What to do with dodgy knees? I think we have by now established that I am currently running at the absolute limit of my knees endurance. I had originally had in mind that on the non-running days I would continue to get some form of exercise by walking. I had formed the habit some time ago (and lost it again) of walking up Mt Oakey every day at lunch time. This is pretty close to exactly an hour round trip from my office and is very satisfying as you can walk along some of Canerra's wonderful network of bike paths through these lovely green belts even though you are in the middle of suburbia. I could quite literally walk out the door of my 22 storey office building, wak 100 feet, cross a road (on a pedestrian crossing) and be on the path. Up to the trig station, do the Rocky dance and walk back down again.
But I can barely walk at all between sessions. I shuffle along in these half strides trying to protect my knees. What to do?
Well, I went to a swimming lesson at the local pool today. Yep at 40 I decided it was time to learn to swim properly. Many of you know my parent's house has a pool and I'd certainly spent a lot of summer days in there, but to be honest I can't really swim. So I enrolled in a swim class this morning (at least I hope I did as there was some issue of them inexplicably giving my spot away while I was IN the class!) Hopefully they will call me with good news on Monday. There are 17 more weeks of class to go ( I missed the first 2 weeks). So I am hoping that every Sat morning will see me learning to swim. After the class I spent another 15 minutes flapping randomly up the slow lane for a little bit extra. Worked up quite an appetite too!
I was having trouble with water getting in my nose but I think I may have finally figured out was I was doing wrong. I was breathing out my nose and I think that might have been hampering the formation of a decent seal. In any case after 15 or so more minutes I finally managed to actually complete a 25 m lap without stopping, inhaling a lung full of water or having to stop to regain my composure.
While I wasn't hurting my knees while swimming I sure was using them cause they were stiff afterwards for about an hour or so.
My aim with the swimming classes is to become proficient enough just to swim laps.
So here's another 'SMART' goal.
Swim Goal #1: Swim 50m freestyle without stopping by the end of Feb
Friday, February 4, 2011
Technical Genius
After an hour or so cursing my cycling computer the other night, I implemented the radical technical solution of pointing the Infrared dongle thingy at the actual IR window on my CS600x rather than just the face of it (as it shows in the online manual mind). And what do you know? It worked instantly. Who'd have thought it?
Anyway couple of HR charts for your elucidation.
First W2R3 6x 1.5 min intervals. You can clearly see the 6 intervals in which I slightly increased the speed.
Now look at W3R1 with 2x 1.5 min then 3 min intervals. Notice how the second peak (8.6km/h is well up into the red zone) whereas the first interval (8.5km/h) isn't quite as high. Its nice to be able to explain physiologically what I was feeling experientially. It somehow makes it 'ok'. Half of this is about tricking your mind that you are succeeding and therefore not self sabotaging.
Anyway couple of HR charts for your elucidation.
First W2R3 6x 1.5 min intervals. You can clearly see the 6 intervals in which I slightly increased the speed.
Now look at W3R1 with 2x 1.5 min then 3 min intervals. Notice how the second peak (8.6km/h is well up into the red zone) whereas the first interval (8.5km/h) isn't quite as high. Its nice to be able to explain physiologically what I was feeling experientially. It somehow makes it 'ok'. Half of this is about tricking your mind that you are succeeding and therefore not self sabotaging.
Small Change Big Effect
First off a goal statement
Mini Goal #3: Finish the 3 scheduled W3 runs on Friday, Sunday, and Tuesday
Today was the first of the week 3 runs (W3R1). This marks a relatively significant jump in the length of the run intervals. W1 has 1 minute intervals. W2 has 1.5 minute intervals. W3, however, jumps to 3 minute intervals and I wasn’t sure how I was going to cope with that.
My knees were quite sore before the run today. Last night I didn’t take an anti-inflammatory (I just forgot to as I ate my dinner). So I decided not to take one this morning and to see how things went. Last night I couldn’t sleep because of the aching/pain in my knees and in the end after 3 hours I got up and took some panadol to take the edge off enough for me to get a few hours rest.
As a result I have been quite tired throughout the day, but I was determined to keep my appointment with a treadmill! I had my previously mentioned plan in mind. Start the running intervals at a sedate 8.5 km/h to monitor how my heart rate behaved over the 3 minutes. I didn’t want to exhaust myself and especially my leg muscles as I am relying on them protecting my knees. Tired muscles equals more strain on the already punished knees.
