Summertime Survival

I emigrated from a country with too much winter. It's hard to beat the Rocky Mountains for trail running, but six months of running in snow and on ice, followed by a month of mud, got to be a bit too much for this little girl.

I scanned the world map and chose Perth for a change. What a change it is! Now, instead of surviving winter, I survive summer. But the tough bit is only 3 months instead of 7. And somehow mentally it's better surviving things in a bikini than a balaclava.

Perth can be a challenging place to train in summer. Finding the motivation to run can be difficult when even at 5 AM it can be 23 degrees. The heat and occasional bouts of humidity take their toll on pace, making it hard to achieve a PB for any outing.

That was a key reason for me creating the Perth Trail Series - a motivating way to keep some summer fitness up.

And a chance to introduce some more people to the joy of off road running. The first event - StayPuft - was a great success by all accounts ... all being the ones I'm listening to, of course ;) We sold out with 150 entrants and 129 made it to the start line at 7 AM last Sunday. Rolf and I got our training runs in by setting the 19.2 k course the night before, racing to beat darkness and the restaurant closing, which would have forced us to eat disgusting pies from the highway servo.

Then we got some more forced training in deflagging the course on Sunday arvo. I whimsically named the race after the Ghostbusters marshmallow man after setting the course primarily along what is called the Ghosthouse trail in this national park.

We even hauled a full length white sheet 5 kms into the bush in order to put our own "ghost" in the house. I admit he looked nothing like Mr. StayPuft!

Next weekend, we are headed to another national park for the 2nd race of 5 - shorter distances, but more hills. A rare thing, as well, we are alongside a river, which should make a great place for cooling down post-event.

Another summertime survival issue for me is eating. I find it hard to motivate myself to cook and hard to eat hot food. I'm always on the hunt for good summer recipes. Good meaning yummy, but also dead easy to prepare and uber-healthy. It's been forever, but I've squeezed out a bit of time to add a few new recipes to my website here if you're in need!

Setting 2012 Goals: Aww, mum, do I have to?

I'm not a "New Years" person. I don't try to stay up until midnight. I've never done the resolution thing.

Then someone suggested, with it being the new year, I should write a post on my goals for 2012. Sounded painfully tedious. Rather like list-making and I already do enough of that. But the seed was planted. I started to wonder ... What am I doing with 2012? What do I want to achieve? What am I aiming for this year? And next? Do I have a plan? Does it matter?

Every time I thought about it for more than a minute or two, I found myself distracted with something else. Crow brain. Easily distracted by shiny objects :)

But I remembered the saying, "If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting." Not that I mind much of what I've been "getting" this past year or so in my life, but I'd like to think I'm a proactive type. So maybe having some intentionality around things isn't such a bad idea. Maybe even worth a little mental "list-making." Blogging is the way I've decided to get my brain to focus on this for more than 120 seconds. (But I can tell you, this blog has taken about 4 days so far to write!)

Although I've been a runner for perhaps 7 or 8 years, my passion for the sport has become Frankensteinian over 18 months. In 2011 I somehow found myself vice president of the Australian Ultra Runners' Association (AURA), with its 400 members, and starting the Perth Trail Series (PTS), which has sold out for the first event coming up in 9 days. I found myself overseas racing at World Trail Championships and the Commonwealth 24 hr and running a record breaking 1000 km adventure on the Bibbulmun Track. Then in December, Rolf and I were having an innocent conversation about ordering some PTS tech shirts from our favourite tech clothing company and suddenly found ourselves starting a new company as the Australian distributors of RaceReady (you need pockets... and skirts - unless you're a boy, then maybe you just need pockets).

These running-related projects, combined with my very enjoyable child psychology practice and my not-so-enjoyable-but-bearably-interesting PhD, has the makings for an intense 2012.

Rolf and I are already committed to running the 320 km 3-country Transalpine stage race in Europe in September - not for sheep stations, though. In fact, precisely not for sheep stations. It's a chance to run together through some amazing terrain and cultures for the sheer joy of it.

As lead-up prep, I'm thinking of TNF100k in Australia's Blue Mountains mid-May. The goals for that one: some great mountain training, going as fast as possible, and having a grand adventure with a heap of my WA mates who are all going over east for it.

