welcome back

nice to have the hairy brit posting again.
I think the nick "bear" is appropriate in a couple of ways (and to those who've seen bear run, you know it's a compliment).
Here's to healthy knees!

Have misplaced the garmin again, so I can lie with impunity. It was a fantastic run yesterday in the cool late afternoon. About 4k; felt like 6:30 at the start and 5:30 at the finish. On the last K, Creep came on the iPod. So cool.

Fishing

Oh, I"ve been fitting in some fishing, mind.

Highlight fish: 3lb rainbow that just about tested the Arbour knot keeping the backing on the reel. That was a long fight that excited plenty of witnesses.

Sublimity: last Saturday on the White. First hour, hauling large browns and rainbows from a stunning pool, with nothing more than a size-12 gold-ribbed hare's ear fished out of the fast water and into the pool. Then, in the evening session, nailing more of the same with 7x tippet holding up Tup's Indispensable on deep, slow water.

I'm back

The knee is, I think, healed. Can still feel it, of course, but I'm sure part of it is psychosomatic now. I go over rocky patches and down hills very gingerly (and there are a few of both around here!), and I'm concentrating on keeping my feet in line with my knees, if that doesn't sound too stoopid.

I'm not in any condition really, but it will come. I'm enjoying getting out there. San has come along a couple times. Things are pleasant so far, without any strenuous distances. I'll keep it that way for another week or so. I'm building up, but there won't be a plus 10km run for a fortnight, I don't expect.

I haven't been on the bike in about two months, either. Simply swamped and too busy. However, my load has eased, notwithstanding my new gig at The Economist.

I haven't downloaded any of the runs yet, but I'll start posting some geeky data when they become more interesting.

Hello Mojo

It's baaaack.
Got in the pool sunday afternoon, warmed up, went for a pee, came back and felt myself sliding back into the grove. Got my mojo back. Didn't want it to end.

When zen swimming, don't expect there to be a total absence of trial and challenge. There will be moments when a failed breath or a stray thought will threaten to disrupt your rhythm. But through your deep, relaxed focus and sense of form you will calmly accept the disruption and bring your body and breathing pattern back into rhythm. When an errant wave washes into your face when you go for breath, you will simply transition to another reach for breath on the very next stroke and then, when rhythm is restored, resume a bilateral breathing pattern. A sense of oneness with the water will stay with you regardless of the many distractions which will come and go like leaves blowing in the wind.

First Brick

Some might compare it to the marathoner's defining 18+ weekend long-run sessions. Insomuch that it differentiates the trainer from everyone else on the street or in the gym, brick workouts are quintessential moments. But the comparison falls short in one aspect: bricks are hard, strenuous brutish things! (if not also rather inspiring)

Saturday was my first. Incidentally, while sailing back home I was cut off by two blind male adolescent drivers. They obliviously bulled their way into my lane. So there I am elbow to car door with the hapless twit pummeling him with F-bombs and humiliating name-calling through his open window overtop his rap music at 40+ k/h. I kept up with him for a couple hundred meters, completely engrossed in and enjoying the verbal beating I was providing him, before turning off for home where Addison was waiting for me to help in the transition.

new goggles

that's worth repeating: New Goggles!

got 'em at the tri-it store last night. Biked over and met Kim who will be joining me on Aug 9th when we'll each take the plunge into this addictive sport. We coveted the wetsuits that ran from $300 to $700 a piece.

Anyway, getting good goggles is So worth it. Swim is slowly coming back. Felt some semblance of rhythm returning by the time I hit 30min. However, without breakfast, water or much sleep, I was happy not to push it. (the book I also bought at tri-it is surprisingly laissez-faire about the swim. Enjoy it, it says. It's the warm-up of the tri, it says. Stop and tread water or hang onto one of the support kayaks and smell the roses, it says . . . is that even legal?)

btw: right knee sore coming out of the pool. That sucks.

notables

- 28:50 min commute
- saw a snake on pathway yesterday aft
- my whole body aches these days (well, the knee and back anyway)
- rode through! a flock of blackbirds (kinda like seagulls & beach scene)
- rode without socks and liked it
- getting better at sitting back in the saddle
- getting more courageous on cornering (gulp)
- that's all. move along.

the need for speed

Legs are getting stronger and the commute is now just a commute. So won't be posting these anymore 'cept for any notables along the way. Should put the garmin on this week to get a time as I think the kms are knocking off a little quicker these days.

