Marching On

March has been a month of rebuilding, just as February was. 

Physio trips once a week, with warm water baths to rubberize the feet, have been going well. 

It's all been about rebalancing to fix my gait, as well as addressing the compensating reactions arising from confused legs. 

There was the nice surprise along the way of still being capable of a sub-20 5k, with a minor piece of dumb luck gifting me AG 2nd place. 

Between surprise race results and physio trips, there is still some cause for concern as my gait work is at an early stage and my raw endurance has suffered somewhat. 

The glass is still half full though. At the end of the month I am in Singapore on holiday. The glass is overflowing here, despite the dehydration. 

Saint Patrick's 5k Surprise

An annual tradition, and usually a time trial on my way to the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon weekend. The build-up had a few twists, some of them literally. 

Fixer-upper

The colour of the wedges is just a coincidence. Far more deliberate have been my efforts at doing exactly as I'm told by my physio, whom I'd been going to for a month before race day.

The aim has been to fix an imbalance. I've been working on rolling my right foot in more, activating my inner right hip, boosting my core strength and improving gait efficiency. Running less like a crab in other words. Some exercises seem to be trying to address everything on the list all at once. While looking like a fraudulent guru. 

I've still been permitted to run, making sure I ask what limits to impose. With all the snow and ice gone, all a runner wants to do is go long, go fast, and go often. 

Self-o'ssessment

So, no speed work since early February, only recently up to 3 runs per week and none longer than 11k. I would've been pessimistic about speed endurance in a 5k but for one thing: I had noticed that I was getting much quicker uphill, almost effortlessly so. I believed that to be my imagination until Strava started telling me otherwise. 

All that added up to the usual pre-race conclusion: no real clue how well I would do. A PB was of course not going to happen, but I might just get under 20 minutes. There are 2 inclines of note, so I should handle those better than prior years. 

Start at Tickover

Late to line up and some questionable self-seeding had me starting a bit further back than I wanted. 

The start was more of a jog than a run.

Spotting an opening, I steamed up the left. "Almost there!" yelled my good buddy Rich, who came armed with a Super Mario sign. 

The Mental-list

First k done in 3:50, quicker than I had thought. Into the second turn, a quick evaluation: big-ish downhill should get me to the halfway point in under 10:00. 

Before the descent, with the exception of the start, my only 2 position changes of the race: a couple of guys who had oversped at the beginning. 

"A go-pro!" yelled a marshal. Km2 was a gravity-assisted 3:46. The turnaround breaks up momentum, and I assumed I would struggle to regain the same pace. 

Just as I saw a giant plush toy come past the other way, my watch said 3:58 for the third kilometre.  

Gump and Dump

Forrest Gump and posse joined from the 10k race, which had started 20 minutes earlier. They left me trailing. 

Back up the same hill again, and I assumed that here I'd be giving away enough time to push me over 20:00 for the race. I did the 4th k in 4:20, though I don't remember looking at my watch at the time. 

Finishing Girl Power 

Rounding the last corner, then the final descent, I could hear quick feet and quick breathing. Turning around, it was a couple more 10k runners. I recognized the lady for winning a 5 Peaks race I did last year. I tried to follow as she overtook, but couldn't quite live with her pace. 

I had assumed it was all academic anyway - my pace up the hill and decision to run comfortably hard after it led me to believe I was going to get a nice 20:20. Then with the finish line clock reading about 19:45, I found myself 30 or so metres from the finish:

Hold this pace just 10 seconds more, and Mount Improbable is yours. That takes more than 10 seconds to actually say, I believe the thought that came into my head was, "er...yes". Listening to the video (link below), I let out a sigh at the line. 

19:56 gun time. I would've been happy with over 20 minutes, but was thrilled to beat it for the third St Patrick's time. 

Before being thrilled, I melodramatically flopped over the side fencing to correct an oxygen deficit. 

I had signed up for the result text message, so as soon as I got hold of my phone it said:

AG second? A bit random (given I placed 17th overall), but I'll take it as a reward for my rebalancing efforts and for obeying the physio. 

Unraveling the Mystery 

I took advantage of a different physio at the after party. Wow, that sounds terrible. No, not like that. 

Moving on. I'm just wondering, is the above the face of success, or the below?

Stop and Smell the Four Leaf Clovers Along the Way

I can only conclude that the loss of raw speed was partially offset by slightly improved efficiency and uphill performance resulting from my rebalancing efforts. 

Those efforts are only just beginning really, this race being a nice bonus along the way. My third St Patrick's AG placing and prize beer glass too. Still, running and racing is always its own reward. ☘

Link to race video, without music: http://youtu.be/eRLe6tLEZIw

The 'I' Word

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." I'm here to turn myself in, officer. 

Early warning system

My body was trying to tell me something from the very start, but I was Beethoven to it. Before my first race in 2009, I had a sore right IT band. 10 minutes into that half marathon, I started to feel it coming on again. As quickly as it came, it disappeared again, perhaps from adrenaline. 

I put some of that down to being new to running, and it seemed to go away with a change of shoe type, so I thought. 

Incidentals

I've had a couple of accidental injuries too. Sitting with my knees bent too much on a weight machine (one with a seat) meant I had a squeaky shin for 2 weeks. 

I damaged tendons on the outside of my right foot when I slipped on ice getting off a bus. 

Slow steamed ham

Throughout however, my right hamstring has been providing constant background noise. Every full marathon I have done - 4 since 2010 plus a 50k - has involved me having to stretch a knotted hamstring. It happened at the end of the Quebec City half marathon in 2011. My current half marathon PB was achieved while hobbling the last 100 metres at the Calgary Half in 2013. 

