Hi everyone. I will now continue my blog from my new blogspot
as Brett and I are now married and my new name is Gina Crawford. So might as well get used to it now!!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Frustration
Well it turns out I shouldn't be a podiatrist and give people advice about their shoes. The tendon that was the problem is now perfectly fine but my sore point has now moved to the point directly underneath my over tight shoelaces around my ankle, now if that's not a coincidence!! And after doing some googling on the internet it did indeed say that over tight shoe laces could cause this. So Friday was my day off and then yesterday I did my 6 hour bike ride and I was supposed to run for an hour off the bike but walked instead. That is the stupid thing as that I can walk with no pain at all and I can walk pretty fast. In fact Brett thinks I could walk the marathon and do a 3.45 which is not too much slower than my running speed!! It comes from my days living in Wellington where University and my home were at the top of the hill and my work down the hill in town at Burger King. I used to have only a few minutes to get from lectures to work down in Lambton Quay and as I never ran back then I used to walk really, really fast. Of course I got many, many strange looks from the men in suits but I always got to work on time and Brett and I used to joke that if I wanted to ever go to the Olympics I could perhaps enter in the 20 or 50km walk. But the idea of walking the marathon horrifies me so I am resting my ankle for a few days in the hope that this will solve it once and for all and then I will be able to run as normal.
So of course the timing is not ideal for my first ever injury but I will just have to grin and bear it. Running comes quite naturally to me, not like cycling where I have to work really, really hard and any time off after a race puts me well back and being on the bike feels foreign. In running after a break I can always feel fine and I guess my fitness will not suffer with all the cycling, swimming and walking that is going on. I just really hope that in 2 weeks time I will be able to complete the race as normal as with everything that has happened in the last few months (viruses, heart problems etc) I just really, really want to go out there and race my heart out (pardon the pun).
So of course the timing is not ideal for my first ever injury but I will just have to grin and bear it. Running comes quite naturally to me, not like cycling where I have to work really, really hard and any time off after a race puts me well back and being on the bike feels foreign. In running after a break I can always feel fine and I guess my fitness will not suffer with all the cycling, swimming and walking that is going on. I just really hope that in 2 weeks time I will be able to complete the race as normal as with everything that has happened in the last few months (viruses, heart problems etc) I just really, really want to go out there and race my heart out (pardon the pun).
Monday, September 21, 2009
Lace those shoes up .......Right to the top
A few months ago I read in a book about getting fit and training methods to beware of feelings of invincibility. Now I know what this means. While training in Noosa my running had greatly improved. I felt unstoppable, I could run on the treadmill at 17kph and it would feel like a jog, I felt like I could keep going all day at that pace. In the 2 days I was back in NZ before heading to the States I went for a run with Brett. I was jogging and Brett could hardly keep up, he said wow you're running has really improved. I felt invincible, and the next thing I know I roll my ankle.
That is nothing new to me. I roll my ankles all the time. What makes for a great swimmer's kick in my mind makes for a pretty unstable runner's ankle. So I am used to hurting my ankles all the time, but this time was different. When I got home I couldn't move it inwards without a lot of pain and it was really uncomfortable. I didn't run on it the next day but on the Monday I went for my 30 min goodbye jog with Lilly and Raro, but I could only make it 15 minutes. It hurt every step. I then taped it up and got on the plane to the States. Over the week I didn't do much running because it was taper week (that was lucky!) and things were definitely improving. Only a bit of pain usually when running uphill and in the pool kicking (there was no way I was pushing off from the wall) and I felt confident I would get through the marathon OK. But it turns out I didn't need to as the stomach bug took me out for 3 whole days and yet again no more running and then the 30 hour trip back home again.
We arrived home on Thursday morning and I was straight back into training. Swim at the pool, a nice 3 hour bike ride and then an hour run. After very little running for 10 days or so I expected my ankle would be completely heeled, but there were still a few twinges every now and again. This is strange I thought as I am a very quick heeler usually. I can go to bed with a sore muscle and wake up completely normal. So I knew it could not be a muscle injury, I was thinking please do not be a stress fracture.
