A Great Rise to 50 (Redux)

Mark - I can't imagine my quads are underdeveloped...  I would guess it's more something coming from my hips.  Always is.  Or even my tibialis, since that's what started all this during that tempo last week.

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15mi today.  With Wednesday's trail run punching my knee in the, well, knee, I'm gonna just go for some long miles on flat roads until this ITBS nonsense goes away completely.  Today it was pretty much fine until mile 11 or so, at which point it became a dull discomfort.  Also about the point my readily available glycogen stores seemed to deplete, as things just felt harder at that point.  Once again, however, after a good stretch, there's no discomfort or pain or anything.  Sigh.  At least it was pretty out today.

Glad you're still not having to pass sled dogs out there on your runs, at least.

Well, fuck.

Had planned to bandit part of RnR USA with Kevin this morning, but the 6am knee test failed miserably.  Until today, I've at least woken up with a fully functional, pain-free knee every day.  Yikes.  Unscheduled off day and maybe a few more upcoming.

EDIT:  Stretching and ibuprofen have reduced the pain, so it's currently pretty good.  Still not gonna run on it until next Saturday.  Bike rehab will commence tomorrow.  Also, just tossed my name in for the MCM lottery.  Hoo-rah.

Crap. A week off sounds like a very good idea. Let it settle down.

Off means cross training, right?  Right.  2hr on the bike today.  Moderate, because it was friggin' windy and easy meant standing still.  No knee pain or discomfort.  Lots of quad work, and interestingly, I noticed my right vastus medialis quite a bit.  Hm.

Cross training on the bike sounds like a good idea at the moment.  You don't want that damn ITB to keep pestering you on your runs.  Hopefully you can give it this little break and get back at it next week.  We're still planning to come to run TNF DC with you.  Do you know if it sells out and if I need to register anytime soon?  33 days till race day and I see it has a 5am start.  I assume that means it starts in the dark so we get to use our headlamps.

Sorry to hear this, Mike.  I go away and everyone falls apart - lol.  And although I do not condone banditing, I'll condone it at a RnR event.  Speaking of which, I received my very cheap AG award from the NOLA half and it is broken.  Score more points with me RnR.

Anyway, things are most likely due to tight hips and weak glutes - so work on all that and you'll be fine in no time.

Tim - Shouldn't be an issue with it selling out, I think.  It hasn't yet, anyway.  Yes, headlamps required for the first couple hours.  Check out the shuttle info, too - 5am start but last shuttle leaves at 4:15am, so we gotta get there a bit early.

Mom - Funny, I was thinking about you on my ride today.  Rode through some areas on the way to Mt. Vernon that reminded me of Chautauqua in a way - the lazy summer on the water feel.  Shitty about RnR, but what do you expect from a race that includes a barren island at mile 20-24 of a summertime marathon with no shade or mist tents or anything?  That'd be San Diego, by the way.  

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2hr25min on the bike this morning.  My neck/upper back, triceps, and wrists are a bit tender from yesterday.  Not used to using those muscles that way.  Oh, and my sit bones.  But those settled in after about 10 minutes.  Rode to Mt. Vernon and back plus a quick loop on Hains Point.  Breezy, chilly morning with the sun breaking through right around the time I hit the turnaround.  Will be a nice long run (home to Mt. Vernon, then shuttled home = 16mi) at some point.

Mike MacLellan wrote:Tim - Shouldn't be an issue with it selling out, I think.  It hasn't yet, anyway.  Yes, headlamps required for the first couple hours.  Check out the shuttle info, too - 5am start but last shuttle leaves at 4:15am, so we gotta get there a bit early.

Damn, that'll be an early morning for a long race.

Yeah.  I emailed them to see if it's really shuttle-only or if there's still dropoff available for 50 milers...  Waiting to hear back.

Also, my brother has all but officially dropped to the 50k distance.  He has cuboid subluxation syndrome and a number of races after this that he doesn't want to jeopardize.  I don't blame him.  He still gets all the highlights of the course with no junk miles.  Lucky guy.

Mike MacLellan wrote:Yeah.  I emailed them to see if it's really shuttle-only or if there's still dropoff available for 50 milers...  Waiting to hear back.

Also, my brother has all but officially dropped to the 50k distance.  He has cuboid subluxation syndrome and a number of races after this that he doesn't want to jeopardize.  I don't blame him.  He still gets all the highlights of the course with no junk miles.  Lucky guy.

Sorry to hear about your brother.  I don't blame him either.  We all have to prioritize and adjust to keep our hearts content.

Tim - Yup.

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6.6mi today.  Eep, I ran.  The knee very quietly threatened rebellion for much of the run, but never actually hurt.  Felt tight at times, and once or twice I noticed what I would pinpoint as the ITB hot spot, but it was more dreading pain than feeling any.  Paces were slow and fatigue was high.  Not sure if it's from the cycling (probably), the training cycle (probably), or just life (probably).

