Injury update and equipment issues

Injury 

Looks like a classic hip flexor tear/strain.  It is exactly like the one my nephew Kris the polevaulter experienced early in his career, a sudden pop or grind with the leg extended backward.  I'm fairly confident after talking with Johnny B. (fellow sprinter), that is not a joint injury like a torn labrum which usually happens over time, not in one shot.  It's definitely sore but not as bad as the ham tear I had in '12.  I think some of the trauma was deep, near the bone and the pain is on the upper part of the thigh, but I can feel it extending down my femur, like some of the muscle was pulled away from the bone or something.  I iced yesterday and today, now I'm in the hot tub gently massaging and lightly stretching.   I'm predicting I'll be back on the track by Saturday for some foundation work.

Equipment
My racing shoe of choice (shown below) - is last year's model Puma evoSpeed Sprint LTD is not being made this year in my size (6.5) and it was almost impossible to find last year's model shoe anywhere - especially in my size.   Extremely rare!  I have 2 pairs, one green and one black, and I've been wearing these since last season.  I'm afraid the right outside spike hole will get stripped - like what happened on my previous pair - since that spike fell out completely on Friday's 200m race.  Well, I managed to find a pair in my size in England on this cryptic shady website that I hope is legit.... since it had this shoe listed in stock with free shipping for $49.  I paid with Paypal... hope I don't get ripped off and I get the right shoe.  I did get an invoice by email but their website gives no physical address or phone number.   I'm really skeptical of this vendor, we'll see.  

I like these shoes since they fit me better than the Nike's, they're an ounce lighter, and they accept the Nike risers.  Every half inch helps.

setback

The 2 day Vanderbilt Black and Gold meet will probably be a turning point in my season.   Having apparently popped a hip flexor running the 100m on Sat., it will likely end my aspirations of running this event at Nationals and Worlds, and for the rest of the season.

Hard to know if this is a serious injury or not since I've never felt anything like it... ever.   In this Sat. meet, I got a good start and was running a really good 100m ... even with a pack of guys who typically run mid 11s when about 60m in, I felt a weird pop or grind deep in the front of my left hip, it was unlike anything I'd felt before.  So I pulled up.   Conditions were cold but it was 48º with bright sunshine and I was feeling great.  I was light 143.8 lbs, warmed up, felt ready.   I had run in terrible conditions on Friday, 42º windy and light rain... an OK but slow 200m, which I did without any soreness or strains whatsoever.  As I sit and ice it now, it is becoming more painful as time passes but feels better when I walk around.   It wasn't really painful at first, I probably could have even finished the race if I wanted to.  Right now the pain seems deep, like to the bone. Time will tell on this.  This ends a string of five 100s, and four 55/60s run since last season without incident or injury.   Disappointing.  I thought I was finished with the '100m jinx' that bit me in the NC June '12 race that resulted in a serious ham injury.  I'm inclined to think this is NOT a major muscle tear but a tendon / ligament issue, so I may be back fairly soon.

200m - 25.25
Terrible conditions, cold and rainy.  I went out hard and tied up in the last 30m.   My first 100m was quite good, just spent too much early, like I was running a 100m.   At least I beat one guy in my heat but so what, not a good performance, but at least totally injury free.

Friday conditions

100m - DNF
I felt really great and really think it would have been a decent time without the injury because we had a slight tail wind.  Oh well.

I wasn't the only one who was disappointed... Trell Kimmons, 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist (US 4x100 relay) drove 3 1/2 hours from MS to run this race and he false started.  DQ.  I was really looking forward to seeing him race.  What a specimen, very muscular but fairly small... about 5'8".   I chatted with him briefly before his race... asked him the standard question, "Do you think you'll be doing this when you're my age?"  He reply, "well, I don't know."  He asked me my age and I told him.  I told him it was really great to see him here and he replied, "yes sir!"  He told me afterward that he had driven a long way to run this race, for nothing.   Some people shouted as the red card came out, "let him run!"   Randall, the starter announced "NCAA Rules."  Trell walked off.

Despite the injury, I still love this sport, loved being there, loved participating.

I'll be back.  So will Trell.

Trell Kimmons and I - happy before our race, not so happy afterward

Light day

Warm and sunny this morning at the Dean Hayes track, but the weather is about to take a change.