That said, last saturday morning when returning from the cabin after a night of the usual debauchery, there was a bike race going on along 22x. They were kicking ass. I need to get my speed up. If I do the sprint (and it is pretty clear now that I will be doing the sprint), I imagine it will have to be done rather fast to keep up.

Gotta get it back

It was back to the pool today and it proved to be a good idea to go with low expectations. Strict adherence to regular pool workouts, it seems, is necessary to maintain one's rhythm and pursuit of zen-swimming status. Need to get back into the groove. Stuck to 50s and 100s for 30 minutes.

am wondering if I shouldn't be getting more out of my kick.
need new goggles (not to mention replacing my boarder shorts with some sexy tights ...oh god).
flip-turns, btw, are good but I resist using them until breathing/heart rate is in rhythm.

remembering Delia

It's been so dry, farmers are selling their pregnant cows cuz there isn't enough feed. So when I woke to rain in a favourite hotel of ours along a rural AB highway, I celebrated with them by donning my runners. It brought back memories of a run along rural highways three years ago, in the sleet and cold, when I turned the first significant corner in this journey. That was my official, triumphal start.

(knee. been throbbing for several days in a row now. but it seemed to remember delia and was fine for the short, fast, wet run. Today it remains sore right under the knee cap)

another day

another 13.5k ride in

update:
and another ride home. (beat the storm home!)

iPod

Am sending this from my iPod directly to blog

Sent from my iPod

What a way

to start the day.
13.5k commute on the blue flame (yes, am aware of the double meaning).

btw, I sorted out the adrenalin-producing sliding on the corners. Tire pressure. Too low. We won't be letting that happen again.

update:
huge storm moved into downtown at hometime. Waited for about 20 min until worst was over and then struck out in the rain for the commute home. Feet were soaked within a minute but I didn't care.

free running

After a welcomed day's rest, I hit the road for a quickie last night.
No garmin, no music, no water, no fuk-all.
Short, fast and feelin good.

tough swim

The opposite of a zen-swim is one where fatigue and panic plague your body and mind. Rather than relaxed, continuous sessions of 500m to 1000m, you cannot get much past punishing 100 splits with a healthy breather in between. Such was the case today. What is this called, a catholic-swim?
Avg split time = 2.5min

anyway, my body is tired. I knew that and so am not giving in to utter despair. Not sure how much I'll taper off any right now but will be watching/listening closely. I am assuming that, while injury on bike/swim is certainly possible, it is not as prevalent or as easy to get as from the other much more impactful sport.

lovin the granny gear

With quads still burning from yesterday's scrambling (knees recovered nicely), I thought it best to spin them out a bit. And since Sunday evening's thunderstorms did not materialize, I hit the roads in the NW quadrant for a beautiful 40 minute ride.

Dared to trespass onto the vacant highway being constructed. It's a Biker's Paradise! Passed a couple of work pickups but no one seemed to mind (sunday evenings are probably a safer bet than weekday construction hours). Found a km long hill which is going to provide excellent training for a long time to come. Took myself right to the bottom of the third derailer (I'd be toast in the mountains) but on the way back was right onto the top of the first (almost hit 50k/h). Could have pushed harder but am still a little shaky (is it me or the bike?) So p'shaw to the egos who tried to disuade me from the helpful little cog. I'll take it.

quads and knees

Q: If you wanted to put your quads to the test and your knees through hell, what kind of training event would be required?

A: You get yourself choppered up on top of Heart Mountain to search a ridge above the treeline for a missing subject and then hike down, losing 960m elevation in a matter of 3 or 4 km.

cross training

Not sure if this counts or how this counts:
20k horsebacking in the mountains with a 2000m elevation gain.

To those not accustomed to spending an entire day in the saddle, it might sound all too casual, sedate and undemanding. It was brilliant, to be sure. But my stiffened body today belies any casualness of the event and speaks, hopefully, to some decent muscle fatigue and conditioning.

good news: knees seem in surprisingly fair shape after what is normally a gruelling task for them.

30 min swim

turned into a 40 minute swim . . . I just didn't want to stop.
It seems that the longer I swim for, the deeper into the groove I go.
Plus, on the last 250 I gave about 10% more and it felt fantastic.