So the next day I had to go to the podiatrist and found out it is the inner tendon that attaches from the arch of the foot up through the ankle and up the inner leg. It's job is to stabilize the ankle and when you roll your ankle it quickly acts to stop the movement. So this tendon was damaged, so the podiatrist strapped me up and said I could run as normal if there was no pain. So I ran 30min off the bike that day and no pain, then on Saturday ran for 1 hour off my 6 hour bike with 20 minutes at tempo and still no pain and then on Sunday I managed a 2 hour run, still no pain but I thought not to push my luck (which is hanging by a thread) and run any longer. So it seems as long as I am strapped up there is no problem. These tendons take 6-12 weeks apparently to return to normal so I may have to be strapped up for the race but that is OK, as long as I get to start and finish I am very happy.
So anyway back to the title of this blog. I discovered on my shoe a hole that I have never used in my life. Does anyone use this hole??? Anyway it seems this hole was put there especially for me with my wobbly ankles. If using this hole all of a sudden I feel very stable. Instead of me being aware that I am running with my foot in a shoe it feels like I am running bare foot with a glove on. I like it. The podiatrist even showed me a special way to do up my shoes using this hole, so it seems at 28 years old I have finally conquered the art of tying my shoelaces!!
That is nothing new to me. I roll my ankles all the time. What makes for a great swimmer's kick in my mind makes for a pretty unstable runner's ankle. So I am used to hurting my ankles all the time, but this time was different. When I got home I couldn't move it inwards without a lot of pain and it was really uncomfortable. I didn't run on it the next day but on the Monday I went for my 30 min goodbye jog with Lilly and Raro, but I could only make it 15 minutes. It hurt every step. I then taped it up and got on the plane to the States. Over the week I didn't do much running because it was taper week (that was lucky!) and things were definitely improving. Only a bit of pain usually when running uphill and in the pool kicking (there was no way I was pushing off from the wall) and I felt confident I would get through the marathon OK. But it turns out I didn't need to as the stomach bug took me out for 3 whole days and yet again no more running and then the 30 hour trip back home again.
We arrived home on Thursday morning and I was straight back into training. Swim at the pool, a nice 3 hour bike ride and then an hour run. After very little running for 10 days or so I expected my ankle would be completely heeled, but there were still a few twinges every now and again. This is strange I thought as I am a very quick heeler usually. I can go to bed with a sore muscle and wake up completely normal. So I knew it could not be a muscle injury, I was thinking please do not be a stress fracture.
So the next day I had to go to the podiatrist and found out it is the inner tendon that attaches from the arch of the foot up through the ankle and up the inner leg. It's job is to stabilize the ankle and when you roll your ankle it quickly acts to stop the movement. So this tendon was damaged, so the podiatrist strapped me up and said I could run as normal if there was no pain. So I ran 30min off the bike that day and no pain, then on Saturday ran for 1 hour off my 6 hour bike with 20 minutes at tempo and still no pain and then on Sunday I managed a 2 hour run, still no pain but I thought not to push my luck (which is hanging by a thread) and run any longer. So it seems as long as I am strapped up there is no problem. These tendons take 6-12 weeks apparently to return to normal so I may have to be strapped up for the race but that is OK, as long as I get to start and finish I am very happy.
So anyway back to the title of this blog. I discovered on my shoe a hole that I have never used in my life. Does anyone use this hole??? Anyway it seems this hole was put there especially for me with my wobbly ankles. If using this hole all of a sudden I feel very stable. Instead of me being aware that I am running with my foot in a shoe it feels like I am running bare foot with a glove on. I like it. The podiatrist even showed me a special way to do up my shoes using this hole, so it seems at 28 years old I have finally conquered the art of tying my shoelaces!!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Virus please go away
It was most definitely the right decision as hard as it was to not race on Sunday as after the race started things got a lot worse. I really could do nothing but lie on my bed in agony and rush back and forth to the toilet. On Monday however I would have expected to be back to normal and was hoping to go cycling, however that was not to be. My whole body was aching and my head felt like it had been held in a vice. I was asking Brett to please kill me, and eventually I had to give in and take paracetamol (I hate taking pills). We took a trip to the supermarket to grab some more water and just by walking around for 5 minutes I felt completely exhausted. By 6pm however I felt much more alive and was able to eat something for the first time. Now it is the third day (Tuesday) and things are still not normal. I managed to run for 25 minutes before having to make a desperate pit stop, so perhaps I am not ready for food yet. I've eaten practically nothing in 3 days and I'm not even hungry!! So strange as I eat a lot for my size. If things continue like this I'll be back to my pre-athletic weight of 48kg in no time. That would be great if I wanted to race in the ITU but that's not a great weight for an ironman athlete, I really need to be at 52kg to give myself some added power on the bike. So if you are looking to lose a few pounds this is definitely the virus for you!!
