Starting Over

Well once again it has been a long time since I've written any kind of an update.  The excuses are many, but mostly due to a lack of activity in sport.  Without going back to read where I actually left off, the short version is that I had an un-diagnosed injury to my back/hip/leg on my left side. 

Well, that was quite some time ago.  In fact I think the injury first began to surface about 5 years ago.  2009 sounds about right.  I suffered through seeing about a dozen doctors, chiropractors and PT’s never really finding the answer.  I was able to live with it for a couple years and even raced somewhat successfully despite the injury, but never reaching my potential. 

My last race was the IM 70.3 World Championships in Vegas where I suffered several setbacks.  And while simply being at that race was an accomplishment, it was also the last time I was able to toe the starting line. 

The years following 2012 were challenging in several ways.  My job at the time was easily the most stressful job I've ever had.  It got so bad my Crohn’s became a regular issue requiring me to go through several CT scans and be on prednisone multiple times.  It had gotten bad enough for the doctor to consider surgical options.  There is a difference between the doctor considering surgery and me considering surgery, but for him to even mention it as an option is alarming.

The unfortunate truth is that had you asked me 3-4 years ago if I’d need another surgery in my life I’d have said probably not.  I was doing well, stress was under control, and the Crohns was well controlled.  As I sit here today I’d have to say there is an 80% chance I’ll need to do it again.  On a normal day I feel fine, but the dietary restrictions have me at a point where I can’t eat an apple without having issues.  Raw fruits and vegetables are not really an option for me at this point in time. 

On the brighter side, I am finally starting to make some progress with my hip.  In the past I’d been diagnosed with hamstring tears, bulging discs, and various other issues like SI joint arthritis, etc.  I never really believed those diagnosis because they didn't fit the type of pain I was constantly feeling.  I always felt like this was due to some type of imbalance combined with something I was doing every day to make the issue worse…every day.  Something in my everyday life had to be a contributor.

Well, over the summer I decided to go back to the doctor as I wasn't willing to just live with constant pain any longer.  Through that process I saw a PT at the spine center who started taking a look at the muscles around my lower spine and had me do a few balancing exercises.  Within about 3 days my day-to-day pain vanished.

Unfortunately, that was about as far as that PT got with me.  It was around that time that my sister and brother-in-law were in town.  He was racing at USAT Nationals.  In one of our discussions I brought up the injury and the types of issues I was having.  As it turns out, he’d had something similar and saw a PT in Austin, TX.  The PT essentially specialized in posture and proper movement.  I briefly spoke with that PT via email and he directed me to his instructor who is on the north side of Chicago.

Long story short, I’m all kinds of screwed up.  The muscles in my hips, low back, and legs are all kinds of imbalanced.  I've seen David Foo (new PT) twice now and have already seen a dramatic improvement.  I first saw him back in early September and he gave me a set of 4 breathing and posture exercises.  After about a week of those I was able/willing to get back on the bike and start running as well.  Overall getting back into shape hurts a lot more than I remember.  But my back is doing a lot better.  While the pain is occasionally still there, it is much less severe.  In fact, if the pain had stayed at this level back in 2012, I would have never stopped training/racing. 

I saw David again last week and got a few more hip/back/leg specific exercises, and saw another dramatic improvement.  I’m now at a point where I am biking 4-5 times per week and running 5-6 times.  Granted, I am taking things very easy.  Rides are all under 60min and generally Z2.  But I have started into slightly higher quality workouts as of last week.  (Managed 2x5' @300w on Tuesday!) My runs will stay at an easy 9-9:10 pace for now.  While it’s slow, it’s still much more than I was doing.  And for the first time in a really long time, I have actual hope of being able to train and compete again.  The speeds will improve as I begin to drop the 40lbs that I put on in my stressed out un-athletic Crohns induced depression.

Overall things are looking up.  I have a new job that is both challenging and a lot of fun.  I work with a lot of really talented people and the stress levels are much better.  We’re in the same building as a Gold’s Gym, so I’m able to work out at lunch making things a lot easier on my schedule.  At the same time I’m left with the bad...A VERY poor diet has left me 40lbs north of where I was when racing.  There’s not sugar-coating my state of fatness.  40lbs is a lot even on a 6'2" frame that hides it pretty well.  Simply put there are no excuses...I put myself in this mess and I have to get myself out of it.  I knew I wasn't working out and ate as if I was...that's a really bad mix for an endurance athlete used to burning at least 4,000 calories per day.  Weight loss is generally a simple equation and I ate more calories than I burned.  Now I need to go the opposite direction.

At the end of the day, I’m left with several things to focus on.

First, I have to make sure I remain healthy.  This includes both the Crohns and my back.  If I don’t focus on getting healthy in both regards, none of this matters.  Fortunately for me, working out again should help me with stress management and the Crohns.  At the same time, I need to continue with, and stay focused on the muscle imbalances that led to my hip/back issues.  I need to get those corrected so I can move forward.  I see David again next week and hope to continue making good progress.

Second, I need to get a basic level of fitness and endurance back.  If my back and hip continue to improve I need to get myself to some longer bike rides so I can burn calories without the impact of running.  The reason that’s important is that I don’t want to do too much long distance running until I've dropped around 20lbs.  That will help both my speed, but my durability as well.  I'll still run, but I'll likely keep it to a consistent 30min 6x per week instead of building to 90min runs.

Lastly, once I have some basic fitness, I can start to really focus on the weight-loss.  I’m at a point right now where dropping the 40lbs will have a far greater impact on speed than quality speed workouts would.  So it makes sense to hold off on harder workouts and focus on some longer endurance workouts that I can repeat day in and day out.  In order to do that, I’ll probably need to add swimming into the mix in the next several weeks.  I just don’t want to add swimming back in until I’m really sure my hip/back are going to get better.  Too many false starts with this injury have left me a bit deflated emotionally.  I don’t want to get my hopes back up only to be left in pain and unable to work out again.  So I’ll be taking it somewhat slow.

And that, as they say, is the rest of the story.

No Consistency

Well, it's been a while and a lot has been going on.

Work has been extremely busy for the last several months.  I have a rather large project in the works, really its more like a program with two big projects under that umbrella.  Working 7-5 with no lunch is not uncommon plus a little on the weekends. 

Fortunately the project and the people are fun helping alleviate a lot of the typical stress that would come with a bigger effort.  But that has certainly had an impact on training.  It's been so hectic that Aimee and I decided to postpone our yearly pilgrimage to Mexico (anniversary) as well.

As for the training itself, it's been okay at best.  Post-foot surgery and recuperation, I've been feeling pretty good.  My foot is 100%.  My shoulder seems to have bounced back with the rest and I'm able to swim again.  I have a new bike fit with some technique changes that appear to be helping my hip, so all in all, things are going well.  However consistency has been lacking.  As a result I always feel like I am starting from scratch.

The unfortunate reality of my current situation is that if work doesn't interfere with training, the crohns does.  Lately it would seem that my guts are just not cooperating.  Just when I feel like training is going well, I'll get another bout that forces a few days off.  Even worse, lately it seems like I need a whole week off to bounce back. 

Overall I'm not 100% sure what the problem is.  It starts with the typical cramping, etc.  But the prednisone hasn't been as effective.  For obvious reasons that is alarming.  Once prednisone loses effectiveness there are only a couple options, surgery being the primary option.  I did that once and don't care to repeat it. 

Interesting thing is that I've done a battery of tests recently.  CT scan, colonoscopy, etc.  None are showing signs of active crohns.  They are however showing signs of constipation.  I've been struggling to believe that diagnosis because the pain is so severe, but also exactly the same in nature as the crohns.  I really just can't believe how much that hurt.  I wasn't in the fetal position all last weekend...but I was pretty incapacitated.  I've had worse crohns attacks, some that hospitalized me, but they weren't much worse.  The only thing that stopped an ER visit was that I could tell (feel) food moving and I never tossed a meal.  Vomiting tends to mean a full obstruction = trip to ER, and I never had that.  I guess my glass is half full after all!

In any case, it certainly is plausible as when I have a crohns attack one of the first things to leave my diet is fiber.  Fiber and roughage tend to make things worse.  As I've been dealing with repeated issues for almost a year, it is possible that when this first started up I reacted by eliminating most fiber and never started up again...causing a larger issue.

