Old Man Still running

Swam a 5K in the pool as the storm blew in.  Long and boring, but got it done.  Not bad for only my third day swimming. Video fun at: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151157493955694

Afterwards, did 100 situps and tried two miles on the treadmill.   Leg only felt slightly better.  Oh well.

Slept in.  The pool is taking its toll on my skin, despite skin protection products.  So gave it a rest this morning.   I think the leg is improving.  It is time to start using it more.   When I do hard heel strikes, I can still feel the pain, but I think there is improvement.   By the end of the week if there isn't much more, I'll probably at least go in for an x-ray to check for a stress fracture.   I think one problem I have is a chronic shin split, an issoated area of tenderness on the bone (not in the muscle)....but it could have developed into a stress fracture.

Progress.  Careful and slow treadmill, working up to 10:00 pace near the end.  At times I wasn't even thinking about the pain.  That is progress.  I think the leg is on the mend.  The pains would shift from one place to another, some feeling like taper pains.   At this point it feels like getting back into it will help recover faster.  It is pretty obvious the leg got hammered pretty bad those last 30 miles of ATY.  (I could hardly walk at all for two days).  18 days have passed since doing that damage.  Now some atrophy has set in, the knee, upper calf, and lower hamstring feel a little weak, and pains appear as they are used but seems like it fades.  Also there is brusing in the joint, but that seems to be getting batter. I'll keep doing careful walks and runs for awhile.

Treadmill. A little rough today, but I can expect ups and downs.  I'm still hoping for that day that once I warm up for a few miles, the pain disappears.   I was able to test things out for a little while at 8:00 pace.  After holding it there for awhile the pain does go down.   It isn't terrible, just always there.  Similar pain points felt in the last 10 miles of ATY.

I looked back in my blog and see that the last time I hammered my knee pretty bad was Thanksgiving weekend 2009 from a long Grand Canyon run.   I see that it took seven weeks for the knee to calm down and the pain to go away.  A couple weeks later I did run my best Rocky Raccoon.  The rest probably helped.    The first five weeks I only ran 125 miles.  In the 7th week I was able to do 20-mile runs.

Well, the difference now is that I only have a total of five weeks to recover, just 16 more days.  I'm still hoping I will.  Last time the pain was centralized in the joint area that is low in cartilege.  This time the pain is more diverse, going down the Tibia bone.  Can't figure it out.  The knee cap is also a little loose, so it doesn't track exactly right, causing other pains.  I know those won't last once the knee tightens up more.

Unless there is a setback, I still plan to run Rocky.  Sometimes with this crazy knee after running 10-15 miles, everything calms down, perhaps due to a little swelling protection.  So, I can always hope for that.

Not good.  Tired of thinking and writing about it.  Don't need pity.  Tomorrow is another day.

Well, I learned a little to late.  I took a close look at the shoes I used for the last 24 miles of ATY.  My old Hoka Mafates with 700+ miles.   The right shoe was badly collapsed in because I have over-pronate problems with that foot.  So, for those 24 miles I had no support and was probably over-pronating like crazy on the leg, putting pressure on the inside of my knee.  The inside is what was operated on 2003, close to bone-on-bone.  It probalby also put pressure on the tibia wrong.  I broke one of my rules about running in worn our shoes.  Live and learn, a little too late.  I inspected my current shoes and they are fine.  My Stinson Hokas with 600+ are also shot the same way, but I noticed that and didn't bring them.  I haven't run in them since September.  My La Sportivas would break down like that in only 250 miles.  At least Hokas last for 500+.

Treadmill. Much better.  Early slow miles were rough.  Finally decided to just go for it, 8:30-7:30 pace. Even did some at 6:00 pace. Discovered that the pain went way down because I pronate better at that speed and do more mid-foot stricking, less pressure on the inside of the leg.  I also built up under the insole a little more to force the foot to tilt a little more to the outside.  All helped.  I also ran with Hokas this morning.   The pain was always there, but at times at 7:30 pace there was very little.  After 10 miles I was finally warmed up and even started to enjoy it a little.  I have a very high pain threshold, so I don't really know how painful it really is.  Maybe others would go grab some crutches, I don't know.   But it seems like the pain level is similar to typical pain during a 100 starting about mile 30.   I can deal with it, but it doesn't make training very enjoyable.

So, the strategy is simple.  I just need to run RR100 at 7:30 pace the entire time.  No problem.

After the run I was fine.  No swelling, not much pain.  I can just tell the various leg muscles have been hammered from ATY and the layoff.   They need work.  Funny how the left leg is just fine, wanting to run fast and long.

p.m. two more, too painful.  Went and swam 1/2 mile in the pool and did kicks.