Support, In Injury And In Health

I was out riding this morning, enjoying the fact that I'm able to be out riding after breaking the old ankle.  Granted, I've been swimming and cycling for a while, but I'm still having that little bit if euphoria every time I get outside on my bike.  Sorry, I digress.  Anyway, I was out riding this morning, thinking about how quickly, really, this rehab has been going.  I then started to think back to the accident itself, the surgery, etc, and realized I was pretty lucky - for a number of reasons - all in all, but more so that I had a great support system at home.

My wife JL was amazing during the whole broken ankle thing.  And I'm not just talking about taking me to the ER and then to the Orthopedist.  And then for an MRI.  And then back to the Orthopedist.  And then to the hospital for surgery and getting my prescriptions filled. 

I'm talking about having someone at home who understood that this was a major deal for an athlete.  She understood that this was going to really be a mental strain on me as well, and did an amazing job of keeping things in perspective.  Yes I was fortunate the accident happened in the winter.  And I was also fortunate that I could keep swimming almost immediately after the hard cast was taken off post-surgery.  But she really kept an eye on me and made sure I was following doctors orders and also made sure that I was being smart:
  • She made sure that I ate healthy, fiber-rich, foods.  Breakfast was usually a whole grain English muffin, fruit, and sometimes a veggie juice or a smoothie.  She also knew that without the exercise levels my body was accustom to, I needed to watch my food intake. 
  • She'd scold me for trying to do too much around the house - insisting that I keep my leg elevated.  Her favorite saying during the 3-4 week period of mostly immobility?  "Don't be a hero, get back on the couch".
  • When the desire to just sit back and have beer to drown my sorrows of not being able to go out and run would come around, she'd make sure I didn't.  "Stay off the hooch so long as you're taking painkillers".
  • Oh, and did I mention that she made sure that I didn't overdo it on the Oxycontin?  Granted I only used one or two of those (I found one of the other painkillers - a less addictive one - a more effective solution) but she made sure that I wasn't overdoing anything.
  • She'd even (on one occasion early on) put some chicken and veggies in a crock pot for me so I'd have lunch and dinner lined up for a couple of days.  And for a vegan to cook chicken, well, you know what I'm talking about.  That's devotion.
I know she was pretty damn happy when I was able to start carrying my own dinner to the table (when I could get around on one crutch).  And she was damn near ecstatic when I was able to navigate the stairs to the basement (I tend to do the laundry, and she wasn't happy about having to add that to her repertoire).

The point here?  (Yes, there's a point): It's good to have a support mechanism at home.  Not just when you get injured, but in general.

Triathlons, marathon training, whatever - you need to have someone who understands what you're going through, and why, and is supporting you in your endeavors.  I'm lucky to have someone who, on all accounts, is behind me in my training and mania.  I think I balance my life with triathlons pretty well, and it helps that she does triathlons herself.  But I'm pretty sure that without someone at home to support the early mornings, keep me in check when I'm overdoing things, and to cheer me on at T1, T2, and the finish chutes, well, I just wouldn't enjoy the sport as much.

Looks Like I'm Racing.....sort of

Not long ago, I wrote about my racing dilemma this upcoming season.  As I am already registered for a few upcoming races, I was contemplating whether or not I should race them in a diminished capacity.  By that, I mean do I do the swim and the bike legs of my upcoming triathlons and then withdraw from the race (as I most likely won't be able to do the run with any mojo what-so-ever)? 

A couple people commented on that post, and I was encouraged a bit by what was said.  It seemed like a reasonable thing to do - and it would allow me to get out and do something while trying to build my fitness back up.

I've been getting in some good swims workouts in lately, and the even better news is that I've been getting in some good training rides.  Outdoors.  Yep, I've officially turned the corner and am no longer resigned to spinning away on the bike trainer inside.  Paired with the fact that I can get around sans crutches now, my ankle is strong enough that I can go out and ride confidently.  Granted, I'm tragically building up my mileage and fitness at this point.   This compared to last year when I was already racing and would have had at least one 1/2 marathon under my belt and would be gearing up for a triathlon in just a few weeks.  Anyway, I digress.

I was still on the fence about this short term racing plan.  Was waffling back and forth on the pros and cons of it all.  Then my wife returned home from a work trip that took her to Arizona.  She was in Tuscon during the USAT Duathlon National Championships and, on the flight home, was the seat-mate of a sponsored elite athlete that had raced that weekend. They apparently talked about racing and triathlons a bit, and my racing and current situation came up.  I was pleased to hear that the response from an elite athlete was that I should absolutely do the swim and bike legs of my upcoming races.  That I shouldn't feel any apprehension about not doing the run. I've paid the entry fee, and people are responsible for their own race.  I can't take, nor should I take, ownership or responsibility of the race strategy of another athlete.

