Take Two

100km ride.. again

Glad to be training full time again. My achilles is still store but it's a manageable pain. I'm pretty sure it's just scar tissue rubbing.


I've definitely lost some fitness with the time off, my long run on Sunday felt horrible. I'm hoping it was just the rust on the joints as I'm feeling better as I am rounding off the second week to being back full time. I'll know this weekend after my next LSD run. This will help me decide what's happening with the Ultra in May.

I've been getting a ton of cycling in though. I've been squeezing in a few 100Km rides. Sure beats sitting on a trainer! I'm hoping the cycling will help make up for lost running and better prepare me for the Ultra. I haven't done any road riding for the most part - all this is on railtrail on a cross bike. A great workout with constant resistance. I haven't taken the Tri bike off the trainer yet, I'm not convinced this gorgeous weather is here to stay. It's too good to be true!

I sold my mountain bike. I has a sad but only a little one. It went to a good home and while I did some pretty awesome things on it, I don't have the same sentimental value as my older mountain bike. I didn't do much racing on the one I sold so I am OK to part with it. This gives me a chance to buy a new mountain bike better suited to my riding style. The one I sold was stricly an XC race bike but I'm now doing more all-mountain than anything. I like big rocks and double-diamond technical trails. Bring it! New bike is on it's way, I'm really hoping it will be ready for pickup next weekend. I have big plans for it - I can't wait to hit the trails!!

Training Partner - Huge for these parts!

I'm a bit disappointed with my weight. I'm up 10lbs from my Ironman race weight last year. I don't expect to lose all 10lbs again, some had to be muscle but I can tell I've got an extra bit in the kangaroo pouch. I'm worried I won't lose it in time for the Ultra. Quite frankly I don't think I care all that much right now - I'm just happy to be running and holding on a slim bit of hope that I can still show up and suffer the 50 Mile course. Dragging an extra 5lbs around the course is the least of my concerns right now.

I've been working my core, it's slowly getting stronger. I can actually do situps now haha! I have a long ways to go. This my or may not be helping me on my position on the bike. The back pain comes and goes but I can tell that a big part of my problem was my hip angle. I'm making progress but I still haven't applied my new riding position to the Tri bike yet. So far I've only been on the cross bike. I'm tired of back pain.

Took up trigger point therapy selfcare. Work amazing. Got a theracane thanks to Sheila's advice and it is worth it's weight in gold. So happy to be able to release the tension in my back when I need to. Triggerpoints.net has been great for identifying my pain and suggesting the muscles affected. I can take the muscle group and google how to stretch and take care of it. Priceless.

Glad it wasn't this one

Had the greatest swim of my life last week to follow it up with absolutely no swimming this week. oops. The cycling and running took precedence as well as some real life things. I almost went last night until I realised my bathing suit has see through holes in places you don't want to know. I find my suits only last a couple months at best - the chlorine eats the material and it falls apart. These ones lasted a bit longer but not by much. Gotta find a new suit now....

I'm just happy to be training again.... I really hope I can make the 50 Mile race. I guess I should be careful what I wish for though  :)

Behind Schedule

I injured myself.

Yup, that's why I have avoided a blog post for like umm 7 weeks! Tore something in my achilles.


At first I did 2 weeks of absolutely nothing in hopes that the rest will fix it. Not even 30 minutes into a run and I succombed to pain.
Another 3 weeks of nothing, and STILL it hurt just like back on day 1!!
I gave it another 2 weeks and finally it's getting better. It's been frustrating to say the least.

I am pretty sure all I'm feeling now is scar tissue ripping and rubbing. I'm working my way through this lingering soreness but at least it's not painful like it was originally.

I just put in my first full week of training. I am only about 60% duration and intensity on the run - not just because of the injury but because I've lost a great deal of fitness. Hopefully mostly just rust on the joints and not much muscle. I'll find out this week, I'm hoping it goes better. I'm just happy I'm finally running again. Sort of.

For most of those weeks I skimped on bike and swim as well. I had hoped that would help speed up recovery but now I'm not so sure. I feel like I'm starting from scratch again, except I do feel like I have a decent cardio base. I think I'm feeling mostly rust on the joints.

It's been a tough week but a successful one. So now I look at my training plan, which I've been avoiding as I realize I'm dangerously clost to a DNS for the Ultra in May.

I should be pounding out 50-60 Miles a weeks right now. I'm lucky to muster up 30. I won't force it though, I can't risk getting injured again. So unless I magically feel extra extra good and put together perfect workouts in the next couple of weeks I think I'm forced to drop down from 50 Miles to 50 Km race distance. Technically still an ultra but someone once told me that real men race in Miles. :)

I'm getting worried but not ready to throw the towel in yet with that May Ultra. I'm counting on most of my excellent base training to re-assert itself once I get the rust off my muscles. That remains to be seen.

The other issue to tackle is the back pain when cycling. Working to strength my core and stretch but I'm getting a little annoyed with not seeing much results. I'm still working on it though.


I haven't check my weight in awhile, been avoiding that. I'm pretty sure I'm doing fine. Heck I feel fine so that's why I don't bother checking. I really should since I don't have much time to cut down to race weight if I'm over my upper self-imposed limits.

I avoided posting about the injury obviously. Didn't want to think about it.

The cause? Running trail hills in the snow with a group that sprinted up them. Well maybe not sprint but my form fell apart trying to go a speed up the hills that I should have known better to push hard up. I've had problems with this foot before, similar issues so this isn't a big surprise. The important thing is that I learned from this - I have to distance myself from running groups. I don't go my own pace and end up hurt. I really enjoyed the company, especially after so much solo training, so I'm sad to go back to running alone, But at least I'm running again!