Run on a Treadmill... it's Patriotic

I've blogged before about altitude houses and altitude tents - a normobaric (normal pressure) environment but reduced with oxygen (hypoxic). It's a method that tries to simulate the effects to blood (and the oxygen carrying capacity of blood) that comes from really being at altitude. These effects can be beneficial to athletes. However, research isn't all that positive towards hypoxic as a replacement for hypobaric conditions.

There's currently a study happening in Perth where they are looking at what happens to iron levels in athletes who train in hypoxic conditions. This is important for our Aussie athletes, particularly, who can't go train at 3,000 metres within this relatively low-lying country. The Australian Institute of Sport puts top Aussie athletes in a hypoxic setting that reduces their oxygen to try to simulate what you get at 3,000 metres.

So, you, dear "endurance runner" can quite possibly help our Australian athletes and maybe even yourself, by participating if you're in Perth. The research study is investigating short bouts of hypoxic exercise on iron levels in the blood. You must be a runner (not cyclist-only), and can be in track, tri, trail and/or ultra. You must be 18-40 years old. You can possibly have a history of iron deficiency - talk to the researcher about this. You must be training at least 6x/wk and do interval-type work as part of your training. It involves 4 sessions at UWA with blood drawn (time to be tough!). You'll get your VO2max out of it and your iron levels. And the glory of helping advance science. Maybe that next Olympic athlete will be thanking you for what you helped discover ;) I'll warn you now, though, VO2max testing is NOT sexy! You will foam at the mouth, sweat more than any interval session you've ever done, and will feel like a beaten dog by the time you're done. After that, every time you do an interval session, you'll be grateful that you don't have to do it with a nose plug and a tube shoved in your mouth! In short, it's an experience not to be missed! :)

You can reach the researcher, Andrew Govus, at a.govus@ecu.edu.au.

Spread the word.

And tell him to let me come and play. I'm apparently too old :)

Adjunct or Essential?

Running. It's all about the running.

Ice cup massage, ahhhh!

Or is it? Or should it be? More and more these days I'm noting all these "non-running" things I'm doing that seem rather important to my running success.

In no specific order, here are some things I'm seeing as more essential than adjunct.

(1) Ice Cup Massage - paper cup of frozen water, peeled back bit by bit, actively icing whilst massaging. Has seemed particularly good for periostitis (shin splints), done after every run at a minimum. Done three times a day is probably better, particularly for nagging things like little tendons around the feet and ankles. Frozen water bottle rolled under my foot was incredible for the "Bib foot" issues and to help recovery after foot massages.

(2) Compression - calf guards and quad guards for the tired legs, whilst running or afterwards. To avoid over-use problems with the guards, like irritating a tendon around the ankle such as the peroneals or achilles, one can also use full socks. They don't have a 'compression' point like sleeves do if you're wearing them to the max on high training volumes. I have also found my periostitis shins like the full socks but didn't like the calf guards. As the physio says, "if it feels good, it's probably helping." Simple advice that makes sense :)

New yoga pose? The Resting Hedgehog?

(3) Needling - The first time I was ever needled was out of absolute desperation, one day before a race, when I was in utter agony over weeks of tight calves that got so I couldn't run 3k pain free. I really, really, didn't want to be needled, but I was that desperate. The day after that physio treatment, I ran 75k with no calf issues. Needling with the physio has continued to be useful, and just a few days ago I was made into a particularly cute hedgehog :) Or is it echidna now that I'm Aussie? I still prefer not to look when she puts the needles in!

