Well the last three days of camp are done with and I am back in Boulder. It was basically a 2 day block for me as I only did a 45 min run on day 6. It was too bad that I wasn't running more as we went to the Cactus Forrest which is filled with some really awesome trails. I was jealous of all the guys that got to do a 2 hour+ run. I still noticed some twinges in my feet. Honestly I am more concerned about the right one now as it is "new". The left one just feels bad in the AM but seems to go away. I am making some changes that I think may help in the long run (no pun intended)
My last two days at camp were really solid. On day 7 JD, Matt, Jonas and I went out for a separate ride. The main group was going on a two hour ride in preps for the long day 8 "Kit Peak" ride. I opted to go longer because of the lack of swimming and running. Plus it gave JD and Matt some extra people for their ride.
We went out on 86 which would be the direction we go out on Day 8. The plan was to ride 40 miles out to the base of the Kit Peak climb and then turn around. We turned off onto 286 at some point which was the wrong way to go. We just went out until we hit 35 miles and then turned around. Going out we had a bit of wind and some rollers that were more "up" than down. It was a main ride for JD and Matt so they were going at a good clip. When we turned around we dropped Matt but I think it was just that he didn't have any aero bars on his bike. Gordo seems to think we smashed him which may be the case as he has ridden pretty hard all week. But I am sticking with "lack of aero bars" as my story :-) Jonas randomly turned back 10 miles into the ride. He had a blister or something LOL.
When we got back we did a little run in the trails behind the compound (camp home base). The run was pretty good for me and I am always thank full when I get to run. I have noticed that one of the problems I have is that running on a surface that is not flat or level like a street, I really run a high risk of twisting my ankles and feel totally unstable. This should not be the case with me given my cross country background. I love trail running but over the last years I have noticed some issues with it.
What I have decided due to a few things I have read and some basic common sense is that I need to get out of my current shoes and orthodics. When I ran in High School and College I was not accustomed to running in super supportive shoes. We ran in light trainers and even lighter racers. I have a pair of my old CC racers at the house and was looking at them. I put them on and could not believe how "nothing" of a shoe they are. Then I put on my current trainer and felt like I had on platform shoes that someone might wear because they have issues with being short.
Here is what I think happened:
Over time shoe companies started making training shoes that had more and more support and over time most people ended up in a much firmer shoe than is needed. I did a decent amount of running in shoes like that but would also switch down to an ultra light racing shoe that didn't have anywhere near the support. So over many miles in the more supportive trainer, my bodies own muscles that are used to keep me stable became weak. Finally one day when I put on the light racer and ran hard I injured my foot because I was overworking weakened foot muscles and tendons.
Of course when you get injured you end up being told that you need more support, motion control, orthodics etc. And maybe you do in the early stages of the injury. But after a while you become so "addicted" to them that you find walking bare foot or without the support terribly uncomfortable.
It has been argued in several articles that I have recently read that states people who wear cheaper, less supportive shoes have lower rates of injuries. Some of these articles have also stated that the impact your body takes in these heavier shoes can be worse than if you were running with bare feet. Hard to believe for most. I was for me but when I really sat down and gave my running some thought certain parts of this theory started to ring true.
For one thing, not only do I feel less stable in the "more stable" shoe, I also feel that my body is not reacting to the surface of the ground as fast as it needs to. Think about it, When you walk or run your body is sending signals to your brain that tells your body what muscles to fire to keep you up and going. If you have all this shoe under you, well you are going to be getting "blurred" messages and delayed signals. Running for me in the past two years has taken a toll on my hips as well and I am wondering if it is because my form is being altered due to the thick shoe?
The question now is really to figure out what is going on. I can't continue on the path I am on. I am often angry and unhappy about my injuries and if they continue I will need to stop all together. That would suck. But at least at this point I have less to loose with decisions I make.
Here is what I have done:
I got out my racing flats that I ran in all year. They are much "less" of a shoe than my trainers. I took out my orthodics and put in the standard insole that comes with the shoe. Then I proceeded to put on way too many clothes as it is cold as crap here in Boulder and went out for a little jog.
