Let's get crackin'

That whole thing about running shorter distances? It worked for a whole 3 days.

There was sunshine in the trees. I couldn't help myself.

Tanker and I went down Saturday morning to help out at the big aid station at Conquer the Canuck, and I had every intention of running a lap of the 8km course after the race was done to pick up any rubbish left out on the trails - I like to keep my local conservation area clean if I can! I'd grabbed a pair of shoes that I figured would be ok for the 8k loop and threw in my supportive insoles; I'd never worn them for more than 9km before, and hadn't actually used them at all since the ice storm, but I figured they'd be fine for a leisurely trot in the woods. I was so sure I was only doing a single, easy lap that I actually rode back down to Shade's Mills after Tanker and I popped out to hit the Farmers' Market.

I sent him ahead in the car while I stayed back and made us some sammiches for lunch.

Then, things changed. Clay was running the Ultimate Canuck event - 50km on Saturday, plus a full marathon (42.2km) on Sunday. Unfortunately, only 4 laps into day one his back was acting up to the point he was ready to drop out.

The amazing Rhonda-Marie Parke, on hand to volunteer and crew for her husband Steven (also running the Ultimate Canuck), got Clay on a picnic table and put her superhero RMT skills to work. She asked if I'd be able to run with him for the next lap, to help keep him moving so he didn't seize up and so the anti-inflammatories he'd taken could kick in. Suddenly I was scrambling to change out of my cotton Happy Trails Racing t-shirt and Birkenstocks, get into my trail shoes and do a quick warmup while Clay finished off his 4th lap. I met him just past the start/finish, and we set off into the woods together.

Photo credit to George Aitkin of the Cambridge Harriers

I got a bit eaten alive, as I'd failed to apply any bug spray, but Clay is a really wonderful person with whom to share the trails. He said he was in damage control mode and wasn't feeling very social, but he was very patient about putting up with my constant yapping away about nothing terribly interesting as we made our way 'round the loop. Clay said he'd be fine going it alone for his final lap, but by the time we reached the big aid station again at 7.2km, I was still feeling pretty good...so I volunteered to accompany him through his last loop as well.

That.

The sun came out, and I was really enjoying my time out in the trees, but the sharply side-sloped trail was doing a number on my sore ankle. The lower leg - despite not being taped - was holding up fairly well, but my tibialis posterior was taking a beating when running on slated trail that left no hope of controlling my over-pronation. 

But there was sunshine and Spidey, so it couldn't be all bad.

By the time we got to the big aid station again, I decided I'd had enough and let Clay go to run the last 1km to his 50k finish proudly flying the flag. I was grateful to have been able to help in a small way, even if it was just being sufficiently annoying that I distracted him from his sore back. I had my sammich, got back into my Birkenstocks, and Tanker sweetly helped me load my hot, mosquito-bitten and sore arse into the car.

All the details here.

Sunday morning we were right back down to Shade's Mills to run the aid station all day. Things went much more to plan (apart from eating WAY too much fruit and bacon), and despite still feeling a bit sore from the prior day's exertions I still went out for a lap after the final runners (including Clay, who finished the Ultimate Canuck strong!) had passed by the aid station to clean up any garbage I found.

Nothing to see here - just taking my grocery bag out for a tour of the course.

I wore much more supportive shoes, but the damage had been done the day before - I only did the less-than-7km section from the pavilion, 'round the loop and back to the aid station before calling it a day. It was hotter than it had been on Saturday, I was too full of fruit and bacon, and my foot was sore.

Yes, it really did take me almost an hour.

By the time we got home after packing up all the aid station supplies and a visit to the grocery store (so we wouldn't have to go out again), I was so tired I could barely stand up. Due to the early start on both days, I'd not got much in the way of sleep over the weekend, and almost immediately treated myself to a nap with my feet up.

Esme helped.

Monday I was still feeling quite tired and sore, but I also had my first appointment with my new chiropractor. It turns out I was right about my misbehaving fibula being the cause of my weeks of woe, and he set to work right away to try to correct the problem. He adjusted my knee and ankle, and used cold laser and pulsed electromagnetic field therapies on various points on my leg.

Frickin' laser beams and the stylish shades I get to wear while being treated.

Ooh, that tingles a bit..

