Exploding

 Ok, not literally.

At least I hope not!

I am, however, trying to regain some of the power and explosiveness that long endurance running tends to blunt. I have some stuff coming up that will require a very different kind of fitness than I've been tootling around with for years, so I've been trying a couple new things to see what my over-the-hill, chronically-damaged body can manage.

The first thing - and probably the least hazardous - is some tire dragging. A dear friend was kind enough to give me a tire pre-threaded with some polypropylene rope, so all I needed was to improvise a harness. This video from Gwen Jorgensen (who credits coach Bobby McGee with the idea) shows how to craft a simple and effective one with a bicycle inner tube.

In short, put both your arms through the middle, with the top against the back of your neck and the bottom at your lower back. Use whatever you have on hand to keep the front together against your chest.

The stretch of the inner tube helps prevent too much jerking on you as you pull the tire along behind you - essentially playing the same role as the bungee cord in these (quite expensive) pre-made setups. I've only pulled it a couple of times so far, always on pavement: I'm told that a cinder track or gravel road is best (presumably rail trail would be similarly well suited), as the looser surface helps reduce friction.

I got to experience this for ~100m when there was some debris on my street that I ran through - it was definitely easier than dragging the tire on clean pavement!

Because I'm just starting out and not particularly strong yet, I've only been doing a short bout of pulling - I live on a crescent that is about 440m 'round, so I've been pulling for 1 lap of my block, popping off the harness by my front door, then continuing on with the rest of my run. 

Bonus: it feels like you're FLYING for the first couple of minutes after you ditch the tire!
(Yes, I'm still slow as heck with or without the tire)

I'm looking forward to taking it to a track at some point so I can do some intervals, and hopefully working up to being able to pull for a couple of kilometers or more. The effort level feels similar to snowshoe running in not-too-deep unpacked snow, so this may actually be a way to continue to reap the benefits of snowshoe running through the rest of the year.

Oh gawd can we please get to that ice-free rest of the year?

So there's the "power" work, but how about the explosiveness? For that, I'm using one of the most basic ways to try to build fast-twitch response: plyometrics.

Really just a bunch of bouncing around

Here's the thing: I already lift weights in the mornings, doing a variety of different strength stuff that I rely on to keep myself functional. I don't want to mess with that, and I also know that I should be nice and warm and loose before jumping around a bunch - not still bleary-eyed before I've even had a cup of coffee or a bite to eat - so I've been adding in a short circuit after one run each week.

I give myself a minute to walk and cool down a bit after ending the run, then do the plyometric stuff down my street

I've kept it pretty short and simple: I started 2 weeks ago with two sets of 8 jump squats (first gif), 12 alternating jump lunges (second gif), and 20 alternating speed skaters. Last week I added a third set.

You can see the speed skaters at the end, which were super sketchy on my snow-covered street that day!

Throw down a set, walk down the street for 30sec, crank out another, walk another 30sec toward home, then bust out one last set, and finish it all off with some dynamic stretching. The whole thing only takes a few minutes.

With the high impact inherent in plyometrics, I'd rather err on the side of too little than do too much

I've only been working on these for a couple of weeks, but I feel like I'm already starting to see some minor adaptations. I don't know how much I will ultimately be able to improve in the short timeframe I have before I'll be putting whatever gains I'm able to make into action, but I believe this may make me a more resilient runner as well, so I hope I'll be able to maintain these additions to my weekly training consistently enough to discover just how much I can benefit.

If it helps things function a little better when I'm hours-deep into the trail, some burning quads here and there will totally be worth it!

So tell me: do you use any strategies to build or maintain power and explosive strength? If so, let me know what you've found that works, or just what you enjoy!

I'm always open to trying new things!

VO2maxing

WINTER CAME BACK!

There wasn't a single flake of snow on Friday evening, but this was the scene on Saturday morning.

I ran through full-on blizzard conditions down to the market on Saturday, which is not the easiest thing in the world.

Particularly when you're into a headwind the whole way, and snow keeps building up on your face.

You know how I'd hoped the prior weekend's 100mm of rain would come as snow instead? Apparently I just needed to wait a week.