Sports chiro - not just cracking backs

(4) Sports Chiro - So many people misunderstand what sports chiropractors do. I did, as well. I thought a chiro just "cracked backs," the sound of air popping between cartilage - not really doing anything clinically, but making a good noise. My first trip to a chiropractor when I was in my 20s in Canada did nothing to help get rid of the stereotype that it was quackery. He told me I had a leg length discrepancy (some people do, but I didn't - it turned out I had a tight hip rotating the leg up). He told me I should never carry heavy things, thought I might need a lift in one shoe, strapped me to some electric device and left the room for 20 minutes. None of it was workable solutions. I was a nanny - carrying small children was a day-to-day occurrence. I went to my GP who told me (in quite kind words) that I was getting overweight and out of shape and needed to go do some sit-ups. He was right. Years later, out of desperation again (another issue - I hadn't just given up on the core work!) I tried another chiropractor and she was awesome. It totally changed my view. Moving to WA, I was lucky to just "stumble" upon Jon Tan, who happened to be local in my area. He works with the state footy team and is a body builder type. When I see him, there's a lot he does that looks just like what my physio might do - checking hip movement and strength, the knees and popliteus, along with the back and neck. I run so much smoother at speed after his trigger point work. Thumbs of steel, just like my massage therapist!

Upper body needs strength for endurance running, too!

(5) Yoga - Here's another one I thought belonged in the "flaky" pile. Then about a year ago I was running with a mate - one who might even be said to be a "bloke's bloke.". No risk of low testosterone in him. And towards the end of the 30k hill run in 30 degree heat he says he's going to yoga that afternoon. Well, that floored me. So, I tagged along. And I met this German woman who uses all those crazy terms like "utacambasa position" and "vajra warrior number 3 position" (I still just look to see what others are doing), but she also uses words I DO know, like "hip flexors" and "rectus femoris" and "trapezius." We stretch and strengthen for 90 minute sessions. Awesome for my back, hips, and hammies, particularly.

Of course, there are more...like dark chocolate ;)

This is Not ... a Stress Fracture!

I was ready for it on Monday when I met the sports doc. I had already pictured 4 weeks of pool running. It was going to be a new challenge. There's no point in railing against the "injustice" of an injury. It's not something that's out to get me - it's my body telling me it needs something I'm not giving it. We're a team and I'm not meeting one end of the bargain. If I'm injured, it's very likely because I'm too much take and too little give.

This is NOT pool running!

Though I was extremely frustrated with the possibility that I could have a stressie due to being an undiagnosed coeliac and not absorbing calcium and other minerals/nutrients. In that case, I wasn't intentionally denying my body what it needed.

But, back to the doc visit. We're still calling this periostitis. But we need to do several things and I'm doing them all, quite seriously.

• Massage 1-2 x per week
• Physio with needling 1 x per week
• Sports chiro biweekly
• Ice massages at least once a day - after every run for sure
• Mentally stop fixating on the shins. The more I fixate and the more people ask me, "How are your shins?" whilst I'm running, the more I create a psychosomatic condition. I need to run and let the shins take care of themselves. If there's a stressie, it will scream out.

Calves after shins, just some "bonus" needling ;)

The result so far? Massive improvement! I even hit the track on Tuesday night, as per my program (immediately after being needled, which I was a little tentative about). And despite it being 32 degrees at 6 PM (really, it was one of those brutal nights), I set a 3 second PB :) The reason why? Well, there may be a few (including my new favourite Inov-8 shoes), but I really think it was watching an Australian M80 1,500 metre record being broken in the race just before mine. David Carr broke his own Australian M80 1,500 mtr record by something like 17 seconds, running 5min55s, I believe. Another 7 seconds and he'll have the World Record, too. Keeping in mind it was a 32 degree night and the guy was running out on his own - no pack to draft behind or crowds of thousands cheering or anything. Stunningly motivating. I was so honoured to be there, I just didn't even know what to say to the man. I was like a nervous kid with a superhero.

