|
2013:
2013 Blog
2012:
2012 Blog
2011:
2011 Blog (Oct - Dec)
2011 Blog (Jul - Sep)
2011 Blog (Apr - Jun)
2011 Blog (Jan - Mar)
2010:
2010 Blog
You get out what you put in.
- Unknown.
|
Training & life-in-general Blog (Oct - Dec 2011):
Thursday 23 December 2011 - Race Recovery:
It is now nearly 2 weeks since C2K. Life has been extremely busy, as is the case with most people's lives preceding Christmas; so my blog entry has been somewhat delayed. Sorry about that.
In terms of recovery from the beautiful 240km event my legs have been awfully stiff with plenty of the 'expected' DOMS in the first week, I assume predominantly due to the lack of hill training for the event. Lack of general training for that matter!
I started to run short distances as of Wednesday after C2K (4 days after the end of the race) and have tried to do at least some running each day since. The few niggles that concerned me prior to the run have thankfully not become any worse, though they have not improved either. My left foot is still numb but no sharp pain whilst running. My left hamstring remains lumpy; stretching is rather uncomfortable and sometimes after a run once my legs have fully cooled down the hamstring feels inflamed. Oh Joy – more icing.
I have done most of my running on our local grass athletic track to aide recovery. Feeling slight improvement in the legs this Monday I started again to pick up the pace. This felt okay, so on Tuesday I ran on a hard surface for the first time (11kms), but this session inflamed my hamstring, so it is back to the oval for now.
I am likely to clock up about 120kms running over the last two weeks during recovery. All short sessions so as to not stress or create any further injury. This run distance however is not enough to allow me to bring up 5000km running for the year. Damn. I would need to run 30kms each day to achieve this goal now, but do not want to be silly by increasing mileage before my body can cope.
I will be incredibly close to my target achieving about 4900kms by the end of the year. So frustratingly close, but no cigar thanks to injuries that have impeded my training volume throughout the year! I guess what I am saying is that even though sometimes we do not reach our targets we need to be able to be happy with the journey and learning as we attempt to achieve our goals. This year I have certainly learnt heaps about injury management and as I reflect over the year's achievements I know these setbacks will only make me a stronger athlete in the long term. And thus I look forward to 2012.
Well done again to those who have achieved their own goals throughout the year.
Have a Merry Christmas and launch yourselves into the New Year by setting more targets. Remember that your targets should be hard. Work hard to achieve your targets but most of all, enjoy the journey. Now off my soapbox for now.
Merry Christmas to everyone, Shaz.
Tuesday 13 December 2011 - A satisfying weekend which finally reminded me of "Why I RUN"
From Friday 5:30am I had the privilege of running for the second time in the 240km C2K (Coast to Kosciusko) race starting in Eden NSW and finishing at Charlottes Pass after ascending to the top of Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko. I entered C2K many weeks ago in the belief that my injuries would be fully healed and I would be able to capably defend my title as 2010 female winner and race record holder. When the competitor selection was released, I was excited to discover that international runners Julia Fatton and Christian Fatton were visiting Australia and running in the event. Last year at the 24 hour World Championships I had competed with Julia in Brive France. Julia ran an impressive 230km, achieving 3rd position. Upon realising Julia was visiting Australia I was immediately keen to welcome both her and Christian to our country. Julia ran a great C2K event winning the ladies event and setting a new race record of 30:11:25. I am happy that my record has been broken by such a nice person and long-time ambassador for ultra running worldwide. Well done Julia!
It was also a pleasure to welcome Julia and Christian into our home and share with them some great conversation about ultra-running in general and the lifestyle and training style differences between Australia, Germany and Switzerland. We hope that Julia and Christian have had a wonderful visit to Australia and will consider coming bck for the 2012 event.
Personally I am very relieved and satisfied that I managed to get through C2K. This event for me was both a mental and physical battle due to unresolved, lingering injuries that I feared would result in me being unable to finish. So my only strategy for this event was to run conservatively, feeling out my body whilst enjoying socialising with fellow competitors. As the race progressed and my body proved to be coping I was able to maintain a reasonable pace and slowly worked my way through the field to achieve a reasonable finishing time. I enjoyed the opportunities to have a chat along the way, and I especially thank Marie Doke who I enjoyed a terrific battle with for most of the race. Commiserations to those who faced difficulties that saw them need to stop and congratulation to each finisher.
