OK.... S*** Just Got Real...

Alright Mr. ITB on my right leg... if you want a fight m***** f**** you got one!  You just seem to get worse even without running.  Seems you don't care for cycling or even kicking when swimming.  So today longer ride is the last you get for a while.  I won't let you ruin my whole 2015 season.  You may have been the price I paid for success last year, but I will defeat you.

The plan.... time to go to the leg injury experts.... runners:

http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-treatment/treating-itbs

Meanwhile I'm taking up Yoga.  Yes, Yoga.  I'll switch to upper body and core strength training only, until inflammation is gone and flexibility returns.  Swimming will be with a pull buoy only until inflamation is gone.... we'll see how that goes.  

What does that mean?   We'll I get to find out first hand what it's like to come back from minimal fitness.  The hope is that any new level you achieved in precious years will allow you to build back quicker.

This may be harder than 20+ hour training weeks.   But it should teach me a lot.

Weekly Wrap-up 10-26-14 - The Highs & the Lows

Lets start with the highs.  The positive things.  My newest endeavor... coaching.  Things are progressing well.  I have a blog, a facebook page, a USAC Level 3 coaching license and a lot of enthusiasm.  I'm really starting a 2nd career on the side.  That's exciting and a little scary.  Fortunately, I'm not having to quit my day job to make it happen.  Could I do it full time?  I'm not sure.  It would be hard to leave the steady pay and benefits completely and to do nothing but live and breath endurance sports.  Having a "normal" job does give me a little bit of separation I think and a healthy perspective.  I truly do understand what it takes to balance a full time job, training, family and other commitments outside of work.

I currently have one athlete, and 3 prospects.  And I hoping I'm not too far from joining that mysterious coaching group that I've mentioned a few times now.  I feel like a NFL draft pick waiting to find out who he'll play for.  

My 1st athlete is very enthusiastic, willing to put in the work and learn, and I feel has a lot of potential.  He's could be the perfect client in a sense.  One that you have to may have to reign in more than push.  I'm really excited to see what he can accomplish.

Other good news, my weight gain has been reversed after a solid week of discipline.  I'm not sure how much i lost as I didn;t even want to weigh myself before I started.  It would have been too depressing.  I think I was up to 174lbs.  Now around 171... but I'll figure 1lb for lack of glycogen/water.  Remember, when your dieting or training hard, glycogen get stored with water.  I forget the exact number, so don't quote me, but I think a 1000 calorie deficit (your "tank" is 1/2 empty) is about 1lb.  So full bonked... you'd be 2lbs light.

The bad news... my ITB still sucks. I'm on call this weekend, so to top it off, my training has been lack luster and I was on vacation last weekend.  So what should be week 1 of Base 1 for my build towards an early season "A" race, isn't really building anything.  Just holding a plateau at the bottom of the curve.  I'm wondering too if I can in fact keep riding and have my ITB recover at the same time.  

Its pretty clear what my ITB issue is. 1) It's tight.  I'm rolling, stretching, chiropractor, but it's not getting much better.  I'll just need to bump up the frequency of rolling and stretching.  the result of the tightness is very clear swelling beside the knee.  This is the acute symptom.  It's just like other forms of tendinitis I've had.  Until I can get the swelling down, I'm screwed.  I'm wondering if the same type of eccentric motions that you use for Achilles tendon would work?  Maybe just stretch cords for leg lifts in all 3 directions.   Hmmmm... I think my wife has some cords, I'll give those a try.  I'm almost thinking it's a combination of my glutes, hip flexors and the medial... something or other (I'm not a physiologist) ... it's the muscles that the ITB helps control, the lateral/stabilizing motion of the leg.

By the numbers:

(assuming I go for a 75' ride on this gorgeous afternoon)

Swim: 14,400y, 3h24m

Bike: 157mi, 8h49m

Run: 5m, 0.7mi

Strength: 1h25m

Total: 13h45

TSS: 851

Weekly Wrap-up 10/21/14

Not a great week.  Supposed to be starting my base 1 phase.  But 2 chiropractor visits, lots of rolling, etc and I thought my ITB was improving.  WRONG!   Had a couple OK runs, but Sat & Sunday it went downhill.  I just wasn't ready.

So now for Plan B...

No running until it's 100%.  Meaning no tightness, I don't feel it cycling or swimming at all.   I figure that will take 2-3 months... yes, not weeks, months.  I have to consider my priorities for next season.  Priority #1 is having a good showing at Kona... and running the whole thing.  I think NOLA still stays on my schedule, and will be an "A" race but my run will obviously not be in top form.  So I'll just have to adjust my expectations.
My focus will then be on swim & bike, which honestly, is where I have the most room for improvement anyway.  I know i can run faster at Kona than IMWI is I simply pace it better, and ride the bike within my limits, factoring in the heat and most of all, execute on nutrition and hydration.  Great execution with sub-par fitness will ALWAYS beat poor execution with great fitness.  Obviously there is the whole spectrum in between too.  But I'm always reminded of the 2 faster athletes in my age group at IMWI that didn't or were unable to execute that day.  If this ITB isn't fixed, that will be me, putting in a 5+hour marathon just to reach the finish line.

