The 10 Week Itch

At just past 10 weeks post-op, I'm back to working out 5 to 6 days a week, running 3 days a week with about 25 minutes of running at a time.  It's a far cry from "normal" for me, but there's certainly a light at the end of the tunnel.  Because I have to build up carefully, I am doing far more cross-training than I ever have before.  Thankfully, I have a great road bike that doesn't limit me to indoor cross training.  I switched back to flat pedals before surgery because the motion of clipping in and out (for those that don't ride, to clip out, you have to twist your foot to the side) was too painful.  Post-surgery, my ankle is to weak to get out efficiently, and the last thing I need is to do a slow-tip.  Although this limits how hard I can ride, I've been able to get out for 20 to 30 mile rides a few days a week.  It always amazes me how gentle biking can be on the body compared to running.  A 20 mile run is a production; a 20 mile ride can happen before work with no problem.

I'm finally starting to plan my return to racing.  To give myself adequate time to rebuild and to take the pressure off of myself for the fall, I've decided to not race a full until January or February.  I am planning on running a full with friends at a training pace for fun in October, pacing a friend through her first half in November and racing a half somewhere this fall to begin to test my fitness.  Beyond that, I am only planning on racing 5K or 10K races for speed work and a good test of fitness and progress. This gives me 3 solid months of base building before I head back into a training cycle. Once I race in January, I go to Boston and then (hopefully) to seek revenge on Vermont City. 

This next year brings considerable challenges in terms of balancing training, work and coursework.  I am preparing to go back to school to be a Physician Assistant (with an Orthopaedic Surgical focus of course :)) and am taking the requisite sciences to achieve that, working full time in Research and planning to support a 60 to 70 mile per week mileage base. This fall in particular will likely be a serious test of time management.  I suspect that I will become a recluse, running in the mornings and at lunch, and residing in the library at night.  I am committed, however to trying to maintain some strength and yoga work as well.  We'll see what has to give when fantasy meets reality in the fall...

Progress and Plateaus

I came into this week with great expectations.  I was finally running again and was up to 5 minutes of running with only a minute of rest in between.  I even ran outside on Wednesday, and was surprised to find how wimpy my feet had become.  I could feel every root and rock through my shoes and hills were a whole other challenge.  As with my other runs, my calf screamed towards the end of the first interval, but was quieted with stretching. 

On Thursday morning, however, something was off.  I was back to walking on the outside portion of my foot like I did when I first started walking. My ankle hurt and I just felt awkward in general.  Jason watched me walk on the treadmill and although I was tentative, he didn't see anything grossly wrong.  By Friday, my ankle bone and surrounding area was tender to the touch.  We all decided that although it was very conservative, I wouldn't run Friday or at all this weekend.  Most likely the tenderness came from stabilizing myself while running outside, but cautious has been our approach all along.

My ankle feels fine today, so I'm heading out for a nice long ride and am hopeful that I'll be back to running some tomorrow.


Weekly Miles: 4.7

Sheeee's Back

My apologies for being absent over the past couple weeks (and missing some great picture milestones), but I've been busy...running!  At just about 8 weeks post-op (last week), I started doing some gradual running on the treadmill.  We started with 3 minute intervals with two minutes of rest (about a mile of running total) and worked up to yesterday, where I did 4 minute intervals with a minute rest for 2 whole miles of running. Wahooooo!

The only pain I'm having is in the first running interval, where it feels like the worst calf cramp known to man.  Last week, it happened much earlier.  Yesterday, it was right at 4 minutes when it started.  A simple stretch (dropping it off the edge of the treadmill) relieved it and by the end of the run, I dare say I felt warmed up!  The loss of fitness piece is far more disheartening.  I notice it less so with running, but was breathing hard on the elliptical. 

Still working on focusing on strength.  One of my goals as I begin to base-build again (I cannot believe I have to do this again, by the way) is to continue to focus on core and hip strength, as well as upper body strength to help with my arm swing (and therefore knee drive).  It is very hard, as miles rise, to fit in strength and flexibility.  However, I want to be one of the athletes who successfully returns from CECS surgery, not one who has to return to the OR.

By the end of the month, my PT team (whom I love) and I are hoping for 30 minutes non-stop of running.  By our estimate, slow building will have me back to full fitness in about 4 months.  All told, this is a 6 month break from competition.  I'm framing it as an extended recovery period, where all the little niggles and aches of any long-distance runner have a chance to truly heal.  In addition, this recovery period has forced me to slow down, to think about what running means to me.  Running has always been a part of my fitness plan, but it hasn't always been a positive force in my life.  Being forced to stop helps me to see just how much running does for me in terms of mood and opportunity for self-reflection, nevermind a great butt in jeans.