I walked out feeling much better than I had in weeks. It's still not perfect, but I'm so grateful that I've finally identified the issue, and have found a professional who can help me resolve it! I went home and packed up my kit, then went for my first lunch run in more than a month on Tuesday afternoon. Not only did I want to keep my legs loose for the weekend, I also needed to try the new Brooks Ravenna 9s with my Currex RunPro insoles to make sure they would play nicely together (along with the socks in which I intend to race).

I meant to take it easy, especially since it was a hot, sunny day and I had to run over a 401 overpass to get to my office.

I did not.

That right there? That's a happy girl.

I kept it down to 3.5km - just a 20min jam - and things felt pretty good. I saw my chiro again on Wednesday for some more work, and it seems the head of my fibula tried to stick in place again. He got it moving, shot me with laser beams and pulsed electromagnetic fields again, and then (after I politely asked if he'd have a look at my hips, which have been pretty tight) blasted my upper legs with a rubber knob-laden device that looked like a cross between a belt sander and a BDSM accessory before making me whimper by using the blades of his forearms to march down my IT bands. A couple of spinal adjustments later, and I wandered out slightly dazed but feeling better. The good doctor also reviewed the kinesiology tape application I'd used on the fibula on Tuesday (which I was still wearing, in order to show him) and confirm it was overall correct, while suggesting a slight adjustment to the placement. 

So now it's the eve of the Niagara Ultra. While I can't say I feel ready to toe the start line - I'd love another month to get my leg fully rehabbed, do at least one long run on pavement, and maybe have more than just 6km of test runs on the shoes I'll be using - I am certainly in a better position than I was before Seaton. I elected not to run past Tuesday to let myself rest and heal as much as possible, as I'm not in a position to care about my aerobic fitness or my legs feeling a bit heavy at the start.

Not exactly a lot to taper from, but still..
(Figures as of Tuesday after the lunch run)

All I can do at this point is tape the ever-loving hell out of my foot and leg, show up, think positive, and be grateful for the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Niagara River Recreation Trail.

Oh, and try not to melt in the heat.

The course is open for 13.5hrs, and (as long as I don't seem to be doing catastrophic damage) I'm bound and determined to actually finish this thing. I just hope it doesn't get on top of me too badly; I swear the lens of foresight is making this 50k look longer than even my first one did back in 2013.

No matter what happens tomorrow, though, tonight I get to spend an evening away with my sweetheart, who will be waiting for me whenever I am done with the course on Saturday. He's even promised that he'll take me to check out a GF bakery in St. Catharines afterward, so really the race itself is just a little wander down a path to build an appetite, right?

There will be cookies in my pockets, friendly faces out on the course, and lovely views of the Niagara River. With all that, honestly - how bad could it be?

400

Like a few runners I know, I'm a little...specific...when it comes to mileage. By that, I mean it gets my hackles up when I fall just short of a nice, round number.

Yes, even when it's completely meaningless.
I could have run another 2sec and 0.01km..

So it was mildly frustrating when I realised I'd run 394.3km for the year after logging my outing at the Valentine's Fatazz. Still, I thought, I'd just make it up the next day after we went snowboarding.

We all know how that worked out.

I did manage one tiny little run back on February 27th, which was just barely enough to relieve my angst at having clocked 99.7km for February up to that point. I finished the month with 100.3km and slightly less idiotic anxiety, but was still staring at an annual total of 394.8km and didn't really feel any closer to being ready to run. 

Things were still very swollen and unpleasant.

I had mentioned last week that I'd hoped to get out for another attempt, as things had been going quite well with the rehab exercises. Come Saturday afternoon I decided I was more or less ready - how bad could it be?

It started off quite well - I'd done my rehab work and my usual run warmup, and there was almost no discomfort when I set off for an optimistic 2km, mildly downhill trot on a smooth multi-use paved pathway. Unfortunately, things deteriorated rather quickly. 

It had begun so well..

By the end of the 2km, my calves were complaining and my ankle didn't really want to speak to me for the rest of the day. I knew when I got out of bed the next day I most likely wouldn't be trying again on Monday, and maybe not even Tuesday.

I tweaked the poor thing a little riding the trainer on Monday evening, and by Wednesday it was still sore. I finally decided enough was enough and gave it a really easy day: just a leisurely lunch walk (rather than the powerwalking I have mostly been doing), and I only did the mobility and balance portions of my rehab work. No hopping or anything even remotely plyometric.

It felt like defeat. I hadn't seen any improvement in my ankle all week, now 4.5 weeks past the date of injury and more than a month since my last run that felt...well...REAL.

