Back is Still Sore

Even though my back has improved significantly, I am still unable to run.

Surprisingly I made it to swimming before work on Friday.  I've made it to 2 swim session so far, it is held in a 50m outdoor pool and both times it has rained for the majority of the session.

Saturday morning I headed out for a run, but my back was immediately sore.  When it had not improved after 1.4km I decided to turn back.  So my planned 7km run ended up being an extremely slow and slightly painful 2.8km run.

The Sunday ride (which I coached) went better.  I did not feel any issues with my back during the ride which included two 8km Time Trials into a stiff headwind.  However my back was extremely stiff when I tried to hop off the bike at the end.

I see the Physio again on Wednesday, hopefully the back will have improved considerably by then

Performance Goals

Last season was about going long (ie. Ironman).  The knee injury I suffered in October ruled out any speed or strength work (ie. hills), so all the focus was on extending my endurance by doing long and slow training sessions.

I did a bit of speed work with my running last Winter (before the knee injury) and this paid dividends with a 5km personal best (PB) in the first run leg of the last Duathlon - it was also a Duathlon PB and almost certainly my best race ever.  This season I want to focus on improving my speed.  I want to regain the running speed I enjoyed in the last Duathlon and maybe even go faster.  However I also want to improve my swimming.  Last season I thought my swimming improved significantly, but did not translate to faster swim legs in the only two Triathlons I raced.  My bike leg has always been relatively good, and while I still want to improve in this area, it will not be my main focus.

Swimming

Last season I improved my 100m PB by 5 secs (1m25s for 100m). This meant that I could comfortably (relatively speaking) churn out 100m repeats in under 1m35s, whereas before I had always struggled to get them close to 1m40s.

After a nice break in the off season, the first aim will be to get my 100m back down to 1m25s and 100m repeats to 1m35s. I'm hoping this won't take too long. The second aim come Summer will be to translate this speed (again relatively speaking) into better swim splits in the Triathlons. My swim in Geelong (36m26s for 2km + T1) was slow due to bad positioning and being hemmed in by other slower swimmers and the Ironman swim (1h15m) sufferred as a result of cramping from the halfway mark onwards. This season I want to replace the excuses with good results.

When setting time goals I like to set 3 different targets. The first one I believe I should be able to achieve, the next one I would like to acheive and the last one I dream of acheiving (but still realistic). Since using this method I have a better than 50% success rate of acheiving my dream targets, but more importantly always feel a sense of satisfaction reaching my first time target.

Swim times

  500m:   8m45s - 1m45s/100;  8m20s - 1m40s/100m;  7m55s - 1m35s/100m 

  750m:  13m08s - 1m45s/100; 12m30s - 1m40s/100m; 11m53s - 1m35s/100m

  1500m: 26m15s - 1m45s/100; 25m00s - 1m40s/100m; 23m45s - 1m35s/100m

  1900m: 33m15s - 1m45s/100; 31m40s - 1m40s/100m; 30m05s - 1m35s/100m

You'll notice I am targetting the same swim speeds in the longer and shorter distances. The waves in the Sprint Distance races are usually much smaller and take off much quicker, making it more difficult to get a good draft.  Or alternatively I may be kidding myself.

Bike

I've generally been happy with my bike times and it is difficult to set time goals because the bike leg is subject to so many different factors - hilly, flat, technical, windy, etc.

The bike split from my last Half Ironman at Torquay was 2h34m54s, it would be nice to go under 2h30m.

I've always dreamed of averaging over 40kph in a Short Course Triathlon.  The closest I have come is 39.2 at the Elwood Enduro in Jan 2011 (I averaged 38.3kph in my best Duathlon at Richmond).

I'm more likely to aim at beating some of my benchmark training times, such as 5, 10 & 20km time trial times and climbing times for hills such as Arthurs Seat and Two Bays,  I haven't got these times handy at the moment, I may update this post later if I find them.

Run

I keep referring back to the Richmond Duathlon last year because I am so proud of my efforts in that race. I ran 18m33s for the first 5km run leg, however my Garmin GPS watch records the distance as 4.85km @ 3m49s pace which would equate to 19m05s for a full 5km.  GPS watches are never exact in their measurements and the fact that I backed off in the last 500m in preparation for the bike leg, I consider this effort proof that I can run 5km in under 19 minutes.  My first goal is to match this 5km time and obviously the second goal is to beat it.  So goal 1: 18m58s, goal 2: 18m45s & goal 3: 18m30s.

