Bumpy Roads and intensity

At the corner of Autopilot and Aviation Drive, the long run of the week commenced. Appropriate considering the run was planned to circumnavigate the northern portions of Washington Dulles Airport. It was the culmination of a productive week of training during a "recovery week".

There was shorter periods, but with more pain. The good kind. The plan that is to be followed during the lead up to Boulder IM completes a 3 weeks on 1 week off cycle. During the one week off the plan has you do tests of varying degree in order to test your progress. It's sadistic nature can be enjoyable. The much reduced length of training time is traded for vomit inducing intensity, just to see how you do.

The tests went well and showed improvement. Thank goodness. Followed by a promising long ride with a couple of handy roadies throughout the winding local roads of Minneapolis. The great thing about the roadies is that they know where all the smooth roads are. The downside is that they love their hills and they have a real knack at finding them where you least expect it. I now have some good new routes to follow when we next head out.

It was a good 8 miler today. Slightly hazardous first mile or so, being threatened by fatigued airport cabbies and early morning rental car returners. Once out of the mish mash of the airport roads, the run expanded in to a quite loop through the woods that was quite enjoyable. Nice end to the week with the sun on my back and the London Philharmonic in my ears. 

The anti is on the up this week. Two weeks out from the first race of the season, a half iron distance local race beginning in the calm, chilly waters of Lake Rebecca. Combined with a visit to the sporty doc, this should be another interesting week on the bumpy road to Boulder.      

Hope, random and forgetfulness

Frankly, although I probably don't have the most solid set of ankles of all time, I still have a little hope on my side. Today, 9 miles were completed as part of the long run portion of this weeks long arduous training. Coupled with a complete and somewhat tortuous hilly long bike yesterday, it made for my first complete week of training for the first time this year. 

If I am ever completely honest with myself, I would perhaps acknowledge that the ankle isn't at 100%, to say the least. The doc will tell more come the end of the week and suspicions remain as within the inner most subconscious that fluid remains in the ankle joint. The deployment of heat/ice methodology (one far more welcome than the other) has made an impact. The re-deployment of the ice bath, championed by the likes of Paula Radcliffe, has also contributed to a positive week. It's amazing how it is so easily forgotten from one season to the next, all the tricks that helped so much last season. A simple conversation with "Constitution" on the long hilly ride around St Paul yesterday sprang in to action the much needed stop at the local BP for two 20 pound bags of ice and a wobbly bike back the house. This was shortly followed by by some debatably girlish screaming and some inquisitive looks from the dog and cat as I entered the first ice bath of the season.

There are numerous debates about the impact of the ice bath. All I could say, as far as my tortuous self experimentation goes, is that it appears to have a positive impact on my ever complaining body.....

....This is what I love about triathlon! As I write this week, I was in flight on my way to work and spotted the tell tale sign of the Transition Bag as a carry on. I struck up a conversation and as it turns out this lady specializes in sports injury for triathletes. For the next hour I continued to receive some free medical advice on my ankle. Winner. Found out there is some serious work to do on my ankle mobility and hip flexors.

What should also focused upon is my memory. A solicitous email just crossed my inbox congratulating on a fine race! Naturally curious about one successfully races whilst not actually being there, an expeditious search of the results led to the discovery of my very first DNS. Unsurprising really. Would have been nice to have to have remembered. Ironically, there is a slim recollection of signing up during half price Black Friday thinking a duathlon would be good practice for the forthcoming season. I was even off! Oh the irony!

Plenty to work on this week. 

Good luck on this all!

 

Réflexion: Training camp?

To reflect upon the part of the airline industry that I work for and their lack of action over the previous few days would be unhelpful and fruitless. Simply, it must be recognized that their failures have provided an opportunity to reflection or réflexion! 

To find myself stranded in yet another hotel may seem frustrating and annoying in the grand scheme of things. However, even though it is as tempting as a chocolate covered strawberry, to see this as a hindrance is unproductive. I have been stranded in the French speaking city of Quebec in Canada. The hotel has a free espresso machine. The city is a veritable hub of training opportunity. What's not to like?? Indeed, the town is somewhat of a challenge regarding communication, but is that not what Ironman training is all about - The Challenge? We wouldn't keep doing it if it got easier. As Napoleon always says, "it always f*@!king hurts!"

I don;t necessarily see Quebec as painful, mind you. Just a fresh challenge to keep things interesting. As we enter our second day of marooning, I see a pool out of my window and a chance to go for a run in the beautiful old city of Quebec. Challenge accepted!

The ankle had somewhat of an off day yesterday. Grumbling about the effort put in over the weekend. It appears to have bounced back today and may even enjoy a good swim to sooth it's disgruntled tendons. The cold/heat method seems to generate a very good response from "the ole fella" (as I have now named that appendage) The homework must been done well this week. The doctor is due for a visit this week and I must convince him the "old" body isn't done yet!

One of the things that has been reflected on all this week is how I came to have this grumbling ankle. Yes, there was the over zealous football from youth to present - dismissing the aging in between. Yet, it never complained in training previous. Which brought my mind to the ever challenging, completely inappropriately selected footwear run of  Challenge Henley. The brutal, hardened and slippery field that we ran through for 3 miles of each loop of the run portion. Did that finally beat the "ole fella" in to a state of such fatigue that when I finally kicked a ball with it again the jig was up?
One particular personality trait I possess is analysis - excessive analysis. Or, as my wife describes it, "flogging it to death". So, finding the root cause of this has been dancing around my thoughts. Could this painful, yet glorious day be the origins? For Pete's sake, I fell down a drainage ditch in 2012, buggered the ankle beyond what I thought was repair and still managed an entirely successful (read: good enough) completion of France. Yet, France's course was the flattest smoothest run known to man. The polar opposite of Henley. Ah, I shall ponder some more. Better get some more espresso!

Good luck to us all!

Working on my "menu French"

Morning sunrise over my of my favourite places to run.

Back in the gym

It's been a tough three weeks. The love of running and the freedom it gives you is contagious. To be presented with some of the favourite runs in the nation over the last 3 weeks and not able to run them was a form of torture. The chance to run around Flushing Meadows was missed. The first beautiful day of spring was missed. Many of my favourite times.

Yet, something was indeed gained. A new element to training. A new recovery tool. Aqua jogging. Water running. Whatever is the term you choose. Mocked as being an old people's game, this pool time jovial-ness has afforded a new outlet for recovery. When the muscles are sore or the foot is being temperamental, a new option to slap the incredibly bouyant float belt on and start running. It's liberating in a way. Perhaps even meditative. You're not going to go anywhere fast. Many will look at you with a cocked head and wonder why such a youthful, good looking guy is trying to tread water for so long. Isn't that for the old folks? Even the old folks (of whom I met a few during my aqua jogging) will look at you with an arms length stare. "What is this fella doing??"

However, the reward for the muscles is there. The ability to maintain that level of fitness and let the body avoid the constant jarring of outdoor running that is indeed detrimental to damage recovery. Many a runner thinks that those running in the water are suffering from stress fractures and more serious injuries. However, I for one, will be using it in the future when the week is catching me up and I need a little bit of a backward step in order to keep moving forward. 

The foot still has it's days, but the time is right to slowly begin to fun again. The ankle has stopped complaining. The foot can be "irritating", yet a balanced recovery should put me back in good stead. Should.

The weeks are beginning to get more demanding, from a training perspective. The now familiar jump to 3 hour rides and transition runs. The ending of the base and the beginning of some serious time management.

Good luck to us all!

Throw back!