Thank you and well done to my crew. Justin and Sabina did a wonderful job again caring for my needs and helping me keep going. And of course to Paul and Diane Every who are the heart and soul of this race, thanks. To your helpers and support crews, medics and aid station attendants and especially Dave Criniti back home on the PC, thanks also.
Thumbs up also to Justin who ran his 5000th kilometre for 2011 whilst accompanying me at C2K. This milestone was achieved just a few metres from the Kosci summit (such is his planning!). It has been a huge year for Justin who also recently reached his cycling target of 10,000kms in 2011. So congrats on this huge effort my love.
Justin and I have now launched the next Wangaratta Fun Run. We welcome CVGT as our naming rights sponsor and are delighted with the support that CVGT is showing to the community by getting on board with us. The event is officially known as the 2012 CVGT Australia Wangaratta Fun Run and is set for Sunday 26 February 2012, commencing at 8am sharp.
Online entries are now open and all the details can be found by clicking the "FUN RUNS" link above.
Tuesday 6 December 2011 - Life is continuing to be somewhat challenging as injuries linger in the lead up to Coast to Kosciusko (C2K), now only 3 days away. My hamstring pain is nearly gone, only evident when stretching and then very minor. The MRI results for the hamstring done many weeks ago showed some acute on chronic lumpiness, which I am guessing will take months to fully iron out, but hopefully will not cause too many concerns for C2K.
Unfortunately I have developed a constantly numb big toe on the left side. Each time I ran over the past couple of weeks the foot-arch became markedly uncomfortable and a stabbing pain extended into the big toe. The arch then tended to cramp through the toe and sometimes extends and wraps around the inner heel. After yet more doctor visits, an ultrasound and x-ray it was determined that there was some fluid build up in the flexor hallucis longus tendon. To help reduce inflammation I have had a cortisone injection which seems to have helped over the last few days. Numbness is still evident, but no sharp pain, so hopefully I will get through C2K. I have done no hill training for months, no speed work and indeed very little running at all. So while a great race time is very unlikely I am determined to enjoy the event.
We have just about packed the car and will be off Wednesday morning, heading for Jindabyne NSW and then on to Eden for the night. I will report back after the event.
Running this last fortnight has been 25km, cycling about 500km. Have stretched daily, but very gently and haven't done any strength work for the last 7 days or so. If nothing else I'm very very very well tapered!!
Monday 21 November 2011 - What an awesome weekend. Jasmine you are remarkable and Dad and I are so proud.
Our 8yr old daughter Jasmine loves to ride her bike. We often head off as a family on our mountain bikes for excursions to local towns for lunch or to a park. Our family outings have naturally gradually increased in distance as Jasmine's fitness and cycling ability has increased. Some of these journeys have been up to 60km, taking most of a day at a leisurely speed. Jasmine felt up to a challenge in recent times, and so we lined up a weekend for the family to ride from home in Wangaratta to Bright (93kms) along the wonderful Rail Trail; and then home again the following day. Naturally Jasmine was a little nervous about riding that far, but never gave in.
Not only did Jasmine cycle 93kms (including some decent hill ascents) to get to Bright on Saturday and into a head wind, but she followed this up with opting to extend the homeward journey by 7kms (into a head wind once again) to achieve her first ever 100km bike ride on Sunday. 193 kilometres in 2 days. As parents we helped her with the challenge by encouraging her during the difficult times and kept an eye on her intensity to allow her the best chance of being able to keep going for the distance and be okay for the return journey. We never doubted that Jasmine could achieve this distance, but as parents there we always back up plans just in case!
Justin also covered his 10,000th cycling kilometre for the year on Saturday and is on track to achieve his other goal to run 5000km for the year. I think he needs to run just under 9km each day to achieve this. easy enough when he's averaged nearly 14km per day thus far.
Although cycling 10,000km this year isn't really a target of mine, thanks to increased cycling distances through injury recovery I should also easily manage 10,000km for the year. I was not really setting a distance target for running either as race outcomes are far more important, but it looks as though I might also get to 5000km myself if injuries stay away. Earlier this year I was concentrating on increasing my lactate threshold and strength, so huge mileage was not my focus. And then with injury woes the 5000km suddenly went from looking simple to quite a challenge. According to the Garmin statistics, I need to average nearly 19km per day, which is rather unlikely, though C2K will help a lot.