In any case, I'm on a much higher dose of fiber as well as a couple other things to keep things moving.  (More info than most of you wanted I'm sure).  So far so good.  As the issues tend to present themselves every 4-6 weeks, we'll see how I'm doing in another month or so.

As for the training, I'm doing the best I can in between issues and work.  I recently started back into swimming and that is starting to come around.  I do struggle to stay motivated in the water.  Swimming more than 45min or so is just brutal at this point.  I think I need to start bringing sets to the pool instead of just winging it.  That way I have something to focus on.

Biking is okay.  The changes I've made have all been in the last 3 weeks.  So its too early to tell, but my hip does seem to be improving.  My left leg has a tendency to swing out on the upstroke, I have to really focus on not doing that.  It may be causing my issues.  That is taking some time to get used to.  On the bright side, I started watching the Walking Dead on Netflix...that's giving me new motivation to get on the bike.

Running is fine.  I'm not fast right now, and I'm not really doing much speed work.  Just trying to run 6-7 days a week.  That's been a real struggle with the crohns issues.  On the bright side, I am pretty close to running my typical 30-60-90 program.  So the endurance seems to be returning.  Once I'm ready a little speed work and threshold running will get me back up to speed.

As for racing, I haven't made up my mind.  I'd like to go back to Kansas 70.3, but that will depend on my health.  I have been tossing around the idea of a stand-alone marathon.  I've never done one and would be interested to see what I can do.  But I don't think that would happen until next fall.

Until next time.

Getting back into shape...

Let me start this posting by commenting on how much it sucks to get out of shape.  The problem is that I remember where I was, and in starting to workout again, I think its an easy thing to just start with those workouts.  You'd think that my muscles screaming at me would be an indicator to back off, but that would make sense. 

In any case, from an injury standpoint, things are going well.  My foot is on the mend and I am able to run again.  In fact, I started some very light running about 2 weeks ago, about 7 weeks post surgery.  Since then I've been able to build up to 3-4 mile runs with some walking mixed in because I'm fat and out of shape.  Having said that, despite some disappointment at the fitness I'm in (as compared to the fitness I want to be in or was in) I'm doing pretty well.

Swim:
I am out of shape.  No way around that.  I took a few months off and am paying the price.  Fortunately for me, swim fitness will come back quick.  I've been in the water a grand total of 5 times and can already feel things coming back.  My wind isn't there yet, but my stroke feels reasonable.  I just need to keep on keepin' on and I'll be back to myself.
Unfortunately my swim partner Scott has recently been told that he is an under-achiever in the water.  In fact, he has been for the last several years.  This of course means that I have been an under-achiever as well.  His sets are considerably faster than when I left the pool, this makes me sad.

Bike:
Overall I am in better shape on the bike than anywhere else.  I was able to start riding about 2-3 weeks post surgery.  Just easy stuff, but everything helps.
The hip/glute/piriformis/sciatic injury is starting to get under control.  Over the last few months it has become clear that this is entirely a bike fit issue. 
Years ago my first professional bike fit put my seat height at 79.5cm.  That was when I first started to see some of these issues.  I made some modifications myself, and ultimately started having real major issues that appeared to be my hamstring.

After some major time away and rehab, I came back to the sport with a new bike fit.  My PT had me at roughly 74cm on the bike seat.  That is a MAJOR difference.  And it worked, the injury was fine and did not resurface.  It did lead to other issues such as a lack of power and cramping quads.  So I went for a retul fit and they promptly raised my seat back up.

Now, keep in mind, 'back in the day', I did not really track all my coordinates.  Fortunately my PT did track some of this so I know what range I need to be in.  I'd also add that I thought I had a torn hamstring which I rehabbed, so moving my seat back up made sense at the time.

In any case, today I am slowly working my way back down to a point where the seat height is not causing me issues.  I am currently sitting at 78cm and will probably move down another 5mm.  I may adjust the seats placement over the bottom bracket as well, i'm not 100% sure. 

The good news is that the changes appear to be working.  I did some really hard riding in the last week and a half and have not suffered any real consequences.  I've also added running, and no issues so far. 

Run:
The good news is I'm way ahead of schedule.  I had not planned to run until next week when I originally had the surgery.  As I was not in pain, I started running 2 weeks ago.  I'm running every other day at the moment 3-4miles per run. 

The bad news is that I am really out of shape.  I'm taking walk breaks and feel like death.  That's all I have to say about that.

Weight:
My weight is up.  That's what happens when you're used to burning 4,000-5,000 calories per day, eat accorndingly, and then stop working out.  I accept responsibility for my poor eating habits.  I put on 15lbs total.  I'm already down about 3 from the last few weeks.  Once I can really start hitting it, the weight should drop off pretty quickly.  I don't have to show much restraint when I'm burning high numbers.

Crohns:
I've actually been having some pretty significant issues.  As I look back over time, I've been ina little bit of denial about it too.  It seems like the last year and a half or so I've been having bouts as a regular occurance.  On the bright side I can control them with prednisone.  On the bad side, they keep returning. 

I spoke with doc, and I'm on a lengthy dose of prednison now that is ramping down in the next week.  It sucks, I hate it, and it kills my sleep.  But I need to get the cycle of inflammation down.  Hopefully a longer cycle of pred will knock this down and put it in remission for a while.

In any case, assuming things continue to progress well, I might do some real races this year.  I'm still keeping my eye on Pigman, so we'll see if that happens. 

A Little Ray of Sunshine

For a change of pace I have some good things to write about.

My foot appears to be healing just fine.  I get the pin out of my toe next week Wednesday.  Overall I am walking with no pain and in a normal shoe.  Although I don't know that I'm supposed to be in a normal shoe, I am doing so without any pain.  In fact, I'm walking better now, 3 weeks after surgery than I was before the surgery.  That can't be a bad thing.

I've been able to start biking again.  On the not so good front, my pirfiormis started acting up almost immediately.  However I saw the PT again and we may have uncovered the issue within my SI joint.  After a little manipulation and some specific rehab, its already feeling considerably better.  For a change, I'm actually pretty hopeful we've finally uncovered the root cause of my issue and can resolve it by the time my foot is good enough to run on.  So even that is good news.

My weight is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.  I only put on about 10lbs with 2 weeks of no working out.  Changing my diet for those two weeks was never really an option...so it is what it is.  Once this week is out I'll be biking every day and watching what I eat a bit more so those pounds should fall off pretty quick.  Not helping matters was my Crohns.  It acted up a few times forcing me to a diet of cheese burgers and chocolate shakes.  They may be yummy, but healthy and nutritious they are not.  The grease lets everything slide right through, so that's helpful.

As things are starting to get a little better for me, I've begun to look towards the summer a little bit.  We might actually get some good whether in the near future...so biking outside would be great.  I won't while the pin is in my toe as I do enough stupid crap on accident...no need to do it on purpose. 

I'm hoping to start light running in June.  The earlier the better.  I'll start to think about potential races after that.  I'm really doubting it, but maybe Pigman in IA is an option before I go to Canada with a trip to the Austin 70.3 after that.  It will all depend on the foot as I'm not going to push it.

Allow me to leave everyone on this note:

Moving on

Before I begin with what will be a relatively normal posting, I'd like to spend a brief moment on what occured in Boston.

To start with, I'd like to offer my condolences to those who are either directly or indirectly impacted by this event.  I've thought about training for a stand alone marathon with the hopes of qualifying for Boston at some point, but I love triathlons too much to break from them for that long. 

All told I probably knew 10-20 people that were at the race.  My childhood neighbors were posting pictures prior to the explosions.  Aside from the people I knew directly, endurance athletes share a common bond.  We see each other training on the popular trails and roads.  We talk to each other at the races.  We spectate together at races our friends are in, and we have a sense of community.  We've suffered through countless miles trying to achieve our goals. 

The Boston Marathon was, is, and will again be an awesome event.  It will carry on. 

In any case, tomorrow I get to see my foot for the first time.  It's been completely bandaged and wrapped for two whole weeks.  I've also been unable to wash my foot and its starting to get a little bit ripe.  So I do look forward to that. 

Overall my foot feels pretty good.  There is a giant pin in the toe, and that will hurt if I move my foot the wrong way.  Other than that it is mostly pain free.  We'll see how it feels with the bandages off and a little more mobility.  I am sure I'll have to be careful. 

What's funny is that even though I am walking in surgical boot...I think about walking far less than I used to.  Now that the pain is gone, I simply walk naturally....and that is a very good thing.  We'll see if I can do that without the bandages.