I could tell instantly that I had a better "feeling" of the road. It almost felt barefoot to me! But I kept on and ran out for 10 min and then turned around. The feet felt pretty good on the run. I understand that making the switch back to a basic shoe is going to take some getting used to. I won't be able to jump right into this but I am hopeful that if given the proper acclimation period, I will get back to my roots of injury free fast running. Like I said, I have nothing to loose at this point.
Here is my plan:
I was scheduled to race Wildflower and Ironman CDA. All that is on "pause". It is uncertain if I will do either. It is also uncertain if I will even do an Ironman this year. The stress of trying to train for a race while you have multiple injuries going on is too hard and ineffective. This is a bit hard for me to digest as I love to race and proved it last year by racing a ton. Granted I did quite well for where I was but it seems I am left now in a state that is unproductive. Is that due to all the races I did on an injured body? Maybe? Does that mean that racing alot is a bad thing? Not in my mind. There are plenty of people out there that race all distances all the time and do VERY well. I think the key to that success is that you can only race a ton when you are injury free. As of now, I am not.
This week back in Boulder is going to be filled with VERY short runs in the lighter shoes paying close attention to how the feet and body are adapting to the change.
The bike is going to be cut back as well. There will be no long rides and nothing too fast. That won't be hard with this weather! For the most part my riding focus is going to be about recovery. Gordo and I both agree that I have put some decent work in and that letting the body absorb it is not a bad thing.
At camp I got a second cortisone shot in my AC shoulder joint and that took a large majority of the inflammation down but swimming still aggravated it and I have pain throughout the day. However, I took the last few days off from the pool and have noticed that many of my muscles in my arm and shoulder are sore from that one simple 2K swim that I did on Day 8. That is probably a good sign because it just means that the surrounding muscles need to get back up to speed in order to support the joint. Dr. J thinks that that shot may take a few days to have a full effect and that I can work swimming back in at small doses. I am also going to schedule an MRI as the burning sensation I feel might indicate a tear. If that is the case then we deal with it. I know plenty of people that have had a tear there and a simple procedure can be done to fix it and the success rate is very high. But I would really prefer avoiding that route. I am going to try a 1,500-2K swim every other day and see what happens. Again, nothing to loose.
Once I get some of these things sorted then I can figure out what a good basic week will look like for me. Until then it is operation "Fix BDC"!
I guess I never got to Day 8 of the camp. I will write about that in a separate blog as it was a very decent day and deserves it's own blog. I am SOOOOOO glad to be off the road and back HOME! IT has been a long 3 months.
Cheers,
bdc
Showing posts with label Tuscon Camp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tuscon Camp. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Tuscon Camp- Day 3
Today was a very nice recovery day. We are all sitting here outside now after a few workouts enjoying the shade and nice views. I got a little bit of a sleep in as I am not going to the pool in the AM with the crew. Hopefully I will be joining them very soon.
I rode with the second ride today that was about 30 miles or so that had a mini climb and some scenic views through Old Tuscon. Jonas and I basically rode by ourself as we opted for a slightlu faster pace. It was perfect for me to get the legs loose and some kinks worked out of them.
JD had a run planned this afternoon that left from the house into the trails. It was of course in the middle of the day with the sun beating down on us pretty hard. I like running in the heat because all the joints and muscles feel nice and loose. The trail was a bit unstable for my taste (at least until I feel more confident in the foot) but I faired well and the feet feel quite good right now. The run was 50 min.
Tomorow should be a pretty big day.
I rode with the second ride today that was about 30 miles or so that had a mini climb and some scenic views through Old Tuscon. Jonas and I basically rode by ourself as we opted for a slightlu faster pace. It was perfect for me to get the legs loose and some kinks worked out of them.
JD had a run planned this afternoon that left from the house into the trails. It was of course in the middle of the day with the sun beating down on us pretty hard. I like running in the heat because all the joints and muscles feel nice and loose. The trail was a bit unstable for my taste (at least until I feel more confident in the foot) but I faired well and the feet feel quite good right now. The run was 50 min.