The first interval after the warm up was very hard as my knees (and especially my left knee) was very painful (limping kind of painful). It stayed very painful throughout the first 90 second interval.
The next interval though was one of the aforementioned 3 minute intervals. Three times as long as those from just 2 weeks ago and twice as long as last weeks. My plan to start on 8.5 km/h turned out to be the most brilliant guess so far. My HR climbed steadily for a couple of minutes then started to plateau a bit, finishing off at (I think) 160. Up there at the top end of Zone 4, definitely anaerobic but before the lactate threshold I think. I turned out to be doable. A bit of an effort but I got through it without thinking “I can’t do this”. Also the pain in my knee settled down a bit as it had warmed up to the work it was doing. Or perhaps I was focussing on other things enough that I put it to the back of my mind.
A three minute walk, 90 second run interval, and 90 second walk later I was ready for the last run interval, the second 3 minute challenge. Riding on a wave of confidence I set the speed to 8.6 km/h rather than 8.5 km/h thinking that I was relatively comfortable for the first 3 mins. Oh. My. God. I can still barely believe how much difference 0.1 km/h would make. My heart rate climbed faster and I begun to really labour for breath as the third minute started. At the thirty seconds to go mark I thought I would not be able to finish. I was thinking of reducing the pace so that I could finish the interval but pushed on for the longest 30 seconds so far. My HR up to 170 when the interval finally finished and I could feel my body not being able to keep up enough oxygen no matter how fast and deep I tried to gulp in air and how fast my heart was trying to shift it around my body.
8.5 km/h a challenge but totally doable. 8.6 km/h a real struggle. So picking 8.5 (just a wildly lucky guess) proved to be the difference between me having my first 3 minute interval with the result “I can do this” rather than “I can’t go any further”. I wonder how successful I would have been if I had started at 8.6 instead and struggled in the first long interval. Would I have been as motivated to finish as I was?
So LESSON LEARNED: Its better to start a bit slow and build up to your limit than to push yourself a fraction more and demotivate yourself.
Speaking of motivation. Some of you have been following and encouraging me on facebook and I want to tell you that I have gained a great deal of motivation as a result. And those of you who sent some personal messages describing your own journeys I can only say that they have been uplifting tales that have encouraged me to persevere.
And finishing with an achievement. Mini Goal #2 – Achieved. Win.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Putting my Heart Into It
For W2R3 I added a little something to the mix. I took my fancy cycling computer. In addition to all the regular things a cycling computer does (speed, distance, cadence, etc) my fancy one is also a heart rate monitor with training zones. It gives you ‘time in zone’ information and can download it all to my PC and other fancy features.
Just for reference it is also designed to work the other way. That is, you can prepare a training plan (10 mins in zone 2, 5 mins in zone 4, 1 min in zone 5, etc) and then upload that to the computer and it gives you audible queues to help you keep in the planned heart rate zones while riding)
Anyway, I took it for W2R3 just for the sake of adding some interesting empirical evidence to complement the perceived effort information I was experiencing.
I have begun to write this post without first consulting the recorded data so that I can give my perception first. I felt I was pacing pretty well for the 90 second run intervals although as I mentioned in What a Difference 90 Seconds Makes I was starting to flag a bit towards the end of the intervals. This is reflected in my observations of my heart rate during the intervals. Starting from a base of about 125–130 bpm at the beginning of the interval, my heart rate climbed at a fairly steady rate throughout the interval to peak at 160+ by the end of the interval. I was increasing the tempo slightly throughout the intervals: 8.8 for 2 intervals; 8.9 for next 2; and 9.0 for last 2). The last interval I peaked at 167 and its fair to say my perception was that the rate of increase in heart rate was starting to plateau, however it was continuing to rise throughout the entire 90 second of the last interval.
Why is this important? Well a combination of two facts.
Firstly for me heart zone 5 (90%-100% of Maximum Heart Rate) begins somewhere in the low 160s. Using the (quite dodgy) formula of MHR=220-age gives a figure of 180. This is a rule of thumb of course and the only way to know with any great certainty is to average a number of threshold tests designed specifically for identifying fitness thresholds. My fancy heart rate monitor has an inbuilt test that predicts MHR based on resting heart rate and that is what is programmed in at the moment. In any case 167 bpm is almost certainly into zone 5 for me. Zone 4 is the anaerobic threshold zone, Zone 5 is flat out (and also anaerobic). It is simply not possible to sustain extended periods in Z5. Part of the reason is that this zone is also beyond the lactate threshold whereby lactic acid clearance rates from the muscles cannot keep up with the amount of lactic acid being generated.