To the best of my knowlege, the pin stays in my foot for another 2 weeks.  Here is what they'll be doing:

It's pretty sweet.  I'm even tempted to do it myself, but I'm not sure I could get it at the proper angle.  I'm thinking about recording the event so everyone can see if I turn into a little baby and cry.  I've had several friends offer to come over with a pair of pliers and remove the pin for me.  As nice of an offer as that is, and I'm sure it would save my insurance provider a little money, I will pass.

Other than that, I am a little concerned about my piriformis syndrom.  Despite zero working out for the last two weeks, it still bothers me on occassion.  I had to cancel my follow-up appointment on this last week due to my foot.  I'm going to try to get in this week if there is an opening.

Other than that everything seems to be doing well.  Part of me is hoping I can start some light riding tomorrow.  Bike shoes have flat bottoms, so if I keep a nice steady pace and no cranking on the pedals I don't see what damage I can do.  We'll see what the doctor says.  The other problem will be the sciatic nerve/piriformis issue.  Biking seems to cause that issues as well.  So starting up may not be the best idea.

I have discovered that foam rolling and digging into that area with a ball seems to help in the short term, but make it a little worse in the long term.  I wonder if I accidentally dig into the nerve and need to move the ball onto the muscle more.

I have no doubt my weight is up.  That's the main reason for wanting to start biking now.  I need to burn calories as eating less appears to be totally out of the question.

Post Surgery Update

So as many of you know, and some do not, I had surgery on my right foot on Monday.

It came on very fast as things just seemed to line up properly.  First off the injury to my piriformis muscle was creating a number of issues.  My shoulder was hurting from all the swimming, and I was basically thinking of taking some time off.  Add that to the fact that my 2nd toe on my right foot had been bothering me for a number of years, and it was time to get that corrected.

Long story short, 10 years back (roughly) I had a bunion removed off of my right foot.  As a result the big toe was shortened and the 2nd toe was very long in comparison.  Over time that toe hammered and the tendon underneath became very tight.  Walking/running gave me this tearing sensation that would range in pain depending on the day.  But it was always there and always irritating.

I rarely mentioned it because I generally pushed through.  I knew what it was and there was no real reason to complain about it as I could choose to fix it any time.  Well, the time was right.

Surgery went really well and the doc thinks he fixed everything up for me.  I was hoping I could have him get a few pictures with my phone as he was taking the saw to my toe, but Aimee didn't think that would be a good idea.  Truly a shame, I know!

Right now recovery is roughly 2-3 months.  That is for running specifically.  I'm guessing that I'll be able to bike in 1 month.  Swimming will probably come shortly after that with running being added last.

The foot is weight bearing (to a point) right now.  So I am able to get around.  I took a couple days off of work and am able to work from home as well.  Tomorrow I'll be back in the office with some ice and a pillow.

In any case, my race schedule for the season is "kaput".  But that's okay as I had no real race goals anyway.  I'm hoping I can come back from the surgery fully rehabbed and ready to go. 

On a side note, I need to watch the calorie intake or else I'm gonna look like this in 4 weeks:

Anyway, I'll keep up with the updates as I progress.

Slacker-itis

So rehab is starting to make some progress.  Overall I think Piriformis was the issue.  I am now able to bike and run, although I am not able to do so with any intensity at this point.  That's the good news.  The not so good news is that all the extra swimming I did flared up some older shoulder issues from high school and college...so I have taken a little break from swimming.  And now I have a full blown case of swimmer slackeritis.  The idea of getting up in the morning to swim is so revolting I simply turn the alarm off in the mornings and roll over.  I'm not proud of that. 

Having said that I can fully justify my behavior by simply saying...who cares.  It's swimming.  I'll be one of the top swimmers no matter what.  That may sound arrogant as hell, but seriously, a few weeks off won't impact anything in the grand scheme.

On another note, the bad news is that I am considering another surgery.

Before I continue, allow me to difinitively say that I do not have Munchausen syndrome.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnchausen_syndrome

I'm sure denial is an indicator for this disorder...and so maybe I do have it.  But I was once told that if you're able to question your own sanity...then you can't be insane.  I'm all good.

In any case, here is the deal.  Many years ago, probably close to 10, I have a rather large bunion removed from my right foot.  The surgical procedure ended up shortening my big toe, and not by an insignificant amount.  At the time I thought nothing of it as I wasn't terribly athletic yet...I had just started into triathlons.  I'd had the bunyon all my life, wearing dress shoes all the time for work and then starting to run caused a lot of problems.

Long story short, one of the potential problems that was not addressed with the bunion surgery is that my 2nd and 3rd toes are now too long.  And as I wear socks, my toes get bunched up.  Typically the big toe is strong enough to prevent that, but not in my case as the toe is too short.  That, over the years has led to hammer toes. 

Overall I'd say I've been dealing with this for at least 5-7 years.  I can't remember when it first started to surface.  At one point I had the tendon lengthened in my 2nd toe, and that seemed to help a lot.  But over time the problem has returned.  As things currently stand walking actually hurts worse than running.  Dress shoes tend to suck.  It's a giant pain...in my foot.

I haven't posted anything about this for a vareity of reasons, but the primary one was that I could ignore it.  As my regular readers, my natural tendency is to ignore the pain until it becomes a full-blown issue preventing me from doing what I want or even requiring a trip to the ER. 

I've tried orthotics and they helped a bit.  I tried a metatarsal pad, which I still use.  But that's been ineffective.  Lately I've been using a tape-job that essentially limits the toes range of motion.  For the most part, this is the most effective treatment I have.  And it is only 30-40% effective.  It only makes things a bit less painful.

As I was doing some rehab and thinking about the season I came to realize a few things:

First off, I know for a fact that I am favoring that foot.  And that could lead to a host of other problems...including an imbalance in my hips causing the piriformis syndrome.  Even if that isn't the cause, now that my glute pain is gone, I've noticed that my foot actually hurts.  That's not good considering how little I've been running.  It's generally sore with some sharp pain thrown in with every step.  I've also noticed that my right leg is generally sore in the foot/ankle/shin region.  That can't be a good thing.

But more than that, I have no real plans for this season.  I have no race to qualify for, and I don't even really care.  I've always known that my foot would require some work, and I've taken every half-measure possible at this point.  Perhaps the time for half-measures is at an end.  Especially since I'd like to train and race for the long-term, this may be the best overall option.

Last time I saw a foot doctor for this they did say that shortening my 2nd and 3rd toe should resolve this issue.  Recovery is around 3 months, so if I were to have this done in about a month from now, I'd be able to get back into some training after 2 months, running after 3 or so.  That puts me into July.  Not so bad. 

We'll see what the doctor says in early April.

In the mean time, rehab and working out will continue as if there are no issues.  Should be fun.

Piriformis Syndrome

Welcome back to the wonderful world of medicine.  It's awesome to be back with all of you so soon.

Allow me to recap where we are for today's episode.
Two years ago I was Dx'd with a minor hamstring tear. 
New MRI last week shows no such tear.  Looking at the old MRI's, we're not sure there ever was a tear.  It's pretty doubtful.

That basically means all the pain I've been dealing with is undiagnosed.  It took me 6 MD's to get to that point.  Awesome.

So I saw a new doctor last week, after having that MRI taken.  We talked about things for a bit and based on my symptoms she thinks it is Piriformis syndrome.  For those of you that did play guess my Diagnosis...Mark was the winner.  Although its hardly fair as he is also my PT.  His big prize is getting me as a client...again.  Congratulations!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome

So first let me say, anytime you see the word "syndrome" in a diagnosis...it means they don't know what the hell the real problem is.  Just sayin...

Having said that, this at least gives me a plan of attack. 

Today I went in for a corticosteroid injection right into the piriformis muscle.  (Not to be confused with the performance muscle.  Those are two completely different things!!)  It was actually more unpleasant than I expected.  Having crohns disease I lost any semblance of pride long ago.  But as I was lying on the table with my left cheek hanging out, one of the fellow's comes in and starts talking about getting pictures.  Being an immature idiot I get a little laugh going.  The doctor doesn't get it because clearly this fine medical professional is talking about ultrasound pictures as that is what they are using to guide the needle that is in my rear.

Of course this laugh causes movement.  Do you think it is a good idea to move when there is someone holding a needle in your body?  No, of course not.  I don't think I need to explain why I chose this movie clip.....