Didn't do too much today, just one hard 300m and some starts.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

300m - 42 

Saucony spikes on 

5 x 50m from blocks on the turn

It's 75º today but the temperature is supposed to drop 30º by race times Friday and Saturday.  In the mid 40ºs with a north wind.   Thinking about skipping the 100m but then again, it's a local meet and maybe my last chance to run on Mondo.

relaxed speed

Sunny upper 40s at KCD track.  Will miss this cool weather for workouts.  Did 85% sprints today focused on form and relaxation.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

600m warmup, stretches, drills 

4 x 200m - ~28 

4 x 100m - ~13.5

Forecast remains bad for this weekend's meet, unfortunately.   Very cold for a track meet - mid 40ºs, a 30% chance of rain, and a stiff NW wind, which would be a headwind for the sprints at Vandy. Damn.

butt busting again

In an ever lasting quest to strengthen the glute, increased the weight to 340 lbs on the glute machine and increased the reps to 60.  Also did calves and hip flexors.

3 x 60 w/ 340 lbs glute machine 

3 x 40 w/ 330 lbs seated calves 

2 x 25 w/220 lbs quad/hip flexors

150 lb stack + 190 lb dumbells

Beautiful spring day

In Sewanee, low 60's and sunny.  Wouldn't want it any warmer for a workout.  I did a good hard speed endurance workout, running everything 85-90%.  There was an elite HS kid there doing a massive workout... 6 x 1000m with 3 min jogging recovery.   He was running 'em in 3:10.  I wish I had that level of endurance.  

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

400m - 60.5 

300m - 42.5 

3 x 200m - 27.5, 27, 26.5

The last 200 I really pushed and felt it afterward, exhausted!   Hope to get into the weight room tonight or tomorrow morning.  Was closed last night.  

I kinda wish I went to Masters Indoors.   Definitely could have medaled in the 400m, possibly even won it if I brought my A game (National Champion ran 55.70).    Today's workout reminded me of the pain required to again be in 400m condition.  

Back to bleak

After racing last weekend in 85º and spending time in FL, it was back to the late winter bleakness of TN.  45º, dark and breezy on the Dean Hayes track this morning.  Usually 45º doesn't feel cold to me but today it did.   This was the first substantial workout I had done in a while.  Nothing fast.  Did a 3 set resistance workout last night.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

5 x 300m - 45.5, 45, 45, 47, 45.5

It wasn't too bad since I took at least 5 min recovery in between.   Still felt like a lot.  Was cold enough to spend my time in between in the heated mens room at the track.

Surprisingly, I didn't gain too much weight after the meet, despite the cannolis and gelato.  145.2 lbs after workout.

Next meet is 9 days away at Vanderbilt.  I'll again do the 100/200 double.  It is kind of an odd meet in that the 200 is Friday evening, and the 100 is Saturday afternoon.

USF video

My mom caught some video of my starts in the 100 and 200 at the USF meet.  My starts seem ok compared to the competition. I'm in the the orange.  

grass runs

Did a full workout on grass today in sunny warm St. Pete.  Felt a bit tight from the meet still.   It was good to get out.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

1/2 mile jog, stretches, drills 

6 x ~200m on grass - 70-85% effort

Felt ok, except maybe a little strain in the right upper quad.    Probably won't race a 400m for at least a month.  Meets are so much more fun running the 100/200.  Also, as tempting as it is, won't run consecutive weekends this season.

Meet report - USF Invitational

The outdoor season begins, and another PR on a hot day at the University of South Florida, Tampa.

24.59 - 200m
12.22 - 100m

200m start

This meet was run on a nice Mondo track in 85º heat.  I wasn't use to the heat so I felt a little drained at the end of the day.   The meet featured a wide range of competitors, everyone from Olympian Walter Dix and Calvin Smith, to slow guys like me.  Just to show how diverse the field was, I beat 10 of 67 200m competitors overall, and that's a lot for a Div I meet.

100m
I was happy with the 200m, but the 100m was a disappointment.  Although just .05 off my PR from '12, I felt I didn't run a good race.  I really wanted to go sub 12 and I 'forgot' to stay loose and lost time in the last 20m or so after getting a decent start.  I swear I was winning the race at 30m, then as people started going by me, I got tense and tightened up near the end, losing time and finishing last in my heat.   I definitely learned from this experience and hopefully I'll be able to crack the 12 mark later in the season.

200m
I was in the second slowest heat of the day with guys from small colleges (like Swarthmore  and Warner), so I fit right in.   Getting a good lane (4), I had someone just a tad faster than me to my outside in 5 and the guy in lane three was very close to me during the whole race sounding like he was dying, gasping and grunting the whole way.   I just edged him out in the end, he certainly pushed me.  I managed to stay loose and run a decent race, actually finishing strong and beating 4 of 7 guys in my heat.  It was a good race, all 7 of us were within a second or so.  I was happy with the time, being the first 200m outdoor race of the season, .21 faster than my PR from January.  Surprising since my training on the track has not been particularly plentiful or intense.

