Training Log Archive: Traut

Couldn't even walk without limp today. Can't put any pressure on left calf. Really struggle going down stairs. Not sure how long this is going to take.

I still had hopes my body would "be there" on Sunday and my knee would not react so harshly to impact. It kind of did. My warm-up felt a bit better. I wasn't really back firing even the way I had last week, but it was better. As I ran it clearly wasn't good, but I hadn't caused severe damage yesterday (thank you for walking) or set myself back. The course was much less rocky as well. I still was not competitive though.. I just couldn't respond and run in the woods and I just couldn't think on the run.

I wasn't firing correctly and I knew it deep down. Twice in the first 3 controls my right knee inverted. This means I was not responding to the surface of the ground and driving off of it. My legs were straightening on impact and locking on occasion. So painful and so wrong. The "thing" was not there and finally coming out of #4 I tripped one last time. Whether it was my overall tightness or compensation that led to this doesn't matter, my body was off and my left leg twisted enough to cause damage to whatever ligament, tendon, or connective tissue runs from outside my knee down and back around to the outside of my calf. Limped my way directly back home... well directly back after heading the complete opposite way on the trail. Brain is just as screwed up as yesterday if not more.


Quickroute:



http://www.flickr.com/photos/106181954@N05/1093769...

Hay Creek - Day 2 Red - Splits

Event: DVOA Fall Orienteering Festival
 

This was a really disappointing weekend. My navigation has been improving and I have been waiting for a real breakthrough in an A-meet setting. Last week was a good day, considering how tight and disastrous my legs were. That meet had good competition and I had competed aggressively with people on both the blue and the relay. I had a taste of A-meet competition and this week I was feeling much better physically. Just as I don't expect to compete navigationally with the top competition, I don't expect to all of the sudden have that level of speed either. The thing is, my legs weren't working against me as badly this week, and that is the best I can hope for right now.

It was more then a little crushing when my right knee hurt right form the first step of the warm-up. I still had high hopes my body would snap in when the competition mind-set took over. It didn't. It's interesting in a way. Last week I felt my body working against me in every way, but I was able to find a way to compete and it seemed the competition came to me (The way I compared last weekend to the Shamrock Shuffle is very accurate in this way). This week I felt like my body was on the way back, but the one thing that was so important, that I obviously can not identify by feel, was not there and it was last week.

There was no point in this meet that I was competitive. People ran past me and I did not respond. I made errors and choices navigationally almost seemingly on purpose.... the best way to describe the "thing" that is missing is that I am not truly, aggressively, running. I couldn't handle the rocks even from the beginning. I know that things aren't right when I trip in the woods (whether it is not lifting my legs or not responding to the ground to drive off of it) and I tripped constantly. About the only time I passed somebody was a woman who knew what she was doing on the way from 5 to 6. I climbed up the hill faster, but watched her get out of sight almost instantly as I had to not only walk, but walk gingerly, down to 7. I walked most of the day because of the rocks. On some days I would bounce through. That is when the "thing" is firing. How off was I? After walking and not raising my heart rate at any point, my hamstrings were still cramping in the second half of the course. I am not strong these days, but I am much stronger then that.

When "things" are off for me, everything is off. It seemed even my brain was off. The DVOA maps are really difficult for me because they are so much more technical then what I am used to. It is hard to tell what is a result of my frustration and depression/ fear about what it may mean that my knee does not appear to be healing, and what is mistakes due to the fact I am still not navigationally there yet.


Quickroute:



http://www.flickr.com/photos/106181954@N05/1093742...

as ugly as this day was, oddly enough Attackpoint ranked it higher then any other A-meet I have done, in fact only last week scored better. I have no idea what the algorithm that they use is, but at least it points to the fact that I am better then I was before. Even at my worst.

French Creek - Day 1 Red - Splits

Knowing that I am going to orienteer both of the next few days, which is the toughest activity of my knee right now, along with the fact that my right knee seemed a little irritated last night after PT, biking, and aqua-jogging led me to think that I was better off not running today. I was right. I went for an hour walk on the trails at North Park and my right leg never felt like it was working right, especially going downhill. It was a nice day and a nice walk, but good I didn't push anything that would increase stress to my knee in light of the next two days.

PT: stretching, rolling active warmup.

I planned to do the power cycling class again and PT so I kept it to 20 minutes. Enough to at least get some loosening effects of the water. My glutes and stride felt great. Like yesterday. My left knee was agitated though. Not sure why. Right knee definitely felt tight (swollen).

First power cycling class. She mentioned today would would be focused on VO2 max, but then was taking about lactic threshold most of the session. The testing last week determined the Functional Power Threshold. I do not know if this is an attempt to estimate ventilatory threshold, anaerobic threshold, or aerobic threshold (or something of its own design). Today we did 5 minute intervals (5:00) at 105% of that power threshold. My effort was much closer to threshold but there were not enough intervals for a true "cruise interval" type threshold workout. You have to consider that the population of this class is people who may or may not have ever pushed any type of intervals before. I was supposed to be hitting 267 watts. I started there, but did increase well above 300 watts by the last 2 intervals. I was over threshold at that point, but I did maintain my form and used my glutes well.

