Pulling back

5 weeks ago, I ran a 62.8 in my first attempt at a 400m in well over a yr.  It seemed that I was on target to compete this indoor season.  About that time I stopped cross training on the bike and went to 3 days a week of running, including those wicked hill workouts.  That was probably premature.  

It is a cycle that goes like: train, feel pain and stiffness next day, 3 days later the pain is gone and can run pain free, repeat.   This seems to indicate some healing is still taking place, but never allowed to progress to a permanent level.  The 'recovery' is fleeting and really false.  Like "your head feels better when you stop beating on it."  

I took a week off in mid Dec from running, then went to my parents house and trained once in 5 days.  I've definitely lost fitness that I worked hard for, doing those 4 and 5x150s w/ just 30 sec rest.  If I pressed on, I could probably tolerate such workouts on turf but at this point, it may harm potential wellness of the joint, expedite arthritis, etc...  I had read, it takes really a year to even come close to full weight bearing strength.  I've been doing stairs and weight pulls since the summer, only 5 1/2 mo post op.  My nature is always to push the envelope.  

One of my friends who is not an athlete keeps telling me appropriately that my recovery is 'a marathon, not a sprint.'  He's right.  If I have any hope of returning to Daegu or WMACi in '27, I need to pull back.  I'm about 80% sure I will not compete this indoor season.  

Plan is to go back to strength and cross training but need to take a break from anything that challenges the knee for a while and start fresh.  

misc sprints, new scale

 Back in TN after 3 days off.  I've definitely regressed in fitness and there will be no point in racing next weekend.  I think I was in better shape a month ago.  Being at my parents house without the ability to cross train, being sick with a cold, and pulling back my running frequency, took it's toll.

Cold, sunny, 31º and an occasional light N wind, but mostly sunny at the Sewanee track.  Brought a variety of footwear.  Instead of keeping my nose to the grindstone with some hard intensive tempo on turf, I thought I might run on the track since my legs were fully recovered from the beating I took on the hills Friday.   I first ran a 50m on turf, then put the Adidas flats on and ran a relaxed 100m in 14.2, then thought I should test the waters with a negative or even split 400m in spikes.  I was going for 32/33, but I over paced the first 100m, and my 3rd 100m was real slow.   It didn't work, I bailed after 300m.  Then ran a lackluster 150m and that was it.  Pretty pathetic.  But, conditions were tough, really very cold.  

Stretches, drills, 50m stride

Adidas Takumi Sen 8 trainers on

100m - 14.20 (relaxed)

Adidas Prime Sp 2 spikes on

300m - 49.00 - (bailed on a 400m) 14.62, 16.48, 17.90

150m - 21.42

If I had to do it over again, I would have been more productive doing 3x3w/3 on the track or 4x150 on turf.  Maybe getting gun-shy to the pain. Been a week since my last tempo workout.  

Was really light though, 139 lbs after workout

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Bought this new smart scale - Oxiline MD pro.   I got a couple of interesting readings off it then it shifted to kg, wouldn't go back to lbs, and refused to work again.  Probably will send it back.  

It measured my body weight at 139.3, and my body fat % at 10.1%.  My visceral fat was very low also (1 on a scale of 1-13).   Maybe not super accurate but perhaps close.  

5 x 150m hills on pavement

At my parent's house and did a workout Friday on the hill that I've done many times before.  The hill is not as steep as Roark's cove but it generally kicked my butt, even resting minutes in between, several minutes between #4 and #5.

Did a very minimal warmup and ran the first one slow.  The first one was a bit painful but all the others felt fine.  My final one was my fastest and the only one under 30 sec.

Stretches

5 x 150m hills on pavement ~ 29.6 - 33

As expected, the knee was sore on Saturday.   I probably won't run until at least Tues or Wed again, then decide whether I should race on Sunday 1/4.   Can't really cross train here unless I pay $15 to a professional gym.  Amazingly, none of The Villages rec centers have a rower or stairmaster.  

I'm sick, feverish at night, chest cough.  Tested neg for covid on Sat.  Was exposed on my flight on Wed night.  Maybe test again Sunday.   

It's been a bit stressful being here with my parents, while being sick, and out of my low stress element on the mountain.   I need to go to my mother's Drs appointment with her at 10:30am Monday.  I'm flying out soon afterward.   Airport is 70 min away and boarding will probably close about 1:15 pm.  Cutting it real close.  I have a backup flight on Wed if I miss this one.  (I will lose the $ for one of these). It's been tough to help my parents, my dad is incapable of really doing anything on the internet, both have memory problems, and my mother is suffering from spinal stenosis but keeps soldiering on, doing all the shopping, housework, cooking and serving my father.  I'm always amazed that my dad questions my ability to 'find my way around' and find information, seemingly oblivious to gps, and the www, needlessly obsesses about small insignificant details.   (I speak a bit freely here because I know my dad could never find my blog on the internet. Not kidding).