But I haven't finished with the 24 hr race yet, after the failure at Commonwealths. Sri Chinmoy Sydney 24 hr race in June? Looks like perfect timing - my fitness should be at peak after TNF100.

Then, find a way to disappear from WA winter - back to the Canadian Rockies or over to the Swiss alps for a few months before Transalps, would be nice. Hopefully my citizenship application will go in at this time, too.

To finish off the year - Coast to Kosci Ultramarathon - the race I couldn't fit in this past year due to the Bibbulmun. Speaking of which, that journey has whet my appetite for more. So for 2013, is a repeat in order? Or do I aim for a 6-day or 10-day track race? Or find another long distance trail I can tackle? My crow eyes are on the lookout for just the right shiny object to latch onto.

Excellent. I have heaps of goals now. But what's the mission statement driving them all? More than a resolution or two, I think I need a statement of purpose driving my actions. What if I fail at a goal? I'll need to be able to recover by knowing that I'm still in line with my mission statement. There can be other means to the end.

Gee, I actually wrote a mission statement about 20 years ago during one of those "find yourself" type workshops, but haven't much thought about it of late: To create exciting, challenging opportunities to use my brain in making a contribution to the world.

It still fits. I run for me, but far beyond that now, I use running to inspire. Why VP of AURA? Why PTS? RaceReady rep? Blogging? Maintaining a website? Child psychologist? To enable people to aspire. So that others can set their own goals, create their own mission statements. So there can be more happiness in the world.

So if you haven't set a new year's resolution to lose weight, cut down on booze, or stop smoking, that might not be a bad thing. What I mean is there's no point if it's not something you completely believe in and have put some intentionality behind. Otherwise, there will be nothing to keep driving it forward through to achievement. You need to know why and to believe in your answer. Or you'll just be left with that sad pit-of-the-stomach feeling if you fail at a goal. If you have a mission, you can just find another goal to achieve it.

Now, where does my PhD fit? Damn. I'm having an ah-ha moment.

Thanks, guys, for being my sounding board :)

Branched Chain Amino Acids. Because Lentils Aren't Sexy

This one has suddenly been cropping up... Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs).

"BCAA's have a great deal of thorough and conclusive research surrounding them."

"Double your fat loss, double your muscle gain and double your strength..."

"...aid in an optimal muscle protein synthesis and recovery."

"BCAA, unlike other amino acids, are used to provide energy."

Obviously, as an endurance athlete, that's a supplement I must need. But let's just say it's Christmas day and all the shops are closed. I'm about to go for my long run. Where on earth will I find my essential amino acids?? What will I do?

Oh, I know. I can eat any source of protein.

Chicken, red meat, tofu, eggs, tuna, yoghurt, beans, lentils, almonds, soy milk, cheese.

I can even get fancy and have whey protein or chocolate milk ;)

Amino acids are simply the building blocks of protein. There are 20 of them. 12 can be made in the body from other things. 8 must come from our diet, including the 3 "branched chain" ones.

So, when you hear about how BCAAs are essential for endurance athletes, it's true. It's true for all people, actually, because they're essential to life. So is carbohydrate, fat, and water. You can fill your hydration bladder from the tap or you can buy Perrier. You can eat a healthy diet rich in legumes, low fat cheese, lean meat, and ocean fish or you can buy "SuperPlusMaxBCAA" at your supplement shop.

Just be sure to have 15 grams of your choice within 30 minutes of your long run :)

Food is fuel. As I read elsewhere today, "Food is an investment, not a cost." We can't outrun a bad diet and we can't out-buy a bad diet.

Lentils ARE

For an irreverent article (mini-book in pdf format) on calorie counting and general nutrition, see the recent link on the bottom of the page here http://bernadettebenson.com/nutrition.htm

Permission Granted!

Last weekend I did some very short test jogs whilst volunteering at the 6 Inch Trail Marathon. The most I probably did any one day was 2k of jogging, but there was also a lot of time on my feet generally. There's still a bit of swelling in the ankle/shin (that doesn't hurt) and inflammation in my cuboid area (that does hurt).

