Coping With Injury

Being forced to miss the Amherst 10 miler killed one of my 2013 goals: running all of the USATF Grand Prix races.

It also helped to put me in an even worse mood. Last Sunday I was on the treadmill for an hour with the first four miles alternating at a walk/jog/run, and then the final mile+ walked at full incline. I haven't run since then because...well...the shin didn't respond well.

So this Sunday, when I watched the clock slowly tick until it hit start time of 1:00, I just got more and more annoyed. I wanted to run. Even more, I wanted to race.

I tried burning off some steam by doing an hour and a half on the elliptical and a half hour+ in the pool - and while it was a good workout - it did not relieve any stress. I did not receive any endorphin high. I was still bummed. Totally. Bummed.

But this feeling has been par for the course over the past 6+ weeks. A series of lows and lowers. With the occasional feeling of 'meh'. Which is defined as the level below 'bah!'. Even though this Sunday was one of the more frustrating days, being on the elliptical for that long gave my a good chance to let my mind wander...Discipline and focus. That's where it wandered to.

I wanted to run the Amherst 10-miler badly, but that's not the goal race. I've been focused on trying to get healthy for Boston and Big Sur, and a 10 mile race at this point would have been a stupid risk. And so as I stood on the elliptical I thought to myself, 'I need to remain disciplined and focused.' After the elliptical I was wiped, but I did 3 sets of calf raises and a couple of sets of the Myrtl routine. I would have liked to head home, but...well - discipline and focus. Get to the pool.

Stretch. Foam roll. Eat right - extra calcium, glucosamine and chondroitin. Time on the bike. Time in the pool. Time on the elliptical. Core work. Hip strengthening. Resistance band work for the foot and ankle. Sports massage. Icing. Ultrasound. Sleep.

All of that has to be done on a consistent basis. It's not fun. I would rather be running, but that's where my mind wandered. Discipline and focus.

It reminds of of a quote that I've posted a few times now, and seems a fitting summary:
"One of the first lessons running teaches us about success in athletics and in life is that there is no one else. No one else can do your workouts for you. You alone must do the drills, repeat the core exercises, stretch, and lift the weights. You cannot hire someone else to do your cross-training when you are battling injury, or pay someone to run a race and get you a new PR. You are truly your own hero in running. It is up to you to have the responsibility and self-discipline to get the job done." - Adam Goucher, Running the Edge

Triathlon Training Going Great! Oh wait...

...that, of course, is sarcasm. Well, if it were in fact triathlon training - it would be going great, but it's marathon training. So, not as good.

My workout routine for the past ~four weeks has been some variation of the following:
1.) Go straight to the gym after work.
2.) One hour bike ride
3.) Three sets of the Myrtl Routine
4.) Three sets of fifteen eccentric calf raises
5.) One hour in the pool - usually 50 minutes of pool running and 10 minutes of swimming
6.) Get home around 9:00.

I have also started going to Yoga on Fridays during my lunch break to work on flexibility, and I purchased some resistance bands to do some shin/ankle/foot strengthening as well.

All of this is all well and good, but it does not feel like marathon training. My effort level will vary on certain days, with Sunday usually being my most consistent effort - and the fact that I'll need a nap after that workout is a good sign that I'm getting in a quality workout. But, it doesn't have the same feel as a two hour run - I crave that feeling badly. The first two weeks of this routine had me in running withdrawal and it turned me into an ornery a-hole.

I don't have much a of a choice though - if it hurts to run, then I can't/shouldn't run. I'm hopeful that all of this will help maintain fitness, and avoid future injuries. But to say that I'm eager to put my feet to the pavement/trail/snow is an understatement. It's at the point where I'm looking outside at 30 inches of snow thinking that it'd be a nice evening for a run around the Charles...it really would be pretty nice though. I'm sure no one else is out there.