Baywatch in Two Parts (Part Two)

For Part One Click Here
Speaking of punking out early, the reason I only swam for 40 minutes this morning was because I had an appointment with a physical therapist to talk about my running injuries. I made the appointment back when I couldn't run and could barely ride, but still had plenty to talk about. We discussed triathlon, my PT is also one of the tribe, and he quickly pinpointed my problem areas with a few questions and tests. Turns out my right leg is weaker than my left. I did a few one-legged squats and there was all kinds of inward wobble. That plus a few "Pull against me" and "Resist this pressure" tests confirmed it. Weak hamstring and gluteus minimus muscles mean a funky stride. Funky stride means greater risk of injury. So he showed me how to do hamstring curls using a balance ball, one-legged wall squats/supported squats, and side steps with a band around my ankles for tension.
Then, being a cool PT, he checked their schedule and lo and behold, a running clinic was starting in two hours and it had an opening! So I signed up, ran home, grabbed workout gear and Bikilas, ate a bagel, and headed back.
This was fun. They did a lot of talking about various stride choices, but pushed POSE Running heavily, focusing on a mid foot stride. I figured I had an in with this since my shoe choices pushed me into that style of running two years ago. Surely that would mean I had an edge.
Well, kind of. We got to do a video analysis of our running, first from the side and then from the front, and then they went through them one by one in slow motion telling us what they saw and how to fix it. My list, while not as big as some, was not exactly small.
The first this they noted from my video was I was still overstriding a little bit. I was the only person in the group with no heal strike and a very minor overstride, but it was there. The foot should contact the ground right under center mass with a lightly bent knee for impact absorption. I was still kicking a little bit forward.

They also noted that I'm wasting a lot of energy running with my elbows high my arms at smaller than 90*, which makes sense. I'm never as relaxed as I want to be. The last thing from that video they pulled was that rather than having a slight lean forward from the ankles to allow gravity to help me move forward I'm running straight up and down. Which is better than leaning back, but not great.
From the front view the PT confirmed that yes, I am dropping my hip on the right side, which would be caused by the hamstring/glute weakness and would cause the problems I'd been complaining of.

 Lastly, we did some drills to help get our feet under us and to strengthen all the muscles we should be using. The one I think will come in the most handy for me is focusing on making a 4 with my legs each stride. So pulling though the hamstring rather than pushing off or bounding. I don't think I push off too much and I know I don't bound because that would ruin my feet and ankles in my ultra-minimal shoes, but I'm also not pulling into a figure 4 like they suggested. You can see the 4 in the blue guy above, but you call also see it in this neat model below.

I'm thrilled I got to do this. It was through the Army hospital, Super Awesome Wife benefits! Being through the military, I was kind of surprised about all the talk of POSE running and mid foot stride and, while they never said we should go buy minimalist shoes, they did say a more minimal shoe is better. AND they suggested doing a few barefoot runs on grass, short 100yd cruises back and forth, to find your form before putting on your shoes to run. The Army is telling soldiers to run barefoot to fix their stride. This feels significant to me.
I haven't been thinking too much about stride recently. Well, not any further than, "I hope my stride isn't going to hurt me." For a long time I was running comfortably. If I was relaxed and comfortable and smooth, it was good. Now I'll be back to thinking a lot about what my body is doing. There are lots of things to work on, so I'll be slowing down and working them one by one. Can't try all of them at once, I'll get lost, confused, and fall down. And on non-run days I'll be working the drills and exercises they gave me. Times will get slower for a while, but that's ok. We think long-term here at Dirtbag Fitness.

Baywatch In Two Parts (Part One)

Swim
time- 40:00
distance- approx. 1,400yds

Why the hell would anyone get up at 5:15am to swim at 6 on a holiday off from work?

Ko'Olina Lagoon 4

That's why. Granted, when I got there it didn't look like that. It was still pre-sun dawn, chilly and brisk. Just bright enough to see across the lagoon, but there wasn't enough sun to warm the water yet. I should back up slightly. Diesel has begun swimming at Ko'Olina Lagoon 4 Friday mornings with a few other guys. This was the second time they went out and, since today is Statehood Day and I had the day off, I went with. Any excuse for quasi-open water swimming. I love swimming in the pool, it's how I grew up, but it is really nice to be able to go straight for 100+ yards without having to turn. And the Ko'Olina Lagoons are great because there is no current, no waves, no break, and if you go early enough, no other people. There is also a rock lane line under the water to follow so you don't have to be spotting.

