Rebuild
I've felt pretty damn good for the four weeks since my 100km race. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly my legs came good and how easy it has felt to get back into some running. However, underneath all that there is still some damage and weak points that require addressing.
Earlier this week I received a good massage. Separate to the massage work of loosening and lengthening out my connective tissues and muscles, the most important element was the identification of the many areas the are damaged. There are plenty of adhesions that will become problems if not dealt with. One example is an adhesion of decent size on one Achilles' tendon that is limiting movement of the tendon within its sheath. It's not causing pain, but will only be a matter of time before it becomes a noticeable problem.
Nothing is a true injury at this stage. Just simply part of the recovery process from the damage training and and running 100km causes. The trick now is to have all that rebuild back to proper functioning tissue and not scar tissue.
I've also worked through my physical checklist. There's a few flexibility imbalances that require a little attention. Again nothing major. What I did find surprising was the loss in my core stability. Essentially I failed nearly all my core tests which hasn't happened before. I don't know the exact cause. Maybe it is just part of the overall breakdown that occurs from such a race. More likely it is the haphazard and incomplete core training I performed leading in. With hindsight I realise I have gradually let this aspect of fitness slip away. Justified by the fact it has always been good and I can get away with less here. I think that caught up with me during the race itself and now has put me at a higher injury risk at work.
So I'm really back into training my core. Lots of sit-ups? Not at all. Plenty of TVA activation drills, anti-rotation exercises and lots of assessment with maintaining measured pressures and posture control. This had become boring over the last few years, but I've managed to find the enjoyment in this type of work again.
Of course there's still a good deal of running, but it is a different style. More technique and drill work. Closer attention to the biomechanics and muscle response versus a physiology or energy system focus. It's a nice change away from exact paces and heart rate profiles.
Earlier this week I received a good massage. Separate to the massage work of loosening and lengthening out my connective tissues and muscles, the most important element was the identification of the many areas the are damaged. There are plenty of adhesions that will become problems if not dealt with. One example is an adhesion of decent size on one Achilles' tendon that is limiting movement of the tendon within its sheath. It's not causing pain, but will only be a matter of time before it becomes a noticeable problem.
Nothing is a true injury at this stage. Just simply part of the recovery process from the damage training and and running 100km causes. The trick now is to have all that rebuild back to proper functioning tissue and not scar tissue.
I've also worked through my physical checklist. There's a few flexibility imbalances that require a little attention. Again nothing major. What I did find surprising was the loss in my core stability. Essentially I failed nearly all my core tests which hasn't happened before. I don't know the exact cause. Maybe it is just part of the overall breakdown that occurs from such a race. More likely it is the haphazard and incomplete core training I performed leading in. With hindsight I realise I have gradually let this aspect of fitness slip away. Justified by the fact it has always been good and I can get away with less here. I think that caught up with me during the race itself and now has put me at a higher injury risk at work.
So I'm really back into training my core. Lots of sit-ups? Not at all. Plenty of TVA activation drills, anti-rotation exercises and lots of assessment with maintaining measured pressures and posture control. This had become boring over the last few years, but I've managed to find the enjoyment in this type of work again.
Of course there's still a good deal of running, but it is a different style. More technique and drill work. Closer attention to the biomechanics and muscle response versus a physiology or energy system focus. It's a nice change away from exact paces and heart rate profiles.
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