Monday, November 4, 2013

My new friend, deep water running

Saturday, I went to Sleeman Sporting Complex, near where I live. Used the heated outdoor pool, with my flotation belt. About 40-45 minutes water running. Dead boring. Then I did about 30 metre swim.

Today, Monday 4 November, I went to the pool at QUT Gardens point campus. 6$ entry, a complete and utter rip off. I ran maybe 1km  to the pool and then I did about 45 minutes deep water running and two laps of the 50 metre pool - 100 metres freestyle.

The deep water running really is not a great substitute for real running. It shifts the work load so that there is more resistance bringing the leg forward than would be the case in normal running. Of course there is zero impact so that is a good thing.  It seems to work hip flexors, and thigh muscles too, just a little. I get the feeling it might help with leg speed - bring leg forward strongly. Seems to work my neck a lot too. So maybe core strength can benefit too.

I will see if I can build my swimming up to several laps of the pool. It will improve my fitness for swimming and nothing else, with a small benefit to running.

I predicted that heel problems were coming back and they did !!

Last blog was Tuesday 22 October, and in it I described the heel problems flaring. It was not imaginary. In fact it was quite bad.  I stepped out to run that afternoon, easy 2 km followed by what I hoped would be 12 x400  at fastish pace.

I did the warm up, right heel was complaining. Right at the point where I have had the problems. I gave it a bit of time to warm up, it got no better. I attempted the 400's. Did about 4 before the pain was just too much to run. Normally in the past, slow running was the biggest trigger. I could speed up and the pain would disappear - because I was running more on the forefoot is my guess. This time it was nothing like that. It just kept getting worsh.

So I stopped and walked back. Even walking after warmed up was bad. It was very bad this time. Rather different in a way from previous instances. In the past it was a slow stead buildup. Many months of it niggling just enough to make it a slight misery at the beginning of a run, and making normal like hellish with the pain when trying to walk after sitting for a while. This time it came on extremely suddenly over a matter of days. Perfectly ok all the time in the week prior.

This time a couple of new factors - Obviously I did 3 weeks of 60km totals, a major contributor, always has been. Simple volume increase and boom big trouble. But I also bought three new pairs of shoes - non running -  wore one pair all week leading up to the weekend, and another pair I wore when I played in band Saturday. The ones I wore in band - I walked a fair bit in them, carried heavy equipment etc. I reckon its too much co-incidence that the heel problem flared immediately after. Most likely the heel box pressured the bad lump I have in right foot.

Got to podiatrist last week, have MRI Tomorrow, Tuesday 5 Nov. In the meantime I have done no running at ll for 12 days. My body has contracted into the scaling old man I really am in the meantime too, aches and pains increased. Running frequently really DOES make me feel good. I just need to manage the volume.  Its clear that I cannot carry that volume..

My plan for the next month or so is to do water running as frequently as I can, I have a flotation belt now. I will also build up a few freestyle swimming laps when I am at the pool, some cross training. And see if I can gradually get back to some running. 60km a week is not good for me so I will see if I can get back to about 45 a week plus water running multiple times a week and swimming.  I need to get my fitness from something while foot keep me off the roads.