Secondly, W3 runs herald a significant challenge in that the longest running intervals jump from 1½ minutes to 3 minute intervals. This means that I could be up in anaerobic zones for the best part of 3 minutes, and if I have a relatively accurate MHR figure, then in Z5 for up to 2 minutes. This might not be physically possible for a fellow of my dubious fitness.
Knowledge is power, I need a plan.
For W3R1 I will wind the speed of the 3 minute intervals back to say 8.5 for the first 3 minute interval so I can make an assessment about where I can expect my HR to plateau for that particular pace. Maybe if I can get my HR to plateau out at about 160 bpm by running slightly slower than I have been then that will keep me at the top end of Z4 (still anaerobic for sure) rather than up in the flat out region of Z5. My theory is that this will give me a chance to complete the 3 minute run interval. I’ll keep trying to regulate my breathing and cadence with long deep breathes as a focal point for my mind. In for 3 strides, out for 3 strides.
Towards the end of the programme I am hoping that I will have improved my fitness sufficiently that I can run (even at a slow pace) while maintaining a HR in Z3 (which is aerobic). That is, my cardio respiratory system will be efficient enough to maintain a sufficient supply of oxygen to my body to maintain a slow pace without tripping the anaerobic threshold. Once that happens, ‘time in zone’ becomes the enemy rather than other limiting factors (like knees or muscle fatigue).
Although I have decided not to focus on heart zone training as a methodology for this programme (I am sticking purely to the programme as planned) it is useful information in understanding my own physiology and aids in planning around what is happening to my body as I put it under this stress 3 times a week. It also lets me regulate my speed down without guilt, knowing that I am aiming to win the war, not just the battle.
It also gives me cool numbers that act as indicators of fitness. But not today. As it turned out I spent a frustrating hour or so trying to get my cycling computer to sync with my pc using the dodgy it interface. No luck and it delayed this post by a couple of days while I fussed about it. But I'm running again today at lunch so I wanted to get this out first
Just for reference it is also designed to work the other way. That is, you can prepare a training plan (10 mins in zone 2, 5 mins in zone 4, 1 min in zone 5, etc) and then upload that to the computer and it gives you audible queues to help you keep in the planned heart rate zones while riding)
Anyway, I took it for W2R3 just for the sake of adding some interesting empirical evidence to complement the perceived effort information I was experiencing.
I have begun to write this post without first consulting the recorded data so that I can give my perception first. I felt I was pacing pretty well for the 90 second run intervals although as I mentioned in What a Difference 90 Seconds Makes I was starting to flag a bit towards the end of the intervals. This is reflected in my observations of my heart rate during the intervals. Starting from a base of about 125–130 bpm at the beginning of the interval, my heart rate climbed at a fairly steady rate throughout the interval to peak at 160+ by the end of the interval. I was increasing the tempo slightly throughout the intervals: 8.8 for 2 intervals; 8.9 for next 2; and 9.0 for last 2). The last interval I peaked at 167 and its fair to say my perception was that the rate of increase in heart rate was starting to plateau, however it was continuing to rise throughout the entire 90 second of the last interval.
Why is this important? Well a combination of two facts.
Firstly for me heart zone 5 (90%-100% of Maximum Heart Rate) begins somewhere in the low 160s. Using the (quite dodgy) formula of MHR=220-age gives a figure of 180. This is a rule of thumb of course and the only way to know with any great certainty is to average a number of threshold tests designed specifically for identifying fitness thresholds. My fancy heart rate monitor has an inbuilt test that predicts MHR based on resting heart rate and that is what is programmed in at the moment. In any case 167 bpm is almost certainly into zone 5 for me. Zone 4 is the anaerobic threshold zone, Zone 5 is flat out (and also anaerobic). It is simply not possible to sustain extended periods in Z5. Part of the reason is that this zone is also beyond the lactate threshold whereby lactic acid clearance rates from the muscles cannot keep up with the amount of lactic acid being generated.
Secondly, W3 runs herald a significant challenge in that the longest running intervals jump from 1½ minutes to 3 minute intervals. This means that I could be up in anaerobic zones for the best part of 3 minutes, and if I have a relatively accurate MHR figure, then in Z5 for up to 2 minutes. This might not be physically possible for a fellow of my dubious fitness.
Knowledge is power, I need a plan.