Anyway...as I sit here writing this, the pain killer they also injected has worn off.  I am quickly discovering that jabbing a specific muscl (repeatedly) with a needle actually hurts.  On the bright side, if the location of the pain is any indication, this is the problem I have been having.  I am currently sore in exactly the location I've been hurting in all this time, and the pain is shooting down my leg in the same way it did while working out. 

I have to take the next 5 days off.  And I mean completely off.  The doctor was very explicit and left me with no wiggle room.  Apparently the injection makes me more susceptible to tears.  Wouldn't that just be ironic as hell?  After the last couple years of thinking I had a hamstring tear that I was rehabbing, I finally find out it is piriformis syndrom.  I get it treated and that treatment actually causes a tear of some kind.  The more I think about it, that sounds exactly like me.  I should probably get some crutches just to be safe.

Anyway, nothing for 5 days and then I start rehab.  At this point I do not know what the rehab will consist of, what kind of biking and running I can do, or anything else for that matter.  Hopefully I'll know more in a few days.

The good news is that I'll likely be racing this season.  And I don't think my bike fit has to change dramatically.  So hopefully I can get back a lot of the gains I made and stay strong for the season.  And no quad cramping would be fantastic as well.  I'm not sure what will happen to my race schedule at this point.

Operation Diagnosis

Alright, I've tallied everything up regarding this hamstring/back/glute/etc issue. Over the last 3 years I have seen 6 doctors, I've had 2 MRI's (read by two different radiologists), multiple x-rays, and a ridiculous number of manual tests. I've seen multiple massage therapists. An A.R.T. practitioner, a chiropractor, and multiple PT's.

Despite all that I am still undiagnosed and a little tired of the ordeal.  I'm wishing Dr. House was real.  And I do find being pushed from doctor to doctor a little irritating.  So, in the interests of getting diagnosed, I thought I'd post my symptoms online so that the 'big giant brain' that is the Internet can assist.  Maybe a prize will go to the winner.

So here are the details.

The issue presents itself with sharp pain in the middle of the glute. Left side only. Very rarely higher, however the pain can and does go down the leg to the back of the knee. Very early on (2-3 years ago) it presented with a burning type sensation that felt like fatigue in the glute and hamstring. When I didn't give it the rest it needed it was debilitating sharp pain when I walked/ran and did other side to side motions.

 

It still does that today, but lately it seems to tighten up the entire hamstring. The actual issue started back up after I'd changed my bike fit back to an optimal fit (according to retul) from what was a fit by my PT that took a lot of pressure off my hamstring. So the seat was a lot more forward and lower with my PT and the retul raised it back up. I noticed some mild pain when I made the change and hoped I'd get used to it. I even lowered my seat a little bit to help. But on New Year’s Eve while doing a 10k run the entire hamstring basically locked up. The next day the same old pain in the glute came back.

The injury, when not symptomatic, can take the pounding of running without any issue, however as I just described, when coupled with cycling (retul fit vs. PT's fit) the symptoms flare up quickly and cause problems with running. When symptomatic running is not possible without further aggravating the issue. I can typically feel it within a minute or two of starting the run.

Sitting seems to aggravate it now; I don’t recall that being the case when this originally started. The injury also appeared to respond to hamstring rehab, however the rest may have been enough. Sometimes ice and heat on the back/glute/hammy helped. Prednisone seemed to help on occasion as well…but not always. I don't take NSAIDs and Pred only when the crohns flares up.

Injections in my lower spine were ineffective.

A.R.T. is very effective for short term relief. She works on the hammy, glute, and hip flexor area. I can feel things loosen up immediately, however that usually only lasts for a few hours.

Okay, those are the symptoms.

I'm thinking about starting up a pool and taking bets. Right now I have one person who has guessed IT Band Syndrome. I am currently guessing there is an issue with my sciatic nerve.

All diagnosis ideas are welcome? 

Hamstring update

So the last couple times I've posted I've alluded to an upcoming hamstring surgery.  Now I'm not so sure that said surgery will actually take place.  It's not that I've changed my mind per se, rather the doctor isn't so sure I'm a candidate.

Apparently hamstring surgery is not typically done for partial tears which is what I originally had.  It isn't that surgery couldn't be done, or even be successful.  However the overall prognosis isn't all that much better than simply doing rehab.  A new MRI is needed to see what we're really dealing with.

With a partial tear, after some rest and rehab the injured area will scar over and that scar tissue will provide a certain degree of strength and stability back to the muscle.  Unfortunately the injured area is generally not as strong as it was prior to the injury and is never as flexible.  Surgery for both partial and full tears comes with its own list of risks and potential complications including a ridiculous amount of time in a brace and on crutches.

What this means for me: 
I don't know yet.  I had another MRI on Thursday last week to see what additional damage I did to the area.  I see the surgeon this Thursday to talk about the results.

Based on how I am feeling, I doubt surgery will be the recomended solution.  I'd like to think that I'd know if I had fully torn my hamstring.  I think the giveaway would be the muscle gathering around my knee...and I am of course assuming a certain amount of pain.  While I've been known to stupidly push through pain in the past, I'm guessing it would be more difficult to push through when there is absolutely no hamstring muscle remaining.

So, we'll see.  In the mean time I've been swimming a fair amount, but that has to stay somewhat limited due to shoulder issues from high school swimming.
I've been biking, but its all been easy stuff.  I will have to modify my bike fit to take the pressure off my glute and hamstring again.  Hopefully we won't go quite as far as we did for last season...I don't need my quads cramping in every race again.  I have not been able to run at all yet, but I've been doing a lot on the eliptical and other rehab type exercizes.  I'm hoping to try a light run in the near future to test things out.  We'll see.

So, this is both good and bad news.
I was hoping that surgery would be the long-term solution that would get me back to normal once and for all.  That doesn't appear to be the case.  So this is something that I will always be dealing with.  Having said that, I will most likely be able to race this season.  I won't need 6 months of rehab.  And I might be able to start slowly running in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned.

Update:
I saw the surgeon today and no longer have a diagnosis of any kind.  The MRI showed no evidence that a tear ever existed. 
So now I am off to a new doctor to see if we can figure out what in the hell is going on.

On the bright side, no surgery as there is nothing to repair.  On the negative, I don't know what's wrong. 

Proximal Hamstring Repair Surgery

So, the time has come.  In my mind anyway.  We'll see if the surgeon agrees or not.

I really took it easy last week.  Lots of swimming and other easy work that didn't involve the hamstring.  Very easy bike riding, no running.  Overall the hamstring has improved, but not nearly enough.  At this point even a light ride aggravates things.  This would lead me to believe that it would take several weeks, if not months of no working out coupled with rehab to get back to a good place.  And at that point there is no guarantee that I'd be back at 100% and it seems more likely that I'd just aggravate things again.  So, it is time to get this repaired once and for all.

For those of you wondering how this surgery happens, here you go:

Warning:  This video is disturbing and nasty.  View at your own risk.

I have no doubt I will be an absolute pleasure to deal with during my recovery.  As far as rehab goes, from what I've heard it sucks.  Here are some of the highlights I've gotten from my PT.

Days 1-7:
I'll be given an ankle pump.  For some reason that sounds dirty to me, but I'm pretty sure it is to make sure my feet and ankles don't swell up.  This is probably a lot like compression socks.  I have friends that enjoy that fashion no-no.

The biggest issue for days 1-7 is that I can't do anything.  I am expected to lie prone or on my side the entire time.  When I asked how I go to the bathroom...the words bedpan and standing toilette were used.  At that point I asked if a medically induced coma was possible.  I don't think that request was taken as seriously as it should have been.  Apparently there are risks to the brain.  My obvious response is that the risk of brain injury is much higher because I'll be bashing my face against something hard after about 2 days.

Days 8-14:
Still pretty restrictive.  Not sure about sitting or anything like that.  But lots of range of motion work.  If its anything like the ROM work I did after tearing my ACL in college...it will royally suck.  I'm not sure if it is still like this...but back in Eau Claire where I did all my rehab it was horribly painful.  I went through the surgery with 2 other kids and they had us on a table cranking on our legs.  For some reason it wasn't bad for me, but the other two had it bad.  They basically needed to be given a wooden stick to bite down on while they basically screamed in agony.  Awesome!  I couldn't find a youtube video of that, instead I have this:

Weeks 3-5:
On crutches.  From what I've heard I can't drive for 4 weeks.  Not really able to sit for about that long as well.
Not sure when I can go back to work.