Another goal is to run 10km in under 40 minutes, something I believe I am very capable of.  The main reason I haven't done this is because I rarely do 10km fun runs.  My last attempt in Oct 2009 saw me run 37m14s, but my GPS watch showed the course was only 9.25km long which meant I only averaged 4m02s pace instead of the required 3m59s pace.  On this day I was holding back thinking I had longer to run and the finish line took me by surprise, robbing me of a strong finish.  So I believe I would've broken 40 minutes if the course had been correctly measured.  I hoping to do a 10km fun run in July or September.  Goals - 1: 39m59s, 2: 39m30s, 3: 38m59s.

My only stand-alone Half Marathon in June 2009 saw me run 1h38m28s.  I took this run out way too slow because I was fearful of the distance.  I have since completed 2 Half Ironmans and 1 Full Ironman, so hopefully my next effort will be faster.  The goal time is to break 90 minutes.  I'm hoping to do a Half Marathon in September, but I'm not confident I'll be in good enough condition to post a good time so I'm not setting my 3 goals for this distance.

Below are my Triathlon run leg goals:

  5km off the bike - sub 20min

  10km off the bike - sub 41min

  20km off the bike - sub 90min

  21.1km off the bike - sub 95min

Back Injury Update

I had my second physio appointment this morning.  My back has improved substationally.  I can now stand up straight (impossible a few days ago) and lean to either side.  However I am still banned from running or riding until the weekend.  In the meantime I am allowed to swim, but that would mean getting out of bed very early tomorrow morning which is unlikely.

On the subject of swimming, I mentioned my shoulder problem to my Chiropractor on Wednesday night (yes I see a lot of Sports Medical Professionals).  He examined my shoulder and discovered it has very little movement.  Apparently it is jammed too tight into the socket which explains the pain I experience when I begin swimming.  Whilst he was doing the examination I was very pleasantly surprised that my shoulder was not causing any pain as he moved it about.  I cannot remember being able to lift my arm above my head without pain in the last 5 years, but I just assumed it was his expertise that allowed this to happen.  It was not until I got home that I realised he was examining my good shoulder (or should I say least bad shoulder).

Injury Stocktake

As the new season is just starting, I thought I'd take stock of my current injury status. Ironically I usually stiffen up during breaks from training and generally feel better as the season rolls on.

Back: At present my biggest injury and the currently being treated by my Physio (Hawthorn). Originally injured it in February 2011. I frequently experience tightness in the back which usually dissipates as I loosen up with gentle exercise, however it flared up in November 2012 playing cricket, and again last Friday whilst playing basketball.

Left Shoulder: pre-existing injury (probably dating back to 1990). Flared up last season and so far seems even worse now. Typically warms up after 1km of swimming but can often start to hurt again towards the end of the session. According to Physio (Sandy Sports Mecidine) last year, I am not doing any further damage, so simply persist with swimming. However I should re-commence doing the strenghening exercises.  It is particularly sore at the moment, but I'm hoping it will improve throughout the season.

Neck: I suspect this is a side affect of the sore shoulder. Don't remember experiencing it last year (maybe a little bit after long rides on the tri-bike). So far this season (the whole 2 weeks of it) it has become very sore. Hopefully the chiropractor can sort it out (seeing him on Wednesday).

Left Patella Tendon: Injured in October 2011 and has been inflamed ever since - Patella Tendonitis or Jumpers Knee. The inflammation still exists but has reduced significantly since Ironman.  This injury dramatically affected my training for Ironman last year and also the reason for me missing the Alpine Classic and all of the Sprint Triathlons.  Until this injury clears I cannot do any run speed work or hills on the bike.  Of all the injuries, this is the one I am most keen to get over.  Fortunately it seems to be recovering well (did not get affected by Basketball) and is the injury that is currently bothering me the least (all good signs).

Left Patella: Suffered patella tracking problems in April 2012, after 2 months recovery have not noticed any issues since. I fell heavily on my left knee playing Basketball on Friday and now sport a large lump which is quite sore - I expect this to heal naturally within a week or so. Despite the soreness it does not hamper training.

