Training log - Week ending 10/29/2017

This week was 37 miles of running and 11 "miles" of pool-running -- training log is here.

This week was imbalanced - very light at the beginning, and then more activity on the weekend.  That's because I did another round of prolotherapy injections in my left SI joint on Tuesday, necessitating a few light days.

The background is that I have an issue with lax ligaments in several key places - my lumbar vertebrae, my SI joints (left more than right), and my ankles (right more than left).  Ligaments that are too loose result in unstable joints.  Tendons and muscles take up the slack (literally) and are overstressed as a result.  I went through a long period of injury until we figured this out.

So I get my stretched out ligaments tightened up periodically with prolotherapy injections to keep me healthy.   I only get injections when I need them - generally that's ended up being around 18 months to 2 years between injections.

During the latter part of this past training cycle I noted that I was having to pop my left SI joint into place with increasing frequency.  I started having to do it daily, and then more than once a day.  At the same time, my left hip was getting stiff and sticky in all directions, and my left side sciatica was flaring (and it had been almost 2 years since the last injection in that joint).   All indications were that I needed to get that SI joint injected again to tighten up stuff and stop a chain reaction.  

(the chain reaction is: - stretched out SI joint ligaments -> unstable SI joint - > muscles on left side, including hip rotators, overworking -> tight rotator muscles press on sciatic nerve->sciatica and uneven gait->eventual injury).

So, having gotten through my marathon, now was the time to get that fixed.  

In the past, my doctor has allowed me to run the day after the injections - the instructions have been to avoid hard running for a day or two, and to avoid the pool for 48 hours post-injection.  This time, he asked me to hold off on all running for a day or two.  The reasoning was that he had injected a lot into the joint this time, and was worried the ligaments would be "soft" for a bit - better safe than sorry.

I wasn't happy with the prospect of not being allowed to run, pool-run, or swim, even for a day.  I've been working through some post-marathon depression, and being deprived of my outlet was honestly challenging.  But, avoiding injury was the whole point of the prolo to begin with, so I complied and went for a walk instead.

(Side observation - 40 minutes of walking is far more tiring than 40 minutes of running.  Very odd.) 

By the weekend, I was good to go, and jumped back into moderate mileage, including some not-easy-but-not-hard running on Saturday (aka moderate).  I'm still feeling a slight bit of marathon fatigue, but it's lifting, as is my post-race depression.  And my left side feels amazingly better.


Dailies

Monday: Foam rolling, yoga, and 6 "miles" of pool-running.

Tuesday: 4.5 miles very easy (9:45 pace) plus some light injury prevention work, and then prolotherapy in my left SI joint.

Wednesday: Walking, yoga, and foam-rolling.

Thursday:  Upper body weights/core and 5 "miles" of pool-running; foam rolling at night. (injections were at 6:30 am on Tuesday, so 7:30 am on Thursday was technically 48 hours post-injection)

Friday: 5 miles very easy (9:22) to yoga, yoga, and then another 5.5 miles very easy (8:58), plus drills and 2 strides.  Foam rolling in the evening.

Saturday: 12 miles aerobic (7:50), and then upper body weights and core.  Foam rolling in afternoon.

Sunday:  10 miles easy (8:39) plus drills and two strides.  Foam rolling at night.