Interesting week. I did my first interval workout back, and it went fairly well. A bit slower than my norm, but that's obviously not a surprise - if we kept our fitness when not doing intervals, there wouldn't be much reason to do intervals... It'll be a few weeks before I'm running with my regular group, but I'll get there. Raced a 10K on Sunday, and the result was much the same. I'm not totally fit, but not in bad shape.
Also an interesting observation. Last week I backed my car (actually an SUV) into a pole, resulting in a lengthy body shop stay for the car. Fortunately, I have a generous sig other, who lent me one of his cars (yes, he has cars. He's one of those - a car person). My car is an SUV, the loaner was a sedan.
Around the same time, I started getting another re-occurence of my left piriformis issue - the same one that bugged me on Shamrock race weekend, the same one that I've experienced after other car rides. I kept going in for massages and ART to get it released, kept foam rolling, kept stretching. But it kept coming back. And every time I drove more than a mile, my left hamstring cramped.
Eventually, the lightbulb went off (confirmed by massage guy and ART guy) - the CAR was causing the issue. Specifically, the way I sit. I sit much more upright in my own car - the seat is higher so my knees are at a tighter angle, and the seat's also more vertical. But when I sit or drive in a sedan, the seat is lower, and the overall position more reclined. Hip at a wider angle, legs stretched out in front. And something about that position drives my piriformis nuts, in turn making my whole left leg go wonky.
Got my car back on Friday, drove it all weekend, leg felt fine. I did ride in a cab on Sunday briefly, but the cab was a van, not a sedan, and I also made a point to sit more vertically, with my knees up (of course, I can't drive like that). No major twinges. So mystery solved.
Just means I gotta give a lot of thought next time I go car shopping.
Dailies
Monday: In the morning, 60 minutes of easy pool-running for “6 miles” plus upper body and core strengthwork. Foam rolling at night.
Tuesday: 11.5 miles including an interval workout of 400, 800, 2x1200, 800, 400; split 89, 2:56, 4:26, 4:24, 2:51, 80. Followed with injury prevention work and 20 minutes shakeout pool-running. Foam rolling at night.
Wednesday: In the morning, 9 miles very easy (8:36 pace) followed by yoga. Later did another 5 miles easy (7:53 pace). Foam rolling at night.
Thursday: In the morning, 50 minutes of easy pool-running for “5 miles” followed by upper body strength training and some injury prevention work. Foam-rolling at night.
Friday: In the morning, 8 miles, including a mile pick-up (6:17). Foam rolling at night.
Saturday: In the morning, 2000 yards swimming breathing drills. Foam-rolling at night.
Sunday: In the morning, 3 mile warm-up, and then 10K race in 39:15. 20 minutes shakeout pool-running in the afternoon; yoga and foam rolling at night.
The car is a killer. Whenever I have to drive more than a few times a week, my piriformis gets annoyed.
ReplyDeleteI've had that problem with my car! (DH's car more so, hips lock up too) Noticed it more today after Parkway 10 miler yesterday - hills tightened hams, and up to the piriformis it went. It was quite bad in January, and I had to do a long car trip - sat on a folded blanket wedge, made a huge difference. I started looking for car cushions but then it improved, not sure why. I should probably get a cushion to keep handy...or find that blanket.
ReplyDeleteI just out 2 and 2 together recently that now that I have to drive every day my entire posterior chain is WAY tight. I still don't know how to fix it, but it is a very noticeable difference from when I never drove.
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