To beat the band, I say!

It snowed from 7am onwards with no respite - we prudently parked the car for the day after we got home from the market, as we'd already seen a car in a ditch and a couple having trouble negotiating slippery uphills. Come evening it looked like it was tapering off, so I finally got my snowshoes out for the first time since November.

Just as the weather turned to rain!

The deep, fresh snow around the neighbourhood made the running even more difficult than I'd expected, and the rain made the snow heavier and heavier as I panted and gasped my way around.

I set to work tramping myself down a stretch of sidewalk, hoping it would get easier as I packed it down.

The heavy, sticky snow kept piling up on the decks of the snowshoes, making them even heavier.

I only managed to get in 2 out-and-back laps of my sidewalk stretch before the elementary school's tractor with a plow blade ruined my hard work by plowing that stretch! I had to go seeking other routes to make up the 5km that I consider bare minimum for a run.

I actually ended up running on the roads around the neighbourhood, which were fortunately even more devoid of traffic than usual.

By the time I'd slogged my way through the lung-burning workout - which took me a full 40mins of moving time, plus a few breaks to try to catch my breath so my heart wouldn't actually explode - I was soaked with both rain AND sweat and good only for a shower, a bit of dinner, and bed.

I awoke Sunday to the sun breaking through the clouds and a winter wonderland!

Same stretch of sidewalk - the wind filled in what the plow had taken away!

I headed out for the first run straight out of bed, knowing it the temperature (already -5c/23f) was only expected to drop all day. While some of my neighbours were out clearing their walks, the vast majority of my hood was still thickly covered with snow. I actually hit a higher maximum heart rate running in trail shoes through the deep, heavy snow than I had the night before wearing snowshoes!

The sun and blue sky were lovely, though.

After some brunch and taking care of some odds and ends, Tanker and I got out for our very first cross-country ski of the winter on beautiful, sun-bathed trails.

I'd been looking forward to this since Saturday morning's run showed me the trails would be skiable!

Nothing better than sunshine through the trees in winter.

After we'd done a quick out-and-back ramble, we returned to the car so Tank could sip hot apple cider from a thermos and I could change footwear.

This time I used the FAST snowshoes

While it was comparatively easier running in much lighter snowshoes on packed snow than in my heavy EVA 'shoes in the deep, fresh snow, the strain on my hamstrings and hip flexors from the previous day's exertions in the rain had taken their toll. I was a couple of minutes faster for the just-over-5k run through the sunset - with less time spent stopped to catch my breath - but I was thoroughly knackered afterward!

I had just enough light to get it done.

I spend most of my running life just ambling around at a fairly easy pace: sometimes a hill will get me gasping a bit, and occasionally it's just fun to push hard and run "fast", but I seldom do anything that could be called speedwork. Since snowshoe racing is really just a competition to see who can suffer the most - I'm pretty sure if you're not tasting pennies you're doing it wrong - I'm really happy to have got these challenging runs in to try to build whatever top-end I can achieve before the racing season starts on February 2nd.

These runs, plus the balls-out running I'll be doing in the races themselves, will lay the foundation for whatever reserves of speed I'll carry into the spring and try to maintain through the summer...when really the only time I'll come close to the same heart rates will be when there's someone watching while I'm on a big hill, and can't really bring myself to drop to a walk..

Building fitness through social anxiety is not a recognized training method, but maybe it should be..

It looks like the snow may all be rained away by tomorrow morning, so I'm glad I was able to take advantage while it lasted! Now I just have to hope there's a decent base for the races themselves.

Meandering

Have I ever told you what my favourite part is about running?

Here's a big hint.

Sure, it's a great way to strengthen your cardiovascular system and bone structure, and of course it does a decent job of keeping me from getting fat(ter). For some people it's a social activity - getting out with a friend (or group) for a run can be lots of fun. You can raise money for great causes, or simply get some "me" time to decompress from a stressful day.

My favourite part, though, is exploring.

Particularly on some of the lesser-traveled trails.

