Training Log Archive: jennycas

Darks Common is at Lapstone, first train stop up the mountains from Penrith. So it was a convenient venue on a perfect mountains morning. A network of tracks, some of which confused me so that I managed to make a parallel error then compounded by - when I redirected - crossing over the track which I wanted without realising it and overshooting the control by a couple of hundred metres and losing about 3 min on that leg! Was going pretty slowly anyway; should have taken O shoes, or trail shoes at least, so had no traction in the terrain and was pretty tentative on any sort of downhills. But at least I loosened up enough to be able to stretch properly before the next race.

A true chasing start based on the first race's results. Which meant I started about 6 min behind Tracy, in the middle of the group of W40+, and not far ahead of Terry Bluett - and darned if I could get any further ahead of him! We had the same sequence on the butterfly loops and although I could creep a little ahead on the tracks he was moving faster than me through the terrain and got me in the end. I had circumvented most of the twinges by consumption of anti-inflammatories but still not confident of putting my weight on either knee going downhill. Was fun though, and nice to catch up with Cath, among others.

Sprint 1 - Splits

Sprint 2 - A - Splits

Hanging upside down from a tree branch by my three toes :)

Actually:
7am flight to Sydney with Geoff (I got to see where it had snowed out Oberon way)
Breakfast/bookshop/markets in Glebe
Lunch with Tracy & family and a walk where I requested no downhills in deference to my knees
Traditional 'take the in-laws to Bunnings and let them loose with a trolley for support' afternoon
Help sister-in-law and niece decorate birthday cake for nephew's 7th birthday

So it was a pretty good day for the first of spring!

I Do Not Like Green Tea. I could learn to drink fish oil, I think. But the best anti-inflammatory I have found is running a cold shower over my knees. Pity the effects don't last very long. Pity also that every time I bend knees even slightly I get a stabbing pain in my shin, yet it's not at an obvious tight spot. Neural?

C • Green tea 12

C • 1

Had a meeting in the city which finished early so, armed with my bike, went to Belair to ride the length of Long Gully return, then past the nursery, up to Belair station and back to the golf course car park. Nice to be out - I have missed Belair - but I don't know yet whether riding is good for knees. I suspect not...

I know, I shouldn't have. And it's less than the minimum loggable time, but in terms of effort and painfulness, felt like so much more. It was a scientific experiment in trying to work out how much of the problem is tightness which can be stretched/massaged out and how much is inflamed tendons which should be left alone. So far my verdict is: about 50/50. But the horrible thing is, it keeps changing. Even when walking I will suddenly get random stabs of pain, not necessarily in the same place as last time. This is why you can't run on bad knees whereas you can on other sorenesses. Last night I thought I had everything massaged out when I went to bed and then I was woken in the night by a cramp in a bent knee, so bad that I couldn't straighten my leg to get out of bed and find the icepack.

C • REST 4

Happy puppy. He got a decent walk. I'm still struggling with stairs (of which there are thankfully very few at work) and squatting (to retrieve casenotes which are usually buried at the bottom of the trolley).

The dog didn't even get walked today. I made it to work with the aid of Panadol but am seriously wondering whether I can ask George for a taxi home (via the pub?). There comes a point where stretching and massage can actually aggravate an injury more, and I think I have reached it :(

C • Ow! 10

Horrible horrible knees. I started out quite happily with F&T, B&S, having spent the previous 15 minutes massaging both knees - but on the first downhill left knee gave an almighty twinge and it was all downhill from there. Ended up having to walk even quite small descents because it was so painful (and unpredictable); can I train only by running up hills from now on?

The Arrows manager has ordered me to REST. Not quite sure what he's threatening me with if I don't but I'm really not confident of running nationals or being able to hike in Tas if this doesn't settle. It's *only* ITB, of course, but hasn't been this bad since 2001 nationals, after which I gave up running for quite a while. A combination of small tightnesses has gradually built up, I guess: no foam roller and not enough stretching in Darwin, standing for a few hours on ward rounds, running shoes getting old...and I really struggled with the heavy clutch and gear-changing when driving the ute on the weekend.

And I was (still am) so much looking forward to 5 weekends in a row of orienteering, starting with the Big Foot Sprints in Sydney this weekend.