Training log - 13.01.14 - 16.02.14: Intervals and Injury

It has been a while since my last training log, partly because I do not have much to report, and partly because I have been putting off writing about the injury that has kept me out of running recently. Things are starting to heal however, so I thought it best to get this post out of the way so that I can find my focus again.

This period started off well with a solid interval week. I was able to really push myself in these sessions and was feeling strong for a few high mileage training weeks, well that was the intention.

Monday 13.01 - Run - Intervals

15 min warm-up followed by 5 x 30second pick-ups
3 x 5 minute intervals with 2 minute rest

8.1km
0:42:54

Tuesday 14.01 - Run - Intervals

15 min warm-up followed by 5 x 30second pick-ups
8 x 10 second sprints EMOM

5.9km
0:39:01

Wednesday 15.01 - Rest day

Thursday 16.01 - CrossFit

Friday 17.01 - CrossFit

Saturday 18.01 - Rest day - went to watch the TAGG team throwdown at CrossFit D6

Sunday 19.01 - Run - Century City to Blouberg and back

I like to think that I am like the guy on the right...
but I am probably more like the guy on the left

What an awesome run. I finally managed to get my new shows, albeit not the ones I wanted, and headed out to break them in. I managed 28km comfortably and at a decent enough pace which left me feeling confident to tackle Peninsula Marathon as my qualifier. It was great to get out early and enjoy the sunrise and I found the answer to my running transport issues. I normally set off  loaded up with all sorts of running gear e.g. from head to toe I might carry buff, sunglasses, earphones, iPod, heart rate monitor, GPS watch, phone, water and plenty snacks. I also don't like carrying my backpack because then I have to take it off each time I want to snack (which is every 15 minutes) so I try and keep it all on the front part of my body. Running shorts these days seem to be making the pockets even smaller so I am often left carrying things in my hands or trying to tie them on. I have just realised that I am potentially 1 paragraph into the most boring story ever, but it was a watershed moment for me when I noticed that cycling tops have pockets, so I need to share this. Running in my cycling top solved everything, plenty pocket space and easy access so that I can keep myself busy when I am out there. Fantastic, cyclists have managed to make a contribution to this life.

28km
2:40:00

Week total
42km
4:01:55

The death trap

The rest of this post can't be tracked daily and is best described in the narrative. The Monday following my long run I rested as I had planned a heavy mileage week. On Tuesday I got roped into our office 5-a-side soccer team as they were short of players. I am not a soccer player and I don't enjoy this but thought it might be fun to get some sprints in and then follow it up with a longer run around the waterfront. Well that idea lasted 2 minutes. After making about 3 tackles and 1 pass, I was jogging very slowly towards the sideline when I rolled over my left anti-minimalist Salomon Crossmax and heard the dreaded snapping noise. The ultrasound showed 1 torn ligament which meant I would be out of running for 4 - 6 weeks and possibly out of 2 Oceans...well that is what they told me.

From there I started off with some intense RICE sessions (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and after about 4 days I was ready to start some rehab. I studied parts of Kelly Starrett's "Becoming a Supple Leopard" and watched a few Youtube clips to understand the injury better. The most interesting thing I learnt was that the tissue will never heal exactly, so I will always need to be aware of it and thus it is important to strengthen it and work on the mobility as soon as possible. After a week of rest and 2 weeks of rehab I was starting to feel more comfortable and even went to 2 low intensity CrossFit classes. Just as I was feeling confident, second tragedy struck in the form of the worst man-stomach flu ever known. I was bed ridden for 3 days and lost possibly all my muscle, fat and fitness.

Sidebar, while all this was going on, a sub-plot was playing out in the form of a new shoe saga. I take my shoe-buying very seriously. Up until this point, I was still road running in my NB 1080v3's which I ran 2 Oceans in last year (and should have dumped at that point). In about November last year I started to focus on road running again after doing mostly trail since Oceans. I needed new shoes back then but thought I would wait as New Balance had advertised the new version 890's would be available in December. From the first week of December I went to the New Balance store every week and tweeted them every week to find out when they would arrive and was told every time it would be the following week. Eventually on the Saturday before my injury I decided that this was detrimental to my training and bought the older versions. Murphy managed to arrange for me to do 1 run, then get injured and the day following that, I received a call saying the new shoes had arrived in store. If I had known I would get injured and would not be able to run any way, I would definitely have waited it out and got the newer ones but I guess we never know that and I am still psyched with my 890v3's.

So I started this last week with no energy and an ankle operating at 60%. The frustration got the better of me and I decided to head out on the road again. Sunday I managed a 4km which felt like the last 4km of an ultra-marathon, I basically crawled the whole way.

4km
0:23:59

Tuesday I managed the same route, still uncomfortable but I picked up the pace a bit.

4km
0:20:30

Thursday and Friday I had some good CrossFit sessions and then Saturday I headed out for a decent run. It was hot as I set off at about 9am, down the promenade and back through Green Point Park. I felt slow, sluggish and I think I am running skew but I am in no pain which can only be good. I have entered Weskus Marathon on 15 March so it is going to be a few weeks of finding the balance between training enough and not over-training and bringing the injury back. I can't wait!

12km
1:04:52

Week total
20km
1:49:21

Back out there