Weeks 6-9:
Walking with normal ROM.  From this point on things don't sound too bad.  I'm able to do most normal stuff.  I can start very light swim/bike/run.  But no intensity of any kind.  I probably won't be able to push off the walls in swimming.  Biking will have little to no resistance.  Running will be on a zero-gravity treadmill or in very short durations.  Not sure at this point.

Weeks 10-24:
More of the same with increasing durations and intensity.

At that point I will hopefully be cleared for full training.  But I'm pretty sure this is all a best-case scenario.  If I do anything stupid, or in other words, if I am myself, there will be complications delaying things.

I don't know when the surgery will occur.  If it were up to me it would be tomorrow.  Lets get this show on the road.  I am hoping we'll get this moving sometime the week of Feb 18th.  But I am not sure. 

I'm wondering who thought this "healthy lifestyle" thing was actually healthy.  I feel like I should run down the list of surgeries and medical issues that have been caused by athletics again.  I think I blogged about it once before.  I'll have to dig that up.

On Sunday as I was sulking and somewhat depressed, (while eating a 1 pound bag of sour jelly bellies and drinking 20oz of coke) I was thinking about how I might actually be better off being lazy and getting fat.  It may be healthier for me and it seems to work for a huge segment of the population.  Who am I to judge?  In fact, once upon a time I was 265lbs.  I could go back to that pretty easily.  In fact, I bet I could get back up there before my rehab is complete!

I'll have to ponder that.

I should add...I will be taking pictures and logging my progress along the way. 

Decision time

So I did the Run Into the New Year back on December 31.  Overall did okay.  Unfortunately at about mile 2 my hamstring started to get pretty sore.  Being myself I ran through it instead of just stopping.

I have still not recovered.  I then got sick and lost 4 days of training, and the hamstring was still not better.

As I sit here typing this I am awaiting a call back from the surgeon's office for an appointment.  It's looking more and more likely that I'll have to get this corrected...by way of the knife.  The most likely scenario is that once I have the surgery I'd be on crutches for 6 weeks.  Rehabbing in some way shape or form for about 4 months.  At that point I'd be able to start swimming and biking again.  I'd be able to start running around month 5, and full training after 6 months.

I'm hoping I can start swimming with no kicking or kicking off the walls after 6-8 weeks and maybe some really really light biking or something like that so I can burn some calories and stay active.  I'm a much happier person when I'm able to do something.

I'm not sure there is much choice at this point.  If I keep my bike fit where it is, optimal for biking and running, it continually hurts my glute/hamstring.  If I lower it back to where I was last year, I can't generate much more power on the bike and end up with my quads cramping up the moment I get off the bike.  So if I want to train/race something is going to have to be done. 

Obviously 2013 would be a total loss.  I'd be back to full training in September.

I believe the appropriate phrase is...f*ck me!

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.

So as the end of the year approaches, it’s time for a little reflection. Of course that reflection comes in many different forms. There are many areas of focus, race results, professional accomplishments, personal accomplishments and so on.

Recently I've seen a lot of talk about the definition of success, so I figured I'd start there. Almost none of this is original thought, rather its bits and pieces of what others have said. I've tweaked, paraphrased and copied until it fit with what I wanted to say. Hopefully this will makes a little sense.


*******************
Success isn't defined by winning a race, it is defined by each of us individually.  It's based on our goals and the things we hope to accomplish in life. Perhaps your goal is weight loss, a promotion at work, or athletic accomplishments.  What your goal is less important than what you do to achieve that goal.

Success is the silence and peace of mind that comes when mind, body, and soul are working together.  Every goal starts with a single step. That step, repeated consistently, becomes a process, a habit.  It continues until the goal is reached. Some people take the necessary steps, others do not. The only one that knows or cares about the step you've taken is you. "The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion...when no one else is watching."

Success is choice; it is the building of a habit. Will you complete the task that will make you stronger, faster, better, smarter? Success comes when you find love in completing those simple tasks every day. Cultivate the love for the process.  Real success is not found in a single day, real success is the cumulative effect of doing the little things right consistently.  People don't get fat by eating one piece of cake, they get fat because they eat that cake consistently.

When your brain tells you that you have every reason to skip a step, and you want nothing more than to listen to your brain so you can spare yourself the pain. That's where success is bred. Do you have the intestinal fortitude to push through? You make the decision right then, in that moment. Will you do what’s necessary to succeed - or won't you? The successful person is often times simply willing to do what the unsuccessful person was not willing or able to do. Will you give into the pain?  Will you give in to the discomfort?  Or...will you adjust to it?

Success is the journey. The challenge isn't someone else’s, it’s yours. The challenge is within us all. It's the aching in your lungs, and the burning in your legs, it's the bile rising in your throat. It’s the voice in all our heads telling us we can't. Failure occurs because we get into our own tiny little brains and defeat ourselves. Success is realizing that the only way out of hell, is through it.

Sometimes in life there is a price to be paid no matter what decision you make. For those that have set goals and succeeded in reaching them, you already know that it pays to be a winner.

The process is simple. Building the habit is simple. It's nothing more than setting priorities and following through.  Most things in life are fairly simple. Simple, unfortunately, is not the same as easy. The only easy day was yesterday.



****************

Now I have to live by my own words.  I put on 5 pounds of crap in Mexico.  Now that the holidays are basically over its time to get those pounds off and drop down to 185.  I want to hit 350w for a 20min test, and I want to run a 10k under 40min.  Those things won't happen by accident.

Tis the Season!

Well the holidays are upon us.  For many this is a time to reflect, be with friends, family, and those we love most.  For me, its time to go to Mexico!!!  Aimee and I have our 8 year anniversary coming up, so we're both looking forward to the trip.  Hopefully it gets a little colder here in the great white north before we leave, otherwise I'm not sure the trip will feel as worthwhile as it could.

My training is coming along very nicely.  My foot seems to be doing a lot better and I think the problem comes down to shoes.  When I raced that 10k I was in racing shoes without much padding.  I had run in them before, but nothing as hard as a 10k.  So my feet were sore after that race.  Immediately after the race I started running in brand new shoes and I'm pretty sure I had them laced too tight.  I'm not 100% sure that's the problem, but I was able to run hard on Monday with no ill effects.  So for the moment all systems are go.

The crohns appears to be back in remission.  Stress = flare.  That's just how it works.  While some may view the flares as a real negative, I try to take them as a sign that I need to focus on what's really important in life.  Don't get me wrong, the flare ups suck.  But there is always a lesson to be learned.  Sometimes you can't control the external stressors in your life, but other times you can.

I've come to learn that Steelhead 70.3 will not qualify for the 2014 world championships in Vegas.  The race is a couple weeks earlier than than normal so it will qualify for 2013.  As a result I won't be doing that race this year.  I'm not 100% sure what I'll be doing.  But here is a tentative race schedule.

Jhawk Early Bird sprint- April 28
Lake Mills sprint - June 2
Liberty 1/2 Ironman (Minnesota) - June 8
Pleasant Prairie Olympic - June 23 -(try to qual for USAT)
Wisconsin Triterium Olympic - June 29
USAT National Champs - Aug 10
Pigman 1/2 Iron (Iowa) - Aug 18
Austin 70.3 (Texas) - October 27th (Try to qual for vegas 2014)

I'm thinking that this summer of races will really be about having fun and trying to figure out my best pacing strategy.  I don't know that I will really have any specific goals other than going fast and placing as high as I can.  I don't necessarily care about USAT Nationals, it would just be fun.  I will care about Austin 70.3, assuming I end up doing that race.  It would certainly be my A race as it would be nice to spend the end of 2013 and 2014 specifically focusing on the WC's in Vegas. 

With my training going in such a positive direction I'm finding that I already look forward to next season.  But its a long ways out with all of Winter yet to come.  We'll see what happens. 

Thanksgiving Update

So its been a little while again.  Not obnoxiously long, but long enough.

Overall things are going very well.  After my new bike fit with John at W&S I noticed an immediate improvement in bike power, but it came with a price as my hamstring and glute started causing some problems.  I went back in and learned that my pedaling technique is partly to blame as I am pulling up with my hamstring way too much.  that was probably due to when I had my seat way to high and had to pull up.  In any case, I made some adjustments to my technique, followed those up with lowering my saddle by about 2mm and my issues are almost entirely resolved.  So hopefully we can put the quad and hamstring issues to bed.

