Okay, so...

I finally dragged my carcass out for a run tonight - all 3km of it, but 3km that may well have been the most illuminating yet. My shin splints were generally well behaved and I was experimenting with different footstrikes and generally enjoying stretching my legs. Also of note was the fact I found this 3km very easy indeed - I barely broke a sweat, quite literally! It was cold and I was running very gently, but not that long ago 3km nearly killed me.

Anyhoo, the tendon reared its head at the 2km mark, and I thought I'd trot awhile and use the increased biofeedback to find a running style that placed as little demand on the area as possible. I found almost immediately if I turned my toe in at footstrike and concentrated on landing in the middle of the forefoot with a straight foot, the wrenching on the tibialis was lessened significantly. In fact, as I ran I slowly began to realise I had been twisting my toe out in the late recovery phase quite significantly. Consciously twisting it back in felt cleaner and more direct (more of a clean, vertical, aligned circle with my foot), and also took care of a sgnificant portion of the excess pronation I had noticed previously. I now suspect it was caused in large part by my toes twisting out at footstrike, rather than the edge of my foot moving under, as it were. My poor tibialis! Having to wrench all that back in. Sorry guys.

So ran waaaaay less than I thought I could, but am feeling no real residual pain, except a touch of plantar pain I'll assume is normal for now. It popped up after my shin splints had been around for a few days. Most likely related to weakness from the tibialis. I'll keep an eye on it.

One final, weird thing - did some planks tonight and thought I'd do them first before any pushups to see how long I could bear the pain. Previous record was 2:10... this time I did 3min easily and stopped cause I was sorta wierded out (plus, severe pain). I think maybe I made a mistake, but it sure felt like more than 2min. Strange as I was stuck at 2min for ages. I'll try again tomorrow and see how we go!

So very happy with the first run back - I think I'm onto something with my observations on the toes pointing outwards and while I'll likely be taking a day off tomorrow to be super-cautious, I'm feeling confident for the first time in a while (except for the plantar pain, which vexes me slightly).

Plus using the GPS watch will be fun! Having it for over a week has been kinda tough, but it'll make it even more fun to try out!



Quill

Swim when you're winning (or sidelined with injury)

Went for another swim today! No running (shin splints = f***king average). I’m starting to really enjoy it! I guess I’ve always been a competent swimmer - one of my earliest memories (if not the earliest) is of waves towering over me at Byron Bay as a toddler… I’m gonna assume Dad was there with me! So, although I’m sure my form is horrible, I certainly don’t have to think about it at all.

It’s difficult to go hard enough to really feel exhausted in 20-30 minutes, owing to the fact your head’s underwater most of the time but you definitely notice your midsection’s all pumped up and looking buff when you finish and my HR feels about 130-140 which could be higher, but is definitely worthwhile anyhow. Just ask this random weblink - it knows stuff. http://swimming.about.com/od/swimworkouts/a/swim_benefit.htm. And it’s an awesome workout for your core – my personal feeling is it teaches your CNS to co-ordinate the entire body into the one fluid motion, and my body becomes accustomed to, and then onto being good at that, my body will be more able to transfer power from my shoulders to my hips and legs while running (countering movements), and also be able to generate more power faster and safer in situations such as hills etc.

Assuming I can run! My tibialis posterior and associated tendon now feels like a DOMS-style sore, rather than a strain. But, it’s still sore, one week on. I really did a number on it. Thank God I did some research, and found I needed to stop running immediately. It does mean missing another speedwork session tomorrow morning though.

I hate feeling lazy! But I know I’m not being anything even close to it, and I wouldn’t be the first guy to feel lazy, run when he oughtn’t and end up sidelined for months. Not this little black duck. However, it’s extremely frustrating. I’ve created a new goal where I’m working myself with crosstraining and core exercises so when I do begin running again, I’ll notice the difference – lighter and stronger. This way I have a vested interest in not coming back too early. If I do, I may not notice a definite improvement! And if I don’t work hard I definitely won’t. So it’s a good way forward to keep me motivated.

Did I mention ‘screw you, life’? I’m sure I did. If not, I’d like to say screw you life, and reiterate nothing will ever stop me! So obstacles are cake, at best irritating, and will only make me stronger so let’s just accept the paradigm that I’ll always win eventually, and try and get along, yeah?

Why screw you, shin splints! You've worn out your welcome!

Well, missed another speedwork session this morning as I’ve been resting my shin splints… they just don’t seem to want to improve. The TIBIALIS POSTERIOR and associated tendons have been hurting less, but fact is they both still hurt, and quite a bit if I stress them wrong. I’ll wait until Friday – then it will have been a week since my last run, and nine days since my last decent run. I have been eating well and exercising every day in the meantime, so I've done well. We will run again Friday, but I have to say I feel I will just be hobbled with pain again. But I’ll give it a go. I may have to get orthotics.

