I tried to test my ITB tonight. While the Safra runners went to conquer MF loops, I trotted alone to Canterbury. I thought I'd do a short slow run and test how much pain-free duration I had.
Disappointing. Not much. 20-30min. Then the tightness returned, and soon the locked feeling. Sigh. For a short slow 1hr run, I stopped 3 times to stretch.
Depressing. Morale all-time rock bottom...
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Headwind-ed
We did another Desaru long ride this National Day. There was an early morning shower because the roads were still wet when we started our ride, but luckily we had avoided the rain. It was a good ride, but I got totally dropped by the guys. Three times. So much for morale.
First drop. From jetty towards Petronas. I missed a right turn, together with Andrew and Ansley. And then they missed a left turn, so I called them back. By the time we turned around, we lost everyone else.
Second drop. From Petronas to Jade restaurant. I was left trailing smoke after abt 5km, and rode the rest of the 35-odd km in silent cursing of the headwinds. It was strong, reminiscent of IMWA. There was nobody to draft, and it was all I could to keep on pedalling. Sometimes my tired speed dropped to 17kmh, but mostly I kept at 24-26kmh. It was hard work battling the wind. Today's ride was really a bummer. I could barely hit 30kmh.
We stopped for lunch. Then back to the jetty.
Third drop. From restaurant to jetty. Right leg ITB. Left leg almost cramped. The irony was that the cramp was a result of a squatting loo, rather than cycling. Brilliant. I was trying hard not to cramp, so I practised pulling instead stepping down. And in the process, over-pulled my hamstring. And got dropped within a few km.
Sigh. A crappy ride. Hardwork, yet still so slow.
First drop. From jetty towards Petronas. I missed a right turn, together with Andrew and Ansley. And then they missed a left turn, so I called them back. By the time we turned around, we lost everyone else.
Second drop. From Petronas to Jade restaurant. I was left trailing smoke after abt 5km, and rode the rest of the 35-odd km in silent cursing of the headwinds. It was strong, reminiscent of IMWA. There was nobody to draft, and it was all I could to keep on pedalling. Sometimes my tired speed dropped to 17kmh, but mostly I kept at 24-26kmh. It was hard work battling the wind. Today's ride was really a bummer. I could barely hit 30kmh.
We stopped for lunch. Then back to the jetty.
Third drop. From restaurant to jetty. Right leg ITB. Left leg almost cramped. The irony was that the cramp was a result of a squatting loo, rather than cycling. Brilliant. I was trying hard not to cramp, so I practised pulling instead stepping down. And in the process, over-pulled my hamstring. And got dropped within a few km.
Sigh. A crappy ride. Hardwork, yet still so slow.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
ITB Belly
I went to Frankie at lunch time. My ITB was still tight, although thankfully, I was able to run some hill loops last night.
So we focused an hour just on the ITB. The knee hurt, but it was really a result of an upward pull of the ITB and not the knee cap or bones per se. So we started with relaxing the entire ITB first. Then worked on the upper end of the big bulky muscle group - near the hip. After that, we found the belly of the ITB. Bingo! I could already feel the tightness when rubbing down my entire upper ITB side, on the side of right thigh. There was a certain 'piece' or hardness in the middle.
Basically, when a muscle cramps or tighens up, it pulls on its two adjoining ends, thereby causing pain to the joints around those muscle ends. It is usually the belly (aka the middle segment) of a muscle that contracting and pulling inwards. (Image of a human with stomachache, bending over.)
We attacked the 'belly'. It was a really deep muscle, very hard to reach. Luckily Frankie was strong, thumb attack! Like a thumb print along a 10cm length alongside my right thigh. Continuously. And it felt really good that we managed to isolate and target the problematic spot area. Spot attack!
Ooooh lightness. I did not feel like there was something rubbing against the side of my knee now.
Ooooh happiness. :))
Let's see how it goes after a few more rest days. *fingers crossed*
So we focused an hour just on the ITB. The knee hurt, but it was really a result of an upward pull of the ITB and not the knee cap or bones per se. So we started with relaxing the entire ITB first. Then worked on the upper end of the big bulky muscle group - near the hip. After that, we found the belly of the ITB. Bingo! I could already feel the tightness when rubbing down my entire upper ITB side, on the side of right thigh. There was a certain 'piece' or hardness in the middle.