One of the things I missed the most this spring - whilst trying to recover from my devastating (and sort of ongoing) ankle injury - was the ability to just take off into the woods to chase some sketchy line I'd spotted on a map, or see what lies beyond some tiny trailhead I'd noticed while driving past. I'm incredibly grateful to have rebuilt my fitness to the point that I am largely able to set off for points unknown, confident that I'll be able to explore as much as I desire. 

Ooh - where does this go?

I know that I could do so simply by hiking, but even at my fairly glacial training paces I'm able to see so much more than I would simply by walking.

More views like this? Yes, please.

I actually put this all into action on Sunday, when I decided to go run a bit of trail on the outskirts of Riverside Park that I hadn't seen in a few years.

On a beautiful sun-drenched evening.

It clearly isn't a very popular route to get out the east end of the park on the north side of the Speed River.

Just a titch overgrown in places.

The groomed ease of the Mill Run Trail on the south side of the river certainly gets much more traffic, but most of my alternate route was flowing and non-technical.

I could run stuff like this forever.

It gave a whole new set of views of the river, too, as it wound along its bank above the northern arm of this divided section of the Speed.

Sun and shade and a river to the right.

Of course, it didn't all go perfectly - it turns out that a hundred metres or so near the eastern terminus are more bog than trail.

Grateful I wore wool socks and shoes with excellent drainage.

I have to wonder whether this section would be better or worse in the frozen depths of winter.

I may have to come back and see!

All too soon, I reached the end of this little diversion at the park entrance off Speedsville Road.

Umm, they might want to think about extending that boardwalk...by a LOT.

While this was just a tiny bit of trail - I ran most of the Mill Run Trail out from the other side of Speedsville and back to the park to net a mere 8km - but the distance wasn't the point. It's the glorious freedom to set off wherever my feet end up taking me, to find new routes and experiences along the way.

Happiness.

If you're stuck in a rut, tramping the same old routes week in and week out, I strongly encourage you to do a bit of investigating and find yourself a new place to discover. While it's important to do the training necessary to prepare for upcoming races, almost every schedule should allow you an easy day once in awhile to go explore a new place and see what kind of beauty you can unearth either far from home or right under your nose.

Damnit

Welp, I may be buggered.

Thanks to this crap.

I was hopeful last week that I could get through this build in training without messing myself up. It was all going pretty well, really...up until the stupid ice storm that set in on Saturday.

I wanted to get in 10 miles, and so I picked a bit of rail trail very close to home that I could just go out and back. Two problems: first of all, the ice pellets were forming horrible slush puddles and snow that meant there was no such thing as a groomed, stable surface for me to run on anywhere.

All of the footprints are mine, though I did see one other fellow out running on my first lap.

Then there was the brutal, gusting wind driving ice pellets into my face across the open fields beside the main trail. So, in order to hide from it, I hit the side trails..

Very pretty and much more sheltered, but not exactly easy on the stabilizer muscles.

I made it through the 10 miles I wanted without messing myself up, then we braved the weather (probably stupidly) to go to show in Toronto. Having survived the round trip on icy roads, it was with no joy whatsoever that we surveyed the freezing rain falling the next day. We nearly drowned between the car and the grocery store, while almost being tossed off our feet by gusts of wind. Nevertheless, I wanted to do my final long-ish back-to-back runs before a stupid 18k road race next week, so I managed to convince myself to get out for a run around our block.

I was just about to step out the door when we heard a bang that seemed to shake the whole universe.

Umm, that doesn't look right.

Nope - definitely not performance.

A huge chunk of our Manitoba maple tree had broken off and fallen on our shed, with the tops of the branches resting on the roof of the house. Fortunately, nothing seemed to be damaged apart from the shed, and since I was already dressed to go...I went.

In spite of a distinct lack of sidewalk anywhere.

It was kind of pretty..

I ran around our block 10 times, wearing trail shoes and actually managing not to slip very much despite not having bothered with spikes. I even felt ok when I was finished, and was quite pleased with myself for getting it done in the face of truly terrible conditions.

Including a jacket that I'm not sure can even be legitimately called "water resistant" anymore..

