Stadium stairs - ejected then returned

Thursday morning stadium stairs were a little weird.   I got there early to beat the heat and noticed the football team practicing.   I warmed up, stretched put on the sunscreen and started in on the workout. 

After 4 reps, this kid comes over and tells me to leave.  I said, "pffft, I have permission to be here, talk to Dr. McPhee if you have an issue," and I started on my 5th rep.  Sidney McPhee is the University president and we're on a first name basis, me having been here 37 yrs, him 25.  

So, then the assist coach comes over and tell me to leave.  I tell him I'm here all the time and I have permission from the University president to use the facility.  I said, alright, just give me 10 min and I'll be gone.  He says, nope.  

Then.... the head football coach, Derek Mason, former TN Titan, highest paid person at the university ($1 mil / yr) comes over and says this is a closed practice and I have to leave and that he's never seen me here before.  I told him I'd been training here for decades, and the university president has given me permission, and in the recent past, he has signed off on leave for me to compete in S. Korea, Australia, Spain, and Poland.  He said, "OK, I'm sure that's true but come back at 9:30 when we're done."  I said, OK fine.    At D1 level, I guess a coach needs to be careful no one is scouting their team on behalf of an opponent.  

Here's the kicker.  

Leaving the stadium, shirtless with my backpack and water, who is the first person I see?  University President Dr. McPhee.  I told him, "I was training, running the stadium stairs, but a funny thing happened, coach asked me to leave.  Never had that happen before. But he said ok to come back at 9:30."  Dr. McPhee said, "OK, feel free to use my name whenever."   I later emailed coach introducing myself, and assured him I was not a scout, and that I train on the stairs Thurs or Fri mornings.  I copied Dr. McPhee.   It was actually a nice happenstance, running into Dr. McPhee.  I had just shaken hands with him the week before at the faculty senate meeting.  Good to have friends in high places.  

The sad thing about MTSU football is that they just built a $66 million football training facility, yet the team has never been ranked and rarely has a winning record.  This season, they aren't even playing any top 25 ranked teams.  They lost their first game to Austin Peay by 20 points, not exactly a football powerhouse. 

Anyway.... stairs were really hard.  The second time I went back, I did 10, and the last few steps were more of a fast walk than a run on some of them - even with adequate recovery, usually doing 2 or 3 reps then sitting down for a few minutes.  Even stopped for mens room break before the last few.   HR stayed pretty much in the 150s and 160s.  I didn't have the muscular soreness I usually do after these, but did have some joint ache.  Recovery is going to be important after workouts like this.   Since then, I've just done some light gym work, resistance at home, and a bike ride last night with one sprint up to 28.0 mph.   

Stretches, drills

5 x stadium stairs

break

10 x stadium stairs

Weight is ok but could be better, around 144.  Would like to be 2 lbs lighter next time I try running on turf on Mon or Tues.  

Gym, bike

Monday was the first day of regular school hrs in the Sewanee gym, open to 10pm.  I went Monday night and did mostly resistance.   Tried a 500m row sprint but quit at 360m.   Did 8 min on the stairmaster to just get a sweat.  Still feeling the tibial burning when loading the R ham, but it's better.   The most remarkable thing was the positive effect the back extension machine had on my lower back pain.  After 3 sets of moderate weight, 10-15 reps doing slow negative, the back felt great the next morning.

Tuesday did my first Roarks Cove Rd climb in a while.  Wasn't bad, 23:15 just over a minute slower than my season PR.  HR stats:

Avg HR - 168

Max HR - 185

HR over 170 - 16:07

HR over 180 - 4:08

Amazing how comfortable I feel with my HR over 170, even over 180.   Yet I'm winded on the rower when going all out for 90 sec.  Also, amazing that I felt a little muscle soreness after just a little running earlier this week.

I may do stadium stairs at MTSU on Thurs morning, some bike sprints this weekend, and then try a 4x100m interval workout on turf next week.  

142.4 lbs after workout.

First test run

Didn't intend to run today but the drills felt good and I gave it whirl.  First sprint in 8 months.  Just an easy stride.

I first did lots of drills, and high knee running.  Bands and ab wheel.  Then I tried a 60m stride on turf.  Felt good.  So nice to run without foot pain.  Then I tried a full 100m stride on turf.  Great.  No pain.  It was only 15.8 but I'll take it.  It's a start.  Just have to be careful.  

I then hooked up the 45lb plate and ran 4x50 yd sprints.  Doing these with 45 lbs instead of 90 lbs gives me an opportunity to actually get into sprint form and go a little faster.   Someone took away the 2 plates I had stashed under the bleachers.  Stupid.  

Stretches, drills, abs, bands

60m stride on turf ~10 sec

100m stride on turf - 15.87

4x50yd sprints with 45 lb plate

Definitely a milestone day, but very early in my training.   Probably be another month before I'm running 300s on the track.   Plenty of time if I ever hope to compete again.  Indoor Nationals 7 months away.  Outdoor nationals 11 months.  Worlds in Daegu, a year.   

Not particularly light.  About 144 lbs.  Will want to be lighter when I finally start intervals.  

