Training Log Archive: Bash

Yesterday's short walk-run caused my heel pain to flare up so I went for a sunny hike with AdventureDog today. I wouldn't normally log a dog hike on AP but it looks like hikes will be a key part of my injury recovery, and I don't want to be tempted to run outside just because it's loggable.

I'll try the walk-run progression on the treadmill that I did with Dr. Bell last time I was recovering from a heel injury. It's not quite the same injury but it's worth a try. I have lots of time so I can build up to running and do foothab exercises.

I looked seriously at getting a rowing machine on Black Friday and now I really wish I had!

Spectacular, crisp, cold, sunny day! I haven't been running in regular shoes for more than 6 weeks in an effort to heal whatever is hurting at the back of my right heel. I did some snowshoe running in a couple of races and I've also done a lot of skiing so it has only been a partial rest but my heel has been feeling almost normal again.

It was too nice to stay inside so I tried a short walk-run in Palgrave West. A few years ago, when I had retrocalcaneal bursitis in my left heel, Dr. Bell started me back into running with walk-runs on the treadmill. Initially, I think it was repeats of 1 minute running and 3 minutes walking. So it was kinda cheating to go out on the trails but it's not as if I have any deadline to recover, and it was fantastic to be outside in this weather.





My heel is sore tonight. Maybe it needed more time - or maybe Dr. Bell's method is the way to go. He is kinda smart. :) I'll find out tomorrow when I see whether I have to limp sideways down the stairs.

Pro mountain biker Rémy Métailler of Whistler posted this photo with some good, specific suggestions about reducing risk. (Spoiler alert: he won't be riding this line any time soon.) It's a great time for me to do trail maintenance and learn more about bike repair.



"With the current situation, I will not do anything risky anymore. That picture was taken last year. I have opened and done that line so many times and never got sketchy on it, but I would not want to take a chance to go to the hospital at this time. They are already extremely busy with a way bigger problem. Go and ride your bike if your country allows it but at this time don't ride within your comfort zone; ride below it. The health workers do not need to take care of an injured biker. For the next little while I will do things bike related that will allow me to progress without needing to push my riding such as working on my basic skills, flexibility, mechanic, finding new lines (but not testing them), trail maintenance... Outside of the bike world, I already miss my friends and seeing people but social distancing is needed and should not be taken lightly. If you are not scared of the virus for yourself, you should at least fear the financial impact of it. It will be tough for the big companies and the small businesses. The faster we react, the faster we get back to our lives. Be smart our there, stay healthy and thank you to the health worker, people at the groceries stores, delivery drivers and everyone that keeps working for the community. Cheers. Photo by James Lissie"

Some lower body strength and foothab to get things going again.

A few months after finishing CCC last year, I really needed motivation. So I was uncharacteristically efficient at booking flights and registering for 4 trail running events in 4 countries between April and October. I also registered for two adventure races in Ontario. This strategy hasn't turned out too well so far but it's nothing compared to the big stuff happening in the world.

Given that I can't rely on medical care being available for the next few months, I want to stay healthy and uninjured. Exercise is part of that so I'll need to motivate myself without those races and without traveling, training partners or post-run lunches. Stress usually drives the motivation right out of me so this is going to be challenging.

I'm thinking about appropriate ways to reduce risk. Although I've never had a serious accident, people do break ankles while trail running or get concussions while mountain biking. I've seen recommendations for mountain bikers to stick to trails of "low consequence" during the pandemic. In some European countries, it's a crime to go cycling or to run farther than 2 km from home. Maybe those measures are coming, given that our case numbers have been closely following Italy's numbers from 20 days ago. We're lucky to have good indoor training options if it comes to that, and we do have trails behind our place where we rarely meet anyone.

Anyway, baby steps.

For non-Facebookers, here are two recent posts since I didn't do any training *again*.

Excerpt from a post on 'Bent being home from work:

Staying home is *really* not easy for a guy who loves his work and hates to sit still. There are a few silver linings in this gloomy time such as:
- Our large pile of chopped and stacked firewood is growing fast.
- He phoned or texted every single one of his relatives today.
- The dogs are thrilled to have both of us here.
- He's a great cook and we can eat garlic on weeknights now that he's not doing dentistry.
_________________________________________________

Scenes from the Grocery Store in this Crazy New World:

- I would have felt more relaxed leaving my phone visible on the car seat while I shopped than my hand sanitizer.

- Many shoppers brought spouses and/or children old enough to stay home. I saw families of four (including both parents) shopping together - grrr! Apparently, some families think social distancing means hanging out with a bunch of strangers in the only store in town that every family has to visit.

- The store had no TP, no eggs and no anchovies. I'm curious about the purpose of anchovies in a pandemic. It seems that I've failed to stock up properly.

- No, I'm not hoarding chocolate. That's a perfectly normal amount of chocolate for a person to buy in a week. But yes, we are hoarding wine and craft beer. There are only so many risks a person can take.

Coronavirus Rhapsody: I recommend singing it out loud from start to finish. It gave me a much needed fit of giggles. Warning: dark humour.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/124030754149149...

This is all good info.

Hello out there! AP is pretty quiet these days but as we all keep our social distance during the pandemic, it feels more important than usual to reach out.

Life is crazy for everyone - potential health concerns, worries about family members, job stress, financial loss, general uncertainty and - of course - the Great Toilet Paper Shortage. I'm sending a big hug to folks in AP Land and hoping we can help one other by staying connected while we're required to stay apart.

'Bent, BazingaDog, AdventureDog and I are fine. The week leading up to yesterday was super stressful as we tried to figure out what to do with 'Bent's dental practice. After a lot of soul searching and research on the disease and best practices around the world, we decided to close the office except for minor emergencies that can't be managed with meds. This was considered a radical idea by most other dentists early Sunday afternoon but within 2 hours, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario had made the same recommendation.

It's especially tough for younger dentists who still have huge student loans and practice loans. Like 'Bent, most dentists also have employees who need income regardless of whether there are patients. Some offices aren't closing down. We're hoping the government will offer some small business assistance in tomorrow's announcement.

Regardless, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders since deciding to (mostly) close the office. It was a tremendously difficult decision. 'Bent loves his patients and his staff, and he loves dentistry and helping people. Meanwhile, I have chronic low white blood cells so I'm not sure of the effectiveness of my immune system. I was freaked out knowing that he and his staff work in the occupations considered most likely to get infected.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/15/bus...

Last week we also stressed over whether to cancel plans with friends that ultimately got cancelled anyway - the Costa Brava Stage Run in Spain and the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Toronto. It all seems obvious now but it wasn't so obvious last Monday. In both cases, we decided to cancel 24 hours before it became a moot point. I'm sure Ultra Trail Snowdonia in Wales in June is next but if I wait a while, the cancellation may cost less.

We thought we might ski a little more now that 'Bent's schedule is suddenly open but Scenic Caves and Highlands have closed due to the pandemic. That's OK - there are lots of other ways to stay busy.

Sending love from our home to yours. Stay healthy, take care of each other and keep in touch.