Biking has been going extremely well since then.  In fact my last power tests showed an almost 5% improvement from September to the middle of November.  So that's pretty good news for just a better bike fit and a little hard work.

My running has been both exceptional, and really bad.  Recently I've felt extremely strong running.  My normal forget about it run pace used to be in the low 8's, and now I'm routinely running in the 7:30-7:50 pace without thinking about it.

My last 5k test had me at a vdot of 50 which is just under a 20min 5k and roughly 41:20 10k.  Both are times I could be happy with.  In an effort to improve my running I signed up for the RACC running series.  The first race was earlier this month where I did much better than I anticipated by running a 40:20 good for 14th overall.  Next step is to break that 40min barrier.

Unfortunately after the race my feet were pretty sore, and my left foot has some kind of problem.  I can run...but not hard.  Even doing something simple like a 3x2 set has my foot hurting.  So for the moment there will be no intervals for a few weeks.  Gotta roll with the punches.

As for swimming, I've discovered I'm a complete slacker.  I have no interest in the water.  I get distracted after about 300 yards with my mind wandering to all kinds of places.  Focus is usually not an issue for me...so it is a little disconcerting.  Fortunately when it comes to running and biking, the focus is still there.  I just need to make sure my foot remains healthy.

My weight is good and slowly going down.  Last time I checked i was down to 195.  Pretty solid for the off season.

The crohns only gets an okay rating.  I've had some issues and more recently (yesterday) had a somewhat serious issue that required some prednisone.  You'd think I'm used to it after all these years, but I don't like taking days off for this kind of crap.  It feels like excuse making and drives me a bit nuts.  If I make excuses it will be for not swimming...not because my poor little tummy hurts.

Anyway, I've been asked to make my posts more funny.  Today is not that day.  But I have been doing some thinking along those lines and I hope to come up with something good in the near future.

I did manage to get myself a new bike.



Isn't she beautiful!

Lastly, USAT age group nationals will be held in Milwaukee this August.  There is a lot of chatter going on and I think its going to be a bunch of locals beating up on each other.  This is the attitude I'll be taking...assuming I decide to race it.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 

The Off Season Plan

So in past years I've gone long periods with no update.  Not this time.

Overall, things are going pretty well.  My training load really hasn't changed all that much from the season itself.  Just a bit less volume and a bit more intensity.  The other difference is trying to run 7 days per week.  So far I've only made it about 2 weeks without missing a day of running, but that's been due to life/laziness as opposed to actually needing a day off.

As far as overall progress is concerned, my running feels fantastic.  I've been doing some harder interval running as well as a lot of easier days of running and am finding that my natural run pace has improved to around a 7:50-7:55 type pace without any conscious effort.  That's a pretty big improvement as in the past my typical pace was 8:05-8:10.  And that was during the season, so not that long ago.

On the bike I've been having some trouble.  The new fit has really begun to aggrivate my glute and hamstring.  I saw the fitter and he really feels the problem is in my technique as I am pulling up on the pedal too much and engaging the hamstring/glute when I should be pushing more and using the quads more.  Basically my feet are in the wrong position thereby engaging the wrong muscles.  So for the next couple weeks I'll be really focusing on flattening my feet out and not hammering on my hamstring.  If that does not work I will be moving my seat down by about 2mm and see if that helps. 

Swimming is swimming.  I'm very unmotivated in the water.  Its not that I'm tired or anything like that, I just don't want to get up out of bed.  And when I do get in the water, I don't really want to be there.  I'm going to have to swap days so I am swimming with Scott.  If I can't motivate myself, I'm sure he can help.

My weight is doing pretty well.  I'm sitting at 197, so all the weight gain from a couple weeks off has been re-lost.  This week has been kinda bad, but I will be doubling my efforts next week.  I think part of my problem is the hamstring bothering me.  I have a nasty habit of slacking when I have an injury.  And when I say slacking...I slack in all ways.  I really get bad about things.  So I need to break out of that a little bit.

The crohns has been pretty well behaved.  I typically run into some issues as the off season starts up, and this year was no different.  But it was all pretty minor and didnt' cause any issues.

I am really hoping that in the very near future I will be replacing my mistress (bike).  I have been drooling over a speed concept 9 series for quite a while now.  I'm hoping this off season I'll be able to pull the trigger. 

As far as races and goals are concerned, I've signed up for the entire RACC run series.  So I'll be doing 6 10k's between now and March.  That will be more run races than I've done in my entire life combined.  I may throw in a 5k or two as well.  Possibly a half marathon or two.  Now that I've broken 20min in a 5k, I would like to see if I can get under 40min for a 10k.  I've never actually run a stand-alone 10k, so it should be fun.  November 11th is the first one.

Into next year I am pretty sure the plan will be to look for a 1/2 Ironman brand race in August to use as my A race.  If I do well I'll be able to qualify for the World Championships in 2014.  As far as other races are concerned, I'm still not sure.  I know I want to do a race in Minnesota so I can visit some friends.  Aside from that I think I'm going to look for some different races in the area that I've never done.  I may also do a very early season 1/2 ironman, perhaps Galveston TX.  I'm not quite sure yet.

Alright, that's it for now. 

Season in Review

So its that time of year, time for the off season.  Time to think about the past.

So as a little recap.  I missed all of last season due to a hamstring tear.  Took forever and then some to rehab.  Despite that I was able to cobble together some halfway decent race results.  But certainly not where I wanted to be.

So, first lets review the plan.  Working with Scott made the plan simple.  Run 6x per week, swim 4x per week, Ride 4x per week.  With work I do what I can in the early mornings so my afternoons aren't too busy and I can spend time with Aimee.  For the most part minus a few disruptions the schedule worked out well.

In terms of expectations I really didn't have too many for the season due to my leg.  I was hoping for some PR's and great results.  But I also knew I might have some set backs along the way.  All in all, despite the failures I am calling this season a success.  A little more than a year ago I thought I'd never race again.  I wasn't sure I'd even be able to run/ride casually as the doctors thought I had that bulging disc in my back.  So in a lot of ways this season has been a gift, and a success.

Lets get into it and see where that leaves us. 

The negatives: 
First, the leg cramping was an obvious problem.  I shouldn't have fiddled with my bike fit.  I knew better and decided to be cheap. 

Second, run pacing.  While my cramping was a problem, it really had very little impact at Racine.  At Racine it was hot and simply ran to hard, didn't drink enough, and ended up with problems at mile 7.  It was a valiant effort ultimately leading to death. 

Third, consistency.  Overall I was pretty consistent, but not great.  I missed several workouts including some longer stuff.  In this sport consistency is king.  More is more until it is too much, as they say.

Lastly, my performance in Vegas.  I still don't fully understand why my bike split was so slow.  Thinking back I am sure that impacted everything else.  I was on the bike 10 minutes longer than I expected without nutrition.  I was more tired than I thought, and the cramping was worse than at any other race.  I'm glad I went and experienced it, it was a lot of fun.  But the overall performance was poor.

The positives:
First, I managed to qualify for the world championships despite a poor performance at Kansas.  Granted it was a rolldown, but considering how bad Kansas really was...the fact that I managed to make it is something of a big deal.  I've come a long ways.

Second, My olympic distance racing and speed has really come around.  I PR'd in all my shorter distances.  To me, this is a really good sign.  It tells me that I have the speed, I just need to do a better job of pacing.  With my bike fit corrected, I should be able to see some big improvements.

Third, run durability has improved.  Because of the base I have now built up, I am able to switch over to a plan with 7 runs per week and more speed work.  Due to injuries of old, I had not been able to do a lot of fast running and relied on volume.  This off season I can do both.  It should be fun.

Fourth, I was able to race again.  Duh.

Fifth, I kept my weight way down.  Its always been a challenge.  In college I was a chubby 215lbs until my Crohns diagnosis.  I dropped to 205ish, but put it back on and stayed around 215 for a long while.  Balooned up to 265 about 5-6 years ago, but was able to get back into athletics and triathlons and have since dropped to about 195 where I am right now. 

What's Next.
Well, I've already decided that I want to go back to Vegas, I just can't next year.  As a kid my father used to take me on some really great fishing trips in Alaska and Canada.  It is time I repaid the favor when we are both old enough to really appreciate it.  So, we're heading up to go do some fishing in early September 2013.  As that is when Vegas is, I can't go.  In my eyes, well worth the sacrifice.

