So far this spring, training has been going exceptionally well. Everything is getting faster, and I'm well-recovered for all my sessions, such that the quality is high when it's supposed to be. The new coach continues to kill me in the pool, but in a way so that I'm getting quicker. (I still can't hold good form all through the workout when it's a tough day, but I'm getting better.) All the numbers on the bike are going up. And then, there's running.
My new system of lots of easy volume with only a touch of high-intensity was working. My training paces were getting faster, and my effort/HR was going down at any given pace. My new form was starting to click and I was about to unearth new speed. And then this happened. The good news is that it's definitely not a stress fracture. The fact that I didn't jump off the table during manipulation ruled that out. Now it's just a nagging tightness that I haven't been able to shake for about 10 days. When I saw the doc last Wednesday, we'd hoped I'd be back at it this weekend, but an easy 3km run on Sunday morning was enough evidence that the foot isn't quite there yet. So I'll try again on Wednesday, or maybe wait until this weekend. I'm hoping this isn't a chronic problem, and given how I think it developed, it shouldn't be. If we look under the causes of inflammation, overuse and too tight shoes are culprits. It's not that I had a dramatic change in volume, but the tenderness started the day after my first significant speed workout. Going from 6x1 minute at I pace with long rest, to 4x3 minute on short rest, probably proved to be too much for my foot. Since I'm in the midst of changing form, I asked too much. As well, so that I wouldn't have any breaks during the workout, I probably tightened my shoes too much and double-knotted so I wouldn't pop a lace. Well, there's two votes for tendinopathy right there, and I'm left with a bad wheel for a bit.
Depending on how quick things come back, I hope my spring race is still on the books, but if it's not, it's not the end of the world. There are more important things going on this year, and many more races in the future. It's frustrating, but I can give it a week to heal now and get years of running pain-free, or force things now and end up retiring early from the sport because I can't shake the injury. Not a difficult decision, especially in a year with no 'A' race, and barely any 'B' races.
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Are you crying yourself to sleep at night on your enormous pillow?
Frustrating for sure, but you've got a great attitude about it (not that I expected anything less). The need to go easy now so that you don't make an acute problem into a chronic one is perfectly clear, from a rational standpoint. But there's always that irrational part of the brain screaming "but, but, I'm losing fitness and that is the end of the world".
It's getting close to one year that I've been on reduced swimming and there are days where that is really frustrating, but it's all worth it for the long term payoff.
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