System Check

Here I am 30 weeks out from my 100 mile race and things haven’t seemed to be going my way as far as the running goes.  So I decided it was time to step back and do a “System Check” to get a better perspective.  I often do a systems check when I am running to make sure everything is doing what it is supposed to be.  It usually goes something like this:

Feet?  Waterlogged but fine.

Legs?  Heavy but fine. 

Stomach?  Not erupting so fine. 

Shoulders?  Relaxed. 

Head?  Still bald but I feel the hair growing.  Or not. 

Brain?  Brain?  Brain?  Dammit, answer me!  Okay, it must be chillin’ so fine.

Of course, for the past few months the answer for everything is usually either hot, wet or chafed.  And tired.

For this system check, I wanted to do an overall big picture check.  I am starting to put in some more miles, so I really need to make sure my body is responding as it should.  Actually, after my run this morning, I figured out I ran almost 80 miles in the past 11 days.  Fortunately, I have 3 days off coming up to recover!  So here is my system check with a little help from the Operation man.

As my usual method, I will start with the bottom up.

• Sloth Toe – For whatever reason, my second toes on my feet are a little longer than the big toe.  This should not be a problem, but evidently I must either raise or curl that toe when I run because the ends of the toe have a callous on them.  I have tried bigger shoes, but it still does it.  The callous is big enough to raise my toenail which is now black.  Par for the course with ultra running.

• DO NOT TOUCH – My Achilles tendon on my left foot is sensitive to the touch.  It doesn’t hurt when I run.  It doesn’t hurt when I walk.  It only hurts when I touch it.  So I don’t touch it.

• HUH??? – Just below my left knee cap also hurts when I touch it.  I have never had knee problems before.  Same cure applies as previous issue.

• Shoe Leather – The insides of my thighs have chafed so many times that it is now similar to shoe leather.  Of course, shoe leather that hurts like hell every time I take a shower after running!  I rarely cry except at funerals and when Lucas almost died after not catching the football, but this is the next closest time to me crying.

• Nuclear – I should rename my stomach Chernobyl.  I have gone from being able to eat a lot of random crap while running with no problem, to hurling on the side of the road with Gatorade and GU.  I am still blaming this one on the heat.

• Steel Cable – I usually carry all of my stress in the muscles of my shoulders.  Of course, lately I have been stress free (Lara turned 18 yesterday, Mason has his learner’s permit and this week is state meet, work is busy, etc.).  Add to all of that carrying 1000# of fluids in either handheld bottles or a camel bak, and my shoulders are beyond tight.

• Questionable – I am not sure where my head is at these days.  I have never gone in to a race with the concept that I might not finish.  Neither of my Ironman triathlons or the 50 mile trail run put enough fear in me to consider it.  But with those races, I had a lot of great training leading up to it.  With my current training difficulties, my head is still fuzzy.  I know I will go until I collapse, but the possibility of collapsing is greater than I would like right now.

Surprisingly, I am pretty optimistic overall about how my body is holding up.  The heat can be blamed for 95% of my troubles.  And when the Fall rolls around and the early morning temps drop below 80 degrees, I expect to see my running “feel”  improve greatly.

So now I am taking 3 days off.  Of course, I will be doing a lot of interval heart rate work.  We have the state swim meet and Mason is swimming the 100m fly, 200m fly, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 800m freestyle and the 1500m freestyle.  Plus the occasional relay.  And I will be screaming my head off the entire time!

I am off to pack.  Have a great day!

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