Training Log Archive: maprunner

Another beautiful warm day, so Mike and I went to Wyandotte. I walked/jogged on the trails. By the end, my foot hurt more than I wanted, so this was probably not a wise thing to do today.

On the other hand, I figured out a fix for my 405 HR monitor woes. I took off the back strap, and just stuck the monitor portion under my bra straps (up high on my chest). Don't know why it won't work when placed under my bra band as the Polar did, but no matter. Here is what a normal trace looks like for me.

C • HR strap 13

C • Rowing 3

Well, it's not the battery or my particular unit. I had the same problems when I tested Mike's strap. It only worked when I lay down or put it on up high on my chest, under my bra straps.

So either it's not close enough to my heart, or my sport bra is interfering or...?

On another note, the PF felt no better or no worse today after last night's orienteering. So that's good news.

It was such a beautiful, warm evening, I just had to get out to the woods. So I moved around at SMP after work. Mike showed me how to tape my arch. I think it was a little bit too tight; the arch felt stiff by the end.

Took it very easy. Walked mostly, with just a few test of 100-200 meters of jogging. Right now, the foot feels a bit sore, but not too bad. We'll see how it feels tomorrow.

I'm really frustrated with the HR portion of the 405. I've worn a Polar for years, so I know all the pitfalls and fixes. The 405 either gives either no reading, or a very low reading. Static, low conductivity, bra underwire, loose contact with skin have all been removed or ruled out. Here is tonight's HR track. This is really frustrating; I don't want to wear both the 405 and a Polar watch. Any suggestions?

C • faulty HRM? 12

Kinda expensive ($7.50) given the short time and lack of meet organization or map.

On the other hand, I was the only patron (on three! rinks) so I suppose I got my money's worth :)

PF feels much better than Saturday, but still tight if I sat too long at work. Here's my latest theory: I actually did very little straight running in January compared to recent months, and the event on Saturday involved a great deal of trail running, including a paved bike trail. Maybe the PF flared up because I went from 0 to 60 too fast? Plausible? Or just wishful thinking, because I don't want to contemplate being out for months?

How did others get back into running after recovering from PF?

C • PF 4

Life can deliver funny bumps sometimes. I took January "off" in terms of structured training, because I was mentally burned out. It was also an easy month--the least training I've done in a month since Jan 07. Yesterday was the end of my break, I had a good run and I felt refreshed.

But there was another reason I took it easy in January: I was trying to avoid a full-blown case of plantar fasciitis. Ever since I read about Suzanne, Randy and Anna's woes, I've been paranoid that I would get PF. Since August, I've had occasional pain in my left heel in the morning, off and on. It never really hurt--it was more of an ache. It would last a few days, then go away. I also felt occasional twinges while running, but again, nothing much.

I did everything that I read I should do:
I&I
calf and Achilles stretches
got rid of all my high heeled shoes
bought supportive trail runners
bought insoles for work shoes
stopped wearing O shoes for every run
wore the funny sock at night
I even sunk to buying Birkenstocks to use as house shoes (I've always hated the look of them)

Yesterday, I wore my trail runners during the O race, and felt fine. Finished the race, and did my usual stretches. Everything was fine. Then 10 minutes later, just standing still, my foot started to HURT. WTF? I hobbled around for the rest of the day (Mike and I are a funny looking pair, gimping around the house). This was something new, and frightening.

I've been on constant ibuprofen since then, and it feels better today. But I plan to stop running for a few weeks and see if I can stop this monster. Looks like February might be another light month.

C • PF 2