Training Log Archive: Bash

I've got a 50-miler in six weeks but my gimpy ankle is making it a challenge to train the way I'd like to. I wore an ankle brace and did a slow-paced run mostly in the area between Palgrave and Caledon East, traveling on rail trail and hilly paved and gravel roads. There is a surprising amount of climb from Caledon East to Palgrave. There was some good country scenery and I was listening to tunes but it was still boooooring. If road running were my only option forever, I would give up running. Nice to see Keith S. on his way home from mountain biking - amazingly the only familiar face I saw all day.

We're on puppy watch for the next few days. BazingaDog ate the bones of an entire cooked chicken. So now we wait and hope for the best. Fingers tightly crossed.

Included extra ankle strength and flexibility stuff. While watching The Daily Show.

Salomon Dontgetlost.ca Raid The Hammer is sold out!

My ankle felt improved yesterday after strength/flexibility exercises and a bit of treadmill running, so today I strapped on the Active Ankle brace and my ultra-stable Salomon XA Pros and went for a run around the block. We live on a big country block that is hilly by road running standards. About 2/3 of the route is gravel road.

I've usually done this as a tempo run but today was just a test of my ankle. It was stiff at the start but improved steadily. The only noticeable issue was that I wasn't always committing to the injured leg so I ended up with more fatigue in the other leg - same thing I noticed after Sunday's long run. I'm happy with this progress. The trails in my 50-miler are not that technical, according to Dee - just hilly. So I guess there will be some country road running in my future.

Charm has sent me some great info on other types of ankle braces. I'm keen to experiment.

A few years ago, there were several cougar (aka mountain lion) sightings near our place. When looking into it, I learned that cougars are not considered to be native to our area anymore but they show up in southern Ontario, and the Ministry of Natural Resources believes them to be escaped captives. A local veterinarian told us that he has treated well-fed pet cougars up to 400 lb.

So the recent exotic animal incident in Ohio is interesting and scary. Here's a crazy fact... According to a recent World Wildlife Fund report, there are an estimated 5,000 captive tigers in the U.S.—a number that far exceeds the approximately 3,200 individuals believed to exist in the wild in Asia. Wow!

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2010/10/21...

Alas, they are saying that my boy Andy doesn't have much of a chance in next year's Tour de France, given the emphasis on the individual time trial and the reduced emphasis on climbing. Should be another good year for Cadel.
http://www.outsideonline.com/blog/outdoor-adventur...

Wouldn't normally log this dog hike on uneven trails wearing an Active Ankle brace but I'm trying to track what I do for reference the next time I turn an ankle. (And of course, there *will* be a next time!)

Two big trees are down on the 1K F&M Loop. When you live beside a forest, you develop a lot of respect for the wind. 'Bent was officially banned from commuting home via trail last night.

Just long enough to realize that the bike trainer isn't any easier on my ankle than walking or running. And I had to use my hands to unclip from the pedal, even wearing an ankle brace. Boo.

Unfortunately (because I dislike it more), the treadmill felt better. I just ran for a short time to test the concept and see if it makes my ankle sore later. At least it is specific training for my upcoming events. Sort of.

With extra emphasis on ankle strength and flexibility. This all felt really good.

I'm a little behind (everything takes longer with a puppy in the house) but here is my report from our Wilderness Traverse course scouting trip last week.

As I'd asked him to, Thumbs-of-Death spent considerable time causing extreme pain today as he attempted to jam bones into the correct place in my foot. Apparently, when you have messed up the ligaments with enough ankle sprains in your life, the bones go their own merry way and you end up with a tight calf and all sorts of other problems.

He's cleared me to do most activities wearing an ankle brace - although 5-hour runs are not on the list for a little while. I can and should work on ankle flexibility/strength exercises even if they hurt. It's important for the scar tissue to form in such a way that I have the right range of motion. I should avoid situations where the ankle could turn again, hence the brace.

I'd hoped to ride the trainer today since my ankle isn't ready for running yet. Turns out it isn't ready for the trainer either. Ice, compression, ibuprofen, rest, elevation... I got exactly what I deserved from running 5 hours on a sprained ankle so I'm not moping about it. It is swollen and colourful but it is improving.