weights and more cross training

Since my workout on Tuesday, I've been cross training.   Going to the gym almost every night except last night.  Doing stairmaster, glute machine, and squats.   I think I should be good to run some hills at my parents house in FL next week.  Unfortunately, today is raining and cold and I am a little sick with a cold so I won't be running today but do plan on doing something today.  I'm overdue for an ab set and some upper body that I can do at home.

The 'glute' machine I've found is more of an upper ham machine.  Friday evening I did 3 x 15 single leg squats on with 80lbs and my glutes are far more sore today than they ever have been on the glute machine.  Considering I'm pushing my body weight + 80 lbs with one leg a total of 45 reps, that's a good workout and no wonder I'm sore.  Need to work those in more often.  Every exercise gets it's own variety of unique muscle groups. 

I'm feeling like I'm running out of time.  I need to start my track training. I'm thinking I may get a steroid shot in my plantar to get me over the hump and stop running for 3-5 week to get this plantar issue finished.  I can't keep going on with training once a week.  If I get the shot when I get back and take 3 weeks off, that would put me at Jan 21.  Last time I got the shot, I recovered in 4 weeks only to reinjure it again on that damn flat track at '18 indoor nationals.  Then it took 5 weeks off to get back to healthy.   If I don't run til Jan 21, that would be 5 weeks.  Don't know what to do but I need to get healthy. 

I ran some stairs on Friday, not much but some and it seems like I could probably run  hills ok.  Not sure what to do at this point.  Been 3 months now since this PF started.

 Living at Roya's torn up house and sleeping on her porch may have contributed to my present sickness.  Maybe it's because I'm getting old, but anytime I travel, I'm taken out of my comfort zone and it feels like I regress in many aspects... my music practicing, my diet and workouts suffer... my over wellness suffers... no hot tub, no foot massage machine, no bike, no readily available gym open late, can't travel with my lute, no liquid circumin supplement, etc...  Exposed to masses of people (airports, stores, etc...) when I'm mostly isolated in nature.   It's a stressor but necessary to get out of my routine.

Just 2 long sprints

Back on the track after 2 weeks and the plantar fasciitis nags on.   It was an uncomfortable workout.  Not so much that my foot hurt while running but afterward, and I'm not in shape.  Part of it had to do with I'm not home, with my usual treatments... foot massage machine, hot tub, sleeping with the boot, etc... and I did my workout on the very hard track at Marist school. 

I did a fairly hard 600m then a 400m with relatively short rest compared to what I have been doing.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

600m - 1:51.5 

5-6 min rest 

400m - 68.5

It was hard.  A bit discouraging as my right foot hurt also. The plantar fasciitis was worse the next day but hopefully it'll heal so I can get one more workout before I leave for FL. 

Gym no track

Still off the track, anticipating doing my first track workout on Sunday.  I had a minor surgery on Friday a week ago to remove a cyst on my back and it's still a tad sore but I've been in the gym almost every day since Sunday, have done 3 stairmaster sets, 2 weight sets, and one bike up the Mtn on  Roarke's Cove Rd.  I'm up to 250 reps each side on glute machine: 50, 5x30, 50.  Twice a week, that's a thousand total reps a week on the glute machine.  It seemed fairly doable last time, may up it +25 reps next time.  I got over 150lbs on Wednesday when I stayed home on snowy night instead of training, so I quasi-fasted yesterday, eating very light and I'm back to around 147ish.  I'd like to be a few lbs lighter when I hit the track on Sunday.  The plantar fasciitis is barely noticeable but not gone.  I'm hoping that I won't be sore after next workout.  If not, I can resume once a week and begin to up it.  Getting impatient and want to start sprinting but I don't need a set back.  I'd like to be 100% by Jan.  I think, due to the persistent conditioning and weights, my base fitness is OK.  Probably not too much different than when I ran a 62 400m 2 months ago.

On track and gym

Cool, 37º,  hazy sunshine, and mostly calm winds today on the Sewanee track.  37º can feel very cold or t-shirt weather depending on wind and sun.  Today, it was just sunny enough, with enough calm wind to do runs in a sleeveless T. 

I felt a slight amount of heel soreness before and after the workout.  Probably not significantly better in the past week, but not worse.  Overall, the workout went well.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:41 

400m - 65

It felt good, strong, tiring but not exhausting.  I used my coveted Clifton 1 trainers with a lot of K tape and cushioned socks.  I was able to run the last 100m in each interval fairly strong.   It was cold enough that I used the men's room to tape up and change shoes. 

The 800m was even split and as fast as any I've done this training season.   The 400m wasn't too bad.  Makes me think I could still run 60 flat in race conditions if my foot were 100% an I could use blocks and spikes.  The foot really feels fine after the workout, but it often gets sore days later.  I was discussing this with elite masters and AR holder Sonja, she has plantar fasciitis for the 3rd time and remarked at how 'mysterious' this injury is, how it comes and goes, how it heals.

Last night, I dragged my butt to the gym.  Went back and forth whether I should go, but glad I went.  On Monday I stayed home and did an ab/hip flexor set which left me a little sore.  Last night I upped the ante on my glute 'super sets' ... I did 225 reps w/ 350lbs each side in 7 sets: 50, 5x25, 50.   I definitely feel the added strength, now I just need to eat more protein.   This machine has been integral to my strength and I hope these dumbells of added weight that I'm stashing behind one of the machines don't suddenly disappear.  It would be really terrible. 

I may not be back on the track for 10-14 days due to a fatty cyst I'm having removed from my back on Friday.  So, I'm glad I got this one in.