Mental Health Moment

Making Time for Us

Having a passionate nature means I'm constantly having to pulls the reins in on my runaway horse. I freely admit that I have a problem :)

However, to use the "labour of love" analogy, the vice presidency I took on with AURA must be akin to giving birth and raising sextuplets. Maybe it's not actually giving birth - I didn't create the vp at AURA position - I just inherited it. So, let's say it's like someone died and willed me their sextuplets. They're great kids and I love them like they're my own, but I just can't take care of them all as much as they deserve. So I continue to search for people to adopt some of them. Failing that, I expect that in a few months, someone is going to find 6 small "children" abandoned under a bridge. And me skipping down the lane, freely :)

One of the biggest tragedies in having such a big role within AURA is that my blogging has suffered. So, here I am, on a Saturday morning, with a cuppa, to spend a little quality time.

There's so much rolling around in my head I've wanted to share that I fear it will all come out disjointed in one piece! Let me start with my compartment syndrome recovery....

I took up short, slow jogs at the end of December, at which time I still had a lot of daily swelling in the shin and foot. Jogging actually helped, as the muscle contractions pumped the fluid back out of my lower limb. But I've had to limit the run lengths and intensity markedly. In mid-January, setting the PTS Staypuft course, I ran 19k quite well, but it was a very slow pace, with stopping to tie ribbons on bushes. I tried to back that up the following weekend with an 18k of hills at a more normal pace and paid the price. The shin just felt weird for a few days after that. Not painful, but kinda thick-like. An odd feeling.

I went back to see Ali, my physio, last week and we assessed my progress again. We both agree it's been slower than expected (although neither of us had seen chronic compartment syndrome of this nature before). The arthropathy in my calcaneocuboid joint (outside bottom of foot) continues to cause me almost continual pain/discomfort. We assessed my foot strength. No, make that "tried to" assess my foot strength but basically I had none. I could barely stand on tiptoes on that side. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments in my foot have atrophied, I think, and quite possibly the temporary nerve damage I had inhibited their functions.

We've decided to take a rather aggressive approach to the foot for the next week. I am doing a lot of painful strength work (what could an ultrarunner like more than a lot of pain?!) and lots of stretching through the foot and ankle. Although my calf muscles are still the same size, a small amount of decreased strength is evident to me. I can't do my eccentric calf raises on my left foot because I cannot move that way - pain and lack of flexibility, both. If I keep doing the calf raises on my good side only, I figure I'll create more unevenness.

I find this injury really fascinating. I think it's a very small insight into the lives of people who've had traumatic muscle injuries, stroke, accidents, etc. When I move my foot - wriggling my toes, for example, it's a very conscious movement and everything feels just a little bit awkward, stiff, and "thick."

My goal races for this year start with TNF100 in mid-May. My main reason for entering that race is because many of my mates are doing it. That's a good reason to enter, but it's not going to get me over the finish line. So the secondary goal is to smash out my best possible time, going as hard as possible on a course that's been run by many of Australia's best athletes. I'm probably a bit older than would be best to 'peak' on this kind of trail race, but I expected a sub-13hr race was possible for me under best conditions.

However, to stand at the start line with a hope of going for this goal, my foot needs to be completely recovered in the next 6 weeks. I need all my proprioception back in training. I need to be able to twist and turn quickly and smoothly on uneven terrain. Absolutely impossible right now. I can't even stand on tiptoes!

If TNF doesn't come together in time, I'm okay with that. I have a back-up plan of running the Sri Chinmoy 24 hr in mid-June, with a goal of breaking the Cdn W open 24 hr record. Something I didn't get to finish at Commonwealths. I'm working with a GP and sports doc now on some apparent grade 3 iron-deficient anaemia. We're still debating to what extent my anaemia is artificial - "sports anaemia" - a consequence of "regular aerobic training, which causes an increase in blood plasma volume. As a result the red blood cells are more diluted, and measures of haemoglobin and ferritin appear lower since they have effectively been 'watered down'." This is exacerbated more in hot weather.

I've had no symptoms of iron deficiency (fatigue, lightheadedness), so I'm rather concerned about the mega-doses of iron the medicos have recommended. Too much iron increases risk of disease and cancer (okay, everything increases the risk of cancer, I'll give you that one). But it's my body and it's the only one I have. I'm a bit protective.

The only question in my mind about possible "real" anaemia is that at Commonwealths I had a low-level nausea which kept me from running the speed I wanted. We attributed that to spoilt fuel. But the nausea continued (when not running, as well) for the month after the event, so that's what took me to the GP. Whilst nausea is not a symptom of iron deficiency, one might make the case that with decreased ability to transport oxygen around my body, the digestive system may have suffered first (shutting down digestion in order to preserve oxygen for more vital muscles).

The mystery continues.

I'm working on a new formula for measuring our success with surviving WA summer... in addition to miles logged, with consideration for time of day and humidity, I've added a variable related to how many flies you've got stuck in your eye, swallowed, or inhaled up your nose. Any other pertinent variables you think I need to add to the formula, just let me know!

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.