Last run before Hanmer half

This morning I ran my last run before embarking on 21.1km of ups and downs, on and off road running.

I went this morning at 6am and it was as you’d expect, dark.

I had a level 5 intensity run.  I was determined to make it feel hard.  I’m a little worried that I’ve been too easy on those hard runs (only because my average HR seems to tell a different story to how I feel).

I’d only gone about 2 minutes when my HR strap was falling off.  I try to hoist it back up while continuing to run, but it just slid to my waist.  Maybe I’m losing some fat around my torso.  I think it was more likely the change in my breathing given it was a hard run.

I knew I was doing a decent job when I got to the roundabout under 7 minutes.  When I run well I can get there a bit over 7 minutes.

I thought I had the distance pretty much sorted in my head.  I had looked at my watch and saw it was 13 minutes and then when I got to the point I expected to be the 1/2 way mark, I thought my watch said 15:18.  So I turned around and headed back.

I’d love to do a negative split and knew I couldn’t slacken off, not even the slightest bit.

When I got back to the round about I knew it was just 7 minutes to go.  Not too much longer before I could rest and catch my breath.

When I got home I looked at my watch and it was 28:52.  w00t!

I thought I’d just run a negative split.  Until I downloaded the data off my watch and saw that my 1/2 point was 14:22.  A minute sooner than I thought I’d read.

So as it happens my return run was 8 seconds slower.  I guess that’s acceptable but not what I’d thought, or what I’d be striving for.

I’m a bit worried that I haven’t really thought too hard about the Hanmer Half run.  It’s just two days away and I’m not feeling very organised, or prepared for it.  I wonder if that’s because it’s more a training run than it is a main event.

I was trying to get my head around the “strong” run.  While I’ve agreed to that, I wonder what it really means.  It doesn’t mean slow and steady.  I could have said today’s run was strong, but I couldn’t keep that up for 2+ hours.  Now I need to come to terms with what a strong run is supposed to mean.

The weather seems a bit fickle at the moment too.  I guess I’ll just pack stuff for all conditions.  I hate packing.  And the more I pack, the more I have to unpack!  I hate unpacking too.

One last note, I checked with MapMyRun and my average speed was 5min k’s (ok 5.01).  Now I’m happy again.

What the Dr ordered

Well it’s a recommendation.

After doing several tests, looking at my MRI photos and a quick chat about how my shoulder is impacting my life, the Doc suggest a cortisone injection.

He said we need to deal with the inflammation before addressing the muscle imbalance.

All the side effects were described.  Including the possibility (slim) of getting an infection.  1 in 100,000.  But if I got an infection it would be antibiotics and possibly surgery to scoop out the infection.  Oh yummy!

The fenestration thingee that had been suggested he said is unlikely to work.  If my injury was new and pliable, getting in there to break down the calcification would have a much better chance of working.

But given my calcification has been around so long, the idea of digging in there to somehow break it up is near impossible.

I’m paraphrasing here so take all this with a grain of salt.

At the moment even scraping out the bowl (the meringue last night) is causing my shoulder to ache, a sudden jolt of uncomfortableness that takes me by surprise.

Tonight I was leaning over the Crockpot on the bench to put a spoonful of dinner onto my plate and that did it also.

It seems that now the ache is back (after a beautiful holiday without any sign of the injury) it’s ramping up it’s act and trying some new tricks.  Unwelcome tricks I must add.

We spoke about how I felt about the injury. 

The previous sports doctor I’d seen more or less told me the injury was fairly minor and he had seen other people who had less mobility and some unable to dress themselves.  He suggested a couple of strength exercises.

So I came away thinking I was making a big deal over nothing.  That I just needed to harden up.

As I said to this doctor, the pain is intensifying, and coming on during fairly ordinary every day activities.  I felt I was too young to go through the rest of my life with this limitation and pain.

He told me it was in fact called Swimmers Shoulder.  Even though my injury wasn’t the result of swimming.

I also have the same amount of calcification as elite swimmers he’s seen that have been unable to swim due to their injury.

At least he made me feel like I wasn’t creating a storm in a teacup (what an old fashioned saying).

