our choices show what we truly are

This morning I did my annual visit with the sport medicine doctor to get the medical certificate to keep racing. During the cycle ergometer stress test I was stopped after 30" at 240 Watts (when I reached 90% of my max heart rate), last year after 1 minute, but luckily no major arrhytmias or other major anomalies. The ultrasonograph was still the same as in the previous years, so I received the OK from the doc for another year. I was really happy about, I have some minor heart problems that require some monitoring, and the fact that nothing has changed for the worse is still a very good news.

Tonight to celebrate the good news I did the first speed work out of the winter season.

5X800m with 400m recovery jog, these were my splits: 3:10, 2:57, 2:55, 2:57, 2:29. I was slow during the first one, my legs didn't want to go any faster then I got into a good rhytm. I wanted to do some more repeats but my legs were surprisingly sore from the heavy biking in the morning. Overall I did 6.6 miles at 4:58/km.

11k at slow pace then the last 6k at 4:40/k. Perfect night to run, light breeze and some moisture in the air.

Not enough time to run tonight, 5.2 miles in 42:28.

Slow easy run to pile up some mileage.

This morning I went to the hospital for the first session of the shock wave treatment, 10 seconds into the treatment the "gun" stopped working, I have to say I was glad, it was really painful and ready to cry, already after just 10 seconds. I was warned by the therapist but I didn't expect this level of pain. The "gun" didn't recover, a technician arrived but he couldn't do anything. Oh well, at least next time I will be prepared.

10k at night at slow pace, it was some kind of recovery run.

This morning I was tired and it was going to be warm again. I started with the goal of doing my 26.1k at 5:00/k or under or whatever was coming out of my legs. First kms were slow above 5:00 and it took like 11k to reach the 5:00/k guy. This morning I decided to use a more real approach and instead doing an easier (flat) route I extended my loop to include 2 big rollers (on top of the 2 I usually do) over 2k to make things a little bit more challenging. I have to say that in that respect everything went well I hit them right after I was on 5:00/k pace and I felt almost liberated and from the point back to the car I really pushed the pace well under 5:00/k. I did the first half in 1:04:50 second half in 1:02:10. Overall a good run, a couple of minutes slower than last week but at the end much more relaxed and in good spirit, if it wasn't for the heat (I was really dehydrated) I would have kept going for anothe couple of miles.

I used this race just to force my body to go running today. I woke up at 7:00am, I was ready by 7:45, I went to pick up a friend of mine and we drove for one hour to the archeological site of Vulci. This race had an advertised distance of 11.1k but considering that was in a archeological park with stairs, single track trails, roman-etruscan ancient roads, rocks and roots we seriously doubted that it was accurately measured. For some pictures go there and check the section in the middle saying "visualizza le foto del percorso"(it's not me in the pictures). Nobody knew the exact course because every year they keep changing it, but it was clear that there was a good amount of uphill and obstacles (natural and man made).

We started on time in a big meadow, my plan was to start slowly to try to find some energy and then trying to go progressively faster. We circled the meadow and then we entered the park on a wide trail that was a single track after 200m, then for the next 2k we had 4 sections of stairs going up then down and I was forced, as the rest of the group to just wait and walk them, we crossed a couple of narrow bridges, we ran along a river and after about 1k on a roman pavement we went back to the start. First loop of 4k was done (my Garmin was in agreement). At this point I was feeling good and decided I was going to push the second half, this second loop was more runnable, more stairs but just three or four of them at a time, more long uphills on roman pavement and one short steep down hill to finish with four stairs down, a bridge, four stairs up and then 100m before the finish line. My Garmin recorded 10.85k.

I was 6th in my age group and I won a kilo of cheese, just missed some salami awarded to the 5th!!!

Overall I was very happy, I didn't expect to go so fast, time doesn't say the whole story, I went faster than guys that a month ago were two minutes faster than me, several of them. I passed during the second loop many faster people and my final ranking would have been a great one if I was in good shape and well rested. At least my increased mileage shows is giving some results. Drove home, had a good sunday lunch and did some cleaning during the afternoon, I was tempted to go for a short cool down run but I decided against it.