Sometimes I wonder if the result of my rehab of this injury would be much different if I had done the same exact thing but without surgery... the same 6 weeks non weight bearing, same PT, etc... and just let it heal on it's own.  Hard to say.  I think probably not.  

 

 

 

Shake out

Went to the track this evening to assess my condition.  Did a full warmup, drills, and a very light workout of 1 set of bands, abs, single leg body weight squats, and push ups.   I can still feel some medial knee pain in both knees due to the rigorous hiking we did, but afterward it felt better.  The foot issue feels much better.  

Moving forward, I think I'll do these minimal shake out workouts frequently to promote mobility and flexibility, then start with hills or bleachers for the next week, some bike, and gym.  I don't want to be running if there is any pain, because pain = damage.  No rush.  Hoping to be doing 1x/week running on the flat on turf within a month.  

Despite the hiking, I think I've lost a bit of fitness.  High intensity stuff like bike sprints and hill running is way different than hiking.  

Woke up at 144 lbs.  

Tonight's sunset view at the track.  

Hiking to glaciers, flowers, pastry

Back from Chamonix on Wed.  Did some challenging hiking for my ability.  Hard on the feet and knees.  Also, the diet suffered ... pastries, baguettes, etc...  But my weight is still below 145, so not too bad.  I will need some recovery before I attempt to begin training.  One thing I learned in France was the value of recovery time.   After the ambitious Le Tour hike (like stairmaster x10), we had a light day afterward and I went from slightly painful walking to feeling fine.   It's this I'm going to have to gage properly going forward.

Here's a photo dump.  Will update descriptions later.  First 2 photos show some of the more difficult hikes - to the Albert I refuge at the Le Tour Glacier.  

Hike from Le Tour Glacier to Albert I refuge - Roya in pink

Chamonix town center

Grand Balcon Sud 

Le Tour Glacier

Mer de Glace 

Mont Blanc from Aguille du Midi

Glacier des Bossons

Chalet Cafe des Pyramides at Glacier des Bossons

Breakfast and dessert

Exposed hiking (fall - die) to Le Tour glacier

Le Tour Glacier

Gran Balcan Sud from Brevant to Refuge Belchat

The Track, no running yet

One of many cafes in the Alps - Bossons Glacier

  

gym, stairmaster

At the gym, concentrated on lower back, abs, hip flexors, and thought it would be good to do a 17 min stairmaster since this will be my last workout til I start hiking in Europe next week.  It was pretty hard, HR stayed between 150-170 for the several minutes.

Still feeling a bit of a burning sensation especially when loading hams at flexion.  Hope it goes away.  

My diet collapsed today as I binged on cherries, ate over 2 lbs, then never ate a real decent meal.

I sent a message to my PCP asking him about getting my liver scanned as a precaution due to AFP tests that were a bit high.

We'll see what he says.

Worried about my flight to Geneva.  Delta rebooked it so my layover is just 1:15, really not enough time for an international connection.  According to flight data, the incoming flight to JFK is only on time 34% of the time.  So, I bought flight insurance and called Delta to get on standby for next flights as a precaution.  Hope it works out, have had really bad luck with flights this year. 

Big bike climb, track drills, gym

 Taking it easy since the big bike climb at Racoon Mtn on Sunday with Bill M.   It was nice to be on the river again and the weather was nice, not real hot.    Compared with the climb in May that took 45 min (to the East overlook), this was better, just 38 min, and easier.   I forgot my watch so I have no HR data.

After 3 days of doing very little physically except for some abs and pullups, I went to the track tonight to do warmup, stretches, bands, drills, and some test running.  I did some high knee running and hops, then a 50 yr lope in sprint form.  Felt ok, just slight medial and tibial pain.  Should be gone in a month.  

I was pissed that my 2x45lb plates disappeared from under the bleachers.  I don't why someone would move these.   I hope to find then and used them in the future.

At the gym I worked on my back and upper body.  I did some weight sled pushes with the wheeled 'tank' ... a rolling resistance sled,  Unfortunately, not a wide range of adjustment.  Level 1 is a bit too easy, level 2, too hard to run with.  I also did a 36" standing box jump, first attempt at any jumping since surgery.

I'll have to try this with the harness.

142.2 lbs after workout.

Getting ready to fly to Switzerland on Monday for a week long hiking vacation in the French Alps with Roya.  Hiking, good coffee, pastry.  

Weight pulls, drills, bands

Not quite as warm today, heat index in the 90ºs instead of 100ºs.   At the track, I warmed up, did drills, bands, and finally weight pulls.  The R ham is still weak, still feel a burning sensation on the tibia at root repair site when flexing ham under load.  

Today, ran a bit further and less reps.  Sprinting 50 yrs dragging 90 lbs was pretty much an all out effort to failure each time.  I only did 4, 2x2.  Hard.   

Stretches, drills, bands

2 x 2 50 yd sprints on turf pulling 90lbs w/ harness

I also did fast turnover high knee runs and jogged a little.  Still probably a month away from actual sprints.   Still not using full flexion in my R leg when knee goes forward.   Hoping to start sprint training once/week by Sept.  Will start with 80% 100 or 150m repeats on turf when the time comes. 

142 lbs after workout.