So I am thinking I am going to start the season a bit earlier with New Orleans or maybe Galveston 70.3's.  Have a really fun year of doing a lot of smaller races, and then see if I can go to Steelhead in August to qualify for Vegas 2014. 

From a speed perspective, who knows.  I feel like I have a lot of gains left to make.  With my bike fit I am really hoping to get a lot more power.  But I am need to be sure my hamstring can take the pressure of this fit.  My old fit had the seat lower to take the pressure off my hamstring.  So we'll see if my new fit needs any modifications as we go.

In any case, I won't get much faster in swimming.  Not much point in trying to get faster either. Fortunately I do have that to fall back on.  Running and biking are another story.  So this off season will primarily focus on getting faster in both. 

Of course there is my weight.  Its time I got down to 185.  I've never seen my abs and want to!  Even if it is just for a day so I know that they are there.  I'm not sure 185 is low enough to do that, but its a good starting point.  The lowered weight will make my biking and running faster too!

For the moment, I think that's it. 

To bring out the geeks:  Do, or do not.  There is no try.

The 20 minute 5k

As I prepare to write my year end review post and prepare myself for the coming off season.  One of the goals that has forever eluded me is the 20 minute 5k.

I was prepared to write about my plans to crush that goal this off season. 

The good news is that yesterday during my threshold testing I ran a 5k in 19:53.  A new PR by 30s.  (My old PR was on a track, this was out on a path). 

The bad news is that now I don't know what to write about.

I've been doing threshold testing across the board, even on the bike with my new fit.  Funny thing, despite being on the fit for 3 days I was still very close to my previous 20min power tests.  If I re-did the test I am confident I could match my previous best.  And on the 3 minute test I hit a PB by 12 watts.

Interesting results.  I'm a total gym-class hero right now. 

I'm a moron...again and again and again and again

I will never touch my bike fit without professional help ever ever ever again, ever.
I will never touch my bike fit without professional help ever ever ever again, ever.
I will never touch my bike fit without professional help ever ever ever again, ever.
I will never touch my bike fit without professional help ever ever ever again, ever.
I will never touch my bike fit without professional help ever ever ever again, ever.
I will never touch my bike fit without professional help ever ever ever again, ever.
I will never touch my bike fit without professional help ever ever ever again, ever.

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about what an idiot I am.  I really need to make it an annual or semi-annual thing.  In this case, its certainly past due.

Now that I have that out of the way, I went in for a retul fit.  It was mostly a precaution...or so I thought.  I figured my fit had something to do with my cramping...little did I know.

To keep this post nice and short allow me to say this.  My saddle was moved up an inch.  My saddle was also moved forward about an inch.  I had to bring my handle bars back over a centimeter, and bring them up a mm.  Plus my cleats were moved back and to the side.  To summarize, everything was wrong...and not by small amount.

Notice all the different things that needed moving...well guess what.  Between the last time I had been fit and this fit I had gotten new aero bars, base bar, stem, saddle, pedals, cleats, and components.  No need for concern there, right.

The fitter was pretty confident that my fit was indeed the reason for my cramping due to the very specific nature of the cramps and how my fit had me positioned on the bike.  Furthermore, I position myself differently when on the trainer and riding outside.  I'm much stronger on the trainer because of this.  So when I was riding outside...I was pacing too hard. 

Anyway, that's it for now.  Just thought I'd share.

Ironman 70.3 World Championships - Report

For those interested in the results without the lengthy report, I finished in 5:32:33. 775th overall and 117th in my age group.  Not what I had hoped for, below is the how and why.

Before the race:
Got into Vegas on Thursday night, very late. Slept until I couldn’t sleep anymore and went to athlete check-in -- It was hot! Went to the airport and picked up my parents who came in on Friday. Everything was going well as I unpacked my bike and got it built back up.

Saturday was gear check-in day. T1 was about 30 minutes away from our hotel, I woke up early to go to the practice swim and ride/run on the opening hills. Unfortunately the parking situation was out of control, and despite getting there pretty early I didn’t find parking until it was too late. So I could not swim, but did get in a nice 10-15 minute ride on the opening hills followed by a quick run.  Checked in my bike later that day.  T2 is about 15 miles away in town, so I went there and dropped off my run gear.

After being able to riding the opening hill that day, I was not nearly as intimidated by the course. If you look at the bike course profile map, it looks very intimidating. It was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. I really relaxed quite a bit after that.  The whole course was longer gradual climbs.  Slower to be sure, but not as brutal on the legs, and nothing like Kansas.

Friday and Saturday were also spent hydrating. I drank a huge amount of Gatorade and water. On Saturday evening I took 3 salt tabs to get some pre-race electrolytes. I also had an early dinner which consisted of Subway at around 3pm followed by chicken and rice at around 5:30. I was feeling really good.

Race Morning:
Everything was all set, and I took in my breakfast exactly as planned. One medium bowl of golden grahams, 1 banana, 1 10oz bottle of coconut water, and 2 24oz bottles of my Gatorade mixture. And the really good news was that I had to pee right before the swim.  I had no heartburn, slept good and felt ready to go.

The Swim:
Totally uneventful and basically perfect. It was a non-wetsuit swim so I figured I’d back off a little bit and conserve some energy. I knew I wasn’t going to go a 26:30, nor did I want to. At the end of the day I consider this a somewhat lazy swim, which was intentional.  I really needed to focus my energy on being able to run. 

I did get a little side-stitch towards the back half of the swim, but I pushed through it. I actually thought it was a good sign, that I had lots of fluids ready and waiting in my guts.

The ending was very crowded and rough as they made everyone come up and out at a small narrow pier. But I finished with a 28:23. My stopwatch had been kicked and was stopped at 24:30ish, so I didn’t really know my swim time. Knowing it now, I am perfectly content with that swim.  Yes I could have swam quite a bit faster, but it wouldn't have been worth the additional effort.

T1:
T1 is very very long (took me 4:31). First there was an extended run from the water to get to T1. Then I ran all the way through transition to get to my bike. Then after I got my bike I had to run up a winding uphill path to get out of transition. I got stuck behind an older woman that was walking up and could not get around her. My focus was on the run, so I wasn’t too worried about losing a few seconds in T1.  I have no real idea, but I think T1 was about a quarter mile long in total.

The Bike:
Looking at the profile of the bike I was very intimidated. It looked like I’d be climbing mountains for the first 5 miles. But having ridden the morning before, I was feeling much better about things. My plan had been to ride really easy in the early goings and then build it up. I’m pretty sure I came very close to that goal.

I held close to 240 for the opening 5 miles or so, 230 watts was just too low given the nature of the climbing. I was keeping a high cadence up the hill, so I wasn't really all that worried.  I was not winded and my legs felt really good. The next 5 miles or so were pretty fast with some smaller climbs. I held wattage close to the same.

From there the ride was uneventful. The course was almost entirely long gradual inclines vs. really steep climbs. And while I am slower on those kinds of climbs, they don’t crush my legs as much. Overall, based on what the Garmin was showing me, I was very happy with my ride. There was one 5 mile section where my power was low as it was an extremely fast section. And there were a couple other sections that I pushed and was in the 250-260w range. The very last 5 mile section was a litte rough and all uphill.  By then I was a bit tired, but not struggling to hold wattage at all.

I took in my 2 24oz bottles of Gatorade mixture. I had added a salt stick to the mix. Unfortunately my little box of salt sticks fell out of my pocket early in the ride. I wasn’t too concerned as I’d only intended to take a couple anyway.

About mid-way through the ride I heard my brakes rubbing. I didn't think much of it at the time, but the bike did feel a bit sluggish.  I adjusted the brakes while riding, but it didn’t help. I actually got off my bike to see what the problem was, found nothing.  After finding nothing there wasn't anything I could do...so I just kept riding. (more on that subject later).

I finished the ride strong, and got into T2 with a time of 2:47. I was shocked at how slow my time was given the wattage I rode. But I felt really good and wasn’t going to let that worry me. I always knew I was racing myself in Vegas, and if my target wattage was only worth a 2:47 then so be it.

