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. 

super sets, stairmaster

After running on Tues, I did stairmaster and weights.  Today, the foot was a little more sore than yesterday, but not bad.  Tonight, I did same thing, stairmaster and weights.

I do a 20 min stairmaster hill program on level 15, really makes me sweat.  I often don't do the warm down after the last big hill, so it's really only 17 min.

I've found a way to more effectively use the glute hip machine.  I call them 'super sets.'   I'm using 350lb on the glute machine, 35 lbs more than I was using in '15 (in this video)

For glutes:
7 sets with 350 lbs each leg then change sides - sets are: 

50, 5x20, 40 or to fail 

For hip flexors:
5 sets with 220 lbs  each leg then change sides - sets are: 

20, 3x12, 15 or to fail

So, why can I push so much more with glutes than hip flexors?  A couple reasons.   Glute is a bigger more powerful muscle.  Glute machine I'm pushing down - using both some of my body weight and helped by gravity.  Hip flexor I'm pushing up, against gravity.   I don't think glutes and hip flexors need to be equal strength.  Glutes and upper hams propel the body upward and forward, hip flexors simply recycle the leg back to prepare the next stride.   Anyway, I'm really as strong on these exercises as I've ever been but of course, no telling how that will translate to speed.  These exercises are great in that they spare the feet and knees and I can do them explosively, but I also do single leg squats, adductor, abductor, and a variety of upper body and core.  I hope to continue this regime so long as it doesn't hurt my hips, so far hips are fine.  I really think I can make some gains if I start eating better and begin creatine and more protein.

I may well wait til at least Sunday or Monday before I hit the track again.  Really want to start running fast but that's weeks away.

I'm ok!

Not 100% healed but well on my way.  The plantar fasciitis is almost gone.  I can still feel it but it's fading.  First time on the track in 7 days. 

Nice day in Sewanee.  58º and clouding up, breezy with a headwind on the homestretch.  I did what I came to do, nothing more and my foot feels fine.   Both feet feel better than in weeks.  Still not pain free but much better, may never be pain free.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

50m strider on grass 

800m - 2:45

I didn't kill myself on this one.  It was still hard enough though, as I took it fairly easy, only putting effort into the last 100m.   I felt a little pain on the warmup lap and it never got worse.  I felt fine after the 800m, almost zero pain.  I wanted to do more but I think I need to get back out on the track again sooner than later so I shut it down til next time.  I should easily be able to run again in 4 or 5 days.  Probably Sunday or Monday.  I have a tradition of training on Thanksgiving, but maybe not this yr. 

I skipped the gym last night so I'll be going tonight.  Besides weights, I'll do stairmaster probably.  I'm upping the stretching and flexibility, spending more time at the gym with that.

My knee seems completely healed. 100%, but of course it hasn't been tested at full speed.  I don't expect to do anything close to full speed probably til next year.  I want to ease into this, preserve and protect. 

A bit heavy at about 147 after workout. 

Where is my lane 6?

Tomorrow

Had planned to start my weekly track workouts today but I'm going to wait til tomorrow.  My feet are feeling better than they have in a long time and I want to go to the track feeling as close to healthy as possible.  My plantar fasciitis is much improved, only feel it when I'm carrying 70 lbs of firewood up the stairs, after heel raises with weight, or after a long time on my feet.  It's 90% healed at this point.  Sleeping with the boot has helped.

Beautiful weather today and tomorrow.  Highs in the 60's.   To make sure I don't reinjure tomorrow, will just run an easy 800m and nothing more.

I've been fairly steady in my workouts since coming back to Sewanee on Friday night.  Have been in the gym Sat, Sunday.   Early afternoon bike ride then Stairmaster and weights on Sat.,  bike up Roarks Cove Rd on Sunday.   The Sat. afternoon bike ride was a painful adventure.  Was a rainy day and I waited for the rain to stop.  It seemed to clear early afternoon so I went out for my usual 6 mile ride including some hills.  I got halfway and the temperature dropped into the low 40ºs with heavy wind and rain.  I was freezing when I got back.

Today I will be back in the weight room but easy on my feet.

Was on sort of a binge last week with bread and not a good diet.  Now a bit heavy, 147-148ish so will look to improve there as well.  No more bread.