So my rehab plan will now include strength training 2 days a week, core work 1 day a week, yoga 1-2 days a week (my wife has expressed interest in doing this class as well....which would be cool) and rolling 2-3 times per day and some basic side leg lifts.  Strength training will include dead lifts and squats and the central theme.  With some lunges as well to shore up my glutes, which were the root cause of this injury.

By the numbers:

Swim - 18,200y, 4h17m
Bike - 135mi, 6h35m
Run - 12mi, 1h42m
Strength - 1h35m
Total - 15h15m
TSS - 925

At this point I'll keep my ATP the same, and just increase my swimming and cycling and strength related workouts to try and fill in the gaps lefts from running.

It's frustrating, but I'm not going to panic.  I'm happy as hell this happened now, not in August, and not next Sept.

Weekly Wrap-up - 10/13/14

Another week without running.  Grrrr.  ITB seems to slowly be improving.  Stretching seems to be helping the most.  I'm still rolling but more focused on the tight muscles NOT rolling what's sore. Time off cycling made no difference, so I'm definitely riding again.  Online research I've done suggests that it's a good alternative to running to maintain overall fitness.  Oddly, kicking while swimming aggravates just a bit and possibly more than cycling. 

It of course became a BIG swimming week.   I feel really good in the pool and that increases my motivation.   Swimming is so boring otherwise, that motivation comes a lot from how you feel, seeing improvement or just a reminder at how important it is to hit T1 feeling strong, not destroyed.  Plus, a good swim workout, probably kicks in even more endorphins than a good run or bike session.  Maybe be cause mentally, it's my weakest discipline, so I expect good runs and good rides, but I don't expect to have awesome pool sessions.  So when I do, I feel like a superhero that crushed it.  I try and visualize hitting the Pier in Kailua Bay at the back of a solid swim group ahead to the log jam just behind me.  Then I can get to work on the bike nice and relaxed.  At least that the plan for now...

By the Numbers:

Swim: 22,400y, 5h12m
Bike: 103.6mi, 5h06m
Run: 0mi, 0h0m
Strength: 1h50m
TOTAL: 12h13m
TSS: 837

Still losing fitness overall, but gaining in swimming.  But it is impressive to see that taking 2 weeks off running, does result in losing 1/2 my CTL, but you can see how that will come back quickly as I ramp mileage up, especially running 6 days a week.  A CTL of 23 (about where I will bottom out), is only about 20mpw at an easy run pace.  I'll probably target 10 miles this week, 15 next week and just very slowly increase from there until I get to 40mpw for a couple weeks.  Then start add in some tempo runs if I'm still healthy, then increase to 45mpw and just hold there for the 1st 1/2 of my season.   For the 2nd 1/2 I'll try and get to 50mpw and hold that if I can.


Kona Musings:

So I can't help but think about next October after seeing coverage, photos and stories from Saturday.  It's intimidating.  I realize now that running under 3:30, will be a challenge in the heat. I think about those hot days I had here and I ran a solid 0:20 slower per mile, so my 3:21 becomes 3:29ish.  Getting lean will be important, and pacing and nutrition will be everything.   On the swim, I'd like to go around 1:00-1:01 and come out in the top 100 or so male amateurs.  I think if I improve my threshold swim pace, get in a good group on the swim, it's doable.   The bike will be all discipline.  Get in that nutrition, keep wattage under control and ignore what everyone else is doing.... and don't get a drafting penalty...haha.

I'm still not sure if I'll convince my parents to come and allow me to pay for most of their expenses (only way it will happen).   For me, it's a matter of buying an experience.  Their 50th wedding anniversary is that following August in 2016.  They did so much for me when I was growing up... and in the end, money is just money.  You can't always buy time or buy memories with your family, but this is one time maybe I can.  I'm sure my wife would happily trade $4k for 9 good quality days with my father that passed recently.  In the scheme of things, that nothing.  Especially when I'm riding a $7k bike, spending $5k a year on race entry fees, hotels, food, nutrition, shoes, tires, etc.

I hope to book a rental home this week if possible... before they get sucked up.  Though these luxury 3-4BR homes seem a little less popular it seems.   I love the location.   Near the public pool, a little private beach for the kids, a short walk from the pier and downtown...and Ali Drive for spectating.

Other notes:

I purchased the coaching Edition of Training Peaks.   Right now I'm just reviewing the training of 1 athlete and of course coaching myself.  I better make sure I sign a waiver for myself.  I almost fired my coach and sued him after I got the  ITB issue.  I mean seriously, what asshole coach schedules a training run only 5 days after a IM?  Why?

ITB Rehab Plan

Doing some Google search comes across a TON on info on this injury.   Here's my current plan:

1) Stop running AND cycling for a few more days.
2) Stretch, stretch, stretch.... like hold it for 30 seconds... and repeat 5X!  
3) Foam Roll... but DONT roll the ITB.   Roll out the root cause, which for me I believe is tight glutes and quads and supporting hip muscles.  This all started when I has a sort glut/hip area and stupidly ran on it anyway, thinking it would help loosen it up.  4) do hip strengthening exercises along with general strength training using free weights.  Sretch out really good after lifting.