If I have the cortisone injection then I can’t swim for a week, nor have any physio over that time.  It might also take up to 6 weeks before any effects are felt (or not felt as the case will be).

So I need to think about it and then make an appointment if I want to go ahead.

Right now I’d be quite happy to have the injection.  I really do feel like I’m coming to the end of my rope with frustration.

I like my food

I like my food.  I like treats.  Except that “treats” were more or less part of my standard diet.

So for two weeks I’ve cut out the treats except for a Sunday.

This will be my third week.  Not a great week given I had a small Dark Chocolate bar Monday evening (Dark chocolate is the only “good” chocolate though) and Lemon Meringue Pie yesterday for dessert.  Umm, I had two pieces – just keeping it honest in case Michael calls me out.

There’s enough left over for dessert tonight.  And I’m having some!

The point here is that I’ve noticed a difference since cutting out my regular dietary treats.

My skin has improved.  Though the breakout that came first wasn’t pleasant.  My headaches have continued.  Though that could be for a variety of different reasons.  The artificial lighting at work, withdrawal symptoms from sugar, tiredness and a whole raft of other possible reasons.

I guess the most pleasing result is the change to my body.  Ok it’s not significant, but it’s noticeable – to me.

Clothes are starting to feel loose (usually they were loose anyway, now there’s even more room).  I’m starting to see more muscle definition in my arms, and abs.  Don’t get carried away.  I don’t have beautifully contoured muscles, so what I see isn’t eye-opening stuff.  It’s just it’s more defined.

I still like my food though.  The second week of cutting out the sugar stuff from my diet wasn’t easy.  I struggled.  This week’s not a good example because of the Lemon Meringue Pie.  I’m sorry, I can’t give it away.  I love it too much!

What I do need to add back to my diet is my muesli.  I think I need that extra fibre in my diet to get things moving along more regularly.  I think that’s possibly one of the other reasons I’m having those urges when running.  I’ve already cut the OJ out.

Weetbix aren’t really giving me the same benefits as the muesli.

So out with the old (bad) and in with the new (good) foods.

After tonight’s dessert I’ll be back on track with the new and improved diet (which is nothing more than choices).

I must say I don’t mind one little bit seeing a greater definition in my muscles.  It’s whether I’m vain enough to keep this up. I should do it.  It’s good for me.  But I do like my “treats”. 

I guess what I’ve learnt, and know about myself: 

• I can go cold turkey (though this time round has been harder).
• The sugar stuff doesn’t make me appear overweight because I do enough exercise to keep that at bay.
• A drop in the sugar is beginning to give me a more leaner look.  Of course it could just be the change to running that’s done it, or helped it along.

I don’t know that I’d go as far as pushing this on anyone. What works for one person may not work in the same way.  You know those waivers they keep putting on weight machine and diet commercials about Individual Results blah blah.

Having said that, who wouldn’t agree that cutting out the sugary (unnecessary) food items will provide more benefits to your general wellbeing and health.  It’s hard (for me this time round) to be disciplined.  It takes dedication and will power and determination.  That’s my struggle.

Running … out of time

Ok, so I’ve been a bit slack with updates about my training.  Not like me at all!

This Saturday is the Hanmer Half Marathon.  I have no idea really how long it will take.

Richard and I have decided the plan will be to treat it more as a training day, but to run strongly throughout the event.  This will (supposedly) benefit my SBS 1/2 marathon since it’s a flat course on a smooth surface.

Some have suggested to allow an extra half hour for Hanmer, others say it’s only taken them about 10 minutes longer than a flat course. 

Of course I don’t run as fast as the person who suggested it takes them an extra 10 minutes.

Who knows.

Richard and I are going to take the middle ground and say an extra 20 minutes.  So given my 1:55 time for SBS, I’ll be in by 2hrs 15 for Hanmer (being positive here!).

I’ve had a short but very hard run on Monday.  Just 35 minutes.  To refresh your memory, Monday was a particularly beautiful day.  It was 20deg at 7:30 when I got back to work.  That heat didn’t do me any favours.