Tomorow should be a pretty big day.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Tuscon Camp- DAY DUCE
Well the second day of camp is done and I think for me, day 2 is always the hardest. Sleep last night was pretty sketch as my legs were a bit crampy still from the poor hydration tactics I had on day one. Of course they were not done on purpose and it all kinda snuck up on me. Needless to say I was still feeling the effects when I got up this AM.
Luckily my mind was viewing the ride as an out and back ride of 40-45 miles total. Granted 21 of them would be straight up! Hills never scare me because after you get enough experience with riding you understand that you can get up anything and if it is long you just find the zone and keep grinding. If it gets hard, just slow down. Eventually you will get there....."eventually" was the key word today.
The climb was Mt. Lemmon. A long, windy, occasionally step climb that takes you from about 2,000 feet to 8,000 feet. Coming from sea level, each 1,000 got a bit more noticeable. I did have one moment where I had some flash backs from the Winter Park ride last summer but it passed nicely.
My group went out last and it was Jonas, JD, Matt, Dr. J, Nick, and Jody. It should be noted that Jody had a serious case of Montezuma the day before and I was a bit curious as to what the hell he was doing climbing to 8,000 feet with us. It should also be noted that he felt the same way when he finally got up there!
Anyway, we all rolled out and Nick had some bike issues so he turned back and JD being the Good Guy that he is turned back and went with him. The rest of us rolled on and in about 15 min we were met with MT. Lemmon. And so up we went at a comfortable pace. It picked up a bit with Jonas and I on the front but I knew it would not be long before Jonas threw out a "No. No. I must fall back and rest". He was bragging about how he was going to be the slowest up. When he got to the top he admitted that he took 2 walk breaks and then proceeded to put on some Abercrombie and Fitch cologne LOL....Gordo has the pick to prove it!
None the less little Matty Stein was rollin on the front with me spinning a cadence of about 105. I wasn't lucky enough to have that gearing. We started to roll and actually got moving pretty good. He was feisty and up for a challenge and around mile 9-10 broke away from me. I was worried about cramping and feared that if I tried to go after him I would make them fire up. But honestly he was riding really well and he had it on me today for sure.
I didn't mind getting dropped as the views were spectacular. Who knew Arizona was so nice looking? So I just kept it rolling and actually hooked up with this guy that was training for IM AZ. It was a bit annoying though because he was one of those guys that if you go to pass him he surges and makes you stay back. I just wanted to ride my steady but his pace was all over the place so occasionally I would creep up. It was clearly a race to him.....little did he know there was a 2 time Ultra Man Champion and 8:24 Ironman guy behind him taking walk breaks LOL. That fact also made getting dropped by Matt a bit easier on the ol' ego!
So when we got to the top we realized that there was nobody there. The other riders had started before us and we had all assumed that they were hauling ass up the hill and that is why we were not catching them. It never crossed our minds that they got lost and were behind us. Why would it? That would be logical- At 8,000 feet you are not logical.
We stood there for a minute and Matt rolled down as he was a bit further up and just as we figured out what had happened Gordo pulls another GREAT example of the "Hey Buddy". He was in the first group that left and then rounds the corner from below as we are standing there, we figure out they got lost, he gives a "Hey Buddy" and proceeds to go on up. * This Classic Gordo Moment was brought to you by Infinint.
Once we got to the top we all had a nice refuel, I was happy that my legs made it and Jonas smelled good. We put on some warm clothes and made the decent. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be and didn't feel like 21 miles of down hill. But I still rode like a wuss...
Jonas and I were carted off to the house as we were going to be late for a massage. KP and a few others hopped in so we got to have a bit of social time in the van while we sat in Tuscon traffic. Damn it was alot of traffic.
The massage was great, dinner was AWESOME! And then we had a few good chats about training and how Jonas hates to get up early for training and thinks it is stupid. He and I then went on a 30 min run to prove later hours of the day are just as good as early ones!
Still not swimming but the injection is on it's way and I hope to be in the water a day or two after I get it.
Cheers,
bdc
Luckily my mind was viewing the ride as an out and back ride of 40-45 miles total. Granted 21 of them would be straight up! Hills never scare me because after you get enough experience with riding you understand that you can get up anything and if it is long you just find the zone and keep grinding. If it gets hard, just slow down. Eventually you will get there....."eventually" was the key word today.