How did it all start?   I'm now 100% confident it was from my Ironman run, not just the high volume training the 2-3 years before it.  I ran a solid 12 miles with bad form.   So what's the less on here?  2 takeaways for me.   1) take more time off and stretch, roll and get a massage sooner after the event and the week following.   Don't run at all for at least 10-14 days and no cycling either for at least 5-6 days.  Next year I'll have the  luxury of not do jack s*** for at least 2-3 weeks.   2) Do more transition runs and bricks?   Why?  well I need to get in at least a little time running on fatigued legs so the supporting muscles can adapt a little.   It's also good for mentally practice slowing down off the bike.  It's also fairly time efficient to squeeze in a run after a long bike.

Again, on the flip side I hitting the pool hard.  Doubling up today (AM & Lunch swims).  I should get in over 20k yards this week.

Weekly Wrap-up - 10/06/14

2nd week in he preparation phase... which is doubling as part of my off season.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I'll be doing a little bit different approach.  No running until my ITB is healed and I may need to stop cycling for a bit too.   I might even use the Green Bay trip next week as an excuse to do nothing for a couple days.  Though I was hoping to start running again next week.  Keeping my fingers crossed that the rolling helps, a massage this week also helps and I can move past this slowly.  I did weights and some plyometrics this morning.  Hopefully some of that strength training pays off.  I'm also going to start doing a indoor spinning class on Friday for fun.

A not so great milestone.  I think this might be the 1st time I've had 0 run miles for a full week in over 4 years.  Wow.  ATL is down to the same as last Feb... which really isn't so bad.  If I stick to my current plan is will bottom out this week.  But that plan may still change.

On the positive, I've excited to get back in the pool and see some improvements.  I'm also excited to start coaching, just as soon a I can get some insurance coverage.  More on that in another blog that I think I'll start specific to coaching.

By the numbers:
Swim: 2h46m, 11,850y
Bike: 7h10m, 151mi
Run: 0, 0
Strength: 1h35m
Total: 11h46m, 697 TSS
PMC: CTL 125, TSB 26.9, ATL 94.7

Off Season Plans... or rather change of plans

I previously had wanted to roll right into a full 6 month plan leading to my 1st "A" race in April.  But... looks like my ITB isn't on the same page.  It's going to probably take a few weeks to work through, then a very, very slow build back into running base.  Cycling is also aggravating it a bit, so looks like it will be primarily a swimming and strength focus for a couple weeks.  That's not a bad thing.  It is off season after all.

ATP - No Annual Training Plan until it's healed.  No need to have that looming over my head. I've dug out of a injury before, so I know I can do it again.  Better to get 100% and be able to dive back into training than let it linger.  It's also an opportunity to see how well my base from the last 2 years allows me to progress and how far my fitness slides.



Coaching - This will give me an opportunity to focus some time on transitioning into the world of coaching.  That's right, I've decided this is the right move, something that complements my passion for the sport and will allow me to challenge myself in a different way.  I'm taking steps to make it happen.
Step 1 - The first is to protect my myself... and that means professional liability insurance.
Step 2 - Next is a Training Peaks Coaching membership to be able to manage training plans and schedules and get familiar with the software.  I have a few willing "guinea pigs".... or rather trusting athletes that I can start off with..  I'll have to put together a general waiver and some sort of agreement so expectation are clear.  At some point I do need to transition them to being paying clients as  I gain experience.  Hopefully I'll have some proven results and that won't be a issue.
Step 3- Professional certification.  This provides some beneficial formal education, reduced your liability exposure and is a prerequisite for Step 4
Step 4 - Join a coaching franchise that has approached me.  Becomes part of a well respected team and share in resources, increased exposure and in the end, just have more fun doing it with a bunch of great people that are passionate about the sport... and nothing wrong with making some money doing what you love.

That's really the American Dream isn't it.  My focus is still on helping athletes improve.  Even if I became a full time coach, I'm not going to make more money than my current career, so it's never going to be about money.  But having just gone through the passing of my father in law this last week, it does remind you that in the end, you only live once, so what are you getting out of life?  What's really important?  What changes can you make to improve you life experience.

That being said, I did have someone I respect tell me to be careful and that there is always the risk that the focus can become more about money and business than helping athlete reach their goals.   Another coach told me that you have to be careful not to get too emotionally connected with athletes as they can often let you down when they miss workouts or don't demonstrate the same commitment and drive that made you successful as an athlete.

Lupus Foundation of America,  Iowa Chapter Fundraising - With everything going on I don't want to lose focus on this fundraising and awareness campaign.  I still plan to get a new trisuit designed, and renew a fundraising campaign this winter prior to my first race in April.  I may recruit my cousin, a graphic arts designer, to maybe help me come up with a creative design.  Again, I'm thinking a bright purple that really grabs your attention from a distance and gets you looking.  This years suit was still a little understated.  We'll have to fix that.