I was very worried about my right calf, but it ended up being my left calf that tightened and wasn't functional. I held it together, but my toes were so tensed up it was like I couldn't feel them at times. Right knee and calves were fine.

My back felt fine- which is a good sign. My butt 'nerve pinch' was somewhat better, but still there.

Here are the results from my first threshold test TT last week:




http://www.flickr.com/photos/106181954@N05/1087522...

I won the Yellow Jersey! In other words, no real cyclists in the class...



http://www.flickr.com/photos/106181954@N05/1087523...

So I read up on some of the literature that the instructor gave us. 95-105% is threshold. This lines up with a ventilatory inflexion point. Depending on the strength of the athlete, this is a pace that can be held fro quite a while. An hour TT will do. I describe it as you can talk but do't always want to. You can hold this pace, but if you step it down you will cross over the line and things will go downhill fast.

Here is the thing. 106% - 120% is considered VO2 max. The 5-minute long intervals line up with VO2 max repeats, but the reality is that an athlete used to working their body will not be so close to threshold. I was up at 320 watts for the last 2 intervals and I probably was hitting VO2 max (3k race pace for runners is like pace that can be held for 8-10 minutes- it lines up). She wanted to work VO2 max, but knew most people couldn't hold up to their real VO@ max watts so we were at the absolute bottom on that range. It worked out that I went where I did.

Did active warm-up, weighted balance active warm-up, step-downs, calf raises, and leg press in between aqua-jog and cycling class. Felt good at that point. Glutes firing well. When I got home I felt my right knee had swollen more...?! No apparent reason why. Finished up PT at home.

A short run in the dark after the physical for the insurance company and before I had to pick up Claire. Nice winter run in the dark. Snow in the woods and a crisp 30 degree temperature. Like yesterday, my glutes were firing! My form felt quite good. I was using glutes in a way that did feel like they were a prime mover. I was able to be lighter on my feet then I have been in any recent memory. My right knee was still definitely swollen and in that state it clearly could not dissipate stress the way it should. Despite the lower stress, at some points feeling very low, my knee was still feeling some irritation. It was not enough to bring on damage though. It did bring to light what Dr. Stone an dI talked about yesterday.

Running in the dark felt fast. I kept the intensity within my relaxed form, but I felt like I was running free and fast. The pace wasn't as fast as it felt. It was OK at best. I felt good though. My left glute did fatigue but I was able to keep finding it when I lost it.


Strava: http://www.strava.com/activities/94947483

active warm-up, stretching and rolling. Tight in calves and hamstring after run. Didn't feel as good.

My body seems to be ending this particular downswing and maybe heading back up. My back ins't sore when I am waking up and I am starting to feel more able to activate my glutes in exercise. Things are flowing better... I am much looser.

Had my follow-up with Dr. Stone today. he did finally come to the conclusion that this was more then just a strength issue. He did like the flexibility of my IT band. He said I still wasn't strong in my rotaters, but I am stronger and I think he spoke to fast there. The physical therapists felt differently on that and he did come to the conclusion that this was more then a strength issue. He wants me to continue therapy, I would rather do it on my own to save the co-pay and I think they have done all they can- but I will play along to keep ahead of any reasoning that that could still be the issue. I will be doing these exercises probably forever. My form is just coming around now. I am not going to lose it. The thing is no matter how much I do to not cause irritation, this knee is still swelling. That swelling is inhibiting my quads, which he noted are still garbage. He is definitely right on that.

I was hoping there were other things to look at, but the focus was entirely on the arthritis, which does make sense. Not what I wanted to hear at all. That is a degenerative slope that I want to stop at all costs. If it is arthritis causing these issues, that scares me a lot. He gave me some literature to look at on injections of knee lubricant acids combined with polymers to avoid breakdown. They are the newest idea and are said to work best with mild arthritis so know is the time.


Full PT sat Y after aqua jog and at home (resistance band work, stretching, and rolling). Felt awful at first, during active warm-up. No strength for balance. I just couldn't fire my glutes well, especially on my left side. I was stalling and then when I finally just put my head down and went into a groove, no matter how bad, the day did improve. On the leg press, and the step downs and directional one-legged squats I was not only firing my glutes, but using them as, what felt like at least, the prime mover. I don't know if I have ever felt that. My left glute would fatigue at the end of each set of directional squats and I would loose balance.

30 minutes was all the time I had after my appointment with Dr. Stone and before open swim ended. It was actually about right. I struggled with my form, especially my left glute. I also really felt the swelling in my right knee. My lower quad was so so tight. I am assuming this is delayed onset from Sunday's orienteering. It did loosen up a little in water. My form never came entirely, but it got better and then worse. My left leg eventually stared to feel tight in the IT band. I was just not firing my glutes well on that side. At 30 minutes it was time to stop.