The easy day must have paid off, though. I woke up yesterday with no soreness and renewed hope. Getting home from work and errands with just a smidge of daylight remaining, I decided to go for it.

"Please let this work out..|

Tanker was sweet enough to bundle up against the chill and follow me on his mountain bike as I trotted along the 2km route around our neighborhood, feeling my way along as I watched for any sign of weakness or instability from the damaged ankle. While it wasn't perfectly comfortable, things didn't seem to be getting any worse...so I actually pushed on to 2.25km, then 2.5, then thought maybe I'd just go for 20mins and then call it.

This? This felt REAL.

There was a bit of a nasty twinge from the achilles just as I finished, but overall it seems to have been fairly successful. There was a bit of swelling last night even after a soak in cold water immediately after I got home plus some hot/cold contrast in the shower later, but not too much. I made sure to warm the ankle up with some circles and flexion/extension before getting out of bed this morning, and while it's been a little bit tired and achy feeling today, I had no problems doing the full series of rehab exercises and a brisk walk this afternoon.

This ALSO feels like success.

If it feels good when I get up tomorrow, I may even give running another whack - I won't try on back-to-back days for awhile yet, but I really hope it won't take another 4 days off until I'm able to lace up again. It was so nice to get out long enough to really fall into a stride; to be aware of lungs and legs working in harmony to propel me along through the growing dark of evening, letting the muscle memory of a million strides take over to guide me. Uphills didn't feel great, and turning right definitely takes some careful attention, but the experience as a whole was like an inmate's first taste of freedom after long confinement.

Grinning like a fool!

I'm deeply screwed for the 100 runs in 100 days challenge, with just 9 days left and still sitting at 64 qualifying runs (they must be at least 30mins in order to count)...but that 20mins yesterday gives me hope that all may not be lost for my race season, and that's much more important than chasing spreadsheets.

Still, I hope the next hundred kilometers come a little more quickly..

High Hopes

And I don't just mean "I hope I don't fall from this high"

Climbing continues to be a total riot - Tank and I are having a great time exploring new routes at Grand River Rocks as our 2-week trial membership nears its end. I'm becoming a more confident and slightly less hapless climber, basically able to onsight anything up to 5.8 and starting to get the fundamentals of footwork and maneuvering on the wall under me.

Including big steps to tiny chips.

Going 3 times in 5 days - that was Friday of last week, Sunday and then Tuesday - may have been a bit much, though. After a particularly overhung 5.8 that took me a couple of whacks (and just falling the hell off it once) to send, I woke up with some soreness in my right middle and ring fingers that feels like the start of pulley strain. So, I'm giving it a rest so we can hopefully head back for the last day of our trial tomorrow. I'll really miss being able to climb as often as we have, but I do look forward to checking out some other gyms in the near future to see what other vertical adventures we can find.

Though I'm far from bored with what GRR has to offer!

One thing that I haven't been backing off on, though, is my ankle rehab. Day in, day out I'm working to get stronger and more stable. Wobble board exercises, calf raises, 1-leg squats, and lots of balancing on one foot.

Which I can now do for a solid 2 minutes, even while reaching my other leg out to the front, side and back.

As I've gotten stronger, I've upped the reps and difficulty, adding in exercises to address weaknesses as I identify them. This means it now takes me almost half an hour to get through the full routine, but the payoff is that there are fewer and fewer things I'm unable to do. Stairs no longer make me cringe, and I can stand on one foot while putting on a pair of trousers or taking off my socks. My range of motion increases, the pain and twinges wane, and I am tantalizingly close to being able to move from my brisk-paced lunch walks to something like an actual run.

As a matter of fact, just this afternoon I had a bit of a breakthrough. 

I could just barely do two last week.

Since one-foot hops are a major indicator of readiness to return to activity, I'm taking this as a promising sign. As of tomorrow it will be exactly one month since my last run, and my osteopath told me at my last appointment it would likely be at least two weeks before I could start running again.

That appointment was two weeks ago.

So, I'm thinking tomorrow may be the day. I have no idea how it will go, but I'm going to see if I can manage 5 minutes. If that feels ok, I might push it to a kilometer, or a mile at most. I don't want to do any harm, but I do want to know if I can get back out there. While I know it will be some time before I can get out on the trails again, I just want to feel like I'm getting somewhere.

Because you can only spend so much time pedaling to nowhere.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, folks - I need all the luck I can get!

Wobbling

I know I probably don't come across as the most stable individual in the world, but lately I've been having a lot of fun - and hopefully improving my injury resistance and fitness - by becoming even more unbalanced than usual.

