myocardial?

Funny, I initially wrote Myocardial instead of myofacial in my last post.  Could you imagine me rolling out my heart muscle with a foam roller??!!

Foam Rollers

Today i used a foam roller i bought at the Sports Authority.  I have been tender in my legs for a while, and I was told that it is a good way to release tension caused by repetitive motion like running.

Verbal instructions i received:  Roll back and forth on this and if you feel a lump, stay on it for 30 seconds. Then roll some more and when you find more lumps, hold them, then roll some more.

Internet instructions:  If you look up foam rollers you will mostly figure out how to curl your hair.  Fortunately, you can wade through those and find some videos on how to use a foam roller.  Luckily, I am a research maniac, and over the last year I have looked at things like Mayofacial release, Active Release Therapy, and so on and so forth.  I am sure I have probably read most of the posts regarding foam rollers that were posted on Trifuel, SlowTwitch, Beginner Triathlete, About.com, and any other one you could possibly think of to look up.  I didn't see that lady with the giant rack who does the burpees and the other Body Motion videos do a video on them yet, but I am sure she will soon.  It seems inevitable.

Anyway, long story short, (yeah right), I started rolling my calves.  Here is the deal, There are basically 3 muscles on the back of your leg.  The two larger ones on each side, and one in the middle, kinda underneath everything.  I am not going to feed you techspeak that I know all about what they are and such, cause I would have to look them up and post what I saw on the internet, you would think i am wicked smart, but I am not.  When looking at MY calf, you see what looks like a tapered wine barrel stuck to a 4x4.  No visible definition between the 3 muscles whatsoever.

This indicates to me that we may have some adhesion issues.  Sure enough, about half way up, i feel a lump.  When i say lump, I mean more like I have unintentionally adhesed, like, a baby's arm, or a 3 foot python or something in my leg.  Rolling over it is painful, and feels like going over speed humps in your car (not a speed bump mind you, if i were actually in my car, my head would have hit the ceiling.).  I have the same tenderness on my IT band, only it is less like a speed hump, and more like driving through a train yard.  Kinda bumpy.  Quads are the same way.

I feel much better after rolling them out.  I think it is going to take some time to get the big ones dissolved...  Also, I forgot to put my workout in here!  I ran 7.5 miles.  About 1.25 hours.  Right on track.  I did about .5 miles barefoot to work on getting the tender feet stronger.

Who knows, maybe by the end of the year I will be Barefoot Somebody or Other.

-Ryan

P.S. - If you have a baby who all of a sudden is missing an arm, please let me know, I will stop rolling, and try to pop it like a zit.  (Mental note:I shouldn't write AFTER the glass of wine.)

bikila?

i am thinking of getting the blue bikila VFFs for running.  I think my wife thinks this is weird.

why no pictures from the rear?

Why do most swim coaches want to see video of someone from the front, from the top, and from the side, but nobody ever asks for video of someone from the rear?  I would think that if the video was taken to one side, then the other, right in the swimmer's wake, you would be able to see some VERY important information.  You could see the amount of the arm that is being used for the pull, you could see the upper body rotation, and the lower body rotation, and you would be able to easily see the depth of kick (as long as the person was not kicking washing machine style.)

Maybe that angle is hard to capture and see...  I need to get me an underwater camera..

up! and down, and up again!

I started typing a book in my own stinking comments, so i thought i would repost here.

  I ran what I thought was 6 (it was really 5.24 according to mapmyrun) on tuesday, and another 5.24 today.  I am going to try to finish the week over 20 miles running.  I think this would be a record for me, even when i was training for the two half iron man (men? halfs?) that i have done previously.  I have to plan that last run, cause it would really suck to get done and then figure out i was .46 miles short of my 20.  I would be running around the house.  People would think i was nuts.
I dont know if you knew this, (i posted on mamarunsbarefoot's blog), but i am gluten free.  Been so for a couple months.  Others in my family are also not eating wheat based products, and between the three of us who are not eating wheat, here are some results:
I just feel better.  I can't explain it exactly, healthier?  I know i tried to eat wheat a couple times since I stopped and had some major GI diestress.  Lower, ickey, nuff said.
I found i am also lactose intolerant.  Bowl of ice cream was like punches from Rocky (the old one, not the young Rocky) then the gas. Whooo!
Others in my family have had issues with acne, constipation (turds the size of a friggin football, i swear!), and depression, all of which are drastically improved with the removal of wheat and gluten.

It is easy to cook, and easy to eat gluten free.  There is special bread if you really have to have it, and you can find anything you need to as a replacement to things if you find you just can't live without it.  It is a little more spendy, and hard to find, but you know what?  if it makes you feel better, i am all for it.

so, 20+ miles this week, strength training, 40+ miles on the bike on saturday in the hills of clermont, and I think i am on my way to a successfull HIM in april (14 weeks, according to the countdown timer).

Thanks for the positive words of encouragement!

bad run

I guess if i am allowed to have a great run, i can also have a bad one.  My stomach was a little queasy even before I left.  Plans were to do 45 minutes, but I changed that to 30 minutes right out of the gate.  Started running and my mp3 player ran out of juice.  Rather than run around with it flopping on my head, i really quick put it back in the house and started again.
My feet feel like lead, and my legs are rusty slinkies.  not wonderful toys.  not fun for anyone, especially me.  My mouth is parched, and has a bad taste, even though i brushed my teeth and have been drinking water.
at 1 mile in i walk for the first time.  at 1.5 miles i walk a little more.  at 2.5 miles i walk because i feel like my tired muscles are just not liking this.  THey feel a little like they did just before i was injured.  I walk the rest of the way because i do not want to take 6weeks off for a torn soleus AGAIN.  Maybe i will feel better tomorrow.
Why do i feel this way?  could be the hard ride i did on friday, followed by the really slow ride on sunday.  i may not be recuperated.  It could be the stupid dog waking me up last night to go out 3 times.  The third time we went downstairs, i filled her water, then she started drinking.  I thought i should sit down a minute while she drank, then i fell asleep.  I awoke to pitter patter of feet upstairs.  I found out this morning she relieved herself before escaping to the bedroom.  Stupid dog.
Could be stress from work, or that I hadn't had anything to eat since 7:30.  I am not sure, but the run sucked.  I hope to get all these out of the way before IMNO 70.3.