My hamstring is being slow to recover fully. I have found myself pushing running distance from time to time and re-inflaming the hamstring. I also have a numb big toe on the left side at the moment that becomes rather painful during running. The pain extends into the foot each time I run. It's not a big deal, but it is annoying.
So even though my lead in to C2K is far from perfect, I am looking forward to running next month's event. I will run C2K at a comfortable pace and as a non pressured run (no expectations on performance goals) gives me a great chance to catch up with my running friends. It's so nice to be able to network and mingle with like minded people.
I will still bring my akubra hat from last year and be smiling at the end. Sabina and Justin will again be crewing for me and I'm looking forward to catching up with Sabina again. Her bright and bouyant personality really helped me last year.
Photo below is the exact point where Dad had covered 10,000km for the year.
Monday 7 November 2011 - Hi Folks. The inaugural Myrtleford Cup Fun Run was held on October 30th. This brilliantly organised event is a credit to the dedicated volunteers. Check out their website for results and details. Myrtleford cup fun run. I was fortunate to be asked to be the Event Ambassador and Guest Speaker. I spoke about why I started running and the mental journey of self discovery and learning I have experienced through the last 5 years.
Both Justin and Jasmine took the opportunity to participate in the fun run. Justin ran the 12.6km option while Jasmine (our 8yr old) entered the 'Under 13yrs' event which was 3km. Of 58 girl entries in this group, Jasmine came 7th. She was so proud and could not wipe the smile from her face for many days. What an achievement. Justin ran hard and put in a good effort. His average pace was 4:08/km, so he is creeping closer to one of his goals of a sub 4min pace 10k. Well done to both. Mum is proud of both.
My MRI showed a 1 – 2 Level hammy strain of the long head of the biceps femoris muscle at the myotendinuous junction, showing acute on chronic lesion. They also found a bit of fluid around the left knee but no signs of any stress fracture. Not that I was expecing one of those again! So no major injuries thankfully, but I'm scratching my head wondering why I haven't been able to overcome this in 11 months. Anyway my doctor prescribed a few weeks of low activity 'rest' (strictly no running) and I should been fine. For the first week post MRI I cycled 400k. Cycling didn't seem to be negatively affecting the hammy so whenever I had a run scheduled I cycled instead. Unfortunately I think this strategy (whilst good for the diet) has slowed recovery and I feel I pushed too much early last week both cycling and by adding a little strengthening work which put my recovery back. I have not let the hammy settle for long enough to allow the strain to knit effectively, so now the cycling has to go too. I suppose 400+km cycling is too much repetitive movement even at low intensity. So this week I have stopped most cycling and will make a concerted effort to fully rest the hammy. At the end of the week I hope to be able to start to strengthen and stretch. Incidentally, since backing off of the cycling in just the last few days the hammy has started to improve again.
With C2K (Coast to Kosciuszko) looming ever closer though, I need to do some running before trying to cover 240km with hills. My only real aim is to finish, but getting through in reasonable shape would be nice. Walking up the hills and descending gently will be a necessity to preserving my legs I think.
Thanks to everyone wishing me a speedy recovery. Attempting to keep sane. SHAZ
Tuesday 25 October 2011 - I am still struggling with gluteus/hamstring and calf muscle issues down the left side. I have an MRI today which will hopefully identify the causes of ongoing inflammation. Once the analysis is complete I can be more confident in going ahead with my planned strengthening/stretching routine as well as run/cycle training (or that much loathed word REST, much to my disgust). Hopefully a dedicated strengthening and stretching program help correct the issue over the long term.
Ran only 40km this week, but cycled over 300km. Cycling seems to be better on my gluteus and hamstring than running so is a good way to burn calories and burn fat. My run fitness is being compromised however.
I will also be following up with my blood specialist in a few weeks and have recommenced life long blood thinning medicine (warfarin). I figure that with my recent clotting that blood thinning medication will be a necessary part of my life from now on.
