Training Log Archive: Vector

Event: Boggs '14
 

Sprint. Wow - I had a good thing going until #16 & 17 struck... arrrrrggghhhh!! Felt a little weird trying to find #2, but after I shook that off I was feeling really good and got into a nice groove, and looking at the splits I made my way up to 8th - 10th place overall and was holding it for a long time, but then 16 and 17 got me an dI dropped way down to 22nd. Despite those two hiccups I felt good about my progress with this kind of course and the hip wasn't acting up in any noticeable way, so overall a good outing, just didn't get the job done at the end which left me feeling pretty deflated. Anyway, here's my course in a nutshell:

1- spike
2- the green and lack of features worried me so I took the trail, but went too far and had to use #8 as my AP to 1, but that was my biggest hiccup the whole rest of the race until #16.
3- bearing run + trail bend AP. a little of but not far.
4- spike - beeline
5- spike- aimed off to the right then got it
6- spike- took lower northern trail
7- spike- used clearing edge as AP
8- spike- just followed the clearing
9- beelined until I saw rocks
10- spike
11- aimed right a little, a bit off but looking the correct direction helped me
12- spike- beeline
13- spike- used big spur to guide me in and scanned south side of hill for it, saw it from good distance away looking in the right area.
14- got slow in the rocks as I was hesitant to drop down without seeing it, wound up just to the left of it right next to it.
15- spike- dropped down to trail and used clearing to guide me
16- really don't know why I didn't see it the first time, nor the second. I used the clearing edge as an AP... I guess my problem was I just didn't slow down enough to scan effectively because I wound up at the trail CF. Then ran south to the road/clearing junction area, used that as an AP, and went north looking for it again...still no joy, so went back to trail and re-attacked from between 15 and 16 then finally found it right next trail east of it. ugh- so much for the good run! lost about 6 min's.
17- ran east... somehow I flew by the trail that 17 is on without noticing...so that took some mucho time to figure out, blah! I think I mistook the trail for that ride in retrospect. lost about 10 min's- ouch.
18- spike
19- spike
F- spike

Blue/Red Sprint - Splits

Got fed up w/ feeling like a lazy slug as a result of the diagnosis shock and went out for a small run to see what would happen. Of course as always I felt fine while running, but then felt a bit strange 2 hrs after the run. Maybe PT will work for this? It was a pretty effortless 3 km run, so a good measure to see what happens. The whole rest of my body felt so much better after running, which has me wondering how much its worth to cut so much back on the running... thinking between the physical therapy and a disciplined training regimen I might be able to at least hold off on surgery and still be physically fit until fall so I can just do surgery during my usual rest season and therefore minimize how much ground I lose. Will discuss this w/ my trainer.

After a busy week or so I finally have time to make my post-MRI update. Really wasn't very good or clear news from the sports doc when we went over the MRI results. Indeed I do have some wear and tear on the femur on both sides and liquid / inflammation action in the right side... all due to genetics, not anything I've been doing wrong... I have the mixed-type (both cam & pincer) hip impingement. Good news is no tissue / labral tear, bad news is there is wear and tear evident on both hips. Doc is putting me on physical therapy for a month to see how that goes. If that doesn't improve anything then it might have to be surgery. Surgery entails 3-6 months to recover if it goes well, longer if it doesn't. When the doc started talking about running on flat surfaces and such my wall went up and I didn't want to listen anymore...which didn't matter because there weren't any real black & white answers anyway, as is usual w/ medical issues. This coming Wednesday is the Physical Therapy evaluation where I hopefully get some more clarity about my plan going forward...starting first with short-term plans/goals like the A-meet at Boggs, and the Military World Champs in Aug, and longer term plans/goals like 2015 and beyond. Part of me is relieved that this wasn't something I did wrong to myself and happy to find out why I have been having some of these lingering issues over the past year or so, but the other part of me is extremely frustrated that its just genetic and there seems to be nothing I can do about it except "modify my activities" or get surgery. Even more frustrating is just about every cardio exercise I would want to do as an alternative to running is also affected by this syndrome... biking, cross country skiing, tennis, etc. one big ugh. Perhaps I just push through the next 2 years? (Probably not realistic given the risk of ripping tissue). Perhaps the physical therapy will actually work? (I doubt it because I gave it 3 months of rest during the holidays and it all just came right back). Perhaps my favorite sport is an unrealistic expectation to have any longer? Hopefully some of this starts getting answered more clearly next Wed. In the mean time I've been feeling like a slug and missing out on Jens' Goat race on Sat was insult added to injury on this one. Hoping that there's a way to manage all this. At the moment it just seems all too overwhelming and deflating.

C • The Follow up 4