You have to run faster to run faster!  Uncomfortable pace becomes more comfortable the more often you do it. 

Last year I did most of my runs at about the same pace, just a bit faster for a 3-mile run versus a 6 mile or longer run.  This year is completely different; no more long, slow distance slogs.  Yes, it hurts a little more.  Yes, I feel uncomfortable some times.  Yes, I am running faster/more efficiently than I was earlier this year.  Whether this pays off in a race is TBD. 

Your approach is good, going a specific distance at a specific pace.  Walking recoveries = good.  Stick with the speedwork, it will pay off in the long run!  

I do remember the cicadas.  We lived in a new development that had been farmland so we were not palgued with them but they are pretty ugly.

Thanks for the shin splint exercises.  I have not been hit with them yet but it is good to know what to do

Off to the pool.

Lori,

I love that phrase too. At the beginning of my marathon training, I was starting to see some faster runs. Then as I got into the second half of the plan and I had to go into survival mode just to get through it. As the runs got longer, my speed got slower. It's actually so nice now to back in a more balanced training program. I'm seeing my shorter runs get faster. I'm actually starting to enjoy gasping for breath! Not really....but I realize I'm not going to die if I get out of breath. Pushing myself has been one of the things I've been working on. It's so cool to see results

Johanne 

stevebradley - 2011-04-09 3:44 PM JOHANNE again - How are you feeling these past few days about your pre-Vineman schedule; any better? If not, it might help you to look at it in 2- or 3-week blocks, rather than the amassed weeks of the whole thing. Even a week at a time might help you see that there are less havy-duty workouts than you maybe worry about. After my post to you a few days ago, i was thinking thta I had never really been in your position. Back in my coached days, Erik would send me workouts in three-week blocks, and so I never had a sneak preview of what his true Big Picture was for me. I guess he told me during my IMLP prep that there would be 2 or 3 century rides, but that was really just a vague threat -- until the 3-week block in which each 100-miler occurred arrived in my in-box! Further proof that ignorance is bliss??

I'm feeling better. I think it was  intimidating to look ahead and know I couldn't do that future weeks workout now. I'm 2 weeks post-vacation and I think I've been able to see a big difference already. I just overall feel stronger which is so nice after the marathon effort which I totally don't regret doing but have realized how much energy it took. I'd love to do another marathon someday (maybe do an IM) but I'll think through the timing a bit better.  So for now, I'm pretty much just looking a week ahead. Moving stuff around if I need to and scheduling it into my day. I know some workouts are going to be tough for me to do exactly as written but I'll do them as close as I can and I'm sure it'll all work out. I think with the HIM, I'm mostly concerned with not having enough legs at the end for the run. So running I will keep doing

Johanne 

Steve, 

So what was the sockless run like? My niece started biking/running sockless for races last year and loved it. Do people not have problems with rubbing or blisters?

Ok all I can say is WOW, tri's are not easy.  I arrived at the Bay around 10:30am.  Swim was tough, like all of you said and I now agree. Swimming in a pool is not the same as open water.  The water in the bay is brakish so I could not see much at all and all I could think was running into a broken piling from a damaged pier or gators.  All this thinking messed up the breathing which made me require more air.  On the back swim I started to feel ok and the breathing finally retured to normal.  Got on the bike and it was a very windy day, but warm arnd 81 degrees.  Bike ride was good but only avg 16.6mph where as my race last week I was at 18.8.  Ater the ride I took a long T2 6:58min.  Run was horrible. I wanted to do 2 miles but I walked and ran 1.6miles.  Legs felt like they were 100pounds.  Here is the times.

Swim 8:02min   T1 2:55min  Distance not sure

Bike 11.41 miles   41:54min   T2 6:58min

Run 1.6miles    19:46min

Total time   1hr  18min    Good news is I came in 1st place. 

Getting worried about next weekend since the swim is 440yds, bike 17miles and run 4 miles.  Goal is to finish and 2nd goal is to finish under 2 hours.  Took 1 Gel at the beginning and drank heed during the ride.  Had fun but still have a lot of work to do.

Steve,

Thanks for the great reply. I've read a lot about not leaving all your legs on the bike so that's something I'll be working on.

Today's workout is on the bike. I'm supposed to be doing a 3 1/2 ride but next week, Dave and I are doing a 100K bike ride that has more climbing then my last one. Almost 2500 feet which is a lot for us. So today we're going to do most of the course, 55 miles, just so we have a feel for it. It'll be longer then my scheduled 3 1/2 hours but that's ok. I've ridden most of the course on training rides and it won't be too bad.

How about you?

Johanne