4.14.2011

Swim, Bike.....Run? No.


I've been a pretty lazy blogger lately, so I figured it's time to finally give an update.  Not long after my last post, I hurt my knee.  Like the last time I hurt my knee in 2008 (torn semimembronosus tendon in my left knee) I didn't feel anything happen.  This time I didn't feel any pain until the next day when my knee was very stiff and sore.

I ignored it and continued to run and even had a really good track workout Tuesday.  But the pain never went away and it was reminiscent of the last time I hurt my knee so I finally broke down and called the doc.  I should have called sooner...like a month ago.

Like before, he said he suspects I have a high pain threshold because I shouldn't be able to withstand the pain while running because I have quite a bit of damage to my knee.  A high pain threshold sounds like a good thing, but it's not.  You can hurt yourself and have no idea you did damage.  I have a pretty good tear in one of my tendons and that lead to damage in two other tendons.  It's much worse than last time (right knee this time).  

It's really disappointing.  Not just because this is my Kona year, but because my running has never been better and the season is just beginning.  Last time I was diagnosed in December so I had all winter to heal and I came into the spring in the best shape of my life.  It worked out for the best because it forced me to slow down and build a good base.  That was when I learned about base building.

This time the season is just beginning.  Crazylegs is in two weeks and I felt like I was finally on track to finally break 30 minutes.  I've been trying to do that for 3 years.  It looks like I'll be a Crazylegs walker this year.  Very disappointing.

And like I said, my running was better than ever.  I was cruising comfortably at a 7:30 pace with my heart rate around 70% of max heart rate.  And even though I took most of the fall off the bike, I was hitting power numbers I've never hit this early in the year so my cycling was coming along really well too.  Training was good.

Now I have to take a month off running.  I can bike and swim all I want so I at least I can do something.  And cycling is my favorite of the 3 sports so it could be worse.  And spring is the time of year that I want to be a cyclist and do bike races, so I guess that what's I'll do for the next 4 weeks. My first bike race is this weekend.  I'll try not to be a lazy blogger and give a race report.

Looking back, I healed fairly quickly last time because I put as much effort into recovery as I did training.  So maybe I can do that this time too and come back quick enough to salvage some of the season.  

So that's where things stand right now.  Injured and feeling sorry for myself.  

Tomorrow morning I'm going to get up, hang up my running shoes, and put on my cycling cap.  Maybe my swim cap too.  

 

9 comments:

Matthew Smith said...

I'm sorry to hear about your leg and how bad it sounds! That sucks! But, now you can focus on the other two sports. Good luck on the race this weekend. I can't wait to hear about it!

KC (my 140 point 6 mile journey) said...

I know how devestating it can feel when you can't run. I always said that if the day ever came where my knees were so wrecked that I couldn't run ever again, that it would be the day I start becoming the best swimmer and cyclist ever. Thankfully, it looks like you will be good to go after a little rest that will feel more like a year than a month. Hang in there! This is a big year for you!

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Laura said...

Oh, man, I hear your pain. I really do. For me, it's a torn soleus so I can swim and bike but not run. Hopefully you're coping better than I am. Not running is a cruel and unusual punishment for this running / tri convert. The only thing you can do is clock up the numbers on the bike and in the pool. Hopefully a month isn't that long!

jenez_world said...

i always look at things as the glass half full and at least you can still bike and swim. imagine if you couldnt do anything ! and you are right - things will be fine if you work just as hard at recovery as you do training. best wishes.

Mike said...

Thanks for the positive comments. Cycling is my favorite of the three sports, so at least I can still do that. And this is a good opportunity to improve my swim. But despite that, motivation is still a struggle right now. It comes and goes. Reading your positive comments helps, so thanks for posting.

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pharmacy said...

The same happened me with my own blog, there are to many things into our minds, so we just can't update it everyday... do not worry about it. It's all about sort the time.

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