Logging

I will admit to being a total gadget freak and also a spreadsheet and graph addict when it comes to exercise.  If i couldn't track my workouts down to the minute, second, calorie and stroke, i wouldn't be half as motivated.  Not sure what it is that makes it so important, but it is, and i'll take anything to make working out easier.  If you recall, i started this blog to help with motivation, to keep me focused.

I have all the gadgets: a Garmin Forerunner 305 - wouldn't dream of running without it, a Poolmate swim watch - how did i manage to count laps before?; a odometer on my bike and a dailymile account - one of 2 digital forms i log in to, the other being on my ipod touch in a running log app.   So i can easily track what i am doing, though both have negatives.

So i decided to start a simple spread sheet.  I do love Google Docs and i have a ton of spreadsheets for all sorts of stuff on GDocs.  GF muffin recipe trials; expenses; LadyCorpus inventory (which is my label for bags i make and sell). and training plans of past.  As you can see below, its pretty simple but easily gives me monthly totals and clearly shows my rest days. I'm not so happy with this part.  I can see now that i am not working quite as hard as i would like.  My ipod app has a rest day on the calender but its been out of action for a month now: the battery is so dead it wont charge, so i haven't noticed my streak of rest days this month.

When i do work out , i work out hard, but i need to be more frequent.  February, i will make it so.

I'd definitely like to be getting higher running mileage than that, but currently i'm getting some knee pain and couldn't run on Wednesday. I did the elliptical instead and had no problems.  My colleague physio who is an avid runner immediately asked how old my shoes were.  Well, yeah, they are 500-600 miles old, over a year, they are my first pair i bought a year ago.  So i have some new ones on order - Hubby is bringing them from the States so until then, i will be doing less running and nothing for a week i think, well, at least 4 more days, then i may just have to try!

 But for sure, definitely LESS rest days in February!!

Frustrated

So I haven't run since Monday and i am not going to today.  AND IT SUCKS!!  So i set off on monday and as noted i was feeling twinges on my right medial calcaneus, which made me hobble about for a bit.  As well as having to navigate over snow and ice patches.  Eventually it stopped twinging and i ran my 3ish miles.  Later that day my left side starts hurting and its right on the Achilles tendon.  I'm worried.  I iced it, it felt better.  

The next day, it was the same, i iced it and tried not to over stretch it apart from some slow mini stretches to see how it would feel.  It actually felt okay. It wasn't real pain, not the burning that i read about, but i can feel it just niggling.  I am scared its Achilles tendonitis, I am aware how long tendons take to heal and wanted to nip it in the bud right away if it is.  

Yesterday i did some Wii fit. I tried to avoid any jumping stuff, but it was hard. It wasn't painful, again, i could just feel it.  After that 30 minue workout - which was 15 minutes of core stuff anyway, i could feel it more. I iced it again.  

Last night, i was limping when i was out to dinner, my work leaving do, so i iced it again when i got home.  The problem is that i am self diagnosing as i don't have health insurance any longer and i'm not entirely sure what is going on.  I am scared its Achilles tendonitis but it could be a sprain too.  I tried to palpate and do the test for the Achilles tendonitis but it doesn't hurt, unless i grab further round in to my muscles.  Obviously i'm no doctor, as much as i know anatomy and understand the body, i don't know how to palpate appropriately to diagnose.  So i'm just talking an educated guess.

After looking at the miles i've done in week totals, i definitely didn't abide by the 10% rule. In the last week i ran a long 5miles(tue), then did hills(thur) then did tempo(sat) then an easy 3(sun) then the random 3(mon) where i hurt at the beginning.  So maybe that was too much?  Or was it that i was running funny for a little bit on Monday and i pulled something? Grrr. 

Today i haven't really walked any, but i feel it a little bit. I am going to go swimming today and keep all fingers crossed that i can run tomorrow. Its my birthday and I'm getting a Garmin, and i REALLY want to run tomorrow with it.  I also just really want to run, which is still a little weird to me.  The one thing this has brought though, is that i am going to be super careful with mileage increases, increases in training in general, not be so aggressive with hills and speed all at once.  And to make sure i have a really good stretching routine, especially because i wear heels a LOT.

So keep your fingers crossed i feel better tomorrow.

I did have a lovely evening with my old work colleagues last night. It was super they showed up to send me off, with a lovely bunch of flowers and well wishes for my future and travels.  They really are a great bunch of people who i will miss greatly.  

February Flash Back

I use Dailymile to track my workouts, as well as a running log on my ipod and on my Google calender come to think of it.  That seems like a lot now I have listed them, but my calender is my training schedule, DM is actual miles and workouts and Running Log logs just that, runs, not any cross training. So I've noticed I like to see graphs and numbers and thought I should add them here to share with you.

First here we have distance/running/4 weeks

Running in days. 

Running miles in Week.

Week nine is this week and i have a painful heal.

And this is just my cycling miles

Anyone any thoughts on if i over did it?

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