Shotgun 2020

Overall the running picture is a little gloomy but I'm upbeat and as fit as I was 3 weeks before the sub3 last year Finally got a doc appointment to look at the foot tomorrow.

Wednesday 5 August
AM: Yoga 34mins
AM: Row 30r20 (30mins rating 20spm)
PM: Row 10k at mixed rates

The 30r20 is a classic rowing session. Controlled power. Keeping a low rate of 20 strokes per minute you give it your best effort for 30mins. My ideal goal for this is hitting 8,000m or 247 watts. Alas I was not even in the ballpark with 7,339m, a miserable 189w. I just felt wrecked. The TT the previous day sucked the juice out of my legs. I'll have another go this week. The row later was better energy, low rates and hit 39:46 for 10k.

Thursday 6 August
AM: Run abandoned after 10mins :mad:
PM: Row 20k Easy

For 10 minutes I felt great. The foot felt good and I was thinking about doing an 8 mile route with some sunny country miles. It almost felt fresh. I was excited. I still ran easy with a flatter foot strike. Entered suburbia and turned right to go up a hill and sudden pain in the ball of the foot. Heat in the middle toes followed suit and I was sat on a bench in pain. From high to low in an instant. It was a long dejected limp home.

As I limped over the flyover a little Jack Russel pup trotted up alongside me. I took no real notice until he was still there approaching my house. No collar but his hind legs were covered in dry mud. I trotted in home with me, curious but happy out. It was a welcome distraction from the foot. I had the house to myself so gave him some turkey, water and brushed the mud off him, which he seemed to enjoy. He then had a sleep beside me on the couch while I put the foot up on ice. I checked with our community app and the local vet clinics and made a connection. He belonged to an recently widowed ould lad and his name was Jack. I delivered him back to the owner at the vet. Low back to high

In better form and painkillers doing their thing, I completed 20k on the rower in the sunshine. Rang the doc but no appointment, check again next day for cancellations :rolleyes:

Friday 6 August
AM: Row 8k Recovery
PM: Row HIIT session after 5k steady warm up
PM: Row 8k Easy
PM: Strength: AMRAP 15

The HIIT session on the rower was short but hard.
Reps with equal rest: 60s, 45s, 30s, 20s, 20s, 30s, 45s, 60s all out at different rates. I averaged 307w and maxed at 405w.

Straight after this it was a 15 min HIIT session on the bar and mat.
AMRAP (As many rounds as possible) of:
15 deadlifts, 10 push ups, 5 pull ups in 15 minutes. No rest.

I managed 9 rounds for totals of: 135 deadlifts, 90 push ups, 45 pull ups and I was smashed! After round 8 I was in bits and didn't want to do another rep but I had 90 seconds left. I thought I get through the deadlifts and call it 8.5 rounds. However masochistically, I dived into the cave and buried myself to do those last 5 pull ups. Its the most smashed I've felt since the Boards 1 mile TT but this was akin to turning around and doing that TT again immediately, twice!

Saturday 8 August
AM: Row 20k Easy in the sunshine.

Underestimated the heat and the general fatigue and really struggled with this. It took the bones of 90 mins and I needed a gel and water to finish.

Sunday 9 August
AM: Row 2x 60mins Easy at 58% HRR and 65% HRR

2 hours under the sun again but I was better prepared. I lost 3L of sweat after 20k yesterday so I had carbed up afterwards. I had 700ml fluid for the first hour. Took 20mins of a break and another 700ml fluid and a gel for the second hour. It was still a net 3L sweat loss but at 27k and 2 hours it was my longest session ever on the rower. I learned how my heart rate climbed in the 2nd hour and how much fluid I need. In 3 weeks I'll attempt a marathon!

Later I had to run an errand for my Mum. Stepped out of the shower and slipped just a little to skid with my injured foot and it exploded in pain. Heat flared from my mid foot through my middle toes in agony. Back on ice and then had to drive to my Mums for the errand. I thought about A&E but I'm a Covid Risk case and didn't wait to wait for hours. Home, on ice again and doc appointment tomorrow. I want to get underneath this issue Its ok walking around on a flat foot but flexing the toes or any kid of sudden spring is a no no. Honestly if I didn't have the rower I be driven demented. Lets see what the doc says tomorrow...

Bit of a wordy update but thanks for reading
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Monday 24 August
No running to report for the last 2 weeks

The day after the last update I saw the Doc. Typically after 2 flare ups in the previous week it felt ok. He sent me for an Xray, that came up clear, fracture ruled out. I then saw a Podiatrist who figured Metatarsalgia AND Mortons Neuroma, seriously! Also walking around at home in my barefeet for months hasn't helped. The dosage was a strict 4 weeks off running, minimum. For the first week I couldn't even walk down to the shop with the kids. I've been wearing my runners everyday but just to get around. The foot has improved a lot. I can flex my toes, no flare ups etc..