So, full steam ahead towards Coburg 6hr race in about 3 weeks. I might even book a flight now :)

I received the call about a week ago to tell me that I'd been accepted to the Australian 24hr team to go to the IAU World 24hr Championships in the Netherlands in May. It's an honour to be accepted after all the hard work over the past few years with training and lifestyle commitments. But it does come with a cost. There's the monetary cost, of course, because Athletics Australia doesn't fund ultra running (in a way, I'm glad, as I don't see the takeover of our sport by the "sub-ultra" business as likely to be a good thing). AURA, the ultra runners' association, is able to provide a tiny bit towards the flight (and more if you race well!). Then there's the mental cost. It means I'm not running for Canada, the place of my roots. International living has its advantages and I've been fortunate to spread my "branches" out to Australia. But it's rather bitter sweet.

David Carr, enroute to a new AUS record

Brutal strength training continues - I can't say yet what it'll do to my 6hr and 24hr form, but I can see new muscles everywhere and I definitely run more upright now (less ultra runner shuffle). Psychologically, I think it's very good for me, as I bloody well hate it. That's why it's called brutal training. It's hard and punishing and towards the end of the session I am typically laying in a pool of my own sweat, with matted wet hair, feeling like a shell of myself. I figure if I'm going through this, then I sure as hell am going to run hard at the 6hr and 24hr! No way I'm doing brutal training for nothing! And have you seen Ellie Greenwood's legs lately?!? Geez, I've still got a way to go!

Other PB last week I should mention - 6 vials of blood taken! Genetics testing for coeliac (no more gluten eating necessary, hooray), B12, folate, metabolic calcium absorption study, and carotene (she didn't like my orange hands - I love carrots, we better not be taking my carrots away!). Did you know that when you get blood drawn for carotene they have to wrap the vial in foil before drawing it so the light doesn't affect it? Cool. I hate blood work, but at least if I learn something new, there's a plus side. Results next week.

This is Not

Going through a tough time once, a special Buddhist teacher taught me the phrase "This is not mine; this I am not; this is not my soul (self)"

Indian Ocean at Perth

I found myself down at the beach the other night, alone, calmly watching the water, the dogs and their owners, and the setting sun and suddenly that phrase came into my mind. I had just finished having a lower leg bone scan.

Considering some of my current, ongoing, lingering, and new health issues and my obsession with running, it's really no surprise that such a phrase would come back to mind.

But backing up...I went for another iron test a week ago. Despite having what some would call an obsession with healthy eating (I know about things like cruciferous vegetable and the iron content of almonds and the GI of potatoes), and taking a mega-dose iron pill every day, my ferritin is still low.

This is not mine. This I am not. This is not my soul.

Good news, haemoglobin is still up, so not anaemic again...yet!

Event traffic controller class this weekend - I'm a certified lollipop holder!

My sports doctor queried coeliac disease back in late November and I went off gluten. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects 1/100 Australians and 75% don't even know they have it. Environmental factors can trigger it at any point in life (though you still might not know you have it). Now, I'm back on gluten because apparently you have to see some inflammatory marker to detect it when they do the blood test. Day 2 came and I thought I was pregnant with my distended "wheat belly."

This is not mine. This I am not. This is not my soul.

My periostitis worsened after last weekend, such that we decided to get a scan on Wednesday (another needle, yay, only with bonus radioactive dye!). It said that I have "anterior cortical reactions" (maybe there's a stress fracture).

This is not mine. This I am not. This is not my soul.

A quick search of the literature (naturally!) revealed that signs of stress reactions are found in up to 50% of asymptomatic runners who never go on to get symptoms (e.g., Bergman et al 2004 Vol 183 Asymptomatic Tibial Stress Reactions: MRI Detection and Clinical Follow-Up in Distance Runners). After all, bone is continually remodelling all the time. It's like my sports doc says...you scan/image things as a last resort often because you're always going to find things...in my case, I'm an ultra runner, in middle age. There will be "stuff." So then it's a case of trying to weed out the relevant stuff, if there even is any.

