THEN or how my season ended with a painful whimper
After Leadville with my legs still fresh and in great shape to run long distances I headed up north to run the 100 at Haliburton. I know, maybe I should have just waited for Oil Creek 5 weeks later but I just couldn't resist it as I love the course.
Things started out great. I went to the race with a bunch of friends and their giant camper, we had food, beer and I had pacers, sweet. Sure the rain started at 8 PM the night before and continued for the next 20hrs but come on kids its just a little water. Okay maybe a lot of water and mud but come on thats half the fun.
I lined up at the start line and things just went down hill from there. You see apparently I had forgotten how to run. I took a spill before I had hit the 3k mark, on a very technical flat road, cutting up my hands and slightly twisting my ankle. Man how embarrassing but not race ending. I slowed down a little and with it still being dark knew I would have to be careful with the ankle as it would now be really easy to roll it again. As I made my way around the Normac Loop (which is actually technical) I stepped on root hidden in the mud, slid sideways and turned my ankle over bad. When I say bad I mean really bad and I am only 7k into the race.
Now someone with brains would at this point call it a day and head back to the trailer for some morning beer but no not me. I can be kind of stubborn that way so I grab a tensor bandage out of my drop bag at the next aid station and carry on. I can not run, heck I can't even really walk but on I go at a snails pace, it could get better right?
I struggle along this way for another 20 hours or so. By the time I hit the 75 mile mark I am borderline hypothermic from the cold and at my slow crawl most likely will not make the finish line cutoff so I pack it in. The next morning I take a good look at my ankle and it is not pretty.
Oil Creek 100
Five weeks after Haliburton I am at the start line of the Oil Creek 100. I have not been able to run at all due to the ankle. Its deja vu all over again. The year before I got injured in the fall and couldn't train for Oil Creek and here we are again. I have no illusions about a finish and would have cancelled but my wife was running her first 50k so I figured go and run what I can.
I end up running with my buddy Steve for the first 20 miles or so. I am slow for my effort level, its amazing how quick the fitness goes. I know at 18 miles in that a running miracle will not be happening so I just try and enjoy the trail. I end up doing 2 loops for 100k and then pack it in. Kim finishes her 50k much faster then expected, way to go Kim.
My season ends with a whimper or maybe the sounds of squealing tires, broken glass and crunching metal. The running gods can be so fickle sometimes. I had a great 8 months of training and was in the best trail running shape of my life and all I got to show for it was a couple of shirts that I can't wear because I didn't finish the races. Sheeesh. Maybe next year I will just train my elbow on restaurant patio all summer instead. I could save a bundle on shoes.
Oil Creek
NOW or at least the last little while
I had a good mileage rebuild in November and December with lots of strength training thrown in. In January I ramped it back up getting in some solid 120-130 km weeks with a good helping of quality running and was feeling good.
January Stats
runs 27 - 400km or 249 miles
weight workouts - 16
cardio x training - 12 hours
Robbie Burns 8k
Hip deep in it
On January 28th I ran the Robbie Burns 8k with the plan to use it as a speed workout. I ended up not having a proper warm up due to a very unexpected bathroom emergency. That lack of warm up came back to bite me in the ass literally as I pulled something in my hip right at the 6k mark but still finished the race. It didn't seem too serious.
I dealt with this the same way I always do with injuries. First I ran a couple of days on it seeing if it was a "run through it " problem. As soon as it felt worse I took 2 days off (thats a really long time in my running world). It felt better so I tried to run on it again but the pain returned so I completely shut things down for 8 days. Yesterday I tested it on the treadmill where I ran pain free for 10 minutes and then started to have a problem so its still not healed enough to run. I am hoping maybe another week to get healthy.
The only good thing about this injury is that I can still cross train on the bike, elliptical, weights etc.. Its the force of impact up through the leg that causes the issue.
The bad thing about this injury is that I can cross train. Do you know just how boring 2 hours a day on cardio machines becomes. I do, and it is mind numbing. Hopefully its only for another week or so.
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