Basically, when a muscle cramps or tighens up, it pulls on its two adjoining ends, thereby causing pain to the joints around those muscle ends. It is usually the belly (aka the middle segment) of a muscle that contracting and pulling inwards. (Image of a human with stomachache, bending over.)
We attacked the 'belly'. It was a really deep muscle, very hard to reach. Luckily Frankie was strong, thumb attack! Like a thumb print along a 10cm length alongside my right thigh. Continuously. And it felt really good that we managed to isolate and target the problematic spot area. Spot attack!
Ooooh lightness. I did not feel like there was something rubbing against the side of my knee now.
Ooooh happiness. :))
Let's see how it goes after a few more rest days. *fingers crossed*
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Start Stop Hills
I decided to test the extent of my ITB strain tonight, after 4 days of resting and massages. We were doing MF hills for our Strides class. I parked at Safra and jogged up Morse Rd. It was my test to see if my knee was ok for today's class. If it hurt during the 2km warm-up, I would skip class.
Knee felt ok. So I thought I would try the loops. 5 loops in the reverse direction, and 4 in our normal Safra MF direction. I completed 7 loops, having to stop every 2-3 loops for a thorough stretch.
Running up was fine, but not down. My right knee tightened progressively as I gingerly jogged downhill. My timings were so irregular that Coach gave up recording. "They're not real.", he said.
Reverse direction:
10:50min, 10:26, stretch, 9:57, 10:39
Stretch.
Normal direction:
8:28, 9:59, stretch, 11:27
But just so thankful that I was still able to run.
Knee felt ok. So I thought I would try the loops. 5 loops in the reverse direction, and 4 in our normal Safra MF direction. I completed 7 loops, having to stop every 2-3 loops for a thorough stretch.
Running up was fine, but not down. My right knee tightened progressively as I gingerly jogged downhill. My timings were so irregular that Coach gave up recording. "They're not real.", he said.
Reverse direction:
10:50min, 10:26, stretch, 9:57, 10:39
Stretch.
Normal direction:
8:28, 9:59, stretch, 11:27
But just so thankful that I was still able to run.
Running into Triathlon
I am a runner. Not too good at it, but unabashed to declare that I am one. In the past, I never ventured into traithlons because I could not swim. I do a decent job of floating, on my back. Or doing a handstand underwater. Or sitting cross-legged on a swimboard in the pool. Or a backward flip. But laps? Aren't they part of our body anatomy?
And as with most runners, I paid lip service to the idea of cross-training. I just wanted to be out there, running, burning, relaxing. Cross-training was something to be done on non-running days, which were rare. Until I was forced into it by injuries. And at that point, I transited into triathlons.
It is interesting to observe how runners become triathletes. For many of us, we start off training for a triathlon just as how we would train for a run. Run. So we hit the pool and start splashing laps. We get a bike and start riding. Since we run about 85% of the distance that we are racing, we apply the same principle to triathlon. Swim 25 laps in the pool and let adrenalin handle the remaining 5. I committed that fallacy.
Running is second nature to most people. As children, we had to be reined in from excessive running and playing. Running is about lifting both feet off the ground and putting one in front of the other, repeatedly. As a result, runners usually do not worry too much about form, posture, or technique. Swimmers and cyclists are different. These sports require techniques honed to perfection. Every execution of a pull or pedal stroke is about efficiency. The obsession with drills and proper form is something new to runners, but something that we can incorporate into running.
So when I started swimming (because I could not run), I floundered and splashed my way through. I could do an ok imitation of breast stroke, but could not get through 50m of front crawl without, well, crawling through the water. And then hung by the wall for dear breath. And repeat. But how clueless I was. I was simply programming bad habits and bad form into muscle memory. Thankfully (or not) I was a slow learner and my muscles had retarded memory. So I signed up for proper swimming lessons. It was a culture shock.