For W3R1 I will wind the speed of the 3 minute intervals back to say 8.5 for the first 3 minute interval so I can make an assessment about where I can expect my HR to plateau for that particular pace. Maybe if I can get my HR to plateau out at about 160 bpm by running slightly slower than I have been then that will keep me at the top end of Z4 (still anaerobic for sure) rather than up in the flat out region of Z5. My theory is that this will give me a chance to complete the 3 minute run interval. I’ll keep trying to regulate my breathing and cadence with long deep breathes as a focal point for my mind. In for 3 strides, out for 3 strides.
Towards the end of the programme I am hoping that I will have improved my fitness sufficiently that I can run (even at a slow pace) while maintaining a HR in Z3 (which is aerobic). That is, my cardio respiratory system will be efficient enough to maintain a sufficient supply of oxygen to my body to maintain a slow pace without tripping the anaerobic threshold. Once that happens, ‘time in zone’ becomes the enemy rather than other limiting factors (like knees or muscle fatigue).
Although I have decided not to focus on heart zone training as a methodology for this programme (I am sticking purely to the programme as planned) it is useful information in understanding my own physiology and aids in planning around what is happening to my body as I put it under this stress 3 times a week. It also lets me regulate my speed down without guilt, knowing that I am aiming to win the war, not just the battle.
It also gives me cool numbers that act as indicators of fitness. But not today. As it turned out I spent a frustrating hour or so trying to get my cycling computer to sync with my pc using the dodgy it interface. No luck and it delayed this post by a couple of days while I fussed about it. But I'm running again today at lunch so I wanted to get this out first
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
What a difference a half minute makes
Mini Goal #2 – Complete the 3 week 2 runs on the scheduled days (Friday, Sunday, Tuesday)
Week two pattern:
- Walk 5 mins
- Run 90 seconds (x6 times) with 2 minute walks in between
- Walk 5 mins
I also reluctantly made the decision to let myself take some Diclofenac Sodium tablets. These are NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). Voltaren is an example. In any case I have a repeat prescription I use for chronic issues I have with my neck and back. The problem is you can’t take them ad infinitum as they have some nasty side effects (like kidney failure, stomach ulcers and strokes). But a week or so then off them again is ok. They definitely have helped reduce the pain in my knees. I start to get pain again towards the end of the day as the morning one wears and when I wake in the morning as the evening one wears off.
This decision was made easier by the fact that my neck/shoulder is playing up again and is stiff and painful. I’d probably have taken them anyway to try to fix that up so it’s a ‘happy’ coincidence. Interestingly, the pain in my neck/shoulder seemed to reduce during the run as my body warmed up. But sitting here at a desk and keyboard I can really feel it!
I was in for a bit of a surprise though. Having completed with first week’s 60 second intervals with relative ease (fitness wise) I was a little surprised how much difference the extra 30 seconds made. I was getting quite puffed towards the end of the 90 second intervals on W2R1 (that’s Week 2 Run 1 – I’ll use this abbreviation system from now on).
As surprising as that was, I was just as surprised during W2R2 to find that I could more comfortably complete the 90 second intervals just 2 days later. I’ve seen this training effect before in cycling. At the beginning the improvements are marked and obvious. After a month or so it starts to plateau out a bit. The C25K programme increases the ante every week though to keep your fitness under mild strain and ‘outrun’ the training plateau effect. Hope I can keep up!
I’m trying not to focus on weight loss as a goal, although obviously that is a primary concern, but it’s worth noting that the W1 and W2 sessions seem to burn about 300 calories each time. So a good contribution to the energy balance equation. Weight Loss as a goal can be demotivating as it can be a bit variable. Setting my goals around completing the runs scheduled in the programme means I either go to the gym and do the run…or I don’t. If I crack and eat a cupcake, or have an extra potato it doesn’t compromise anything. I don’t stand on the wheel of fortune and hope the numbers come up half a kilo lighter this week in order to measure the success of my goal. If I go to the gym for half an hour 3 times this week on Friday, Sunday, and Tuesday…then I have done what I said I would do and achieved my goal. Win.
Finished W2R3 at lunchtime today. Quite a lot of discomfort in the knees and now 8 hours later they are quite stiff again. Two days rest now should help and then the first of the W3 runs on friday. W3 definitely ups the ante with two 3 minute run intervals during each session. That will test me!