The climb was Mt. Lemmon. A long, windy, occasionally step climb that takes you from about 2,000 feet to 8,000 feet. Coming from sea level, each 1,000 got a bit more noticeable. I did have one moment where I had some flash backs from the Winter Park ride last summer but it passed nicely.
My group went out last and it was Jonas, JD, Matt, Dr. J, Nick, and Jody. It should be noted that Jody had a serious case of Montezuma the day before and I was a bit curious as to what the hell he was doing climbing to 8,000 feet with us. It should also be noted that he felt the same way when he finally got up there!
Anyway, we all rolled out and Nick had some bike issues so he turned back and JD being the Good Guy that he is turned back and went with him. The rest of us rolled on and in about 15 min we were met with MT. Lemmon. And so up we went at a comfortable pace. It picked up a bit with Jonas and I on the front but I knew it would not be long before Jonas threw out a "No. No. I must fall back and rest". He was bragging about how he was going to be the slowest up. When he got to the top he admitted that he took 2 walk breaks and then proceeded to put on some Abercrombie and Fitch cologne LOL....Gordo has the pick to prove it!
None the less little Matty Stein was rollin on the front with me spinning a cadence of about 105. I wasn't lucky enough to have that gearing. We started to roll and actually got moving pretty good. He was feisty and up for a challenge and around mile 9-10 broke away from me. I was worried about cramping and feared that if I tried to go after him I would make them fire up. But honestly he was riding really well and he had it on me today for sure.
I didn't mind getting dropped as the views were spectacular. Who knew Arizona was so nice looking? So I just kept it rolling and actually hooked up with this guy that was training for IM AZ. It was a bit annoying though because he was one of those guys that if you go to pass him he surges and makes you stay back. I just wanted to ride my steady but his pace was all over the place so occasionally I would creep up. It was clearly a race to him.....little did he know there was a 2 time Ultra Man Champion and 8:24 Ironman guy behind him taking walk breaks LOL. That fact also made getting dropped by Matt a bit easier on the ol' ego!
So when we got to the top we realized that there was nobody there. The other riders had started before us and we had all assumed that they were hauling ass up the hill and that is why we were not catching them. It never crossed our minds that they got lost and were behind us. Why would it? That would be logical- At 8,000 feet you are not logical.
We stood there for a minute and Matt rolled down as he was a bit further up and just as we figured out what had happened Gordo pulls another GREAT example of the "Hey Buddy". He was in the first group that left and then rounds the corner from below as we are standing there, we figure out they got lost, he gives a "Hey Buddy" and proceeds to go on up. * This Classic Gordo Moment was brought to you by Infinint.
Once we got to the top we all had a nice refuel, I was happy that my legs made it and Jonas smelled good. We put on some warm clothes and made the decent. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be and didn't feel like 21 miles of down hill. But I still rode like a wuss...
Jonas and I were carted off to the house as we were going to be late for a massage. KP and a few others hopped in so we got to have a bit of social time in the van while we sat in Tuscon traffic. Damn it was alot of traffic.
The massage was great, dinner was AWESOME! And then we had a few good chats about training and how Jonas hates to get up early for training and thinks it is stupid. He and I then went on a 30 min run to prove later hours of the day are just as good as early ones!
Still not swimming but the injection is on it's way and I hope to be in the water a day or two after I get it.
Cheers,
bdc
Sunday, March 23, 2008
March Madness 4 Triathletes
I am now in Tuscon Arizona and done with a nice week of recovery training in Victoria, BC. I can't begin to express how HAPPY I am to be training with some of my good buds here in AZ.
I think that my time in NZ (In training) was a bit of solitary confinement. It was really hard to do so much on my own when it was combined with a few of the injuries that I am dealing with. When you are isolated it seems that so many of the negative things are exaggerated. Or at least the way in which you react to them. I can already feel the health beginning just from being around the group.