With that pleasing input tipping the weights solidly in my direction, I'm re-targeting the Mossman Sprint Triathlon and the Park City Olympic Triathlon in July and August.  These will help me get my fitness up and potentially be able to do something constructive at the Toughman Half Iron Triathlon in September.  Do I think that I will be able to run 13.1 miles by September? Ehhh, most likely not with any sort of intensity at all.  And to be honest, it might not be the smartest thing to do - but who can say!?  Regardless, if I'm able to get out and swim and ride competitively it will be a big mental boost.

With that said, I've been scouring the internet for fall triathlon in the north-east.  Not many to choose from once September wraps up.  I'd like to think that I could squeak out a sprint or Olympic distance race come October.  If anyone has any good suggestions, please speak up.

The Mental Aspects Of Recovery

Just read a great article on the Competitor website.  It was titled: Mental Aspects Of Recovery and was written by Melanie McQuaid .  Anyone who knows who Ms. McQuaid is knows that she very well might know her stuff.

This is a great article.  It hits on all the key points that are critical to resting, recovery, and periodization during any serious training program.

What caught my eye, however, was point #2: "Do I feel like doing this?"  This could also be phrased: "How do I feel?"  I mean, I can't count the number of times that, upon waking up at 400a, I'll feel just fine physically.   But I sure have a hard time convincing myself that I want to ride for 2 1/2 hours before work.  Mentally, we need to be strong to overcome the desire to sleep in.  More importantly, we need to be able to distinguish between 'wanting' to sleep in vs 'needing' to sleep in.

As a coach, it's critical to always be checking in on how our athletes feel - both mentally and physically.  Feeling tired physically; being agitated or irritable, or being overly negative about a performance or recent training session, are all potential signs that an athlete could be fatigued and in need of additional rest.

During the USAT Coaching Clinic, I found that one of the questions that all of the presenters / coaches ask their elite athletes throughout a training cycle is "How do you feel?"  Not only are they looking for input regarding their physical well-being, but they're assessing the mental state and attitude of their athlete as well.

I don't think we focus on rest and recovery enough in training.  A common trap that athletes can fall into is basing workouts on "how many miles / hours did I train?"  We should be focusing on quality workouts, with good intensity and periodization.  This will allow our bodies to rest, and recover adequately while at the same time allowing our bodies to efficiently acclimate to all the hard work that we've done.  You have to incorporate adequate rest into your training plan in order for all the hard work to pay off.

Check out the article here.  It's good food for thought.

Serious Workouts Return

I had my first significant / serious workout since my accident today.  I headed to the gym around 7:00a and hit the pool.  I'd been getting to the pool somewhat regularly to do some nominal swimming - but it was more part of physical therapy and targeted at getting more flexibility back in my ankle.  Likewise, I'd been on the bike trainer here at home for short stretches of time - again with the goal of getting some range of motion and strength back. 

Today I decided that I needed to get things back in form.  I'm feeling pretty good in regards to my rehab, so today was the first day of me "getting back at it".  From this point forward, all swims and bike trainer sessions will take on a new level of intensity.  My goal is to be ready for some sort of racing come the fall.

Today's swim workout:

400y warm up. 
2 x (1 x 50, 1 x 100, 1 x 50) stroke drills on :15 rest
4 x 100 pull (pull buoy and paddles) on the 1:40
1 x 50 easy
4 x 100 pull (pull buoy) on the 1:40
3 x 200 on 3:15
200 cool down

2,400 yards - :45 minutes.  Nothing too crazy today in regards to intensity or distance.  I felt a little tight towards the end of the 200's, but was pretty pleased overall.  Flip turns still require me to push off with only my right leg, but I'm able to kick with equal force on both legs.  Very exciting indeed!

Upon arriving home, I revisited my long-lost friend the training calendar.  I immediately removed all the workouts I was "supposed to do" in preparation for a half iron triathlon in September.  These were replaced with new swimming and cycling workouts.  And in regards to my cycling workouts, based on my last physical therapy session it's very likely that I'll be outside riding in a couple of weeks which will make me very happy.  At that point I'll be able to crank up the intensity another notch.

Hopefully everyone is having a good holiday today.  And hopefully you all got in a workout before the chocolate bunnies come into play.