I went for a short walk with the kids yesterday to get the paper and it felt fine. No pain. Then got out of bed this morning and just enough of a reminder to put my shoes on.

I have been rowing almost every day between 10-20k with 2x workouts per week in a similar pattern as if I were running. The weight is down to 78.3kg I'm definitely beginning to tone up. I'd just love to go for a run, I really would. My Doc is on Pat leave so I'm waiting on another doc to review and refer for MRI. With the situation this year I'm happy enough to draw a line under running events but 2021 is loaded and I want to be back on my feet. I'll still update the log but there will be no running for at least another 3 weeks.


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Saturday 29 August
AM: Indoor Row 16k easy, HRR 60%
PM: Indoor Row 10k easy, HRR 59%
PM: Kayak Erg 30min @41spm

Sunday 30 August
AM: Indoor Row 16k easy, HRR 64%

Basically 3.5 hours easy on the rower over the weekend.
133,450m (83 miles) for the week in 9hr45.
Weigh in at 78.2kg... progress but fine dining for Caz's birthday last night and lots of cake eaten this weekend
Hopefully a bit more variety this week!

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ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Did some genius not mention Morton’s neuroma a month ago

TbL

Didn't disagree with you. Just wasn't sure! How long did yours take to recover? How did it recover? How did you get back? Genius told me to consult Dr Google!

Last week Continued.. Tuesday 1 Sept
Day Off.. long day and headache. Slept 10 glorious hours though

Wednesday
Another day off. Its a recovery week for sure but 2 days off was not planned. More spiders. Cleaning the attic this time. Surely have them all out by now!

Thursday
Indoor Row 10k Easy, HRR 56%

Call from the Podiatrist. Seems she had a chat with a colleague and they decided they want to see the MRI report. Problem is I cant get a hold of my doc for a referral. Calls, emails... He might have sent it already and I'm actually waiting on an appointment. Waiting, waiting. Meanwhile the cut out cushioning thingy she put on my foot definitely helped.

Friday - workout day
AM: Kayak Erg 1 hour @40spm (at 5am)
AM: Indoor Row 3x 5mins @18min 5k pace off 2 mins, HRR 83-90%
PM: Indoor Row 10k Easy, HRR 57%

The workout was solid. Target pace was 3:36/km and I hit 3:35.0, 3:34.0, 3:33.2. Entered the red zone on rep 3 for 3 minutes and held it steady but I was gassed for a finish. No way I could hold this for 5k straight, yet anyway

Saturday
Indoor Row 8k recovery. Foot flared up again. Couldn't put weight on the left forefoot :rolleyes::(

Sunday
Kayak 20,188m with my teamie Sean. Back in the boat after 4 years. The official start of our ITERA 2021 training. 3hours on the water. The laughter and the power still there. A few new creaks getting out of the boat. Met Paul O'Connell with his family by the pier. Tried to draft him onto the team He did mention that Richie McCaw did Godzone (another AR World Series Event) a few years back, but alas thats as far as the curiosity went Foot fine again today. Growing tired of the yoyo.

Rubbed some arnica gel into tired muscles later after a bath and it was instant amazing heat! Except for a bit of chaffing I had on my lower back. That stung.

Focus for this week is
1. I don't care anymore... I'm going for a run!
2. Get the MRI booked so the Podiatrist can confirm treatment etc
3. 100k Rowing including 2 workouts
4. Back on the Yoga mat

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Wednesday 10 September
Row 16k Steady State, HRR 67%, 1hr05

Body a bit fatigued and a bit late getting this done.

Thursday
Day Off - Into the office, kids back to school and activities. Life seems to have accelerated again. By the time I collected the eldest from Rugby I just wanted hot chocolate and sleep!

Friday
Kayak Erg 40min @45spm
Row 30min TT
Row 8k recovery
S&C 24mins

Right the base is there. 1000km over the last 2 months. A benchmark I like to hit for rowing fitness is 8,000 in 30mins. Need to maintain a pace of 3:44/km.

Got stuck right in. 3:42-3:44 pace for the first 2,000m. Good rhythm and driving the legs. Down to 3:41 pace for the next 2,000m and I was in front of my last months 5k TT pace. Hit 5k in 18:27 (a PR!) but I was at 89% HRR with 10mins to go. 21mins gone and 90%. I'm at 3:39 pace entering the cave, Z5, the red zone!