Mental Health and weight issues:
My fat pinch test on Sunday was frightful and dieting has been initiated. As you may be aware (if you have read my Biography) I started running to lose weight. Running was selected because we (Justin and I) deemed it to be the quickest, easiest and most cost effective way to lose fat quickly. You don't need fancy equipment and can do it anywhere. Yes life has changed markedly since then, but gremlins relating to food are still a part of my life. I have always been a big eater (portion sizes way too large for my height & weight) and to say that I was undisciplined during my holiday is an understatement. How can anyone put on more than a kilo a week? Although I have 'a lot' of work to do to remove the extra kilos I gained I am not unduly daunted by the prospect. I am naturally annoyed at my lack of self control, but know that I can and will lean off. It may be difficult, but it is achievable.
To give you a better idea of why dieting is such a difficult process for me I need to explain a few things. I hope others can relate and draw some comfort with what I'm sharing below.
I have always consumed too much food through my life, always feeling that I 'need' to be full to be satisfied. I know this is a fallacy but this is a life lesson I struggle with even now. I also detest the feeling of hunger and become depressed and aggressive when I feel hungry. Sometimes I even hurt those closest to me which further exacerbates that problem. Many people face similar scenarios. I also secretly tell myself that I face this feeling alone which leads to undisciplined binge eating, more depression and thus making things even worse. Other time I can rationalise my feelings. The sensible side of me rationalises that fact that obesity and image problems effect so many people in our society and that I am not alone in this plight. I am reluctant to call my eating infatuation an 'eating disorder', but mixed with bulimic episodes over a number of years, general lack of self confidence and bouts of depression, I possibly fit this category rather well. Food has always been a huge part of my life and I think with the training I have done in the past 5 years the 'food preoccupation' has not diminished. Yes I have controlled the temptation to overindulge better, learnt heaps of facts about the correct choices to avoid overeating and nutrition in general which has enabled me to reduce my weight, but in many ways food is becoming a bigger factor as my fitness and training has increased. I can easily consume more calories than I burn and self control does still waver. Life satisfaction and contentment should not be centred on eating. Interestingly I noticed a huge difference in mentality about food when visiting friends recently. Food to them was a necessity and not a priority in life. They did not think about the next meal and did not have a packed pantry like we do at home. I will take this observation and integrate it into my life. I can do that! I believe it is possible and I am not scared of change.
This week I have spent a while surfing photos and inspiring sayings on facebook, some of which I have posted on my wall. I will use these to draw inspiration and strength. I have also talked to friends about my feelings and thoughts. A close friend helps so much.
I also know that when I am injured I do struggle more to rationalise weight and image issues. This is natural and we all need to support each other through the harder times in life. I have decided that I like the below saying and will draw strength to get on with life.
Tuesday 18 October 2011 - Justin and I finally returned to Australia after 5 weeks abroad in the UK and Thailand. The first 3 weeks of our holiday encompassed the 2nd Commonwealth Mountain and Ultra-distance Running Championships as detailed in previous entries.
On our homeward journey we spent 11 days in Phuket, Thailand for some R & R, during which I did no real training. I now need to work hard to remove the 'excess baggage' accumulated over the holiday rest and feasting period!
Since returning to Australia and re-initiating training I have found (to my dismay) that the glute/hamstring issue has definitely not resolved itself on the left of my body and my blood-flow issues (resulting from clotting) remain a concern for future events. I will be arranging an MRI in the next week and follow-up appointment with my sports doctor to set out an appropriate recovery plan as well as a follow-up appointment with my blood specialist.
Despite this, I have entered C2K. I'm in no condition to attack my record time from last year, but such is this event that I just want to be there and be a part of it. At this stage I'm looking for a finish time inside the cut-off, and importantly to enjoy the experience.
Wednesday 5 October 2011 - 2011 Commonwealth Championships 24 hour race report (of sorts!)
I enjoyed this race. At least so far as I think anyone can who steps onto the line knowing deep down that they can't achieve their goals. And then from very early on in a race knowing that the pain and suffering being endured is, at best, leading to a very mediocre personal result. But as the member of a team of terrific people committed to giving their all it really wasn't hard to suck it up.
Congratulations must go to Meredith and Susannah for their inspired runs. Whilst Meredith ran 217km and a PB by a few metres I believe that she is yet capable of more. Susannah who suffered some adversity during the race still managed to get past 200km but was far from her best physically. Again she has shown terrific mental strength and resilience however and no doubt will get back into her best form at some stage. My time walking with Susannah in the last 2 hours of the race was the best 2 hours I have ever spent in an event. Hopefully Susannah, Meredith and I can all hit out "A" game in time for the World Championships in Poland next year, and hopefully we will be again joined by Alison and possibly others to really boost the team.
