Category: Injury

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Another injury, ankle this time

I was on a roll, until I wasn’t 

I love the SNL skit with Roseanne Rosannadanna. Gilder Rader was hilarious and I always think of her rambling commentary and Jane Curtin bringing her back to reality. “It’s always something,” she would say.

For me, I think of this skit when I’m on a roll and then get side tracked; which in endurance training happens at least three times a year.

On Tuesday I twisted my ankle, bad. I was trail running in Winant Park and I noticed a runner on the trail that paralleled my trail. I didn’t want to startle him when the two trails merged so I was watching him. When he noticed me, I waved and – boom – I wasn’t looking at my feet and my ankle twisted so hard I almost screamed in pain.  I hobbled home (1.5 miles).

I twist an ankle at least once a week but never to the extent of Tuesday. I do all the flexibility exercises for ankles and feet, and typically don’t get injured. But Tuesday….. Ugh. 

I have two dogs to walk and so this week was a bit trying on my nerves as I hobbled around the block walking the dogs. Goldie is terrible on leash and when she sees a squirrel ….

My new start was a bust. This week I wasn’t able to capitalize on last week’s training. I walked this week but no biking or running. Today I hiked with Winnie and took Goldie on a walk to the park. Later today, I plan to do a 3 mile walk around Concord and maybe a short bike ride.  But that is it.

I’m guessing that running isn’t going to be a thing for another week. Meh. I think today I’m going to take advantage of Netflix and cable TV. And of course, the Andrew Cuomo hour coming up shortly. Man, that guy can talk.

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Monday Motivation, First Tracks in the Snow

Here in Concord we got about 6 inches of snow this morning. The roads around my house are plowed so I head to the Winant Trails with my dog and snowshoes.

Winant Park, Concord NH

The photo above shows how gorgeous it was this morning. Not a soul out yet. I could hear snowplows in the distance but other than that it was peaceful.

Last night I came very close to signing up for an Ironman and had thoughts of signing up for the Leadville Camp/Run combo. Very dangerous. But instead I walked to the store and bought a pint of Ben & Jerry’s – Peanut Butter Cup.

I woke up with a sugar handover and still undecided about what races to do.

I’m signed up for the Houston Marathon and Umstead but am too injured to run. Okay, not much for Monday Motivation except for starting the day with a great snowshoe hike in the woods with my dog.

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Leadville Training Week 14 – The week that wasn’t

This week was supposed to be a week where I recover from the 30 miler and taper for the 50. It turned out to be an injury week. My last run was Tuesday morning, a nice 4 miler before work. Later in the afternoon I attempted a mountain bike ride on the trails in Manchester, FOMBA. What a great trail system except that I crashed a few times and had issues clipping out, and injured my left knee.

There was a lot icing and ibuprofen, and perhaps a bit of despair this week. I foam rolled more than I ever have in my life; maybe twice a day. I started swimming on Friday, and on Saturday ended up joining a lane of master swimmers at the Y. That was fun. It seemed by the end of day Saturday it was about 70% healed. I did every type of activity I could except running. On Sunday afternoon I even went on a bike ride on the QR. After 9 months of no biking and swimming, it felt great to be in the aero bars and swim in the pool.

Secret Squirrel MTN Freetown, MA

Sunday was the highlight of the week. I supported Alex at his mountain bike race. I’ve learned how to be an excellent sherpa from Than so it was fun to figure out where he would come out of the woods for a photo op and to cheer him on to Top 10 results. Woo Hoo. After all the races I’ve done and knowing how important it is to hear someone cheering for me, it is truly so fun to do it for people I care about. The mountain biking crowd is so different from Ironman and Ultra running. The race venue was at a park in southeastern Massachusetts, a place I’ve never been and it was great to get out of dodge.

Goal 2 2019 50 Mile
Do it for the sticker!
By the numbers ……

Monday – May 20 – 6 days until race day. 50 Miles. This is my B race. Race 3 of 5 of the dream year. I’m ready. I’m focused. Mark is pacing me and we are celebrating his birthday. Yeah May, Yeah 50 Miles. Yeah to doing things you’ve never done before and crushing it!

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It’s all about the adventure

My knee is still inflamed and sore but getting better after crashing on a mountain bike Tuesday night. It was my first time on a mountain bike since 2014, and my first time riding trails in New Hampshire after biking in Arizona and Colorado. In retrospect, I probably should not have biked so close to race day but I chose adventure instead of caution.

I’m a pretty cautions person when it comes to choosing to turn back so I can live another day in the mountains. But I really didn’t think mountain biking would be dangerous. I love mountain biking and just laughing as I speed down hills and sweat going up the hills in the woods. It’s so much like skiing in that you are in the moment and not thinking about anything else. Whereas with running you are thinking of everything. When you get that chance to ride in a place you’ve never been with a fun, hot mountain bike racer, you take it. Ha! Crashing on roots and rocks, while not ideal, is part of the adventure. I forgot that.

But alas, I’ve been here before. Not really thinking of the outcomes but taking the adventure because I wanted to do something new or different. It’s why I took a job in Concord and moved here in 2017. It’s why I took risks in relationships and signing up for a race I wasn’t sure I could do.

It’s about the adventure.

I’m trying not to despair as I sit on my sofa on a rainy Friday morning contemplating the next few days. While I can’t run and can barely walk, it’s going to be okay. My race is 8 days away and I can’t even taper. The worse case scenario: I don’t make it to the start line. The best case scenario: my knee heals and I make it 50 miles on May 26. So for the next few days I will swim, stretch, foam roll, walk and do the elliptical at the Y.

May 26 is just a race. It’s not the end of the world. [read out loud and repeat]

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Week 20 Recap

This is the second recovery week since I started training. What a strange week this has been.

As a recovery week, the mileage during this week was really low and I took a few more days off due to knee pain. I think I figured out what happened with my knee: the fall, over use, stress and putting on too many miles. I’m following a plan that has gradual mileage increases but it still wrecked my body. I think, too, that I stopped weight training and that didn’t help. I did everything right this week, well, maybe not everything right but I iced, rested, elevated and got my legs stronger. Since I had pain in the adductors weeks leading up to the knee injury, I think that part of the knee pain was coming from the weak adductors.

Now, I will get back to weight training and do my core exercises every day. I remember reading that the most important think about ultra running is arriving to the start healthy and injury free. The miles have been a struggle on my aging body and now I understand that I have to do everything I knew I had to do to stay healthy and injury free.

Lesson Learned.

I will do yoga a few times a week and weight training. I will hike and run at night.

Next week is Week 19 – the biggest week yet.

I’m excited for the week and to be strong and healthy.

132 days to Leadville.

Average Weight: [I don’t want to talk about it]

Average Resting Heart Rate: 44

Total Vert: 2,273

Miles: 23.9 (includes hiking)