Then I got a bicycle. Proud owner of my first wheels. I hit the roads, and committed another cardinal sin. Runners have strong legs and instinctively pedal with low cadence and high gear. Low gear? That’s wimpy. High cadence? Just hammer it! And so it went, until well-meaning friends told me to try the reverse. I was not convinced initially, but the clincher was that it would help my run. So I practiced spinning on light gear, and promptly got dropped.
Along the way I was introduced to the term ‘brick’. So now I have to learn about construction too? I googled the term and was instantly rewarded with pages lauding the importance of bricks, videos showing what to do, and discussion forums gushing over newfound bricks. I eschewed it, and Cramp swiftly taught me a lesson. I was fortunate that I never had cramps in my runs previously. So I foolishly did not know what it felt like to have parts of my legs seize up into solid blocks, as they did in one of my early duathlons. Maybe that was it was called 'brick training'.
Despite our late start and clumsy coordination, runners do have an edge in triathlons. It is relatively easier for a runner to increase his training mileage in swimming and cycling than vice versa. By comparison, non-runners risk many injuries if they try to ramp up their runs too quickly.
We enter the last segment of a race in home ground. The comfort and reassurance of slipping into our trusted shoes. The familiar bounce that is hopefully coupled with a spring in our legs. The joy of a run in itself. That brief ecstasy when we pass people who zoomed past us with wheezing wheels. These keep us going. Runners do not give up on our runs, certainly not in a race where we survived the alien odds.
I am a runner, learning to swim & bike. :)
Lessons:
And as with most runners, I paid lip service to the idea of cross-training. I just wanted to be out there, running, burning, relaxing. Cross-training was something to be done on non-running days, which were rare. Until I was forced into it by injuries. And at that point, I transited into triathlons.
It is interesting to observe how runners become triathletes. For many of us, we start off training for a triathlon just as how we would train for a run. Run. So we hit the pool and start splashing laps. We get a bike and start riding. Since we run about 85% of the distance that we are racing, we apply the same principle to triathlon. Swim 25 laps in the pool and let adrenalin handle the remaining 5. I committed that fallacy.
Running is second nature to most people. As children, we had to be reined in from excessive running and playing. Running is about lifting both feet off the ground and putting one in front of the other, repeatedly. As a result, runners usually do not worry too much about form, posture, or technique. Swimmers and cyclists are different. These sports require techniques honed to perfection. Every execution of a pull or pedal stroke is about efficiency. The obsession with drills and proper form is something new to runners, but something that we can incorporate into running.
So when I started swimming (because I could not run), I floundered and splashed my way through. I could do an ok imitation of breast stroke, but could not get through 50m of front crawl without, well, crawling through the water. And then hung by the wall for dear breath. And repeat. But how clueless I was. I was simply programming bad habits and bad form into muscle memory. Thankfully (or not) I was a slow learner and my muscles had retarded memory. So I signed up for proper swimming lessons. It was a culture shock.
Then I got a bicycle. Proud owner of my first wheels. I hit the roads, and committed another cardinal sin. Runners have strong legs and instinctively pedal with low cadence and high gear. Low gear? That’s wimpy. High cadence? Just hammer it! And so it went, until well-meaning friends told me to try the reverse. I was not convinced initially, but the clincher was that it would help my run. So I practiced spinning on light gear, and promptly got dropped.
Along the way I was introduced to the term ‘brick’. So now I have to learn about construction too? I googled the term and was instantly rewarded with pages lauding the importance of bricks, videos showing what to do, and discussion forums gushing over newfound bricks. I eschewed it, and Cramp swiftly taught me a lesson. I was fortunate that I never had cramps in my runs previously. So I foolishly did not know what it felt like to have parts of my legs seize up into solid blocks, as they did in one of my early duathlons. Maybe that was it was called 'brick training'.
Despite our late start and clumsy coordination, runners do have an edge in triathlons. It is relatively easier for a runner to increase his training mileage in swimming and cycling than vice versa. By comparison, non-runners risk many injuries if they try to ramp up their runs too quickly.
We enter the last segment of a race in home ground. The comfort and reassurance of slipping into our trusted shoes. The familiar bounce that is hopefully coupled with a spring in our legs. The joy of a run in itself. That brief ecstasy when we pass people who zoomed past us with wheezing wheels. These keep us going. Runners do not give up on our runs, certainly not in a race where we survived the alien odds.
