Training Log Archive: Torino

Biking I can still do even though it hurts also, but movement is good, too. Trying a new loop.

Went to Lugano to see my brother but also to participate in a 10 k-race (Stralugano). After the 4 hour-drive over 3 passes (it was a very beautiful day) and walking around town in the evening to watch Urs do his fun run, my knee was hurting really bad. Even before and last 2 weeks, I kind of dreaded that I could not run this race. I had planned to do it together with my brother and just have fun together now that my fitness has sufficiently improved to be able to plan something like that. Big disappointment. And so hard to get a Dr. appointment except if I went to the emergency room (which I am getting close to doing). Quite depressed about my situation with all the fun races and plans I had for October.

C • Mi dispiace 4

Don't really know whether the crosstraining actually hurts or helps my knee. But it usually feels good to break a sweat and watch a movie (Anna Karenina).

The biking over the last 2 days, though painful, seemed to have been good on the knee, so I decided to try a slow jog. But, oh no! Very, very painful. Did a lot of walking, the downhills were not possible, the best is going uphill.
No good with my right knee.

C • Did 2

Ride to the start, took the wrong way first following the flags coming from the finish, but losing them afterwards. Steep hill climb for nothing but warm-up ;-).

Last bike-O race of the season and a very tough one with lots of single tracks and trails full of fist-size rocks in it. Hard to get up or come down. Additionally, it was very wet and muddy in places, so a very hard challenge. Fell twice and jumped off the bike numerous times to save me from a fall and then had to walk either down or steeply up. The roots on the pretty single trails covered with moss did not help either.
It needed a lot of strength today to get through fast. Lots of up and downs and the best bike-O in Switzerland we've had in a very long time.
O-technically it was also challenging as it used many small trails which can be confusing, plus, several times the route choice problems were interesting. I'im not sure I took the faster choice every time.
Too bad it's over for this year, after this race one would like to continue as I would never train in such challenging areas.

Note: the right knee survived these 2 bike-O races. Each time I started with a swollen knee and in pain which passed after a few kilometers. I was still handicapped with it, especially when I had to press on it on the uphills. But I tried, for sure, not the best time possible with this knee. Still puzzled what it is except another meniscus injury?

Bike-O race near Neuchâtel, actually just next door of where Sandra and Marc live.
Had a good start, actually most of it was on a little road or bigger trail. Then we dipped into the forest where the real fun started. We could use some of the smaller trails and with the wet rocks or roots, the bike slid sideways from under me a lot. Hard to keep the balance and the courage to power on anyway especially when heading steeply downhill.
A fun course with some fine technical challenges which was unusual for Swiss Bike-O meets.

Ride to the start. Stopped for 10 min under a barn roof when it started to pour.

Another crosstraining workout while watching movies.
Added some upper body strength exercises with free weights.

No improvement with the right knee, it remains swollen and hurtful. Sometimes, after sitting, I can barely stretch it out, definitely hardly bend it at times. Very puzzling as I try various things, but it seems quite moody when it swells up and when it seems "normal".

I will try the crosstrainer for a few days to see whether my knee calms down.

Swam in the Lido of Maldive which was the Pescoluse beach with its very white sand , but tons of people and noise.
So we went back to "our" place in Torre Mozza just by the hotel with the familiar people and quiet beach.

Another run/jog before breakfast (!!!). Starting out with Urs and splitting up again. I went further along the canals which was very nice. Then I went to the beach and tried to find a way back but eventually got stuck on some hotel grounds. As I did not want to turn back and around, I crawled under a big gate. First, it looked too small the opening, and then I thought if my head fits through, the rest will follow ;-). And it did.
Had trouble getting home as my right knee hurt from the beginning and the pain was getting really bad.
Funny, yesterday it did not hurt at all, and this morning I woke up with a swollen knee. Can't figure it out except that I know it started when I ran down on Barr Trail in CS.
Last day here, tomorrow early we'll leave for home. The week went fast.

Wonderful day (finally!); did several "laps" in the water today as I start feeling stronger swimming again. Unfortunately, the wind picked up around 11 and the waves were back. So I did the 50 crawl strokes always coming towards the shore otherwise I would gulp too much water from the unpredictable waves.
Another lazy day with nothingness but laying in the sun, reading a book, swimming, sleeping, looking into the clouds or over the water, playing featherball unless the wind is too strong, sleeping, swimming, and so on. Incredible how quickly the day passes doing nothing ;-)!

The same as yesterday at a different beach, calmer water today.

Up "early" to get a run in. Start out with Urs and after 2 mls we split and I went to look for a trail that went up onto a hill. Nice gnarly trail (after I found it) and did the loop to a cross on the highest point, 72 m over sea level!, then back down and to the hotel. The trail running was very slow going because of the rocks and many sharp turns, then the scrub (macchia?) was growing into the trail and scratched me continuously. But very nice outing, actually, a little adventure into nature and solitude.

Swimming in the Mediterranean; tried to do 2-3 times 50 strokes each out and back depending how agitated the water was. Most often, there were waves on the way out and I gulped lots of water into my lungs when a wave hit, so I crawled most of the times on the way back towards the shore.
Fun to "play" in the waves again.

Swimming in the Mediterranean on the beautiful white sand beaches of Pescoluse. This whole length of beaches is wonderful.

C • Che bel luogo . . . 1

We had a houseparty in our garden with all the 9 neighbors. Was actually fun! Then, having the belly full of fine food and pies, I went on a run and it went well. At least it felt good :-). Nice beautiful sunshine and warm evening.

Note: after the 3-ml downhill run on Pikes Peak (after doing the incline), I immediately felt that both my knees did not handle this well. I have had problems ever since (for 3 weeks now) in as both knees are somewhat swollen and feel unstable again. All 4 meniscii are hurting on/off and the left knee cap is clicking at times. Riding the bike is not helping as much as I had hoped. So I am treating it again (as I had started almost 2 years ago) mostly with ointments and being careful. Today, after the first few kms the knees actually seemed to settle in place again and the rest of the run was almost painfree. Both medial meniscii have caused the most pain, but I usually could massage them back into a place where it would not hurt. Hopefully, with some knee strengthening, it will settle like it used to be this last year.

C • I ginocchi 2

Bike-O race. And for a change it was not as boring as most Swiss bike-O meets are. Lots of route choices around on bigger dirt roads or taking small gnarly single tracks.
The map was hard to read and I had trouble making out the control sequence. I should take a dark red pen with me all the time as this has happened before. However, this time, it was a chaos of controls and single tracks and very difficult to read. I made a huge mistake, then another huge route choice mistake as I took a single track downhill which was so densely overgrown with blackberry thorny bushes and nettles and large tree branches, I had to fight my way through for about 30 m which took a lot of time and some of my blood. Oh well, next time I will always go around!
Beautiful day though and challenging parts of the course.

After the bike-O I decided to ride home from Schwarzenburg, mostly downhill. And a beautiful and sunny, warm day. Feels like the summer we hadn't had.

Went for a run and really felt my quads and on the uphills my calves from yesterday. Usually, it goes away after a few km, but not this time, I even got slower. Probably not the best day to go running after the race yday, but considering how this week will turn out, I had to take advantage of this day at home.
Btw: "my" Aare trail is partially flooded again. Always amazes me after the water lever had been down by about 1 m a week ago.