If we're to beat the likes of France, or England now that they have Lizzy Hawker who set a new Worlds Best distance here in Wales of 247km+ then we will all need to be at the top of our game. Congratulations to Lizzy and indeed England on their gold medals too – both the individual and team performances there were well earned.
There are some reasons why my race didn't go to plan. And whilst I'm a not a "could of", "should of", "might have" type of person I am happy to share my experience of recent months. This background in no way absolves me from my lack of performance in Wales, but at least gives me reason to believe that I can do better in the future. The only real absolution is atonement. And in maintaining belief, working and training hard, that atonement will come.
About 10 weeks ago now I saw a specialist haematologist about my ongoing blood condition and was pleasantly surprised when he suggested that I may be able to stop taking blood anti-coagulants that I have been on daily for the last 10 years. He suspected that because I have not had recurring blood clots since the birth of our daughter Jasmine 8 years ago that I may be able to cease these drugs. Such was my desire to be off these drugs that after significant discussion with Justin and others I decided to stop them. This was a risk with the looming Commonwealth Championships, but after considering all the pro's and con's it was a risk I was prepared to take.
During the Brisbane 24 hour event in July I had a bleed in the bronchial system which caused my lungs to fill with blood. Those at the event may remember my constant coughing and wheezing from the 12 hour mark until my eventual decision to stop running once I'd broken the100 miles Australian Record. Justin rushed me home to Victoria and delivered me to out-patients before we'd even been home ourselves or collected our daughter from Grannies. The doctors admitted me immediately and after an x-ray discovered that one lung was full of blood and the other had only about ¼ of its oxygen carrying capacity available. My blood oxygen saturation was slowly falling and it was clear that I needed to be admitted immediately.
The bleed was worsened due to the fact that I was currently taking blood thinners (warfarin) and became a further issue because it was not immediately reversible and that meant many medical procedures couldn't be carried out on me. I can (and in this case was) be given an injection of Vitamin K which accelerates the removal of the warfarin from my system, but still it takes 3 days before some procedures can be undertaken. And thus the decision to be off these drugs prior to Wales so that if anything did go wrong I could be admitted to hospital without complication was appealing. Not that we wanted or expected anything to go wrong of course, but it was to serve as a sort of insurance in our "worst case" planning.
Anyway, about 3 weeks after stopping the warfarin I developed pain in my left calf. I was also adamant that it was affecting my running and the fatigue was building in the muscles much more quickly than it should. I could not physically undertake any speed work or hill work – at least not to the level that I should have – because the fatigue which built quickly to sharp pain wouldn't allow me. I went to my GP, managed to get an ultrasound that day and by the end of the day it was confirmed that I had many minor clots in some minor arteries in the lower leg and also two large clots in main arteries.
A couple of days later I found myself in Melbourne again receiving specialist advice and was put straight onto Clexane, which is another blood thinning agent but one that is worse than warfarin if used long term. It's also an injection, and whilst I've used it before it's never fun having to inject yourself. The upside however is that it takes only 24 to remove itself from your system thus makes any medical procedure all the more possible in a shorter timeframe.
My medical team advised me that the blood clot could take anywhere up to three months or more to break down and that until it did training would have to be restricted and may be difficult. This proved to be the case and so when I stepped on the line in Wales I knew I was underdone. Worse, I hadn't run a significant distance since the clot, had not run smoothly, fatigue or pain free for weeks and had no idea if I'd be able to make 6 hours let alone 24. But for the sake of the team – being only three of us at this stage - I had to try.
I had also been focussing too long on too many negative issues and so achieving a good total would be unlikely. Around this I tried to remain confident knowing that I have run 225km and that I'm stronger mentally now than I was in France and that I'm a more experience runner etc., but none of this helped in the end.
So whilst my total of 197km was ordinary, I am satisfied with the outcome. I am particularly satisfied that I chose to start and support the team on the course and support the team of people that helped me get to Wales. The silver team medal isn't for me; it's for everyone that makes me what I am and continues to believe in me as a person.
Justin and I are now in Phuket enjoying a little R&R. It's good for the body and good for the mind and will hopefully allow me to clear my head before getting home and having a good think about how to tackle the next 12 months.
 Pre-race. |