My HR was just 171 as an average.  Now to many that seems ok for a level 7 (or 10) intensity.  But for me it’s not reflective of how hard the run felt.

Yesterday was a 50 minute hill run.  I had that urge again and stopped twice for it to pass.  I managed to complete the run.  More becuase there were NO toilets anywhere near where I was running.  What choice did I have?  Strange how the body seemed to accept that and then deal with it.

I ran up Major Aitken Drive (is that the right one).  It’s where the Tri Club’s running group will be cycling this Thursday.  They’ll be doing repeats of bike/run.  I thought I’d see just what I’d be missing out.  And I’m happy to say I’m not feeling at all left out.  I’m sure if I were to particapte I’d bust a gut.  Man I’ve not been on my bike for any hill work since Le Race and Major Aitken is a serious bit of uphill.

I was pretty pleased with the run yesterday, but again my HR doesn’t reflect the amount of effort I felt I was putting in.

I know my eye continues to flicker (or twitch) which is generally an indication that I’m really tired.  Yet I don’t feel worn out.  I admit to not sleeping well since returning to work.  I don’t know I’d say it’s work related though.  Probably the change from Daylight Savings, the weather (which seems to be swinging from one end of the spectrum to the other) and probably a change of pace with work getting busy again in preparation for Aussie tax. 

Neither do I feel my training is the cause.  However I do need to admit to having afternoon sleeps when I’ve done a fairly intense – either in duration or intensity – run.  Maybe it is the change in getting my body more accustomed to being on my pins and not on my bum, using different leg muscles.

Today is a rest day.  I’m thankful for it I can assure you.  I had wanted to bike today but the weather (which has again turned more “winterish”) has put paid to that.

One step forward, two steps back

I had my appointment with the physio yesterday.  Sally is on leave so I went to see Ange.  Ange was who I saw for the AUT Shoulder Study – so she did have a good grasp on my problem.

Before my appointment I took a 25 min dip in the pool.

My word it was busy at QEII at 5:15.  I thought all the kids would be gone, and I guess most were.  There were loads of adults there.  I’ve never seen a more popular lane for “slow” swimming.

I’d actually gone with the intention of giving some of the Total Immersion drills a crack.  The pool was still 50m.  Ordinarily I’d be happy with that.  But with the TI drills I figured a 25m pool would be ample.  Mostly due to how slow I would be, and how much I might be in the way of others.

So I was certainly not going to do 50m lengths of getting my balance.

Needless to say, I sort of launched into some of the things without any practice what-so-ever and more or less failed.  Not a surprise.

I did do a couple of things that felt different, perhaps even slightly easier.  I really stretched with my arm to lengthen my body.  I’m not very good at sort of rolling from side to side as I bring my arm back.  But the stretching did give me a really good feel for the pull.

My timing also sucks.  You leave your outstretched arm where it is, anchored, until you other arm enters the water around about your ear (see Rachel, I’ve been reading AND watching the DVD).

I’m sure if I approached the drills as is stated in the book and DVD I’d have had a better chance.

Anyway, before the short 25min session (which was NOT in my programme in case anyone wants to laugh at how short the session was) my shoulder was indeed hurting me.  Not the sudden sharp pain of Friday.  But a fairly intense pain.

Ange did some tests and she’s referred me to a sports doctor at Active Health, and I’ve got a couple of appointments with Sally when she’s back next week.

I know the one sports doctor I saw during the Shoulder Study suggested the inflammation I have isn’t that significant and that people just live with it.

I’m at the point of wanting to throw my toys out of the cot.  I can’t imagine having to put up with this sort of pain day in and day out, and it dictating what sort of sports/activities you can manage.  MANAGE!

Right now the shoulder is interfering with my running.  I know that might seem odd.  But it’s true.  I find that I tense up in my shoulders and only come to realise that when I feel the pain.  So I have to relax my shoulders and swing my arms more in order to remove that discomfort.

Hopefully this new sports doctor will be less blasé about my pain than the last, or at least a bit sympathetic.  I’m sure I’ll have something more to say after Wednesday.