Where it all seemed to go wrong was Monday - a fairly awful day. We awoke to the same awful road conditions of the night before, with added freezing time. We clearly weren't going to work as our street was unplowed, and we needed to get a tree service to come as soon as possible to get the huge limb off the shed and roof before it snapped and took out the rear windows of the house.

By late afternoon we'd finally been plowed, and even did a little shopping for a new shed. I also decided that, since I was feeling ok and the roads were now fairly open, I'd go for one more short, easy run to try to clear my head a bit.

Sweet, merciful PAVEMENT!

..and apparently that was the last straw, because since then I've been having real trouble with my right peroneals. I tried taking Tuesday and Wednesday off, which wasn't too much of a challenge since the weather continues to be cold and crappy, but it's supposed to be a wonderful spring weekend and I'm not sure I'll be able to run at all...let alone go frolic in the woods.

So, everyone else get out there and enjoy the lovely weather. I've got a bit of advice on how I might be able to address this awful pain and weakness in the outside of my lower leg, so with any luck, maybe I'll be able to join you..

Please..?

I've got every available appendage crossed that I haven't messed myself up too severely - it will be absolutely crushing to go from my return from a torn up ankle to sidelined again by a stupid bit of tendinopathy, especially after all the work I've put in to try to make my stabilizer muscles stronger. I'm hoping this is just a momentary setback, as race season is fast approaching..

Running in Prison

Orange is the new...spandex?

No, I haven't done something stupid(er than usual) and got myself incarcerated - it just feels like it.

I have actually been getting out for some semi-regular runs, and even managed to go long enough to make the last few count for the 100 runs in 100 days challenge. Last night's 30min trot 'round the neighborhood was my final one for the challenge, which ends today - it both started and finished on a Friday, which is always a rest day for me. With the 3 runs I've been able to add in the last 7 days, my ending total is 67 - good enough for the top 100, but still a far cry from the top-10 placing I was holding down before I got hurt.

Also: not even good enough for the bronze medal (which requires 70+)

A friend of mine commented on an instagram post I made after Tuesday's lunch run - my first lunch run in 6 weeks - saying "She's back!". I know it was well-meant, but honestly I just found it a bit depressing.

You see, running right now really does feel like I'm imprisoned. I don't feel the ankle is ready to run every day yet; I've only just come to a point that every second day feels ok. I can't choose my distance and routing according to my fancy: I'm limited to what I think my ankle can stand, which so far is only the least interesting terrain I can find. I haven't even tested out a rail trail yet (let alone the technical trails that really make my heart sing), as I know that there is still ice and mud out there that could cause real problems. I can't dress the way I want to, as I have to make sure I won't go hypothermic if it turns out I need to stop and walk the rest of the way back to my home or office. Even if I ignore all that as necessary precautions, my lost fitness over the past weeks means I no longer have an "easy" pace - even very slow running leaves me gasping and wheezing, a prisoner of my severely reduced athletic capabilities.

This isn't what I'd call "back"

I know I sound like a petulant child - really, I'm grateful to be able to run again at all, even if it's not totally comfortable and severely limited for now. I know that five weeks off is fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and that I'm lucky I'm not still in a walking boot or relying on a cane to get around at all. Still, one of the things I treasured about the hard-won fitness I'd been able to build over the last few years was the freedom to go run whatever I pleased, whether that was a tough hill workout, an epic multi-hour trail adventure, or just an hour of exploring the streets of a town I was visiting.

It's easy to say that things will improve and I will (hopefully) once more regain my freedom; the ankle will get stronger, my aerobic capacity will return, and I should simply focus on what I'm able to do right now instead of comparing to the past. The reality, though, is that I'm slapped in the face every day with reminders of things I want so badly but simply cannot do: passing a trailhead or driving along a route I used to run, or even seeing friends' photos and stories of amazing runs and trails they've enjoyed. I try to be happy for them, but I won't lie and say that I don't struggle a lot to stay positive.

"No, no - you guys go ahead. I'll be fine...really.."

I may not be in solitary confinement anymore, but I'm still wishing I could at least get a day pass...if not full parole.