Training Log Archive: Bash

Two weeks since smashing my knee on a rock, apparently more thoroughly than in previous such incidents. I don't recommend it. The knee is doing much better but is still sore around the sides of the patella (from my leg bending backward suddenly in the fall, I think), and it hates sitting for long periods bent past 90 degrees. It also didn't like 'Bent rolling over in his sleep and kicking it last night! BazingaDog was so concerned at my "OW!!" that he jumped between us and slept there like a big teddy bear to protect me. Good boy. ;) I think I'm ready to brave a real run today or tomorrow.

It felt great to run - except for my sore knee. Two sports docs have said it's OK to run, and my knee isn't terribly painful but I'm not sure it's ready for a long run - like, say, the 50 miler I'm supposed to do in 2 weeks. This could be the 3rd ultra in a row that I enter and DNS although the more likely scenario is that I will do a shorter distance and drop out early. This is getting old.

BazingaDog, on the other hand, is not getting old; he's staying young and crazy. Our lad finally put himself through a window tonight when he heard fireworks going off nearby. Everyone is fine. While we cleaned up, he cowered in a dark hallway with his face between his paws, unable to meet our eyes. I'd like to think this will teach him a lesson but he's the same guy who tried to play with the porcupine just a few seconds after getting a face full of 53 quills. Sigh, I needed another project right now.

Congratulations to my brother Dave Campbell (left) and brother-in-law Tim Webb (right) on the grand opening of The Gypsy Market Mews Antique Market and their friends' adjoining North Cafe. If you're in downtown Gravenhurst some time, drop by to enjoy eclectic treasures, espressos, Sunday yoga and free wifi. http://thegypsymarketmews.com

'Bent's coach asked him to do a hilly 2-hour hike with a full running pack and poles, which sounded perfect for my recovering knee. We parked at Airport Rd. and 7th Line and explored the hilly Bruce main and side trails south to Hwy 9 and east to Mono-Adjala Townline. It's not an area I've visited a lot because I usually continue on to Hockley Valley if I drive up there.

The forest was pretty and filled with spring flowers, and there were some decent and very runnable hills (runnable on another day, that is). BazingaDog was particularly fond of the creeks, ponds and mud wallows. My knee, wrapped tight in its new compression sleeve, felt OK - not perfect but definitely not scream-worthy like it is when I straighten it to leave the table after a long meal. This was a rare session where I was pushing the pace harder than 'Bent and B-Dog were inclined to go. Maybe trekking is my sport! :)

The only good news in a day of bad news: ThumbsOfDeath thinks my knee injury won't be a long term thing. The current pain is likely from swelling, stretched connective tissue around the patella and tightness that was almost certainly there before the trauma. No obvious sign of new cartilage damage. Priority is to keep swelling under control and watch closely for infection. He did some stuff that was so incredibly painful that it *had* to be helpful! I can resume activities wearing a compression sleeve if I can manage pain and swelling.

Throwback Thursday - May 2004. Reviewing maps with some trepidation before 'Bent and I did our first 24-hour race, the World Rogaining Championships in Arizona.



This summer Browner and I will be tackling WRC 2014 in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Who else is in? It's going to be a fun, well-organized, inexpensive event with buffalo liberally sprinkled around the race course.
http://peakassurance.net/12WRC_2014.html

Since I was able to squat past 90 degrees this morning, doctor's orders allowed me to try a short, body-friendly trail run. I could feel mild pain in my knee as I ran, the same as when I'm biking uphill right now. Time will tell but I seem to have survived the run OK. I wouldn't have wanted to go much farther though. Cardio is fine but the knee is still worrisome.

I've learned what I *can't* do yet - fold my leg under my chair at a restaurant for an hour, then unbend it. Holy *crap*, did that hurt! All the same, it was nice to have lunch at Hockley with Mrs. Gally, DoubleDownon_11, WandAR and Virginia after they did their long run.

Correlation vs. Causation

There is a 95% correlation between cheese consumption in the U.S. and the number of people who die from getting tangled in their bed sheets.
http://www.runnersworld.com/fun/correlations-gone-...

Some local excitement - a bear and 2 cubs spotted in East Garafraxa, west of Orangeville yesterday. We had a mother and cub on the Palgrave rail trail a couple of years ago. So far they have stayed out of trouble.
http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/opp-warn-residents-near-...

Errand run to Caledon East via rail trail and single track in Albion Hills and Palgrave West. Lots of trail clearing stops in the first 2 km. Highlights included: chatting with Crash and Skye, hillsides of trilliums, a chocolate pecan tart from Gourmandissimo, finding pumpkin cranberry loaf for breakfast tomorrow, getting home before the thunderstorm, and relatively mild pain in my knee. The low point was finding the first shoots of poison ivy I've seen all year. However, I said I wanted full-on spring so PI is part of the package. That and black flies, which are also here.

I am sooo eager to get back to running but... patience, Grasshopper. I've done it the other way, and it's never good. I keep reminding myself about Timato's recent win at the GRR Half Raid after taking 2.5 weeks off running right before the race to resolve a knee problem. And of course there is Super, who has reduced his running and will undoubtedly impress us with some amazing result one of these days.

The official name for the injury that I appear to have from the Giant's Rib Raid is prepatellar bursitis. That's OK but the common name for the condition is Housemaid's Knee. (!!!) Fergawd's sake, if I have to be injured, can't it at least have a cool sounding name?

Btw Dr. Bell mentioned that CBC interviewed him yesterday about the Vibram Five Fingers lawsuit. His position on the user complaints is: "driver error".

A few body parts that got missed after the phone rang in yesterday's workout.

In case you didn't see the Strava Heat Map when it made the rounds recently, here it is. It's cool to see where people are riding and running in your area. Lots of tracks near our place.
http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#10/-79.70470/44.46...

Ultrarunner Charlotte V. has done it again!

Charlotte Vasarhelyi has completed the EMU 6 day in Hungary. I'm happy to announce that she has set a new Canadian Women's 6 day Record with a distance of 733.34 km. She surpassed the old record of 727.4km held by Antana Locs who has been the record holder since 1991.

This race involved running as many 900 m laps as you can within the time limit - 815 laps for Charlotte. Based on the photos, they were running on pavement - ouch! That's probably harder mentally than any event I've ever done. She was the top woman and 6th overall. Great job!

Off to see Dr. Bell. If he doesn't tell me anything scary about my knee, I will try a short, flat run later. A week ago today, it took a huge turn for the worse and I thought I wouldn't be doing any ultras this year. My kneecap still hurts when I bend the knee much under load (no squats or lunges) but it no longer hurts for the lesser amount of bending involved in walking or running, and it was fine to bend it for the smaller load of cycling. I've taken 8 days off training on foot so far, and it has helped. I'm more optimistic now.

I found a more comfy neck "cone" on the way home from Orillia. The patient is much happier! We've also put a wool sock on the leg she uses to scratch her incision.

No squats or lunges, of course.

We got Mocha back last night with the generous help of Mrs. BGY who was driving past the animal hospital in Guelph at the appointed hour. She's doing well although there are a *lot* of post-op instructions, pills and activity restrictions. The worst part is that she has to wear this embarrassing cone head for 10-14 days. Later this week, we hope to get the final word on whether the tumour was cancerous. If so, she would get a little post-surgery radiation; otherwise, she can get back to running around the forest.