A Workout Post

How about some exercise content?
Still not running. Plan to attempt a short run in the next few days. If that goes poorly I'll take an SIU pill and try some pool running.

The last few days:

Tue. 8-5
Missed 6a swim. Not happy.
ART massage, Lara. Right glutes better than last week. Not as painful. I'm calling it progress. Right heel had felt bruisy when stepping on it for last 4-5 days, when rolling out of bed and after sitting. Some hard attention to the area from Lara. It's 95% gone the next day.

15mins upper body strength at home.
Super Tuesday primary night. Wow (!)

Wed. 8-6-08
Bike & 15mins of Core after bike
QR trainer. Intervals. Hard data below.
Warmup.
4x6mins (w/2min recvry btwn);
5mins easy;
3x2mins, alternating seated/standing every :30 (w/1min rcvry btwn)
Warmdown.

Watched mountain stage of the '01 TDF.
After this session I'm guessing my CP (max avg wattage I could hold over 60mins) is ~210-215watts maybe less, down 10-15%.

Entire workout (179 watts):
Duration: 1:23:22
Work: 895 kJ
TSS: 95.5 (intensity factor 0.829)
Norm Power: 191
VI: 1.07
Distance: 27.586 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 289 179 watts
Heart rate: 76 169 144 bpm
Cadence: 34 198 85 rpm

Power-Tap #1:
Duration: 6:00
Norm Power: 206
Distance: 2.191 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 157 224 206 watts
Heart rate: 140 156 152 bpm
Cadence: 59 95 92 rpm

Power-Tap #3:
Duration: 6:08
Norm Power: 222
Distance: 2.303 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 126 250 221 watts
Heart rate: 138 160 155 bpm
Cadence: 80 91 89 rpm

Power-Tap #5:
Duration: 6:00
Norm Power: 223
Distance: 2.244 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 257 223 watts
Heart rate: 137 165 157 bpm
Cadence: 59 93 89 rpm

Power-Tap #7:
Duration: 6:03
Norm Power: 231
Distance: 2.121 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 117 270 231 watts
Heart rate: 137 169 161 bpm
Cadence: 72 91 88 rpm

2min Intrvl #1:
Duration: 2:03
Distance: 0.72 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 176 289 236 watts
Heart rate: 144 167 159 bpm
Cadence: 67 87 83 rpm

2min Intrvl #2:
Duration: 2:01
Distance: 0.698 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 188 260 226 watts
Heart rate: 145 168 160 bpm
Cadence: 79 91 83 rpm

2min Intrvl #3:
Duration: 2:01
Distance: 0.709 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 162 274 234 watts
Heart rate: 152 166 161 bpm
Cadence: 73 87 82 rpm

Thur. 8-7-08
Swim 6a-7
300 warm-up
3 vertical kick
5x50 kick bd
500 free w/zoomers
400 free no zoomers ~:54-57 per 50yd pace
6x75 ~1:22-25 each (guess?)
100 cool
1850 total

Bike pm - QR trainer recovery ride
Entire workout (144 watts):
Duration: 1:01:47 (1:05:23)
Work: 531 kJ
TSS: 43.1 (intensity factor 0.647)
Norm Power: 149
VI: 1.04
Distance: 19.41 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 226 144 watts
Heart rate: 71 143 128 bpm
Cadence: 36 236 85 rpm

Fri. 8-8-08
Bagged planned swim and run attempt, feeling run down.
Yoga – 45mins (video at home)

Caged Runner.

Rock Creek, U.S. Park Stables
2-4-08

Update for the record.

Haven't run since Jan. 6 when the right knee went wacky. Tried once last week, after quite a few days of it feeling fine walking around and biking. Had to abort after .5 mile.

Went to Sport & Spinal for an exam. Very unlikely that there is a discrete/acute injury or problem with the knee or surrounding tendons and ligaments. My upper thigh and glutes are tight and my range of movement for the upper leg is significantly limited. Knee moves (dives? falls? collapses?) to the inside when I perform a standing one-leg squat. My feet are still flat.

All together, text book IT Band syndrome characteristics. As are the symptoms of Jan. 6 and the days thereafter. I know, however, that ITBS is a large catchall bag for many causes and symptoms. Identifying the true cause is difficult, e.g., is a tight muscle pulling the pelvis out of alignment? Or vice versa? It's a chain with many links. Finding the twisted link is the challenge.

Continuing some deep massage work, with the range of motion problem areas providing some guidance. Last visit to the therapist uncovered some real trouble spots, upper hammies and glutes. Me face down on the table, Lara perched on top grinding and driving her knees into my derierre. This may have been the most painful session ever for me. I'm officially a tight ass. I was a sore, but not quite as tight, ass for another 24-48hrs after. After that I was, of course, just my usual ass.

All of this is good news. It may amount to discovery of the underlying cause - the hard part. I'll proceed as if it is for now, focusing on the problem areas for 30-45mins a night on my own.

Tools for nightly muscle manipulation.

Continue to swim, seeing some small improvement. Biking as well. Bike legs are weak but not totally gone. Almost all trainer (hampster wheel) sessions, 60-90mins, long warm ups into some steady efforts then long warm down. All of it sitting up, no time down in the aero bars - no need to put added pull on the IT/glutes.

Got outside for a ride yesterday. 2.5hrs in near 60F mostly sunny no wind. Rock Creek Park. Lots of folks out on Beach Dr. Stopped to see some sights and stretch. Nice to be outdoors.