broken wheel.
I have been a little down the last couple days about training, but I guess it is all a part of the process. The frustrating part is that when I'm training just for the sake of training, a "broken wheel" would not bother me. The first sign of pain and I'd go cycling. If that still caused pain, I would swim or take an approach like I wrote about in my Training through Injury article.
An interesting thought is that my current issue is probably related to an imbalance between my muscular ability and my connective tissue ability to withstand this specific training protocol. Therefore, I would have probably done better if I had followed my own advice prior to this 12 week training period (i.e. yoga/pilates/strength training).
My Achilles heel.
My "broken wheel" is actually an achilles problem. Self diagnosing - it is achilles tendonitis. I've tried to be pretty agressive in treating it because this crap can stick around. What am I doing? Rest, ice and elevation. The classic rehab plan. Plus I have taken ibprofen yesterday and today. (You know something isn't right when I start taking NSAID's, since I always feel like I'm preaching against their overuse.) And I'm following the strengthening / stretching advice from: http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/eccentric_achilles/.
Learning from the experience.
So how did this happen? My first assumption would be my saturday run (see: cowabunga). I do not think that the volume (duration) of the running was the problem because I have already completed a 2:00 run. And last weeks total volume was actually down from the week before. The issue is likely the intensity with which I ran the 2:10. The frustrating part is that I'm always preaching (to myself at least) that long runs DON'T need to be run at a quick pace. And I take precautions to make sure I don't get competitive during the runs. I just felt good on Saturday... so I ran faster than I thought I was running. Was the result an inflammed achilles?
Another possiblity is that I used an unsupported shoe on Monday, while my body was still recovering from Saturday. A combination of the two is most likely. The thing that I don't understand is that on Sunday I didn't run, but I walked all over and never had any signs of pain. Then monday, I got on the treadmill to warm up. And bingo - bango.
The process!
The last thought I have on this is that I've let the "result" become as important as the "process" over the last few weeks. Running at my (our) level isn't about results (if we are completely honest about it). It is about the process. Sharing stories with other runners, training with the group and testing our bodies and our minds.
The sub 3:00 result had become way too much of my focus last week. It obviously isn't wrong to have goals. In fact, having goals may be an important part of the process. But obsessing about a result rarily helps accomplish much in endurance sports. Who knows, maybe Bode Miller has a better approach (mentally) to sports than we're willing to give him. I actually find it kind of refreshing that he can walk away without any medals and still feel positive about his skiing.
An interesting thought is that my current issue is probably related to an imbalance between my muscular ability and my connective tissue ability to withstand this specific training protocol. Therefore, I would have probably done better if I had followed my own advice prior to this 12 week training period (i.e. yoga/pilates/strength training).
My Achilles heel.
My "broken wheel" is actually an achilles problem. Self diagnosing - it is achilles tendonitis. I've tried to be pretty agressive in treating it because this crap can stick around. What am I doing? Rest, ice and elevation. The classic rehab plan. Plus I have taken ibprofen yesterday and today. (You know something isn't right when I start taking NSAID's, since I always feel like I'm preaching against their overuse.) And I'm following the strengthening / stretching advice from: http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/eccentric_achilles/.
Learning from the experience.
So how did this happen? My first assumption would be my saturday run (see: cowabunga). I do not think that the volume (duration) of the running was the problem because I have already completed a 2:00 run. And last weeks total volume was actually down from the week before. The issue is likely the intensity with which I ran the 2:10. The frustrating part is that I'm always preaching (to myself at least) that long runs DON'T need to be run at a quick pace. And I take precautions to make sure I don't get competitive during the runs. I just felt good on Saturday... so I ran faster than I thought I was running. Was the result an inflammed achilles?
Another possiblity is that I used an unsupported shoe on Monday, while my body was still recovering from Saturday. A combination of the two is most likely. The thing that I don't understand is that on Sunday I didn't run, but I walked all over and never had any signs of pain. Then monday, I got on the treadmill to warm up. And bingo - bango.
The process!
The last thought I have on this is that I've let the "result" become as important as the "process" over the last few weeks. Running at my (our) level isn't about results (if we are completely honest about it). It is about the process. Sharing stories with other runners, training with the group and testing our bodies and our minds.
The sub 3:00 result had become way too much of my focus last week. It obviously isn't wrong to have goals. In fact, having goals may be an important part of the process. But obsessing about a result rarily helps accomplish much in endurance sports. Who knows, maybe Bode Miller has a better approach (mentally) to sports than we're willing to give him. I actually find it kind of refreshing that he can walk away without any medals and still feel positive about his skiing.
posted by gary at 12:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home