But I’m concentrating on working the upper body and core in the meantime so when (if) the shins splints recover, I’ll be running further and faster. My research says a good upper-body musculature will provide robust ‘countering’ movements to running, and a stable core will allow these counters to travel through to the legs, and also hold my spine and pelvic girdle straight and aligned to avoid injury.

Now, puffy, jiggly bumps won’t help me do anything but look musclebound (CHECK THIS INTERVIEW HALFWAY DOWN THE PAGE) so I’m doing bodyweight exercises and isometrics exclusively at home, along with my usual swimming and biking during the day. Bodyweight exercises build functional muscle for a good power/weight ratio - weights build more powerful muscle, but at a proportionally much higher weight, so from a power/weight ratio (as in, athletic rather than aesthetic) point of view, they're no good. Plus, I don't want to look like a weightlifter or bodybuilder! Rather look like a runner (or a badass). Right now I do 55 pushups and 70 bicep curls each side (10kg weight) each night, and I bust out two one-minute planks (the pushups hold a plank anyway so it’s all cake really) at the end. I can really feel where the RECTUS ABDOMINIS attaches to my pelvis now, which is a new sensation and definitely down to the planks. I can also feel my back crackle when I first settle into the position, which I also take as proof positive the exercise helps support my back - my research says they develop all the muscles of the core including the lower back, thighs and 'deep abdominals'. I've noticed so soreness - but interesting fact! We only get soreness after loading a muscle during ECCENTRIC CONTRACTION (more or less contracting while lengthening - also known as 'braking contraction'). So isometrics such as planks don't result in DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) as it's a static contraction against a static load. So development comes without delayed muscle pain (possibly because the exercise itself is so freaking awful! Gawd it burns!).

I think this will give me good, functional muscle without too much weight or stress on my joints. The bicep curls are purely for me, so I don’t look unbalanced! So there’s SOME vanity – but I’m trying hard and doing the right thing. Let’s hope the legs agree with me. If not, there are plenty of other sports – it must be said I like this one, but we can’t always have what we want. Hell – we never get what we want but the tragedy is if that inescapable fact keeps you from trying: trying harder, trying more, and trying for longer. I’m going to keep trying and see what happens. Hopefully good things!

So Friday it is! Let’s hope I can get some running in before collapsing in pain and making a doctor’s appointment.

Why hello, shin splints! What kept you?

So, turned up to speedwork at 6am this morning... walked 15min there... kinda twingy... completed the two-lap warmup and blam! Excruciating pain time.

Why? Here's the culprit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibialis_posterior_muscle


Posterior shin splints - funny name, unfunny results. Okay, maybe a little bit amusing but you hafta be kinda messed up to appreciate the punchline. I suspect it's me.

But it seems easily remedied, according to my research. best I can ascertain, the TIBIALIS POSTERIOR begins deep within the calf, on the tibia. It runs down the inside (medial, or posterior) aspect of our calf, and transforms into a tendon along the way. This tendon slips behind our anklebone, and works to stabilise the foot during midstride and toe-off. If you overpronate (the outside edge of your foot pulls inwards), this tendon undergoes significant stress as it fights this wrenching to keep your foot like the ankle isn't part of the sole.

The remedies? Orthotics help, apparently, but my feeling is this is a cast for a broken leg that may never heal and need the cast forever. I want running long-term, so a big fat BZZZZT on that one at this stage. Remedy number two is to adjust my stride - dangerous, perhaps, but here's the thing - I can tell even from watching my own feet that my right foot pronates a whole lot in flight. I noticed it straight away. Knew it'd be a problem eventually, disappointed to see it a problem so soon. But it is also an opportunity, as I can adjust my stride relatively easily as a beginner. I'd rather sort biomechanics now than a few years down the track (so to speak). So I will add "landing on the ball of my big toe" to the established checklist I have (midfoot strike under the hips, small stride, run tall, lean forward, relax upper body).

Oh, and to not overthink it. :o) I am also going to give the Newton Gravitas a rest and go back to the trusty racing flats (Dunlop Volleys, if you must know!). I suspect the 'lugs' under the forefoot of the Newtons are slight unstable and exacerbate the rolling of my ankle, given they have relatively small surface area and are seated in softer material. Volleys are all good, all the time. So let's go a low-tech solution.

I'm gonna do this! Screw your pissy 'roadblocks', life! I've seen it all before and you don't impress me. I will win this! I pick up my GPS watch (Garmin 110) tomorrow so NOT running will be even harder. But I can take it for a walk, which I'll assume is good recovery, and leave the next run for Sunday or even Monday (Tuesday would perhaps be prudent... sigh. Prudent's so boring).




DAILY EXERCISE RX (06/06/11):

1.5km trot
Excruciating pain (single dose)