Monday, September 10, 2012

Husky Half Marathon - team event race review

You know the old one step forward, two steps backward.........well, I feel like I am living just that right now.

So rolling into this weekends race I had had some real gains with my swimming and bike. And even my run was starting to get some forward movement with me running about 6 runs with no ITB pain and starting to ramp up both in distance, time and intervals. I usually have to run a ratio of 4min run and 1 min walk so that I can reset the form and get going again in order to prevent the ITB flaring up.

I had also purchased a good pair of Nike runners and was feeling pretty darned good just quietly.

The gang rolled in to Huskisson ........ I took the pic

The Fitness Frenz

I thought I did all of the right things. Did my stretches, clams, warm up run. Set my pace light and easy and ran lightly. The first 2-3 kms felt great. The legs, heart, mental attitude was great. There was absolutely no pressure on this race as I was teaming up with a friend who would run a 1.20ish minute 10ks. So I cruised along enjoying the sun, sea and mild southerly breeze.

At about the 5km mark I started to feel it. That all too common tightening across the knee/leg. Here it comes. great! I stopped and walked. Ran and walked for another couple of kms. And then it was time to give in and walk/run til I got home. The knee was sore though the usual burning hadn't started yet.

Still, focusing on the positive here... Even with all of the walking I came in under the hour for 10kms. Very happy, but no I could have done so much better, frustrating.


 
Straight after the race and after I watched Big Gazza cross the finish line I headed back North and on to the workshop Coach had planned for the Crew. I had an 1:45min drive on my own to the workshop. So by the time I got there I was pretty low after the run. Coach met me at the door, saw the look and when I told him he swooped me up and onto the slab (as the workshop was at the physio rooms) before I knew it I had about 15 needles along my ITB.
 
The workshop was great, informative and interactive. I loved the discussion and being able to hear other athlete's ideas and training information. Later we hit the pool for a quick session with the focus on sighting, single arm drills and pool buoy, paddles and bands. Yeah.....
 
It was a great day really except for one lousy backward step.
 
This morning I was back on the slab with a leg and butt looking like a porcupine. Coach and I talked about the injury and my 'thing'. We all have our thing..... be it ITB, tight hammies, locked swimmers shoulder. It seems that mine is a propensity to tight ITBs. I knew this already. The plan is to make fortnightly visits to see Coach and get the ITB worked on. (My hip pocket just winced!)
 
Sooooo back to the drawing board....Coach says its a matter on trial and push, push, push the body to work out what it can handle and then back it off when we reach the threshold between work and recovery. I need to listen and be in tune with my body, coping, sleeping, stresses and start noting more accurately what is happening to the ol bod so that I can start to predict when we are pushing it to far.
 
Unfortunately, I think this weekend's run is out! buh. 

 
 
 

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