We think it is norovirus. There have been many recent outbreaks here, even one at the Monona Terrace conference centre where the race is held. I did some stupid things in race week, like eat at buffet style places (at the hotel in Chicago for breakfast and at a salad bar on Thursday). Really not a good idea with everyone using the same tongs and breathing over the food and then you sit down to eat after dishing up and don't wash your hands. I was thinking about it and it is so strange that I never get sick in New Zealand but as soon as I leave I do. I was wondering why this is. Is it because we aren't used to the viruses on this side of the world but have adapted to our own? Or is it because in New Zealand I only use my eftpos card but when overseas I use cash for everything? Cash is pretty dirty when you think how many times it changes hands and there again you pay for your meal and then you eat without washing your hands. I think I will now turn into a obsessive compulsive person who continuously washes their hands after touching anything and carries hand sanatizer everywhere with them. I will be a recluse before the race and not go anywhere at all just do my training and stay in my room!! How fun, but at least that will mean this should never happen again!
We think it is norovirus. There have been many recent outbreaks here, even one at the Monona Terrace conference centre where the race is held. I did some stupid things in race week, like eat at buffet style places (at the hotel in Chicago for breakfast and at a salad bar on Thursday). Really not a good idea with everyone using the same tongs and breathing over the food and then you sit down to eat after dishing up and don't wash your hands. I was thinking about it and it is so strange that I never get sick in New Zealand but as soon as I leave I do. I was wondering why this is. Is it because we aren't used to the viruses on this side of the world but have adapted to our own? Or is it because in New Zealand I only use my eftpos card but when overseas I use cash for everything? Cash is pretty dirty when you think how many times it changes hands and there again you pay for your meal and then you eat without washing your hands. I think I will now turn into a obsessive compulsive person who continuously washes their hands after touching anything and carries hand sanatizer everywhere with them. I will be a recluse before the race and not go anywhere at all just do my training and stay in my room!! How fun, but at least that will mean this should never happen again!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Plan B
The last 2 days I have had really bad stomach pains and have struggled to be able to eat any food. I have had 2 pretty sleepless nights trying to find a comfortable position but it wasn't until this morning (the day of the race) that I started vomiting. I never get stomach bugs and I never vomit. I usually have an iron stomach, but this was disgusting not only coming out my mouth but up through my nose as well!! All over my race clothes and in my hair. Anyway I thought well I should feel a bit better now that that is done so we went to the transition and got everything ready but the stomach pains were increasing, coming in waves of normal pain and then turning into doubling over kind of pain. I also have a fever and every time I had to go inside I was sweating and so hot. I tried a little jog and the stomach pains got worse and I knew that an ironman was out of the question so I had to make the devastating decision to not start in the race.
It was such a hard decision to make as I have trained really hard in Noosa and I feel like I am in the best form that I have been in all year. I love the course here, and I felt super fast on the bike course. I have been looking forward to this race for weeks and was so excited to race but I have learnt my lesson from Roth. If you are not well do not race (I don't want to end up in the medical tent again) and there was just no way that I would be able to complete the ironman today feeling weak, dizzy, feverish and not holding any nutrition down. Also having traveled to the other side of the world (which of course is expensive) makes this decision even harder but now I will just have to refocus on Kona.
Today really sucks but everything happens for a reason and there is really nothing I can do about it.
It was such a hard decision to make as I have trained really hard in Noosa and I feel like I am in the best form that I have been in all year. I love the course here, and I felt super fast on the bike course. I have been looking forward to this race for weeks and was so excited to race but I have learnt my lesson from Roth. If you are not well do not race (I don't want to end up in the medical tent again) and there was just no way that I would be able to complete the ironman today feeling weak, dizzy, feverish and not holding any nutrition down. Also having traveled to the other side of the world (which of course is expensive) makes this decision even harder but now I will just have to refocus on Kona.
Today really sucks but everything happens for a reason and there is really nothing I can do about it.
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