Missing Garmin

has been found!
not that it would have been my excuse today, but it was nice not to run naked.
3.75k, 22 min. Noon hour on downtown pathways.
right knee felt good on run, but started twinging right after.

Zen Swim:

a state of total comfort, rhythmic breathing and dophin-like presence in the water.

I've achieved it a few times before but certainly didn't expect it today. I am tired and sore; like when your body zones-out on you during lulls in a strong training schedule. But no, I wasn't training this weekend, unless you count being bent over 200 paving stones for two days.

So when I showed up at the pool this aft, I wasn't expecting much. Is that the key? I did my breathing thing pre-water, which seemed to help again, and did a good 2 x 250.

Then, it happened. 30 minutes later and I'm still going strong, completely zoned, relaxed and concentrating on excellent form & smooth flip-turns. Effortless, steady and smooth. Even having someone come in and share the lane briefly didn't pull me from the zen swim. Didn't want to leave (why did I?).

It was effortless. But now, 25 minutes later, I am exhausted to the point of having trouble remaining in a seated position in front of this computer.

Friday's swim

Concentrated on my breathing prior to getting to the gym. Rhythmic, steady, etc. Seemed to help once I got into the pool.
warm-up: 50s and a 100
drills: 4 x 50 with paddles, hard.
3 x 250, steady. avg 6:50min/250m

Got myself

one of these, which I gather after much research is a good route to go down to solve this problem...

Uh-oh

Sunday morning run: hail, rain, wind, hills.

But that was the good part.

The bad part came after going up for 3.5km and returning to come down. These are share ascents/descents. The last 1km of the rise probably hits 20% in parts.

Going up was fine -- hard, but fine.

But withing about 100m of opening up on the way down, I felt pain in my right knee. I had to stop and get down the hill. On the flat bits when I tried again, it was notably better, but I still had to favour it.

The worst: that I've done some serious damage. (Incidentally, I noticed this problem, less severe, during the exact same point of the descent during my 7km up and down -- different course -- last week; I didn't notice it at all on the flat running in London.)


Possible scenarios

1. That I've injured some kind of cartilage or something and it is serious.

2. That it is a reaction to doing some longer runs without properly building up, and could get more serious or less.

3. That it is some kind of muscle problem around the knee that will resolve with proper rest and slower build on the distance.

4. That is is a small matter that will get better if I avoid hills for a while (difficult around here).


I'm off to do some work with the google to figure it out, but suffice to say it's all a bit depressing.



EDIT: D'OH.

Clasic Runner's Knee, by the sounds of it.

Goodbye hills for a while. Bugger.

slippin & slidin'

holy crap.
Rear tire was slipping on some corners on inbound commute yesterday. Figured I was over-accelerating on some corners and perhaps hitting some sand residue. But again, on the homebound commute, was losing my back tire from time to time. Talk about an adrenalin rush! Am figuring my tire pressure needs looked at. This can't be normal.

Reduced panic session

30 minute relaxed swim. Felt great, got into groove early. Kept myself back from a long swim.

Did it help? Concentrated on my breathing (rhythmic) as I walked to gym and changed thereby getting into mindset early. Seemed to reduce my usual 15 min panic session.

avg. 6 to 7 min split on 250s

flip turns are good. Taking normal breath (to side!) really helps. Turns are much tighter and more complete. Am starting to think about open water swimming.

meh

southbound biking commute
no garmin, no water, no spare . . . no fuk-all

Hiatus over

Caught loads of fish and done loads of work in the past few weeks, and that's about it.
However, having abandoned the crazy triathlon dream, it's now back to the original one of doing well in the half marathon in September.

Training for that began with a 7km run -- an up and down, literally (up 3.5km along a hill rising to 10% at times; and back). That went ok, although I felt some knee twinges. Last night, I ran the streets of London doing 4km (what's up with 4-k runs on a programme??) in about 19 minutes, which was satisfying. The average pace was around 4.50m/km. Funny what running on flat streets does.

post race swim

quads quite sore today. So, to the pool.
low-key 30 min swim. Lots of 50s and 100s at varying pace plus a very fast, fun 100.

I'm still not certified in calculating points from DBs measuring matrix that he proposed some time ago, but I must be plus 5000 over him by now. Does that mean he have been officially crushed?