Groin: Suffered right groin pain after my bike crash in February 2012 - referred pain from the trauma to my hip socket. This appears to be completely healed, but I am now suffering similar pain in my left groin. I have suffered on and off groin pain for the last 30 years.

Quads: Minor strain in January 2012 which is completely healed now. Prone to getting very stiff and adversely affecting the patella tendon injury. Very tender now after the harder than expected ride on Saturday morning.

ITB: Last injured in July 2008, but like the quads, prone to getting very stiff and adversely affecting the patella tendon injury. Not too bad at the moment.

Hamstrings and Glutes: No real issues other than prone to getting tight and sore - which they are now due to Saturday's ride (and maybe Basketball).

Calfs: Torn in 1989 and often strained since. Surprisingly I did not experience calf issues when training for Ironman, but they are a little sore now after Saturday morning's harder than expected ride.

Achilles: Suffered lots of achilles strains from 2005 to 2008. This injury appears to have been fine since I switched to running in Newtons in 2008.

Plantar Fascia: Suffered a bad case of plantar fasciitis in 2006. It has never been 100% since, but like the Achilles, much better since I switched to running in Newtons.

Feet: Suffered lots of cramping in my feet last season, often whilst swimmimg. They are currently very stiff and feel like they could cramp any time. Not sure what is causing this issue or how to remedy it.

Toes: My second toe is longer than the big toe and therefore always takes the brunt on long runs. The toenail on my left big toe was cracked playing cricket in around 1998 and the crack has remained ever since. I lost the toenail on my left second toe as a result of Ironman. My left big toes is bruised from Basketball, but otherwise I regard my toes to be in relatively good condition.

Fingers: I suspect mainly arithitis, but they are very sore after Basketball last Friday. Probably got jammed by the ball, but I don't remember any specific incidents.

First week of real training for the season

Last week I did my first training sessions since Ironman, but this week was the first real training week.

Our Triathlon Club now uses the Coaching Services of Mercury Multisport (which I am now a coach of) and on Monday I did my first swim at the newly opened GESAC (Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre). It is a wonderful complex with several indoor pools and a 50m outdoor pool.  Our swimming squads are held in the 50m outdoor pool.  The water is quite warm, but the air temperature on a cold and rainy Melbourne night in May is very chilly.  During the session there were several downpours.  At first it feels strange swimming in warm water with cold water falling on your back, but as the session progressed I warmed up and stopped noticing the rain.  Unfortunately the swim coach Sarah had to find other methods of keeping warm.

I've recently changed jobs and I have not only discovered a route to run at lunchtime, but also found a few work colleagues who are happy to join me on my runs.  At the moment the runs are very slow and quite short (6km @ 6 min pace) but the distance and speed will slowly progress as the season wears on.

My new work has a group that plays basketball every Friday.  I wasn't willing to risk injury before Ironman and then after Ironman I was keen to rest up and let my injuries recover.  Having started back with my lunchtime runs, I was running out of excuses, so this Friday I played basketball.  Amongst the people playing there is varying levels of ability, yet I was clearly the worst - this was probably the 10th time I have played basketball in my life (or maybe even less) and it showed.

I would have been happy if all I suffered from was inability, I scored 3 shots (6 points) from at least 20 attempts, but I did not escape the game unscathed.  In the first 2 minutes I tangled legs with another player and landed heavily on my left knee.  For a minute or so I could barely walk, I continued trying to move around and as my knee warmed up the pain went away.  After the game the pain came back and upon inspection it looked like a golf ball was growing out of my knee.  However that wasn't all.  About halfway through the game (that lasted about an hour) my back seized up.  My body is not used to stopping and starting and changing direction.  I assumed it was just my hamstrings getting tight and pulling on my back so I continued playing but tried to avoid running or jumping (as if I wasn't already playing badly).  After the game my back was really sore and continued getting worse.  The next day, still sore, I realised it was not my hamstrings, instead I had re-activated the back injury I suffered last November.  But wait, there's more.  Walking home from the station I noticed I must have rolled my ankle (no recollection of doing this), my neck and shoulder were extremely sore (pre-existing shoulder injury) and somehow I seemed to have straining most of the muscles in my arms and several of my fingers were swollen.