Today I focussed on breathing. I forced myself to breathe deeper as I ran. Rather than shorter gasping breathes I made myself breathe in deeply for three strides then out for three strides. I think this helps maintain a rythmic pace and gives the mind something to focus on as you run. A bit like in meditation. Rather than let the mind wander and worry about the pain in me knees or whether I am fit enough to keep running, I focus on the act of breathing. In for 3 strides out for 3. I toyed with the idea of actually engaging in 'qualified round of breathing' meditation (a Shamatha meditation technique that I suspect is specially designed for us flappy minded westerners). But that was a bridge too far. In for 3 out for 3 it was.
7 weeks to go of the progamme.
I've caught up now (blogwise). Normal reporting from here on.
7 weeks to go of the progamme.
I've caught up now (blogwise). Normal reporting from here on.
Mini Goal #2 achieved. Win.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Gone in 60 Seconds
Mini Goal #1 – Complete the 3 week 1 runs on the scheduled days (Friday, Sunday, Tuesday)
Week one of the C25K programme is simple:
- Walk for 5 minutes
- Run for 1 minute (x8 times) with a 1½ minute walk in between
- Walk for 5 minutes
This proved to be very achievable. On the first run I started with a pace of 8.0 km/h for the run and increased it by 0.1 on each of the runs. No problems there. For the second run I started on 8.0 and increased it 0.2 each interval finishing on a speed of 9.4 km/h for the last interval. No problems there either. On the third run of Week One I peaked at 9.6 km/h. The old knees started to stiffen after the 3rd run and were beginning to ache. This was a warning sign (or if you are a PRINCE2 certified project manager a 'signpost of danger'). I needed to adjust my strategy of ever increasing the pace.
I did a bit of reading and one suggestion was to make the walks in between the run intervals less brisk. The theory here is that a leisurely walk reduces the stress and gives the bits a pieces in your legs a chance to recover in between the intervals, stopping them from tiring or becoming exhausted. Exhusted leg muscles give less support and put more strain on the tendons/ligaments. Ok that makes sense. So rather than belting along at 5.5km/h during the walking phases (which feels like a vigourous walk to my 5'8" frame) I reduced to 5.2 km/h. This small reduction turned out to be enough to make it a comfortable pace.
I had also been taking longer strides as I was increasing the pace. This was a natural response to the treadmill moving faster. As the pace increased I would stride out more to keep up. My reading revealed however, that this too increases the strain on your knees and that the way to increase pace without compromising your knee health is to increase the tempo of your strides but keep them short. This reduces the impact and stretching strain on your muscles and other bits and pieces. Ok, that made sense too. I had a plan for the next few runs.
But the important thing was that I had completed Week 1 of the programme, on the days I said I would.
Mini Goal #1 – Achieved!
Stepping Stones
No preamble, not waxing lyrical, straight to brass tacks.
GOAL #1 – complete a 5km running event by the end of April 2011.
This is one of those ‘SMART’ goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Not only is it doable, but it allows me some leeway in measuring success. Success is not dependant on running the entire 5km, that would be “run an entire 5km running event by the end of April 2011”. I'm going to finish the race and run for as much of it as I can.
You’ll also notice that this is goal #1. The implication is, of course, that there will be other goals. I have these in mind of course, but I am deliberately not specifying them yet. One goal at a time. They are stepping stones. You must first be standing on one stone to reach the next. I’m standing on the shore and this is the first stone. And it’s doable. I can reach this stone from ‘here’.
I used to run every morning. Of course I was 16 or 17 then. I kept it up for a little while when I returned home from boarding school but in principal lets agree that I haven’t run since I was 18. That’s 22 years and some change. I’m also at least 25 kilos heavier.
Over the last few months I have tried to start running again. I began by interspersing bursts of running into lunchtime walks. But soon found my knees were not up to the task. Indeed I thought that after a couple of days I had done some severe damage to them but they came right after a couple of weeks of rest. This made me think that perhaps it was more that the ligaments/tendons just weren’t used to it. This called for a deliberate strategy. A planned approach. Enter the Couch to 5k programme.
Couch to 5k (C25K) works on the premise that you can already walk. If you can walk you can probably run a few steps. So start by mostly walking with a little bit of running and slowly over time gently shift the balance from walking to running.
The C25K week follows this pattern:
- Day 1 - Run/Walk
- Day 2 - Rest
- Day 3 - Run/Walk
- Day 4 - Rest
- Day 5 - Run/Walk
- Day 6 - Rest
- Day 7 - Rest
Those of you who follow things on facebook will realise that I am already into week 2 of the programme so the first few posts will come quickly and act as a catchup.
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