No, not by having psychotic episodes..

..at least not yet.

I bought a balance board to see if it would help me strengthen and rehabilitate the chronically damaged left ankle I've been dealing with since, oh...sometime mid-last-summer.

This is the one I purchased for $36.11CAN plus tax in October 2017.
I do not receive any compensation for use of the above link and provide it only for information.

Since then, it has become one of my favourite toys. I keep it at my office and try to play with it for a few minutes every day.

There are wooden versions with a plastic bubble on the bottom, but this one is molded right into the board.

At a bit less than 16" in diameter, the size is compact enough to sit under my desk while still offering plenty of space for my big feet.

Made even bigger by my awesome Keen clogs.

I didn't know it at the time, but the specific board I purchased was probably a good bet for someone clumsy like me. It has a little indent in the centre of the base - I think of it as its navel - that lets it default to sitting flat on the floor while still being highly unstable when any pressure is applied.

Belly button.
Yes, my office could do with some serious vacuuming. 

The octagonal shape also makes it a little more stable when mounting up to balance on it than a fully circular board would be. I use mine on the thin carpet of my office with no underpad, which lends it a tiny bit of cushioning and stability but not very much.

As for using it, I generally start by pulling it out while seated to work each ankle separately.

Stripey socks are optional.
Despite the texture dots, the plastic is slippery enough that I'll only wobble barefoot or in shoes.

I start by doing full revolutions of the board in one direction - trying to touch each part of the edge to the floor - then switch directions and do the same the other way. I'll rock the board back and forth sideways, touching a flat edge on opposite sides to the carpet, then do the same thing forward & backward. 16 of each is enough to make things start to fatigue in my lower leg, so I switch sides and do the other foot as well.

I can also use the board to get a really good calf stretch by standing with my heel against one flat edge - a bent leg will stretch the soleus and achilles tendon, while a straight leg will hit the gastrocs.

Streeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttccccccchhhhhh

I can also stand with both feet on the board, rocking it back and forth from side to side to work the stabilizer muscles in my whole lower body - a great exercise that actually feels a bit like running, and certainly engages many of the same muscle groups as running on the uneven terrain of the trails.

Rock, but try not to roll.

My favourite use, though, is just balancing on the board.

Which is damnably difficult to do while taking a selfie.

Part of the reason I keep the board at my office is that it works as an incredible stress reliever for me. When things are getting hectic and I'm feeling overloaded, it's absolutely blissful to take a minute and focus on nothing else but balancing. I'm not terribly coordinated, so it takes a bit of effort - I choose a focal point to stare at and think about drawing my spine up tall, as though a string were being pulled upward from the top of my head - but I can happily balance for a minute or so before returning to work with a better mindset and better posture.

For an extra challenge, try squatting on the board.

For me, the centering effect of the board would be worth it even if it had no beneficial effect for my damaged ankle or running in general - after all, not all aspects of fitness are physical. I do, however, already feel that through a few weeks' use my lower leg stability and general balance has increased. I'm a huge fan of this little toy, and highly recommend giving one a try - they're not terribly expensive, and you can even make your own if you're so inclined. You could even make a larger one that would be more stable to start, then decrease the size of the deck as you become more adept over time.

There are heaps of exercises from beginner to advanced that you can do with the board, and I can't think of anyone - runner, athlete or just someone interested in living a better life - that wouldn't benefit from better balance and stability. Why not give one a shot?

Just don't expect me to demonstrate any of the more challenging exercises for you..

It won't go well.

Iron and lace

It often seems that there aren't enough hours in the day, particularly when my athletic goals require a lot of running on top of a long commute and full-time job. Swimming and cycling have largely fallen by the wayside as my run mileage has increased, but I know that strength work is just about the best thing any runner can do to stay injury resistant...not to mention keep myself in decent enough all-round shape for other adventures (both human-powered and non-), and even every day life. Noone wants to be helpless in the face of a heavy grocery bag or long portage; thus, I do 4 strength and conditioning workouts per week, even if the way I fit them in is a bit odd.

I hop out of bed, throw on my underwear & grab my clothes for work, head down to the kitchen and make my lunch, then hit the iron.

In my knickers.
(No, there will not be any photos. You can stop reaching for the eye soap.)