Tomorrow I will go back to pile up some miles.

I was at home at 8:00pm, one hour run to relax a little bit.

My plan was to go for a 10 miler, but after 5k I was really tired, not sore, just simply tired, all I wanted it was to go to bed as soon as possible. I finished 10k and went home.

No running today, I had at lunch time my first session of shock waves to treat my calcanear spur/plantar fascitis, 2500 painful hits on each foot. I have to say I am lucky person,  because I have never experienced in my whole life a pain worse than what I experienced today. The whole thing lasted no longer than 5-7 minutes with a few stops because the technician also was experiencing part of the treatment. I tried to mentally work out my pain, but it was a pure torture. At the end my whole body was in full contraction due to the pain and I was covered with sweat. Each session (total number will be 10) should be a little bit less painful than the previous one, for sure it will increase my pain treshold. At the end my feet were completely pain free, I don't remember last time I had this feeling, walking without being aware that my feet were in pain. It is recommended not to run on it the same day, Iwill do something light in between treatments.

In spite of feeling great right now, I am not really looking forward to the next treatment on friday.

At least if this will resolve the pain it will be worth it.

5.5 easy miles, my feet this morning were much better, the treatment seems to work.

Today second treatment with shock waves for my spurs/fasciitis. This morning I could stand and walk right away, almost pain free, for sure better than during the last 6 months. I would be happy to maintain this improvement.

Today the improved pain/stiffness showed its results even during the therapy, it was much more bearable than last time, last time I was in pain throughout the treatment, today I went through easily and I even tried to relax my feet and legs during the 2500 hits.

The doctor told me to try to stop running (biking will be OK) until next friday, at that point I will be half way with the treatment and I can start running again. I hope to keep improving or at least maintining what I got so far. No running for the next 7 days. Promised.

Third shockwave treatment for my PF/"hell"spurs. I have to confirm the previous great results, tonight I am feeling completely healed, for the last three mornings I was able to get up from the bed and walk around without limping. After months of stretching, NSAID, rest, ice and desperation, I am really hoping with the next seven treatments to consolidate these results. Next friday with five more treatments to go I will start running again and see what happens.

Fourth shockwave treatment. Pain in the morning it is gone..... this morning I was in the kitchen when I "remembered" that I should have pain in my feet.

Friday I will resume running and see if there is any change, I hope no.

Fifth shockwave treatment, it was the least painful one so far, it means things are going great.

Pain in the morning is gone on the right side , the left one has just a slight leftover soreness. I would be happy to stay this way.

First run in a week just four easy miles to see if there will be any change. I will do the next five treatments while running.

This morning my feet didn't feel different from yesterday, that is a good thing. I did an easy 10k, the real test it will be tomorrow when I will go longer and faster.

Today I did a real test of my feet and of my fitness.

I was running with a couple of friends this morning who wanted to do an 18k with the following plan: 5k warm up, 10k at 4:30/k, final 3 at 4:20/k. We started a little bit later at 9:30 am and it was warmer than I liked it, it is still incredibly warm to be mid october.

First 5k were at conversational pace at 5:18/k average pace, it was a good warm up, then we moved to the next level I was the only one at 4:30/k my two friends were a little bit more excited, after a hill we were all together again for 1k and then we spread out 50-100m apart until the end. I lost a few seconds in the middle when I fumbled my car keys but other than that I was focused on maintaining speed and good form. I did the 10k at 4:29/k average pace, the last 3k I went 4:18, 4:18, 4:12. While I could have easily maintained 4:30/k (instead of those 4:1X) for at least a couple of more kms, 4:15 is my current speed limit.

Once back to the car I drank some water, ate some candies and decided to jog a few more kms at whatever pace was left, I wanted to do 10-12k but 8 k was the distance left in my legs today. I did the final 8 at 5:34 AP. Overall 26k at 4:57/k.