I took them out to dinner and I'm happy to have them together and celebrating their 66th anniversary.   End of life stuff is going to be tough.  But, I'd be happy to be in the physical shape my father is in at almost 86, despite his sedentarianism.  His longevity is amazing considering he eats sweets, chemical laden drinks, artificial sweeteners, low diversity of food, tons of animal fat, very little vegetables, nothing really healthy, carbs, low quality baked goods like cookies and pies from the supermarket.  He'll probably live longer than me.  

I am eating less and I'm probably quite light, around 140.  

66th anniversary

4x150m tempo on turf

Same old workout, didn't push as hard as last time but first running workout in a week and the knee felt fine.  Good enough that I wanted to do more.  But I just ended with some drills, and a 40m acceleration.   

Nice weather for winter.  Upper 50ºs, cloudy, light winds.  

Stretches, drills, bands

4 x 150m w/ 30 sec rest on turf - 24.59, 25.94, 26.07, 27.22 (avg 25.95)

drills, 40m sprint on turf

Felt pretty good.  About 0.4 slower avg than last time.  HR peaked at 181, was 191 last time, so maybe didn't push as hard.  Was being a bit cautious I guess, having not run in a week.  

141.5 lbs after workout.  

It's never painful when running it's only afterward.  Today, I hope I've turned a corner and can try going to running 2x a week.  I'm going to FL tomorrow and that may really hinder my ability to train as I won't have a bike or a gym.  Maybe a pool.  

Roya bought me this warmup jacket.  Perfect.

cross training, new sweetener

At Roya's house I did quite a bit of biking and went to a fitness center on Sat. to do resistance, stairmaster, and rowing. 

At the gym... 

15 min stairmaster hill program

4 x 500m rower w/ 1 min rest - avg 2:11 

glute machine, ab machine, leg extension and leg curl machines

Thurs and Friday did the neighborhood bike circuit with a few hills.  Sunday did a leisurely ride on the bike with some hills.  Today, Monday... sedentary.  

I bought a small vinyl hot tub that I set up in my shower stall at Roya's with an electric heater.  Made all the difference.  Was in that thing 3 or 4 X a day.

Been a week since I've run and finally the stiffness in my knee is gone.  Went to a party last night and ate some junk so my weight is up quite a bit.  Hopefully be below 143 for tomorrows running workout. 

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New food item:  sweetener.

Marine Sugar

The stuff is pretty amazing.  Super concentrated, tastes great, expensive.  A playing card size packet = $33. Zero calorie, alkaline  ph = 9.5.   A quarter tsp sweetens a cup of coffee or tea.  Made from blue spirulina algae, phycocyanin, lithothamnium sp.

- Phycocyanin  - from blue spirulina is known for its strong light absorption and potential anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective benefits. 

-  Lithothamnion sp. -  a genus of red, calcareous marine algae, rich in calcium and trace minerals.

Seems very safe and even health promoting.  Reputed to be anti-inflamatory, antioxident, rich in proteins B vitamins, aminos, and supposedly helps remove heavy metals and toxins.  Sounds a bit too good to be true, but it gets an initial thumbs up from me.   Again, quite expensive and this is the only producer that is offering it that I know of.  

bike

 Back to the bike,  Visiting Roya in ATL and past two days have done some short but hard rides, the usual neighborhood circuit that involves some steep hills.  Have definitely pulled back from running.  Was planning on running today, Saturday but think I may even wait til Tues and continue to cross train.  Probably pushed too hard with running 3x a week.  Just past 10 months post op, I have to remind myself it's still early and I don't want to regress, although it seems as I have... a bit. 

Had a flat on the bike Thursday, patched the tube, did my ride Friday, but it was flat again this morning.  New tubes coming today.  

Still hoping to race in 3 weeks but have relaxed a bit on the diet, including eating a half lb of chocolate in the past 3 days, going out to dinner, etc... not too much damage, still just 143.5 this morning.  

The body has great ability to heal, as evidenced by my right foot arthritis which was nearly debilitating at one point, now essentially gone.

4x150 tempo on turf

Same workout.   Weather was great, 49º and sunny, light wind.  I decided to do the same workout I failed to complete last time.  Did start too fast but got it done.  Was shooting for an avg in the 24s, but missed.

Stretches, drills, bands, 50m stride

Hoka Rocket x2s on

4 x 150m on turf - 23.6, 25.9, 25.6, 27.0 (25.52 avg)

HR hit 191 - 30 sec after my last rep when I was resting on by the fence, dropped to 165 in a minute, 138 in another 30 sec.  Only got up to 175 while running.  

First tempo workout since Wed, 6 days ago.   Knee felt ok during the workout, but stiff after.  I really think my knee was feeling better a month ago when I completed my first 3x3w/3 on the track.  I wonder if eliminating the collagen and glucosamine supplements back in Oct. have anything to do with this?  I'm starting on Saltwrap brand collagen again.  Most physicians will tell you they are dubious of the effect of collagen supplements, but this brand lists 19 studies that suggests it does help. (last item under FAQ: Scientific References). 

Will back off running to 2x week and crosstrain on the bike.  Hopefully I'll maintain fitness.  

141.6 lbs after workout.