After the race I learned that some electricians tape holding my wheel cover onto the wheel had literally melted, fallen off and gotten lodged between my rear fork and wheel. I didn’t see it, but that was the cause of the rubbing noise I heard and probably why the bike felt sluggish. It also *might* be responsible for why by bike time was way slower than the watts I put out. There was very light wind, and given previous results and wattages I was expecting my wattage to get me home in about 2:40ish.  So  2:47 does seem kind of odd.  Unfortunately I have no real way to know what the tape cost me, if anything.

As another note, during a lot of the uphill sections I sat up off the aero bars. The reasons were simple…deep breathing and legs. I have cramped in other ½’s this year and wasn’t sure if my bike fit was partly to blame. I spent more time sitting up in this race than most if not all other races I’ve done this year.  Mostly to make sure I did some good breathing on the hills and to change bike positions.  I rarely stood on the pedals, but did a few times to stretch my legs.

I also had my HR monitor on and would occasionally check it on the bike ride. I have not seen the files yet but am pretty sure I was around 140 for most of the ride. 

T2:
Came into T2 and felt pretty good. Changed and got going.  Nothing eventful.

Run:
First off, the run course was much harder than I anticipated. The run basically consisted of a 1 mile downhill run, a 2 mile uphill run, 2 mile downhill run, repeat twice more, and then finish with about a 1 mile downhill run to the finish. We’re not talking about mountains or anything, but the climbing was a bit steeper than I anticipated. And it was almost all on blacktop…so it was like a furnace.  I believe it was in the low 80's for the race start and in the mid 90's by the time I started running.  But the blacktop really radiated the heat and it was sweltering.

I came out of T2 feeling pretty good. My fuel belt had leaked everywhere, so it didn’t have much in the way of fluids in it. But it had enough for me to hammer back about 5 oz of Gatorade and a salt stick. I took the salt stick because my quads were giving me that cramping feeling. You know the one…not muscle soreness, but the “if you make a wrong move I will go full-on cramp and screw you” feeling. I had that for the first 3.5 miles at which point I was nearing the end of the first 2 mile climb. At that point mentally I was still in good shape and felt good. I was also hoping that like in previous races the cramping feeling would go away.

But at mile 3.5 the leg cramps stopped me dead. It was both legs, quads and hamstrings. I think I was stopped for at least 2 minutes, not sure. I couldn’t move without something cramping. I literally had to stand there frozen still trying to keep both muscles somewhat stretched until they relaxed. Finally I was able to walk it off a little bit. And after that I was able to start a jog. I do not believe I stopped again except for aid stations until I started the 2nd climb. I was still hoping the cramps would go away like my other races. That was not to be. Every single step of the run I was on the edge of complete cramping. No joke, every single step, especially my right quad.

I muddled forward like that until about mile 7.5 and was generally making good progress. I certainly wasn’t running fast, but mostly running with some walking in there at aid stations and if the cramping threatened again. Again, overall I felt fine. I wanted to run and was getting pretty frustrated.  In fact that first downhill I was making some decent progress and feeling pretty good about things.  After my bike time I knew I wasn't going to hit any time goals, so I really just wanted to finish strong and feeling good.
At mile 7.5 just as I started the second 2 mile downhill section, I was actually feeling pretty good about things. I really thought that for the next 2 miles I’d be able to run down the hill, hit the aid stations, and generally feel pretty decent with only one climb remaining. My first stretch downhill was pretty good. And honestly, despite my slow times I really felt like I could be happy with my race if I was able to just run through the remainder despite some slower times.

As I was getting some momentum down the hill and running fairly decently, the worst side-stitch of my life hit really hard and really fast. I tried pulling a Macca and digging my fingers into it, massaging it, deeper breathing...nothing helped. It got to the point of being so bad I struggled to breath and was groaning/grunting with each step.

I was pissed. I’ll have to look at the files, but other than the initial cramping and aid stations I don’t think I really stopped to walk until this point. My running was slow, but it was still running.  I was also pissed off because I didn't feel bad.  I remember specifically thinking that to myself too...that if it weren't for these leg cramps I'd be doing a whole lot better because I feel pretty good and pretty strong right now.  That was incredibly frustrating.

The side stitch stayed with me down the entire hill. I tried some walk/run, but it was pretty bad and stayed with me. At this point I get a little blury as there was way more walking and a lot of cursing and frustration. I seem to remember the side stitch finally subsiding as I started up the hill for the last time (great timing). It didn’t go away, but became bearable. I did some jogging up the hill as best I could, but not being able to run down the hill like I wanted demoralized me pretty badly.

About halfway up the final climb with about 2 mile left to race I saw Aimee and my parents. I stopped to say hi and gave Aimee a kiss. Told them about the cramping and moved on. At that point I just wanted to make it enjoyable and was doing a run/walk based on how I felt. Based on the amounts I was drinking at each aid station, I doubted hydration would be an issue when I finished, but to make sure I started drinking more at each aid station. I wasn’t about to end up in medical.

I finished the run with a 2:10 and a lot of questions about this cramping. Is it really nutrition related? Is it bike fit related? It is always the same muscles that cramp, my quad (vastus medialis) Often referred to as the teardrop. (Although the Sartorius is right in that area too).

Plus my hamstring. However I don’t know that my hamstring would cramp if I didn’t have to deal with my quad. Typically my hamstring only cramps when I try to stretch my quad…not on its own.

Post race thoughts:
First I loved the race and the course. The whole area was beautiful and the race was very well run and a lot of fun. Despite my troubles I am really happy I went and would like to go back, next year if possible. 

I got to see the zip by while on the bike. Wow!! Granted I was climbing a long steady climb as they were screaming down it with their hair on fire, but those guys were hammering HARD. It was pretty cool to see.  It was like a freight train going by.

Monday my legs were still cramping with certain movements, mostly my hamstrings. The side-stitch was also sore to the touch. That’s a new one for me, side-stitch so bad it hurts the next day. My quads still hurt. Not just sore, they hurt. My hamstrings are touchy and hurt to massage.

Had the cramping not occurred my race would have been a lot different. I know for a fact that I am not pacing poorly. In Kansas it was pacing, but at Racine my power was fine, and in Vegas my pacing was fine. I've gone equally hard in training, if not harder and gotten off that bike and run a HELL of a lot harder with no cramping of any kind.  Something is causing this. Something doesn’t make sense.  I need to find out what that something is.

There really are only a few options.
It can't be my run fitness or pace because I'm getting these cramps too early.  In most cases I feel the cramping before I'm done with mile 1 and every time they have hit running paces that I routinely do in training. 

So first in my mind is my bike fit. It is vastly different from 2 years back when I never, ever cramped in a race. Waaaay more aggressive.  I'm so much lower today that while on my base bars now, I am lower than I was on my aero bars back then.  I should probably get my fit looked at again. Perhaps I am too far forward/backward on my bike and am putting too much pressure on the front of my quads. Perhaps the fit is just too aggressive. I’m really not sure.

Nutrition is a possibility. 2 years back I did ½ irons with 400-600 calories of Heed, almost no salt and just water. Never once cramped. That includes a rather hot Racine race. Maybe I need to get a salt study done. (Prior to this year I have never cramped in a race other than IMWI which I knew I was not in proper run shape for).

I should also point this out:  Despite all the fluids I took in the night before the race (at least 80-100oz of Gatorade, plus water and other stuff.) (I had to pee 4 times during the night) I also took in 70oz race morning, 90-100oz on the bike, and the 2-3 cups of fluids I took in at every aid station (5oz x12 = 60oz while running)…I still only went to the bathroom one time during the race, and it was midway through the run, and it was not very much. I got off the bike feeling rather thirsty as well.

To top it off, I did not go to the bathroom again until much later that night. Having said that, I felt perfectly fine after the race, helped pack up my stuff and walked 15 minutes to the car almost immediately. (in the burning hot sun)

I’m not really sure what else that leaves for consistent quad/hamstring cramping. It will be the subject of many discussions this off season.

As for what’s next, I have not decided, nor do I have any goals set for next season. I’d like a few weeks to be unstructured, although I may do a couple races for fun. Jhawk, or a half marathon are possibilities. I’m not sure at this point.

I am considering the possibility of doing a training half Iron at really challenging paces in an effort to replicate the cramping in training. A really hard non-stop swim followed by a challenging ride at 250+ watts, followed by a run. Not a half marathon, but a hard 4-5 miles to see if I cramp. In every race so far I’ve been ready to cramp at mile 1, so I should know pretty quickly.

Anyone with ideas or crazy suggestions let me know.  At this point I am open to suggestions.