Dr. Miracleworker

I'm so old now I can't seem to heal on my own.  I've been seeing the Doctor the last three weeks and I've finally seen the light at the end of the injury tunnel.  Sometimes its more confidence than anthing else.  I've cut the training time way down, but definitely been upping the intensity.  Here are totals from the last TWO weeks:

Swim:
13,350 yds, 6 swims, 5:10
The hip is not not hurting the swimming, but motivation certainly is.  I feel good, I feel fine, I'm just still slow.  Finally have something in the works, though.

Bike:
153.6 miles, 4 rides, 7:02
I've cut out the Y trainer rides as my hips starts to heal.  So I've only been doing 2 rides a week.  I've been trying to make them count, however.  I'm doing intervals on Saturday and then a hard ride on Sunday as part of a brick.  Over the course of the 4 rides, I've averaged 21.8 mph.  So mileage down, but intensity up.  I will add in another ride starting next week.

Run:
35 miles, 6 runs, 4:04
Still on 3 runs a week per the Doc.  I'm doing an easy run on Tuesday, an interval run on Thursday, and then a pseudo tempo run on Sunday as part of a brick.  The Sunday runs have gone well.  7M at 6:38 pace, and then an 8M at 6:27 pace.

Lift:
1:00, 3 lifts

Totals:
196.2 miles, 19 workouts, 17:19

Doc finally released me as the last couple of Sundays I've been able to run hard without pain or soreness afterward.  I can 'feel' the hip (or actually my left upper IT band or the TFL), but it isn't really pain and I feel ok afterward.

The keys to my recovery have been many.  None of which I would have figured out without the Doc.
1. Recovery.  After a run or bike workout I go through a routine of IT stretches, drink 20 oz of water, take vitamin C, do a protein shake, and ice the hip for 20min.  Doc cited lack of hydration, vitamin C, and protein as the reasons for my soreness.
2. Don't run 2 days in a row.  Hence the 3 days a week of running
3. Hip exercises.  I do three exercises on the days I don't run: clam, leg lifts, and the supine mountain climber.
4. Core excercises.  I do these with the hip exercises: bird dog, crunch, and plank.

We shall see how it progresses, so far so good.  I'm starting to up my bike mileage, but runs not so much.  Only 3 weeks to Charleston!

Springing into March

So here we are almost midway through March Already.  My hip seems to be slowly progressing, though seriously limiting my mileage.  Getting sick last Sunday night didn't help either.  Got the Fever from Hell, so didn't work out on Monday.  

Swim:

6,150 yards, 3 swims, 2:25.  Did some 100's one day, then my fartlek 200's, and finally a straight 2,100 (you know, to simulate a 1.2M half race distance).  I've definitely learned a few things about swimming.  First, I am slow.  Not just slow in the sense that my typical pace is slow, but slow in the sense, that when I try to go fast and work hard, I'm still slow.  Its quite depressing.  My second attempt to hire a coach seems to be falling through.  One things for certain: I need help.

Bike:

65.6 miles, 2 rides, 3:01.  Cut out the hour on the trainer and dialed back the mileage.  Trying to up the intensity however.  Saturday's 30 miler included 5x3min intervals with 3 min AR.  Ended up with a 21.5 mph avg.  Sunday was 65 deg and full sun.  Awesome weather!  Did 35 miles at 21.8 avg as part of a brick workout.  So the whole weekend was at 21.6 mph average.  Short, but intense.

Run:

15 miles, 3 runs, 1:47.  Keeping on my strict limit of 3 runs and 5 miles a run.  Tuesday morning was cold : 27 degrees, so that was slow.  Thursday night felt good and ran 6:54's.  Sunday's brick run went well.  Got some cramping in my left hammie, but just stopped and stretched for like 10 seconds and I was good to go.  Averaged 6:40's for the brick run.  Last mile was a 6:26!  Hip felt pretty sore after, but I went directly to the routine: stretch the ITB, protein shake, 20 oz of water, and ice for 20 min.  After dinner it actually felt pretty good.

Lift:

1 Lift, 0:20.  The sickies put a dent in my schedule and I missed a lift.  Still striving for 2 a week

Totals:

84.1 miles, 9 workouts, 7:34.  Not a lot of time, but some really good intensity before the Ides of March.

6 weeks to Charleston.  Hopefully my bike will be there, because my run will not.

The February that Was

The close of another month is upon us.  A short month, but not as short as in (non-leap) years past.  How did we do for the month?  First the week:

Swim:
8,300 yards, 4 swims, 3:18.  Cut down to around 2K per swim.  Worked on some speed stuff later in the week.  Starting to analyze my pool swims more now.

Bike:
31.4 miles, 1:29.  One Ride, no trainer.  Left hip really started acting up at the end of last week.  PT said to just do the one workout on Sunday, a brick.  Felt good on the ride avg 21.1 mph

Run:
10 miles, 1:12, 2 runs.  Just did 5M on Thursday and then 5 as part of the brick on Sunday.  Felt good on the brick run, as I ran 7:05's.

Lift:
20 min.  1 lift.  Finally back to the weight bench!  Man, am I weak!  Gonna start hitting it twice a week for a while.

Totals:
46.1 miles, 8 workouts, 6:20.  Left hip was killing me Sunday afternoon.  Is it my upper IT band or  trochanteric bursitis?  I think its bursitis, but it really sticks.


February Totals:
Swim:
50,100 yards, 16 swims, 19:54.  All time high in yardage!  50K yards is a pretty big milestone.  Got a little motivated from the training challenge over on ST.  Had some really good weeks and several 3,600 yard sessions.  I don't seem to be getting any faster, but I surely am more efficient.  14K yards in one week and felt fine.

Bike:
295.7 miles, 7 rides, plus 4hr on the Y trainer, 18:23.  Shortest ride was 30M.  Just riding on Saturday and Sunday.  Starting to throw down 40M rides likes it's nothing.  4 rides avg over 21 mph.  Best ride was probably a Saturday morning ride with an out and back on Doby's and then up to Lancaster highway and out Altura and back on 160.  Almost 44M at 21.3 mph average.

Run:
61 miles, 12 runs, 7:21.  Starting to get back into running.  Just some 5M and some 8M runs.  Mostly around 7:15 pace, but did get some 5M runs in at 6:50 pace.  My hip started acting up near the end of the month so we'll see what that is about.  Went to Greenapple and they think its my left IT band.  We'll see.

Totals:
385.2 miles, 39 workouts, 45:39.  7 weeks to Charleston