New racers! Okay, maybe these are mine ;)

But this got me thinking...what if I am coeliac (which destroys your villi in your bowel, causing malabsorption of nutrients). Well, that would explain why I can't get my iron stores up without massive doses. What about these supposed stress reactions when I'm so very good about my diet, training (taking running breaks usually at least twice per year), and gradual load increases? What if I'm not absorbing nutrients? Gee, calcium is a nutrient.

This is not mine. This I am not. This is not my soul.

Time to mega-dose on calcium. But, wait! Calcium inhibits the absorption of iron (so no more cheeseburgers for you, dear reader!). That means I have to time my pills so that I don't have any near morning tea (tannins also inhibit absorption), and not near each other. Yikes, how complicated!

This is not mine. This I am not. This is not my soul.

Next week I will see the sports doc to discuss the scan results and next steps. For me, query MRI, query bone density test, query nutrients like calcium, query coeliac.

How many runners with a history of stress fractures could be coeliac and have malabsorption issues? 1 in 100? Maybe in the end, this won't be my story, but it's got me telling a lot of people to get blood work done. Regularly, if you do what we do.

Blood, Sweat and ... Well, More Blood

It seems like my training program involves a lot of blood letting these days.

First of all, there's blood letting in my "brutal training" (the strength training program, which was aptly named immediately following the first session when I needed a title within my google calendar). At the gym once a week it's fine, but at home, it's usually about 30 degrees in my house. So that means I wait until it's slightly cooler and go outside. Which means...mossie time!

The home gym with 'natural' air conditioning

At the gym, the trainer encourages me at times to work faster...at home, the mosquitoes do the same! I'm very focused to not waste time between sets and reps as I am eaten alive. I must burn more calories, swatting wildly along the way, too. And there's the added mental training of keeping oneself doing deep one-legged squats with weights whilst a proboscis buries itself into one's skin.

This is going to be one of my secret weapons in my next race - mossie mental stamina training.

Ice bath and chocolate Recoverite - ticking all the boxes!

Additionally, as I increase the mileage with the goal of the Coburg 6hr event in March, my periostitis is whispering away at me again. Lots of ice and massage and stretches of opposing muscles seems helpful (and trying to up my Udo's Oil and other omegas like avocados). But last night as I ran home from a 26k easy run (meant to be 20k for me, but my running partner had a route in mind that provided her requisite 15k and me 26k!)...anyway, I was saying...as I ran home, I thought about my promise to myself to start ice bathing after big efforts. Only I don't have a bath. So a few days ago I bought an 81ltr bin. A km from home, I dug out my emergency cash at the servo and bought a big bag. And used my new strong arms and core to run home with a bag of ice!

Then it was into the bath....for some more mossie-therapy.

And finally, despite ultrasound, surgery, and numerous blood tests, I still don't have all the answers to my chronic low iron issue.... So I have been testing the hypothesis of coeliac disease by going gluten free since before Coast to Kosci. However, my experiment is rather flawed. Yes, I feel better and don't have wind (gas for the North Americans out there). But the only way to test for coeliac is to test a person who is eating gluten! Today I'm off to get a note from a GP for another blood test. But I think I need three. Because I've continued to take the horse-pill sized iron pills. A test now will tell me what my iron is like whilst on pills AND gluten free. Then I need to eat gluten (on or off the pills??) and re-test. Then I need another post-test once I know the results of those two tests and have more real-life experience (staying off gluten and not taking pills?).

Running is a simple sport, right?

Running hills in 30 degrees...good mates make the time pass better!

My mileage last week was up to 85k +1200 mtrs. Using the 100mtr gain = 1km flat rule of thumb, that puts it closer to 100k in the legs. This week I'm increasing that, though having to be more creative with the program, as it's a "PTS week" again with an event on Sunday. Hence, the reason I was okay with my 20k run turning into 26k. Really, it's pretty amazing to be to a point in my life's fitness that when a planned run increases by 30%, I don't even bat an eye. And that I can do a 3.5hr easy run on no fuel (go fat burning!)...but don't take away my water!

