First Week
I have covered my goals leading into next year, and outlined a training plan to get there. Exactly what this involves may be best demonstrated by giving some and daily and weekly accounts. Instead of a generalised post every now and then. My first training week (8 days) went a little something like this...
Day 1: High Intensity
Eltham Fun Run 10km race. About 5km worth of warm up and 1km cool down, so 16km for the day. I came in 6th overall in 38:25 overall a hilly course. I raced at a high intensity, and pulled up very sore.
Day 2: Recovery
My left knee and quads were a little questionable the day before the race. The race certainly hammered that weakness. With my quads trying to halve their lengths and spasm, my patella tendon was suffering from all the abuse. Sore to touch, very painful to move. Ice, rest and gentle physical therapy on the muscle bellies, was what was required.
Day 3: Basic Run
66 min and 9.7km, giving a pace of 6:52/km. Slow, but the HRav was 125. The lowest intensity I have performed a run in for months. Combined with more physical therapy the run served the purpose of helping my quads (and other areas) recover from the race. However, the patella tendon disagreed with the whole concept of work.
Day 4: Recovery
I attempted to get on the bike, but it was clear my knee wasn't going to be helped there. So a day off training. I also decided to throw away the strength training until the knee and leg was back on track.
Day 5: Supportive Run
Feeling good today, the recovery seemed to be on track. Originally I had hoped for today to be my long run, instead I opted to shorten this to 70min at about the same intensity. The result was 11.85km HRav 145, pace 5:53/km. Nothing flash, but adequate. My knee and leg felt good for nearly the whole distance, just some mild discomfort over the last 10 minutes and walking down stairs for the rest of the day.
Day 6: Recovery
It's the first week of training. It would be stupid to carry an injury on into the second week. So another day off.
Day 7: Long Run
Again feeling good. No pain on waking in my knee. The quads have lost a lot of tightness and have a much better range of motion. Only recently I realised I can run from home mainly on trails into the old Janefield area of Plenty Gorge. I haven't been in there for a long while, but about 10 years ago it was a regular cross country/orienteering training ground for me. Today I went exploring. The pace and heart rates I wasn't too concerned about. I just wanted to see if I could get through a longer run in reasonable shape. The result was a 2:22, approximately 21km, with HRav of 135. Slow, but some with some rough terrain and steep terrain mixed in. My knee had some discomfort, but it seems more accommodating.
Day 8: Strength
Completed the minimum set out in the program. Which does give a very good training stimulus. What I skipped was the optional extras if feeling good.
Overall:
Not exactly as hoped. The cycling, swim and second strength session were missing. Plus I only got in four runs. However, with the injury problems it was the best I could manage, and allow recovery, while still getting a training effect. What has been highlighted, is I am pulling up reasonably sore in a lot of connective tissue, especially at the muscle-tendon interfaces. As hasn't really been mentioned above, I have been focussing a fair bit of time into strengthening and tissue manipulation to get past these problems.
Day 1: High Intensity
Eltham Fun Run 10km race. About 5km worth of warm up and 1km cool down, so 16km for the day. I came in 6th overall in 38:25 overall a hilly course. I raced at a high intensity, and pulled up very sore.
Day 2: Recovery
My left knee and quads were a little questionable the day before the race. The race certainly hammered that weakness. With my quads trying to halve their lengths and spasm, my patella tendon was suffering from all the abuse. Sore to touch, very painful to move. Ice, rest and gentle physical therapy on the muscle bellies, was what was required.
Day 3: Basic Run
66 min and 9.7km, giving a pace of 6:52/km. Slow, but the HRav was 125. The lowest intensity I have performed a run in for months. Combined with more physical therapy the run served the purpose of helping my quads (and other areas) recover from the race. However, the patella tendon disagreed with the whole concept of work.
Day 4: Recovery
I attempted to get on the bike, but it was clear my knee wasn't going to be helped there. So a day off training. I also decided to throw away the strength training until the knee and leg was back on track.
Day 5: Supportive Run
Feeling good today, the recovery seemed to be on track. Originally I had hoped for today to be my long run, instead I opted to shorten this to 70min at about the same intensity. The result was 11.85km HRav 145, pace 5:53/km. Nothing flash, but adequate. My knee and leg felt good for nearly the whole distance, just some mild discomfort over the last 10 minutes and walking down stairs for the rest of the day.
Day 6: Recovery
It's the first week of training. It would be stupid to carry an injury on into the second week. So another day off.
Day 7: Long Run
Again feeling good. No pain on waking in my knee. The quads have lost a lot of tightness and have a much better range of motion. Only recently I realised I can run from home mainly on trails into the old Janefield area of Plenty Gorge. I haven't been in there for a long while, but about 10 years ago it was a regular cross country/orienteering training ground for me. Today I went exploring. The pace and heart rates I wasn't too concerned about. I just wanted to see if I could get through a longer run in reasonable shape. The result was a 2:22, approximately 21km, with HRav of 135. Slow, but some with some rough terrain and steep terrain mixed in. My knee had some discomfort, but it seems more accommodating.
Day 8: Strength
Completed the minimum set out in the program. Which does give a very good training stimulus. What I skipped was the optional extras if feeling good.
Overall:
Not exactly as hoped. The cycling, swim and second strength session were missing. Plus I only got in four runs. However, with the injury problems it was the best I could manage, and allow recovery, while still getting a training effect. What has been highlighted, is I am pulling up reasonably sore in a lot of connective tissue, especially at the muscle-tendon interfaces. As hasn't really been mentioned above, I have been focussing a fair bit of time into strengthening and tissue manipulation to get past these problems.
Eltham was a step in the right direction. Keep it going Jason.
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