Tomorrow morning I will know whether my feet can stand this kind of beating, at lunch time I will also have my sixth shockwave treatment.

Today it was somehow the day of truth and the day of decisions. This morning my PF was worse than the last five days but still much better than before I started the shockwave treatments. My legs were also tired from yesterday tempo/medium run. I signed up back in may for the Florence marathon on november 25th, but right now I don't think I will do it. I will post pone it to next year. My main problem right now is my fitness, yesterday I couldn't go past 16miles, plus I have never done a 20 miler in the last 6 months and I had only the month of september as a good training month. My goal for the marathon would have been an honest 3:30 but right now under good conditions I can probably do 8:00/mile for 20 mile and then I would die. My speed is there but the distance is not.

On top of that I don't want to rush trying to pile up as many miles as possible in a month and risking of making all the progresses with the PF gone and going back to where I was three weeks ago.

Today I had the sixth shockwave treatment at least the treatment itself is no longer painful and the post-treatment relief is still there. Tonight I did 8.1 miles in 1:15, not exactly fast, but without the stress of a marathon in a month I really enjoyed the perspective of rebuilding my aerobic base, slowly.

Speed workout 5X1600 with 400m recovery jog. I did this workout on my winter course that is a 750m loop half uphill, half downhill. These were my splits: 6:37, 6:27, 6:30, 6:35, 6:30. Except for the first mile I was consistent around a 6:30 effort, the deviation is related to the start on the uphill section or on the downhill part. 2.2k warm up and up to 16.1 k as a cool down. It was a good run.

Seveth shockwave treatment today, treatment is fine and in the morning the stiffness is almost gone. Tonight my legs were heavy, after 4 easy miles my legs were still heavy, I decided to pack and go home.

I started with a slow run, then I went progressively faster and finished at a good clip. It was nice because also the weather was good for running, it will change in a few days.

8th shockwave treatment, no more pain than usual, I am really looking forward to finishing this thing and see if I will maintain the improvement I achieved so far.

I wanted to run tonight but the heavy storm changed my plans, remained inside sweating on the bike trainer for one hour.

I started at 5:00/km and slowly accelerated until mile 10, it was windy and rainy, after 10 miles I was done, I didn't have any energy to battle the wind and the cold and finished an half marathon in 1:44. I was really lacking mental and physical energies at the end to keep fighting against mother nature.

One hour swimming to relax and to avoid the heavy rain. No my shoulders are really sore.

Today winter arrived, after two months of warmer than usual temperatures, this morning it was rainy and cold. Tonight with near freezing temperatures I had to wear long pants, a couple of T-shirts and gloves. Last year I used for the first time long pants around Christmas time, a big change this year.

Today I had my ninth shockwave treatment, the big change today was the operator, instead the usual woman physical therapist, today was a big guy and the difference, in terms of pain was evident, the treatment was evenly painful everywhere with the crux around the spur. I was totally numb afterwards, but later one I didn't notice any change, I can feel just a "leftover" dull feeling at the bottom of the feet but nothing else and I can walk normally in the morning.

  Tonight a progressive run from 6:00/k to 4:10/k, 13k in 1:10:01, with the last three k sub 5:00/k pace.

10x800 with 400 m recovery jog. I started with a 2 miles warmup and I really needed it because it was cold and breezy, these were my splits: 3:10, 3:03, 3:05, 3:03, 3:07, 3:09, 3:09, 3:14, 3:14 and 3:07. The second half was slower than the first half, but I did them all by feeling without checking my lap time and the effort it was more or less the same, I just battled the desire to give up right after the 3rd repeat. I need to work on the mental aspect of these workouts, after all I did a good job but my brain didn't cooperate at all. I have to re-learn to get used to this kind of mental/physical fatigue. Finished with 10 miles total in 1:19:04.

No run tonight it rained hard from 8am until 9pm when I went to bed, I got fully wet four times throughout of the day(with an umbrella), when I got home I didn't want to get wet one more time. Today last shockwave treatment, I am looking forward how it will go from today.