Today we up to Madera Canyon. On the way out it was myself, Gordo, JD, Jonas and Nick. Nick is my roomie for the came and from North Carolina (friends with Jon Shilt and Dr. J). He got a nice taste today riding with us. He had mentioned that he felt "great to be riding with the big boys". I still feel that way!
The climb to Madera was decent but I think the biggest challenge was how DRY it was out. I don't think it is possible to stay properly hydrated in this weather but will try better tomorrow.
Jonas did his usual first day get in the van. One of the best things about Jonas is that he trains without his ego and is not afraid to make smart decisions. He flew something like 40 hours in the last two days so he knew anything more would be stupid. Something we can all learn from.
JD got in as he is working the camp so on the way back it was just Gordo, Nick and myself. We rode well but got a bit broken up due to a flat. I actually dropped back for a second as I started to get some abductor cramps. I think it was just a sign of dehydration. Normally when you get these as strong as I got them you would think the ride is over. I just slowed down for a bit and got in as much water as I could. I actually recovered from them and got rolling again at a nice pace. I caught up to some of the riders that had gone off early and was very happy to ride in with KP. If you ever need a nice draft he is one great dude to get it from.
When we got back I decided that one of my "things" for the camp would be to get out of my bike clothes as fast as possible and shower up. Monica would be so proud of me :-) No mushrooms! haha....I like to call what I am doing a great example of how to properly execute a true Gordo Byrn "Hey Buddy". You see, you have a nice hard day out on the bike, get in and get cleaned and dressed as quick as possible. Then you sit outside, looking so well groomed, and give everyone that rolls in a "Hey buddy" as if you had been sitting there all day enjoying the sun!
Really looking forward to the rest of this camp and very happy to be back in the states with the Good Guys and CO.
Will keep you posted on how everything is going in the run department and if we can get Dr. J a cortisone injector so we can shoot up my shoulder. We did run for 50min this AM and it felt pretty good.
Cheers,
bdc
I think that my time in NZ (In training) was a bit of solitary confinement. It was really hard to do so much on my own when it was combined with a few of the injuries that I am dealing with. When you are isolated it seems that so many of the negative things are exaggerated. Or at least the way in which you react to them. I can already feel the health beginning just from being around the group.
Today we up to Madera Canyon. On the way out it was myself, Gordo, JD, Jonas and Nick. Nick is my roomie for the came and from North Carolina (friends with Jon Shilt and Dr. J). He got a nice taste today riding with us. He had mentioned that he felt "great to be riding with the big boys". I still feel that way!
The climb to Madera was decent but I think the biggest challenge was how DRY it was out. I don't think it is possible to stay properly hydrated in this weather but will try better tomorrow.
Jonas did his usual first day get in the van. One of the best things about Jonas is that he trains without his ego and is not afraid to make smart decisions. He flew something like 40 hours in the last two days so he knew anything more would be stupid. Something we can all learn from.
JD got in as he is working the camp so on the way back it was just Gordo, Nick and myself. We rode well but got a bit broken up due to a flat. I actually dropped back for a second as I started to get some abductor cramps. I think it was just a sign of dehydration. Normally when you get these as strong as I got them you would think the ride is over. I just slowed down for a bit and got in as much water as I could. I actually recovered from them and got rolling again at a nice pace. I caught up to some of the riders that had gone off early and was very happy to ride in with KP. If you ever need a nice draft he is one great dude to get it from.
When we got back I decided that one of my "things" for the camp would be to get out of my bike clothes as fast as possible and shower up. Monica would be so proud of me :-) No mushrooms! haha....I like to call what I am doing a great example of how to properly execute a true Gordo Byrn "Hey Buddy". You see, you have a nice hard day out on the bike, get in and get cleaned and dressed as quick as possible. Then you sit outside, looking so well groomed, and give everyone that rolls in a "Hey buddy" as if you had been sitting there all day enjoying the sun!
Really looking forward to the rest of this camp and very happy to be back in the states with the Good Guys and CO.
Will keep you posted on how everything is going in the run department and if we can get Dr. J a cortisone injector so we can shoot up my shoulder. We did run for 50min this AM and it felt pretty good.
Cheers,
bdc
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