 The only complaint is the water is freaking cold that early. Which really means that you just have to wade in and start swimming, and you can't take much time between laps to chat because you start to tighten up.
We estimate each lap is about 115 yards or so from end to end, and my times per lap agree with that. I wasn't pushing at all, that's not what this morning's swim was about. It was nice to get out and do some long easy swimming with friends. Yesterday's post has a minor discussion going on about group open-water swimming, the pros and cons, and while I agree that swimming is even more of a solitary pursuit than biking or running since conversation is nearly impossible, it is nice to workout with others. They pace, they push, and at least my ego won't allow me to punk out early unless I absolutely have to if I'm with a group.
Though I did have to punk out a little earlier than I wanted.
For Part Two Click Here

Swimming With Friends Means Talking Too Much

 

Swim
1 x 200- warm-up
5 x 100- IM
1 x 150- cool down
5 x 100- Build by 25s
25s- Stroke count/technique work
1 x 50- Cool down

Met a friend way to early this morning at the pool. She's still new to triathlon, through she's three in, and is much more a runner than a swimmer. So while we were swimming I was giving tips. And no, I didn't make her do the IM set. She got there just as I was finishing it. When you're feeling weak nothing makes you feel strong like a good IM set. Of course, the converse is also true.
Swimming with someone else doesn't always give me the best work out when they aren't at the same or close to the same level, but it is psychically nice to help another triathlete and get my own work in at the same time. I go, she goes, I go at my pace, she goes at hers, I drop a few knowledge bombs, and there's the swim.

I know you were thinking a Psych joke was needed.

This too

Jetpack Gatling Kitty

Run
time-24:12
distance- 2.4mi

I'm still not running far or especially hard. I don't want to re-injure anything so I'm doing lots of easing into it. So instead of a fancy write-up here is a picture of a Jetpack Gatling Kitty.

 I stole this from the Oatmeal. You should be reading All the Things on this page if you aren't.

Thanks Bob OR Hillbilly Hills

Ride
time-1:42
distance- 21.26mi

Today was Bob's fault. MovieBob, to be specific. He's an entertaining and interesting movie reviewer for The Escapist as well as hosting his on video game show called the Game OverThinker. Needless to say, I follow his stuff. Don't always agree with him, but that is kind of the point of following critics. Seeing different viewpoints.
Anyway, Bob recently did a thing for his Big Picture web series about the Beverly Hillbillies. It is posted below.

The Escapist : The Big Picture : Silly Billy

You'll notice during the segment he played the theme song. That theme, for those of you who have not yet realized it, is insidious. Right now, as you read this it is worming it's way into your brain. Soon you will be a slave to it. You will catch yourself humming it all day. Or, as in my case, for your Entire. Freaking. Ride. And when that happens there is only one thing to do. Only one way to get it out of your head. You have to submit.

First- yes mom, the road was clear. I purposefully went to the most backroad back road. 'Tis safe. You can see at the start how empty is it.
As for the ride, aside from the song it was pretty good. Felt stronger on portions of That Climb than I have yet. But there is a lot of it that still sucks. Some spots the grade is so intense I don't know if it'll ever not totally suck. Which is kind of part of doing the climb. I like looking up at it and having part of my brain still think, "What? No. Dumbass." That lets me know it's challenging me.


Do you feel the Hillbilly? You do, don't you.

I Had a Clever Name...

Bike (Sunday)
time- 2:39
distance- 37.78mi

Swim (Monday)
1 x 200- Warm-up
5 x 200- 100- 1, 2, 3, Swim/ 100- 5, 7, 9
2 x 300- Odd 50s Easy/ Even 50s Hard
1 x 100- Cool down