Aiming for a new PB

Two more weeks of "brutal training" (my new strength training program) under my belt and early suggestions are that it's making a difference. Right sided issues (psoas, back/QL, etc) have dissipated. I feel like I'm running taller. Seriously, yes. Though I did say that perhaps it's just because my arms and core are so darn sore I can't slouch if I want to! ;) It's all correlational research so far, though, so more time will tell - particularly as I start to build the mileage base again markedly next week towards Coburg 6 hr.

Setting up the alien calling devices? Transporter beams?

My chief problem now may be that I've just gone into the black hole known as "PTS Season." For most here in WA, they call it "summer." But I have this beautiful and very demanding little curly haired mischief called the Perth Trail Series. This year, now my second year of running the series, I decided to increase capacity from 150 to 200 people. Well, that's a 30% increase in work! Plus, on top of it, my IT-brained other half of the series, Rolf, decided he'd like to have a go at creating his own timing system. Yup, right from scratch. Write the software, build the RFID antenna towers, source the chips. Learn how antennae talk to chips in their language and at what decibel they speak and then get them to talk to a laptop, as well. Then convert that all into "human" language that racers can read in a pretty table on their computers at home, because that's the part they care about. The lounge is now a permanent workshop. Neighbours slow down as they walk by the house, with concerned looks for all the antennae on the lawn during testing phases! Most people had Santas on their lawns at Christmas; we had an orange gantry and metal rods and pylons and cables :)

180 of 200 entrants showed up on the morning that stayed rain free

This past week was a blur of handling emails with competitors debating shoe and hydration issues or debating between long and short courses, arranging volunteer duty rosters and duty sheets, gluing chips on bibs, compiling lists, recompiling lists, buying water, arranging fruit (organic, yee haw!), creating a contingency plan when Cyclone Narelle threatened to dump 60kph winds and heavy rain on us, flagging the course, piling up prizes, talking to park rangers, recompiling lists, panicking (best to schedule that one in before race day to get it over with), stuffing swag bags, meeting runners to hand out bibs at pre-race collection...and on it went.

All of the sudden it was race morning. I rang the bells 4 times, to start the long and short courses in two waves each. I got 5 more volunteers into place and 50 minutes later, the first trail runners were sprinting in after polishing off a quick 12k. The long course runners (19k) came in from 1.25 to 2.5 hours, as expected. Shoulders and ankles were iced, bodies were re-hydrated, laughs were shared, and presentations were made. Four of the 180 starters came back the less preferred way, with a DNF. At 10.30 AM, everyone headed home. My world went from 100 kph to 0 in 6 seconds. We took all the leftover bits of the PTS "mischief" and crammed them back into the cars.

Where the joy is - seeing them finish

The denouement hit as I packed up. This is an incredibly rewarding job. An utterly exhausting one, that certainly has me questioning how on earth I'll manage to peak with training in the middle of it all, but something that's so darn good it's worth it right now. Perhaps it's a bit like an ultra to me. There's the excitement of the lead-up, then the "business end" of the race itself when it's all hard and hurting, but accepted because of the anticipated reward at the end when the fruits of the labour are reaped.

But this event's reward factor was slightly down. It wasn't a record performance for me. Numbers are up, yes. But it meant I was spread too thin, micro-managing too many details that need to be handled by others. Easily half of yesterday's runners I didn't get to personally cheer, meet, or congratulate in any way. And that's where the joy is.

I'll have to write a new "race plan" for two weeks' time. Fortunately, I get 4 more opportunities to set a PB ;)

Postscript: Putting on the Reading Miles

If you read my "Putting on the Reading Miles" post before Sunday the 30th of December, do go back and re-read The Paleo Diet section.... I've read a bit more of the book and Loren Cordain, PhD, just struck a major disagreement chord and I felt it was important to edit my post.

This little guy was the only one enjoying the heat this morning on the trails!