Lightbulb moment 

Last felt in October last year, it really came back this week. I realized that if I did my usual response of 2 weeks of rest, chiropractor and carry on, I would end up in the same place again: 

I decided to head to a sports injury clinic and once my hamstring's fixed, get to the bottom of what I'm doing wrong and make changes to prevent more Groundhog Days. 

Crab alignment

"What's your overall aim in coming to us, apart from your immediate need?" my new physio asked. "Not to have to stop. A week without running is like a week without sunshine." Yes, I actually said that. 

Several simple tests, including just standing still led to an initial diagnosis: my right leg doesn't internally rotate much, and my left doesn't externally rotate. Without watching me run - as I couldn't at that point - it's probable that I track to the right. 

To run in a straight line, my pelvis and core is slightly twisted. It lifts up my right hip, pulling hardest of all on my right hamstring. All this time I have assumed that my right leg is shorter than the left, but anatomically it might not be. 

The training load gets too much, then I need to back off due to the excessive stress on my right hamstring. When I theorized that this is also why it has cramped violently during all of my marathons, the physio said it was quite likely. 

Acupunctured 

After the assessment, time to work on my long suffering right ham.

I was unprepared for the idea of acupuncture, but ok'd it: time for new methods. The pulse felt inside the muscle is a bizarre sensation. 

"Think you can handle one more needle?" "Er..yes." "This one will feel a little stronger." I made a noise that was part pain, part laughter and part police siren while thumping the treatment table. Cue nearby laughter. 

It felt sore and bruised afterwards, but by evening the cramping was gone. 

Next time, physio will watch me on the treadmill and perhaps give me more exercises to realign my hips and stop me tracking to the right.

Best case scenario?

If my alignment problem can be fixed or lessened, there will be less pressure on my right hamstring, and I should be able to go for longer without taking time off. Ideally, it won't affect me on individual very long runs of 2+ hours. 

That would be a dream come true because it would then unlock faster marathon times. 

"Let's get you fixed first," the physio said. 

10 weeks of reconstruction

Back to Square 1

October 18th last year saw me drop out of the half marathon at MEC race 7. I stopped after 14 km to avoid the catastrophe of completely knotted hamstrings. 

A break from running is the worst kind of break, but I took the next 2 weeks off. I used the time to plot my comeback for a fun 2016. 

Gentle start

November's plan was to do short distances at low speed. My first run back was a quiet and easy 5k. 

Just a week later was the Banff Winterstart, 8km in the dark. While I could see the attraction of it, the dark and therefore unsighted slippery patches had me on edge. Feeling uneasy, slow and rather weak, I was relieved to finish more than anything. 

The rest of November was uneventful, just as I had wanted. 

Base Camp

December and January was the next phase: building a base. Very small doses of faster speeds went into fairly low but gradually growing mileage. 

Persistence, even on Christmas Day and patience in watching speed, strength and a little endurance gradually return. 

MEC race 1 in mid-January, a 5k, was a nice early early test. I performed quite well despite the cold and lack of grip. 

Even though my new watch goes a little funny at the start of downtown runs - I didn't actually run through the Provincial Court by way of a karaoke bar - I have gradually been piecing myself back together.

Yoga has been part of injury prevention, and a de-stressing counterbalance to life in general. Heart rate 40-90 bpm. 

Sharpening 

Now the tough work, the specific training plan, begins. 

145km ran in January, my highest monthly total since September. It's all uphill from here. 

The year truly begins - MEC Race #1 5k

Welcome to 2016

It's only January, but without this race I'd be waiting until March to start the season. That would make for a long, unhinging winter. 

Time then for a little 5k, MEC race 1. It was the kind of cold in which you can feel your skin freeze within 30 seconds of removing your gloves. 

Out to the start, with all jiggling about dressed like multicoloured astronauts. 

Group warmup, more necessary than usual as it was -15, and -21 with windchill. As someone who didn't grow up with Canadian winters, I need more head insulation than most. 

The Question 

Aim for this race was mostly to answer the question- what sort of shape was I in? I'd been in base training since the start of December, slowly rebuilding after injury in October. 

I'm at my heaviest at this time of year also, so what time could I expect on such a day? 22 minutes perhaps. 

Traction Control 

I was a little swamped at the start...

...which went round in a semicircle before  straightening out. 

A loop along the river turning around at 14th street, I was mildly disappointed that the course would go the slightly slower anti-clockwise direction. 

Making my way past some slowing fast starters, the foot bridge over the river blunted my progress. The surface was so slippery that extra effort ended up being lost at toe-off. The harder I tried, the closer I got to kicking my own bottom.

Overtake On The Left

Once off the bridge, I put effort into picking off more runners. 

Up onto 14th Street bridge, my breath was getting a little ahead of me, so I backed off slightly before joining the pathway south of the river. 

I was overtaken by the leading lady as I got onto the path. That's your pacemaker I decided. The gap widened at the 10th street bridge underpass, which I took very cautiously. I caught up again, gradually finding stronger pace.

Finishing Frisson 

With 800 or so metres left, I decided to continue slowly accelerating and see what speed I'd top out at. As I re-passed the leading lady, I heard quickened breathing and increased cadence behind me. It seemed to fade as I continued to find unexpected end of race speed. 

My camera stopped just as I rounded the last corner. Noooo. What it missed was my slowly tackling the semicircle finish. 20:59 was my chip time, 5th overall and AG 3rd although there's no prize for that. 

The answer to the question?

A fairly strong performance at this stage given the un-traction, cold and volume of clothing I had to wear. There's plenty of work to do, so stay alert for any possible injury. In other words, it's all on the right track. 

Next race is in 2 months, so keep on running. The next phase is called "sharpening", starting Feb 1.