I came up with a clever name for this post Sunday during the ride. But I forgot it. Maybe that is for the best because who knows how clever I actually am when I'm tired and hot. Don't answer that.
Sunday's ride mark the beginning of this year's Honolulu Century training. I did the ride alone last year and this year the Grey has decided to ride it with me. Last year's Century training was actually when I met Diesel, though like this year he wasn't training for it. He's got Kona in his sights and, as such, he doesn't need to pay to ride one hundred miles. He's probably doing it that weekend anyway.
The Grey and I though, we like paying for rides. And at $70 right now that's less than a dollar a mile. Not bad since the ride is so well supported. I also signed up because I need something to look towards. I missed all kinds of cheap registration dates because Super Awesome Wife and I were looking to move at the end of the summer, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. Drop dead date for that is September, so maybe, but I'm not holding my breath. But I missed any version of cheap registration for the Ko'Olina tri, which is now at $110! Holy crap. I know I practically spent that much the last two years, but not this time. Not worth it for an annoying swim, mediocre at best bike course, and pretty run. I missed the Tradewinds tri this last weekend. And I don't think they will let me in to the Na Wahine. So there are no triathlons on the horizon from now until December. And in December my training and racing funds/schedule get thrown out the window in favor of a much larger adventure. I'll still be trying to do both of those things, but who knows how Dirtbag Fetus is going to change what I'm able and willing to do.
Anyway, Sunday was a short but decent ride. The Grey and I have been starting down at the airfield since Ewa isn't a great place to start and Mililani means we have to go over a few of the narrow bridges, which are never fun with impatient drivers passing us. We hit Pupukea and that was fun fun fun. Harder than I remember. Every time for the first couple times that'll be the case. We stopped at Waimea to chat with Diesel and MamaSaid, who were taking a dip in the crystal clear water. Seriously, clearest that bay has looked in a long time. Really pretty. But I didn't feel like getting in so it was only a stop, but not a swim.
I also made faces at a line of school buses full of children, because that's what I do. Faces like this:

I'm a growed -up teecher

This morning I swam. I didn't get up as early as I wanted, so I hit a small slow down on the way to the pool, so I didn't have quite as much time as I wanted. There should have been at least one more 300 in there.
I forgot how much that 5, 7, 9 set hurts when you aren't ready for it. It hurts a lot. Which is good, because I need to build up the pain tolerance. Stroke technique is only as good as the distance you can hold it and right now mine is kind of rubbish. I'm noticing a lot of waggle in my hand at the entry/start of stroke, which means I'm wasting time going laterally before starting my pull. My core weakens too quickly as the sets go on, dropping my middle and creating drag. As always, I'm not finishing as consistently as I ought to be. I need to get stronger again and fine-tune those little mistakes. It'll come. The front end of training after a break is always frustrating. But the hard sections of the 300 are getting faster while still maintaining proper stroke. And I'm still running on Olympic visions so every wall I see Phelps kicking ass with his dolphin kicks. Work that wall. Good swim discipline even if there are no walls in triathlon.

Shoulda Gone in the AM

Swim

1 x 200- Warm-up
5 x 200- 3:00
1 x 50- easy
5 x 100- IM
1 x 100- Cool down

I was going to swim in the morning. I normally swim in the morning. It's a nice way to start the day and right now, since I'm doing one-a-days, it means I'm done after school rather than having to change and get back out. But this morning I wanted to sleep, so I packed my gear and headed to 24 in Pearl City after work.
Bad Idea Reasons-
1) Traffic going that direction starts to suck and the right turn takes at least two lights to make.
2) More (old) people at the pool in the afternoon.

This, but unsmiling and less working out

3) Traffic on the way back is even worse, especially getting on to the freeway.

*beep!*

So now I've learned my lesson and I'll bite the bullet and go in the morning.
The swim its self went well. I'm starting to feel stronger again and, to be completely honest, I'm using the Olympics to power my swims. I picture how strongly the Americans nailed their walls and try to fake that off mine. I'm feeling the water again and better able to grab good solid chunks to pull myself over. The 200 set felt good to start and started to get messy at the end,  but I made all of them with at least ten seconds rest.
The IM set is a direct result of Olympic inspiration. That and the swim meet I did a few weeks ago. I forgot how much I love fly and IM. And the stress they put on my muscles will make me stronger faster than just doing freestyle. And the fly came together nicely mostly. Back and breast are meh. I did notice that the ceiling of the pool has a blue line painted where the flags would normally be so stroke count to the wall isn't a guess. That's a nice touch by the designers that I didn't expect.
I was going to get a 500 in to finish, but the old ladies decided I had swum enough and I didn't need one of my my walls anymore. So instead I swam around them for my cool down and bailed.