I got a new tick bite, just to remind me of the horrors of the bites whilst doing the Bibbulmun end-to-end last month. The side-horror that comes with itching, oozing tick bites is that whenever you stop, 15 flies latch on and start laying eggs in your skin.

Well, okay, maybe they don't lay eggs. I don't know. But I do know it's gross looking at 15 flies sucking on your oozing skin.

Yesterday I saw Ali, my physio, and upon review, she said if I passed the knee-to-wall test, she thought it was time for me to start running again.

Oh-oh. I didn't know there was going to be a test! I would have studied...or stretched.

Anyway, I got a pass! My mobility in the ankle is sufficient for running. Short, slow, and easy.

Tonight I ran 4.5 kms. It was like learning to walk all over again. My hip was tight and my body felt awkward. An "easy" pace turned out to be a 6.35. Cardio-wise it was fine, but I didn't feel particularly fluid. In fact, I felt like the tinman in The Wizard of Oz who needs a can of oil.

It was my first entry into Garmin since 16 November, when I ran (limped) into Albany.

Looks like I might be in the re-building phase. I've got the yellow flag flying. Green and red are in the back pockets.

Hamster Wheels for Alpine Runners

I started to get the craving last week. I noticed myself watching runners going by and thinking, "That looks nice."

Of course, I'm nowhere near running yet in my recovery. But 3.5 weeks had lapsed since the Bibbulmun run, my HR was nearly normal, and I was ready for some cardio work. Having been through this before (my surgery in late 2009), I knew exactly what I needed to do.

The hand crank ergometer. The Grinder. The Hamster Wheel.

According to the stats, I spun 28 kms the other day.

Sounds good, but if I equate the energy and time in running terms, I figure it was about 7k. Still, not a bad start. And it's an absolute mental challenge to keep inspired on those things, that's for sure.

But I've registered for a race, so the training has officially begun again. The first race in my 2012 calendar is now Transalps, an 8 day team stage race spanning three countries in the European alps next September. My plan is to forego the IAU World 24 hr event in Poland in 2012, as it's at the same time.

In terms of total training this past week, there have been a few more trips to the gym (where I took out a 1 month membership) and one yoga class. Although I got to hang upside down, which was cool, it was otherwise a bit frustrating, as I had to modify nearly everything. I had lost about 50% of the range of motion in my foot and ankle. So I can't do things like sit on the floor with my knees bent and my feet tucked under my bottom. Naturally, stretching and strengthening are happening several times per day, as I lengthen the muscles and teach the nerves how to fire on command again. Massage therapy has also been key, my compression socks are fantastic, and good dolups of Udo's Oil make me happy.

I Have Two Feet

I've been looking down at my feet a bit more than usual today. And instead of grumbling about numbness or muscles twitches, I'm feeling grateful that they're just there to grumble about.

I had a bone scan two days ago because there was still enough pain in my foot to question a stress fracture. The radiologist yesterday confirmed no stressie, so I was relieved. Today, I saw my sports doc for a detailed review of my injury.

She's good. Very good. And deals with Western Australian Institute of Sport athletes, so she's seen it all. She's not prone to drama. She's very practical, frank, and realistic.

So when she told me I was a very lucky girl and that she's seen anterior compartment syndrome result in amputation, I took notice. Forget fasciotomy, where they just relieve pressure with a few incisions that look gross. Amputation. From running.

There obviously seems to be a difference of opinion between the emerg doc I saw in Albany and my sports doc as to whether I should have continued running those last few hundred kms. In the end, I made it. I got the record and I get to keep both my shins and feet. And likely, any muscle/nerve damage should heal well by the new year.

I guess I felt a particular duty to post this, because since my event I've heard of 4 athletes who developed this condition during big events. They all healed and no one needed surgery. However, I don't want someone in the future to have read my story and think now that they should just push past this particular pain barrier.

At the time, I said I would only continue if there were no identifiable lifetime consequences, including surgery. And at the time, that's what I thought, with the information at hand. Knowing what I know now, I would have stopped on the South Coast Hwy. It wasn't worth the risk.

Play safe. It's a lifetime pursuit.

What Does a 1,000 km Recovery Look Like?