Mike MacLellan wrote:Eep, I ran.

Anybody surprised? Anybody?

Yeah, thought so.

You'd be better off for the moment sticking to the bike. Let the ITB settle down and your knee start talking to you without cussing. You're not going to lose enough fitness for it to matter come race day.

Sucks about your brother, too. Hope he can get that problem under control. Sounds unpleasant.

Hey, it was 3 days off!  And in my defense, the knee felt GREAT yesterday.  

But, you're probably right.  It did act up a little bit at my first job of the day, and it seems that sitting with knees bent (like in a chair) is a trigger for it.  Definitely gets cramped up.  

It's too bad cycling here has proven to be "meh" so far...

4.5 shitty, painful miles.  Not even the knee, though that was uncomfortable.  Now my left groin is unhappy, too.  

Looking back at my training, I kind of peaked back in February at that first mountain run.  Interestingly enough, my long run 3 weeks later was run hard and fast and felt good in the way a race does.  Full of energy, smooth, etc.  Since then, it's been pretty bad.  And continues to be.  

I'm going to try the 50k Saturday.  Then take a week completely off, other than some hip rehab work, and try the next mountain run.  Then we'll see.

Good luck on the 50K, Mike! Hope you can sneak it in and catch the various grumpy body parts unawares.

I.T.B.S. = D.N.F.

Rest doesn't often clear up ITBS stuff by itself - sorry.  I would suggest using a "butt" ball on your glutes/hip area as that usually loosens up the area where the tightness can begin on the IT band itself.  Literally take a tennis ball (or lacrosse ball or hard rubber ball) and place it along you butt and roll along the wall.  I know that sounds weird, but it will loosen up the area.  Works like a champ.

Damn. Sorry, Mike. Listen to Mom's advice, it's good, as always.

Mom - Doesn't sound too weird.  I've been wanting to foam roll all along, but my roller is in CA.  Time to look for some tennis balls today.  

Question for the audience - what do we all think of running and/or cycling?  Cycling doesn't bother the ITBS at all.  Running typically doesn't until at least 2-3 miles.

Oh, and in other news...

So I've been coaching Aileen for some local 5k/8k races.  Yesterday she had 8mi w/ 2x 2mi @ 10k pace, so it was gonna be a tough workout.  Here I am, sitting on the couch, and she walks in sounding very out of breath and not quite normal.  I look over and see tears in her eyes, and she says, "I got hit by a car."

Hooooooooooooooooooooly fuck.  I think that was the first time I ever understood just 1% what it must mean to be a parent, because I freaked out.  It took a few exchanges to glean that she wasn't hit by a moving vehicle, but rather doored by a parked one.  Her wrist slammed smack into the edge of the door as it was opening, and she was unable to flex her hand up (I can't think of a better way to say this).  

By the time we got to the hospital, the initial shock and panic had left her a bit, so she was slightly more jovial, but still in pain.  I was impressed that they immediately asked if she wanted the "sign language machine" (I'm assuming they meant a video relay interpreter) when realizing she was deaf, but I didn't mind interpreting and ended up doing it.  Had a feeling she'd want me there while she got wheeled through the hospital for x-rays and stuff.  

The diagnosis?  Cracked pisiform (the lumpy bone on top of the wrist).  Not a full break, just an internal fracture.  And it's her right hand.  There goes clear signing, writing, and fast typing.  And maybe running, for a little bit.  We'll have to see what the orthopedic surgeon says when she goes in for a cast, since they just splinted it at the hospital.  

...Fun!

In hindsight, it's probably VERY good I dnf'ed yesterday, since I would've been just barely walking in the door (and probably in a ton of pain) when this happened had a I finished the race.

Kevin - Yeah, tell me about it.  Especially when you see where it hit - basically ran down the outside of her hand and caught on the bone that broke.  Yeouch.  Good luck on your upcoming race.

Eeeee! I'm cringing on your description of how the edge of the door tried to guillotine off Aileen's pisiform.

Glad it didn't catch her fingers. What, if any, reaction did the driver of the car have? I'm not 100% sure, but shouldn't any medical bill be covered by the motorist's liability insurance? It'd be totally understandable if information wasn't exchanged at that moment, but still.

You're right... the DNF was a blessing in this case. It made it much easier for you to help out.

As far as the ITB goes, I'd suggest cycling and running up to the point to just before it starts bugging you until you get it stretched out and figure out whatever it is that's making it so tight.

Mark - Funny you mention the driver's insurance...  Her dad's first question was "did they exchange information?"  Which of course they didn't.  It was a Comcast van that doored her, and they guy DID try to come over and help, but in her words, "I was fucking mad and waved him away."  So, no real info known there.  You're right, it would be easier to just have his insurance cover it, but she was also running in the street, so I'm not sure that it was actually his fault...?  Either way, trying to navigate her insurance plan is a bitch, and almost worse than the craziness of yesterday.

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I guess I'll try and keep up the fitness level with whatever I can in the meantime.