Undaunted by these minor ailments I still ventured out on the Mercury Saturday morning ride.  I have never done a ride with the Mercury group and seeing as I'm coaching a ride session next week, I figured I should see first hand what they are like.  The riding position on a racing road bike is not unlike the foetal position and it is amazing how few injuries bother you while in this position.  It rained for most of the ride, but still I was comfortable with no problems from my injuries even when riding up hill.  The  only difficulty came when I arrived home and tried to get off the bike - I nearly fell over, and then once off the bike I was unable to straighten back up, so hobbled around the house like a 90 year old.

The ride itself was a touch more difficult than I expected, or maybe I just rode a little harder than I should've in an attempt to keep up with lead group - a little silly for my first proper ride back.  I now have quite sore quads and glutes to go with the basketball injuries.  Elaine is doing a trail run with Mercury on Sunday morning.  Originally I thought of participating in this as well, now I think I'll stay in the car and read a book.

All up the week contained 6 hours of training (141 Slowtwitch points) plus a game of basketball. 

First week back into training

As per usual in May, my first week of training was an extremely light one.  It consisted of a Beep Test, a 4.7km walk and two 5km runs - a whopping 41 Slowtwitch points.  I performed the Beep Test with colleagues from work (in the underground carpark), but I don't have a score because the Phone App we were using stops at 10.3.

Saturday morning was beautiful weather, but somehow I didn't make it outside for my bike ride.  I believe I am missing the riding and can't wait to get back out on the road, but my actions have been telling another story.

Next week I plan to go for my first swim at the newly opened GESAC (Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre).  I had planned to do this last week, but never actually made it.

My knee is no longer bothering me on a day to day basis, but if I poke around I can find tender spots that do not exist in the other knee.  This means there is still inflammation in the knee.  6 weeks is long enough rest, hopefully it will continue to gradually improve with light training.

Sponsorship Deal - Sort of

Elaine and I have both been accepted into Team Rocket XOSIZE

It is officially called the Team Rocket-XOSIZE Ambassador program and is the closest Elaine and I will ever come to being sponsored athletes.  You will notice I've added a couple of logos to this blog.

We had to apply for positions on the team (100 positions available Australia wide), sending in our Triathlon Resume, and once accepted had to pay $400 to join the program.

In return we get big discounts on all purchases from the XOSIZE store in Bentleigh and $1,000 worth of gear including a new Wetsuit, TriSuit, transition bag, cap, goggles, etc.  All of the gear is from Rocket Science and we will wear it at every race we compete in.  Bonus payments are received if you score podiums at certain races or appear in any triathlon magazines.

Due to suffering lots of saddle sores in my Ironman training I trialled numerous bike and triathlon shorts before the race and ended up going with the Rocket Science tri-shorts.  Last year I bought Elaine a Rocket Science Transition bag (from XOSIZE) and she absolutely loves it - one of her all time favourite birthday presents (some women have shoe fetishes, Elaine loves bags).  So my experience with Rocket Science products has already been great and I'm very much looking forward to checking out the Rocket Science Wetsuits and TriSuits.

6 Weeks Since Ironman Melbourne

After the Ironman I could barely walk for 2 days.  It took 4 or 5 days before I progressed passed a slow shuffle.  About 10 days after the race I could move normally, but my body was still prone to stiffening up - very noticeable when getting out of a chair.  Naturally my condition slowly improved over time.

As the general soreness ebbed away, the pain in my knee became more obvious - it was definitely going to make me pay for running a Marathon.  After all, what sane person runs a Marathon with an injured knee, at least I warmed it up beforehand with a long swim and ride.

As the weeks passed my knee gradually improved, although nowhere near as quick as I would have liked.  I did a very easy 2.7km run thinking that might loosen things up a little - it didn't and the knee ended up a little more sore.  A few weeks later I ventured out on an easy 35km ride and the knee gave no problems during or after.  Unfortunately every weekend since then the weather has been miserable so I've stayed in bed.

Since Ironman my healthy diet has slipped considerably.  I cannot remember ever consuming so much chocolate at Easter (mmm, tasted good) and my alcohol consumption also increased.  This unhealthy living resulted in indigestion problems and also a reason why the inflammation in my knee was not improving.

I am now banned from chocolate until my knee comes good, down to one coffee a day and off alcohol for the next month to give my digestion system a chance to fully recover.