Also, lately I've been playing more guitar and will hopefully be preparing for a concert in Feb. if my hand stays healthy.

back sliding

Running for just the 2nd time in 5 weeks.  It was hard and frustrating.  My feet hurt, the plantar fasciitis is persistent but I think slightly better, the arthritis in right foot persists.  My hope is that the feet will slowly improve but at this point, I can not run more than once a week and nothing fast.

I started 2 intervals and pulled up short, not so much because of foot pain, but just afraid I would injure it further and I'm not accustomed to the pain of training yet.  It was discouraging.

Hoka trainers on

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

50m stride - 8 

600m - 1:59 

100m stride on grass - 14.09 

200m - 29

The 600m was an 800m cut short and the 200m was a 400m cut short.  I definitely feel as if I were n better shape 5 weeks ago when I ran a 62.3 400m.  Back in the summer when I was swimming daily and lifting more upper body, I felt as if I were on my way.  This workout was a wakeup call and a reminder of the level of pain and sacrifice it's going to take to get back to world class masters elite level.   At this age, it's always a risk that I could spend a lot of time, pain, and effort and not get there, due to injury or just unable to attain the level I want.  I guess it's about the journey.

After the 600m, my feet felt ok.  With a nagging injury I'm trying to train through, it's always a risk to try to do too much or too often.  I'm a bit impatient but I have time.  I just hate to keep starting over.  This injury is exacerbated specifically by high speed sprinting.  Especially sprinting on turns and in spikes... both of which I'm itching to do.  I still haven't been able to test my all out speed since the knee surgery, but I've been up to 90 -95% but no full out acceleration, no blocks.  Everything I've been doing has been with a rolling start.

My weight isn't ideal, still well under 150 lbs but far from lean.

Last night, after my track workout, I dragged my ass to the gym to do stairmaster a little upper body and some squats.   Glad I did.

I will persevere.  Hopefully on the track in a week.   If anything, I can tell my foot is not quite as sore today than it was after my last track workout, so that's progress. 

Biking on fall color weekend '19

On the weekend of Nov. 9 I had my annual fall party and the weather on Sunday and Monday was so spectacular, I decided to take a last fall boat trip and bike climbs up Raccoon Mountain.  I knew a huge weather change was coming so I knew I had to do this trip and be back early afternoon so I'd have time to winterize my boat.  Temperatures were forecast to drop an astonishing 50º by Tuesday to an overnight low in the low teens. 

On Sunday I got the boat ready early and left Sewanee at 9:30am to launch and take the 15 mile cruise up the river to meet my HS friend Bill at noon, and we did the climb up Raccoon Mtn.   It's always a tough one.

The leaves were at peak fall color and the temp was well into the 60ºs and sunny, although crisp and cool in the morning.   The view from the top was spectacular.

From Visitor's Center, Raccoon Mtn.

View from the top Raccoon Mountain

Bill and Bill at East overlook above Chattanooga

After the hill climb, I cruised into Chattanooga and spent the afternoon hanging at Whole Foods and biking around Chattanooga.  It was a beautiful night with a full moon.

Full moon over the Hunter Museum by the TN River, Chattanooga

I cruised back to the gorge and tied up to my favorite channel marker and fell asleep fairly early. I didn't hear another boat pass all night and I got up very early, like 4:30 am. Watched a little "Morning Joe" on my computer, (thanks to my unlimited data plan on my phone) and slept a small bit more. After a little espresso, I put the boat up at the Raccoon Mtn. dock and did the hill climb again myself, very bright an early.   I was hoping to take a video of my bike trip down the entire 4 mile hill but the video cut off after 90 sec.  Maybe I'll post that later.

Raccoon Mountain dock

I soon cruised back to the launch point and then was back in Sewanee early, just after noon.  It took  me almost 3 hours to completely unpack the boat, and totally winterize the engine and water system.  It was a chore as usual but good to get it done.   The boat deserves good maintenance, it ran perfectly all season, and I put several hundred miles on it this year.

It turned cloudy by sunset and started raining which changed to snow in the wee hours.  Tuesday was unbelievably cold, only reaching a high of 22º.   It got down to 13º Tuesday night.  This was certainly one of the largest temperature changes I've seen here.  It reached 70º on Monday in Chattanooga and 13º by Tuesday night, a drop of 57º. 

Here's what it looked like Tuesday morning.


It was a great trip. It was probably good that I put off running for another week. This plantar fasciitis has been persistent and I will update on the next post.