The hardest single effort yet this year was the Boards 1 mile TT back in May. That was 5.5mins in the cave and I was in pain for a finish. This TT finished with over 9mins in the red zone and as it climbed to 95% HRR, I held 3:39 pace to the finish. 8,167m total, a lifetime best. Average 3:40.2. Proper effort, I was hanging on, squeezing what was left in the legs with pure focus for the last 3mins. Delighted with it!

Later a super easy 8k and onto the mat for stretching. Just a few poses but holding each for 3-4mins, breathing into them. Just have 3 more rowing goals for the year. Sub 18 5k
Sub 7 2k
Sub 3 Marathon

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Monday 14 September
Row 60min Recovery @49%; HRR
Kayak Erg 40mins technique focus
Row 60 mins Recovery @52% HRR

2hrs40 and 31,915m for the day. It was a low carb day (lunch was a 4 egg spinach and feta cheese omelette) and I made better choices than last week. Low carb doesn't mean no carb, just fewer carbs.

Tuesday
Row 10k Steady State @64% HRR. Very warm an energy wasn't there for a workout. Made up for the lack on carbs Monday with a few slices of chocolate cake and a birthday party

Wednesday
Row 60min Recovery @48% HRR @4am :eek: Basically woke up after a couple of clean deep sleep cycles and was wide awake. It was so balmy that I pulled the rower out onto the decking under the stars, with the amazing bright sparkle of Venus in front of me. Pitch dark but for the light of the rowing monitor. Highlight of this session was not Venus, but a cat leaping silently off a wall beside me and scaring the living sh!te out of me. Interesting how he set off all the automatic garden lights along the gardens on his nightly hunt I prepared for some neighbour to wake up and pop their head out a window only to see some lunatic rowing in the middle of the night!

Later I headed out for a run. 6.32m @7:48, HRR 70%. I ran on feel and only had HRR graph on the watch so no idea what pace I was running. The foot felt ok and the quads were giving out about the load again. Nice to be out around too, fresh cut grass smells, fresh paint smells, horrible traffic smells. Interesting I ran a piece of trail that I last ran in summer, a season ago. The well worn trail had some grass and the autumn colours of fallen leaves. It felt like I had beamed forward in time.

Checked in with work and got the dinner ready before I hopped on the rower again for another steady 10k, still sweating from the run. MRI later this evening at last!

Stay Safe
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Monday 21 September
Row 35mins | 8k easy | 46% HRR
Run 48mins | 5.81m @8:35 | 60% HRR
Kayak Erg 60mins | 9k easy | 41% HRR

An easy row/run brick session to start the week. This is progress as each Monday for the last 2+months I had been rowing 2x8k easy or 16k easy. Significantly I substituted 8k rowing for 8k running yesterday. I ran Sunday too so this was 2 days in a row! I kept a sensible pace for a controlled trot around suburbia. I was awfully tempted to try some strides but that will have to wait. Made the most of a muggy lunchtime window to get the miles in. The foot is not perfect but feels fine running on flat pavement, road or grass. I'll chase the MRI results this week but It will be awesome if I can run every second day.

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Huzzah! wrote: »

I am watching ECO Challenge on Amazon Prime at the moment. I have no idea how accurate a depiction of adventure racing it is but it looks so, so tough!

Tough it is Huzzah!

It is the definitive definition of AR!! ITERA Scotland 2021 is a World Series AR too but "only" a 5 day version. Essentially 120hrs non stop mountain biking, trekking, paddling, ropes, running in the wildest terrain, seas, lakes, mountains to be found. Usually Coast to coast off the beaten track, covering 15,000m+ vertically and about 8-10hrs sleep over that 120hrs.. If it doesn't break you physically, mentally and emotionally.. crossing the line with your teammates after such an adventure is deeply deeply satisfying.

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Wednesday 23 September
Row 1hr 23 min | Steady 20k | HRR 67-79%
Run 54 min | Easy 6.46m @8:24 | HRR 61-70%
Kayak Erg 40 min | @41spm | HRR 46%

I had an app with the Doc to go over the MRI results and treatment but alas the kids have sniffles and a cough so stuck home :rolleyes: I did get out for a lovely easy run in the fading crisp evening sunshine. I felt a bit ragged for the first mile after 20k rowing in the legs earlier. Some DOMS there from the thrusters the previous day too. However it loosened out, the pace gradually improved for similar effort and had a really enjoyable 10k. Daylight sure is fading faster these days.

Had a rugby coaches webinar later in the evening that I watched while paddling, making best use of available time for training. Just shy of 3hrs for a midweek day is a win.

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