It makes me laugh that some people are convinced they'd be unable to perform a single squat without a full suite of gym equipment, the latest sweat wicking compression clothing, their music player and headphones, and 18 different mirrors to show every angle of their form. If that's simply what you prefer, that's fine - whatever motivates you to move your body in positive ways is a good thing. I'm just saying that I'm down in my livingroom - usually before Tanker is even out of bed - ignoring the fact I'm still only half awake and ripping out a different workout in my undies with a modest set of free weights (stretch bands, 3-10lb hand weights, a 25lb kettlebell, a pair of dumbbells and a standard barbell with about 100lbs worth of plates) each morning from Monday to Thursday.

Even if walking lunges are the bane of my existence.

Without so much as bothering to put my hair up, I generally get in about 20mins per day - planks and mobility work like single-leg bridges & fire hydrants on Mondays; heavier lower-body work like squats, single-leg deadlifts, lunges, and calf raises on the stairs up to the kitchen on Tuesdays; upper body work on Wednesdays (because I used to swim Tuesday & Thursday); and a full core workout with a big, bouncy ball on Thursdays. I start with a dynamic warmup to loosen up any stiffness in my joints, and include at least one hip abductor exercise (like band lateral walks or hip hikes) and one hip adductor exercise every day, plus some lateral and regular core work. These are areas that I have had trouble with in the past, and I know keeping them strong and mobile will help me stay injury free under the varied conditions on the trails. I throw a towel down on the floor for stuff like bridges, dead bugs, push-ups, leg raises and clamshells - because carpet fuzz, cat hair and errant kitty litter are magnetically attracted to a sweaty body - and give myself a quick wipe-off with it after a few post-lifting stretches like child pose, downward dog, and sitting back on my feet.

Once I'm done, I get dressed for work in the kitchen, pull my breakfast out of the microwave (I have a sweet potato with almond butter & cinnamon every day - simple, fast, and I really enjoy it even after years of repetition), then eat it on the way to work while Tanker drives.

It's perhaps not the best system: I often end up a bit sweaty, so I could probably smell better arriving at work for the day (though I do wear perfume to the office that I'm sure helps). If we end up being late for work due to traffic, I do feel a bit guilty about the time it takes in the morning - if I'd cut my session short or skipped it entirely, we'd have made it in earlier. It's also damn difficult sometimes to climb the stairs to the kitchen after a tough leg workout, and getting dressed for the office in the kitchen - with no mirror to check details - results in the occasional wardrobe malfunction.

Super professional there, K.

But, it's the best way I can ensure that the strength workouts actually happen. If I waited until after I got home from the office, I'd either have to do it directly before or after a run since I train in the evenings. As much as I do end up with sore legs from the lifting I do now (my hamstrings hate me after deadlifts), separating my workouts by several hours is the only way I can think of to reduce interference between them; I don't end up risking injury by either running on wobbly legs post-lifting, nor by having poor form from a tired body that just hammered out miles of hills.

The most important factor here is that it gets done. There are no excuses first thing in the morning. If I'm super tired and sore, I can modify the strength workout to make it a bit easier - focus more on mobility than building strength, or on building muscular endurance through higher reps at lower weight - but the only times I skip it completely are when either:

1. it's a holiday Monday (when I'm more concerned with having adventures with my sweetheart);
2. we're out & about on vacation, because noone wants to plank in the dirt at their campsite, or;
3. I'm so deeply incapacitated after a race that I can't make it down the stairs to the livingroom.

I do change things up a bit during the week before a race: Monday is generally the same, as it's typically my easiest strength work day (when DOMS is at its peak after Saturday's long run), but Tuesday becomes bodyweight-only leg day and on Wednesday I'll just foam roll instead of lifting. Thursday before a race I have a yoga routine that focuses on joint mobility and function, and Friday is always a day completely off training.

Every other weekday morning, though, you'll find some weirdo in our basement lifting heavy things in their underoos.

Peeping toms beware.

So, now you know my dirty little secret. Do you have any weird tricks to fit in training in your life?


Note: if you wonder who the (dis)interested party is in the bad crayon art above, that fuzzy grey-and-peach blob is none other than the indomitable Miss Esmerelda. Esme was living a rough life on the streets of Guelph for a couple of months before we met her at the beginning of July and brought her to her forever home at the Punk Rawk Palace, where she spends her days getting all the tickles, treats and snuggles that her soft, fuzzy little body can handle. She's filled out nicely from the pathetic wee bag of bones she was when we found her, and is a sweet, sassy and silly girl who has stolen our hearts and completely dominated our big old tomcat Karma.

Esme cat!