1. Nightmares. Day 12 of being off the track. I continue to have nightmares every night. I guess it's not really fair to say they're "nightmares." They're just annoying dreams where I am back on the track, completing some section slower or faster than the time I did in reality. There's almost never a problem or dilemma, it's just me on the track every night in my sleep. Rolf has been having the dreams, too - only his are where he's trying to get to me on the dirt roads, never knowing if they're going to be passable, gated, under construction, re-routed, or inundated. For excitement, his brain added Mexican banditos to his dream the other night.

2. Elevated Heart Rate. After any event, my resting HR is up from its usual happy place (sub-40 bpm) to somewhere around 52 bpm. It tends to come down in chunks at a time. A short ultra - I'm back to normal within a week. The Sri Chinmoy 24 hr event - it was 3 weeks before it completely reduced to baseline. So, with this event I expected an elevated HR for a good 3 weeks. Throughout the event it was 52-54 and my blood pressure was normal (BP tested in the hospital). Since the event, my HR has actually increased. That was fascinating. It went up to the high 50s and then around Day 7 post-event it peaked at a RHR of 69. That was a bit discomforting, actually, because it's just never that high. I decided to work from home a bit more and juggled my schedule a bit to try to reduce the amount of time I needed to be walking/moving/dealing with stressors. My muscles feel great, but especially for the first week, I was easily physically exhausted.

3. Tick Bite Reactions. These seem to have finally stopped itching three days ago. Fantastic, as the itching was really making it hard to get to sleep. That's over 3 weeks since the actual bites. Next time I wear my 95% DEET.

4. Muscle and Nerve Spasms. These are still keep me from getting to sleep for about an hour each night. When I lay down, my adductors, calves, and feet go into spasms. Some is just twitchy stuff and some is painful "nervy." Some of my toes feel numb to touch - if you've ever had frozen toes (skiing?), it's like that.

5. Sunburn. My molt is nearly complete. The left ear, left tricep, and tops of both hands have mostly finished peeling and the itch is mild today.

6. Weight. My metabolism was on overdrive so I've been eating more than usual and more than necessary. My brain just seems to be getting the message now that I'm not running and is slowing down its hunger demands. That's good because I've probably put on a kilo.

7. Anterior Compartment Syndrome. Since completing the event, I've now heard from two people who raced Tor des Geants (if you think what I did was insane, look at that one) and both developed the same thing. And reading Jen Pharr-Davis's blog of her AT record breaking hike this year, she also got it. The difference with me, though, was that I only got it in one shin. With hindsight, I realised I've had a lump come and go on occasion in that shin over the past few years. And the day before I started the event, my new massage therapist noted the fascial tightness there. Understandably, he didn't want to work it aggressively. But I had no idea the writing was on the wall with that little comment of his. The swelling has decreased considerably but there is still a small tender lump on the shin. And I have an uncomfortable pain on the lateral/bottom of my foot that makes me limp. This is the "ball bearing" feeling I felt when running some days. Now that the shin has gone down, this has "turned up" in volume. Today I added the radioactive "bone scan" to my list of tests. I heard whispers of "cuboid" and "metatarsal"...we'll find out tomorrow if the original scan actually missed a stressie!

In regards to my general health, however, I'm very well. I'm really pleased with how my nutrition was throughout the event. Despite the massive sleep dep and the fact that Rolf got sick on Day 3 and one of my pacers had a cold, I didn't get sick during or after. I kept up with my probiotics (yoghurt every morning) and Udo's Oil and Rolf bought me antioxidants on the road (blueberries, yum).

But with all this negativity I'm ranting on about (sorry, it's cathartic), could I possibly miss anything about the track/event? Yes, after 12 days I can now say I do. I miss the beauty and peace of being in the bush (without biting, burning, and buzzing things it would be all the more). I miss the simplicity of knowing every day what my job was. I miss the routine. I miss the quality time with Rolf.

P.S. For photos with this post, I decided to highlight my mates who came out and shared some of the journey, plugging their ears to my whinging and staying ever so calm, happy, and helpful. Thanks, guys.

My donation page for Inclusion WA is staying open another week...Thanks to everyone, we're at $4,200 and I hope to hit $5,000 before I call it a day. If I have a stressie, maybe it'll earn me some more points ;)