Now again, it looks like it will not be until Wednesday before I can get on the track to train again, but I should be back to resistance work by Tues night.

light workout

In steamy FL at the Villages HS track, did a thorough warmup and a couple fast 200s and called it a day.   It was nice to chase the local senior track club in my last 200m.  I gave 'em a 25m head start and had trouble catching their fastest member, a 72 yr old running a 29 sec 200m!  He pushed me.

800m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 200m - 26.5, 26

I didn't get a lot of sleep last night so I came back to my parents house and laid on the bed, feeling good, drifting off to sleep several times in a runners high, but to be jerked from sleep at least 5 times by coughing in the house.

The forecast looks bad for race day.  Unless they use an alternate finish line, the forecast calls for a stiff 12mph headwind at race time.  Bummer.  Should be fun though, especially since I'm not running a 400m.

Been making an effort to reduce my weight, should be ok by Friday, under 145 at least.  I'm healthy.

morning maintenance

 Got a quick maintenance workout in at the Dean Hayes Track on a wet 45º morning before my flight to FL.   It had rained all night but was clearing this morning, track had a few puddles.  I shared the track with a few MTSU track athletes.

Saucony Ride trainers 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 300m - 43.5, 44.5 

200m - 27 

100m - 13

Need to drop a couple lbs before Friday's meet.   146 lbs after workout.  

Unfortunately, the forecast calls for a headwind on Friday for the 100/200.

Double session

Beautiful day on the Sewanee track.  Sunny, breezy, mid 50ºs and pleasant.  Still some remnants of snow on the track but overall, clear.  Since I have to travel soon, I did a track workout this afternoon and weights tonight.   Nothing too difficult on the track.  Did some 85% 300s then some near full speed 100s from blocks.  I wrapped the thighs for the near full speed work.  The 100s felt fine.  The last one was well below 13, maybe near 12, didn't time myself exactly but I beat the 13 sec beep by a lot.  

Saucony Ride trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 300m - 43, 43.5 

Nike R3 spikes on 

3 x 100m from blocks - ~ 12 - 13 

5 x 40m from blocks

Weights tonight: glutes, calves, quads.

indoor 200s

This evening I went to the indoor track at the Murphy Center at MTSU to remind myself how out of shape I am.  Running in the dry heated air made me feel a little ill.  It was weird, it being 15º outside and feeling too hot and running shirtless inside.  First time on the track since Sunday and it felt like it.

Saucony Ride trainers on

600m warm up 

5 x ~200m - 30 - 32

I wasn't sure exactly how far I was running but it was about 200 -220m.  I ran in reverse direction again.   I rested in between and felt pretty tired after each one.  It reminds me that in order to run a decent 400m, I have to be on the track every other day and working hard.  It'll be months before I'm ready to turn a decent 400m again, but as far as my strength and wellness situation, I'm ok and should be good to go for this month's two 100/200m doubles.  This weekend looks good for weather.  I should be in the weight room for a glute buster and on the track Sat or Sun.

One good thing is that my weight is under control.  144.6 after workout.

reverse 200s on a messy track

Sewanee's track today was a mess.  It seems that they plowed snow off the artificial turf with and left piles of dirty snow mixed with black rubber particles for a weekend lacrosse tournament.  I had to remove lacrosse nets and even shovel a path through a snow pile.  At least it wasn't frigid, about 45º in occasional drizzle and fog.

Noticing that most of my joint issues are usually on my right side, I did my workout running the opposite way on the track.  I ran sometimes in lane 1, sometimes in 2 depending on the snow piles and debris.  It was my first interval session running completely in reverse direction, and it felt fine, although quite strange.  I really should do this more.

I took the 200s a bit easy and felt good afterward and ran some 90% 100s.

Saucony Ride trainers on 

600m warmup, snow shoveling, equipment removal, stretches, drills 

4 x 200m and 100m w/ 1 minute rest - 30, 30.5, 30.5, 30.5, 15.5 

2 x 100m  - 13.5, 13

This nasty condition of the track is as much due to the artificial turf as the weather and the decision to plow snow off the field.  That nasty toxic black rubber needs to be blown off that surface.

Looks like another week of bad weather: rain Tues, changing to snow Wed. night, frigid cold on Thurs.   I might be back on the track Friday.  It looks like another major winter storm for TN this week.  I'll probably do weights Monday night.  I'm reasonably healthy and a bit lighter.