I am a runner, learning to swim & bike. :)
Lessons:
- Check, check and re-check your form and technique
- Swim more than the distance of your race
- Ride with high cadence and light gear
- Embrace bicks
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Another Night of Pulling
I went for my swim makeup class tonight. 1h of drills made a LOT of difference to the swim thereafter. We did drills like fist swim, finger glide, head up swim (killer!). For one solid hour. And then swam.
I was pulling Lane 3 with 1-2 other guys. Hard work.
7x 100m @ 2:45min (deja vu, like last night!)
2:19, 2:18, 2:24, 2:22, 2:27, 2:29, 2:20
Repeat 7x 100m @ 2:45min
2:19, 2:29, 2:29, 2:23, 2:28, 2:29, 2:29
2x 50m easy - 1:16, 1:14
6x 50m sprints - died
1:01, 1:07, 1:05, 1:09, 1:06, 1:06
I think I just lost my arms...
I was pulling Lane 3 with 1-2 other guys. Hard work.
7x 100m @ 2:45min (deja vu, like last night!)
2:19, 2:18, 2:24, 2:22, 2:27, 2:29, 2:20
Repeat 7x 100m @ 2:45min
2:19, 2:29, 2:29, 2:23, 2:28, 2:29, 2:29
2x 50m easy - 1:16, 1:14
6x 50m sprints - died
1:01, 1:07, 1:05, 1:09, 1:06, 1:06
I think I just lost my arms...
Monday, August 2, 2010
Swim Go Go Go
We lost count of the laps. We must have swam next week's National Day's share tonight as well.
There were very few swimmers in Lane 1 tonight, about 5-6. SL and I alternated and led the swim. I was trying to remember all the drills and corrections from last Friday - closed palms, roll, enter straight & not cross the centre line, enter light & not splash, twist & glide... Too many! Perhaps that was why it took the monotony out of the swim, I just focused on each stroke.
8x 50m hard (actually like not much difference....)
1:06, 1:10, 1:07, 1:12, 1:11, 1:12, 1:13, 1:12
Repeat 8x 50m (kidding?!?!)
1:09, 1:08, 1:10, 1:10, 1:10 1:12, 1:12, 1:12
9x 100m @ 2:45min
2:24, 2:22, 2:29, 2:25, 2:32, 2:24, 2:30, 2:27, 2:36
6x 100m @ 3:00min
2:40, 2:33, 2:46, 2:33, (watch ran out of lap counts, oops....) average of 2:33 ish.
8x 50m sprint (again, felt like similar effort) - Coach got 4 swimmers from Lane 2 to pull for us to draft. :)
1:09, 1:11, ... average of 1:11 ish. Not much of a sprint.
It was a good swim though. Concentrating on the stroke form allowed me to conserve some energy. A good start to my swim week. *PS stares wistfully at ITB knee* :(
There were very few swimmers in Lane 1 tonight, about 5-6. SL and I alternated and led the swim. I was trying to remember all the drills and corrections from last Friday - closed palms, roll, enter straight & not cross the centre line, enter light & not splash, twist & glide... Too many! Perhaps that was why it took the monotony out of the swim, I just focused on each stroke.
8x 50m hard (actually like not much difference....)
1:06, 1:10, 1:07, 1:12, 1:11, 1:12, 1:13, 1:12
Repeat 8x 50m (kidding?!?!)
1:09, 1:08, 1:10, 1:10, 1:10 1:12, 1:12, 1:12
9x 100m @ 2:45min
2:24, 2:22, 2:29, 2:25, 2:32, 2:24, 2:30, 2:27, 2:36
6x 100m @ 3:00min
2:40, 2:33, 2:46, 2:33, (watch ran out of lap counts, oops....) average of 2:33 ish.
8x 50m sprint (again, felt like similar effort) - Coach got 4 swimmers from Lane 2 to pull for us to draft. :)
1:09, 1:11, ... average of 1:11 ish. Not much of a sprint.
It was a good swim though. Concentrating on the stroke form allowed me to conserve some energy. A good start to my swim week. *PS stares wistfully at ITB knee* :(
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)