Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Recovery run #5

20 minutes easy - after 20 minutes on cross trainer

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/136673967

Quicker short run home for fun:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/136673970

Took it easier on the cross trainer today, and did 20 minutes running. In general I am going to do a gradual increase:

15min 15min 15min 15min
20min 15min 15min 20min   + 10min
20min 15min 20min 20min   +  5min
20min 20min 20min 20min   +  5min
25min 20min 20min 25min   + 10min
25min 25min 25min 25min   +  5min

That is the weekly workload over the full 6 weeks recovery program. I am at the beginning of week 2, the first 20 minute run.

This last week, I managed 3 good runs, the 4 was unplanned, and opportunistic due to XMass break.

Today I managed 3.89km running, 6.4 km on cross trainer, combined total 10.29km

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Run 3 in 6 weeks recovery

Another recovery run, after a harder cross training session:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/135643380 

I did a short faster run after:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/135643382

I worked much harder on the cross trainer today, did about 7.6km according to the readout. Total km combined cross trainer and running was 10.4km.

Heels were completely fine on this run- on the first two I felt twinges but this one was good.

I uploaded the data from my watch and see that I have managed to hit the highest heart rate I have ever recorded with my Garmin watch, which is pretty surprising. 176 bpm. Appart from the rogue 210 my watch recorded once in a 10km race a while ago.

I think the 176bpm is legit, the 210 a miss-read. Obviously I am not running easily in these 15 minute runs, but I don't want to.



15 min Monday 19 Dec

Second run done on Monday 19 December. Managed to go slightly further than the first run on Saturday, so slightly faster. I did a slightly different course, flatter.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/135643371

Last 1km again was HR 170.  I worked harder on the elliptical cross trainer with total again around 10km. Overall it was a slightly harder workout.

Too early to feel any real fitness improvements, been pretty darned tired as a result of the recent work. I was slightly sore in muscles and that has improved, so I have recovered ok.

I have another run to do this evening, shall again do cross trainer and then run.

Heels are _ok_. I have twinges on my right heel, the left has been pretty good. During running things feel just that little bit awkward, its possible that working on cross trainer first causes it, it could also be in my mind, being over cautious. I don't relax into the run yet as I have when I am well trained and running well.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

I am back to running !! Slow return..

Visited physio Friday 16 Dec 2011, did the load tests. Here is how it went:

Give me 10  - Did ten both feet no pain
Give me 20 - Did 20, both feet no pain
Give me 40 - Did 40, both feet no pain

A total of 70 hops both feet, each no pain. When I first visited it was 3 hops, and pain 7/10 rating. Very pleased with this. Obviously :)

Physio gave me a 6 week program where I run 4 days a week, starting off 15 minutes run first week, slow build up. Did my first run today, and it feel so good, I really know what I like about running. I makes you feel great.

So I managed to do 3.11 km today, 4min51 pace. I concentrated on cadence, and managed 83. Theory is the faster the cadence, the better the posture ( up to a point ). What I am aiming for is ideal running form to avoid injury, good forfoot running.  My heart rate average was 161 . The last run I did was 110 Octobare, a 5 km run, where I did 4min24 pace and heart rate was 146. I have lost a lot of fitness, but I am just happy to be on the way back.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/135643368

I did 20 minutes on my cross trainer, 7.3km. Combined distance 10.41kn, time 35 minutes.

So, ho are my heels? Pretty darned good. Only slight pain after resting. So obviously I still have a way to go. But really I did 3klm with NO PAIN for the first time in at least 18 months. Next run Monday .. WooHooo







Thursday, December 8, 2011

Still trying to resist the temptation to run. Bit difficult

I have been a little ill for about 4 days, just a constant headache. Its finally gone now.

Took our dog MAX for a walk this morning, we walked along the waterfront and out on a peer constructed of concrete and stone. About 150metres. On the way back I just started jogging, really easy, only about 100 metres in total. No pain no problem what so ever. 

Continued walking, and then jogged another 100 metres to the car. Again no problems, no pain.

More importantly there was no problem later in the day, after rest I can just get up and go. I am certainly at a better stage than I was a few weeks ago. I am severely bored though, and that is the biggest challenge. My cross training machine is dead boring too, am finding it difficult to get motivated to use it.

Self discipline is something I lack. All I really am motivated to do is to run. When I get back to some running I will use the cross trainer before and after the short runs I will be doing.

I have also discovered that walking can give you a reasonably good work out. So I will walk the dog every morning regardless of whether I am running on that day or not, and incorporate steep hills.

Friday, December 2, 2011

No pain while running

I was late for the train to get to work. I had to sprint for the train. For the first time in more than 18 months I was able to just go. No extended warm up required and  no pain what so ever.

Pretty pleased with progress so far. Even better is that I was no worse after having indiscriminately sprinted.