Monday, February 27, 2006

A Runner at heart

Manly Ocean Swim. The finish!

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Manly 2k Ocean Swim

A very hot day at Manly this morning up to 30 degrees by 10 am.
A big crowd in the water and the beach and then a lot of idiot swimmers mucking up the surfies waves.

This event was also the Aust Ocean Swimming Championships. Apparently it became a 2.2k swim overnight.
The Open swimmers plus under 18's went off first and in a group of at least a 100 about 20 ran south and cruised straight out the rip including Spot Anderson the triathlete. The other 80 proceeded to get hammered by the break until they finally got out. Must be those under 18's. Haha.

As for every other group after that, we all headed straight for the rip. Got out ok and then got hammered by a couple of waves right on the point. Not happy.
Started swimming towards Fairy Bower which was probably about 400m past the first buoy. The pack was swimming towards the right of the two buoys which was the wrong one.
The buoy was past the break and then a quick swim in towards the point about 30m and then catch a wave in to the next buoy.

The problem for most now was that they waited to catch a wave which curls around the point away from the next buoy they have to go around. I saw the buoy so swam across to it.
A lot of the group I was in and many other groups basically never went around this buoy so probably cutting heaps of time and distance off. At least I swam around all the buoys. Doesn't matter. We are not swimming for sheep stations down the back.

We then had to swim into Shelly beach and then turn and head back to Manly. The best part about this section was I spotted some green thing in the water below me. Had a look and I actually swam over two scuba divers. A lot of dive schools use this bay.
Then we headed around the buoy on the point and tried to avoid the surfers and the rip and get back in.

Now home I really do feel absolutely stuffed physically. Especially my shoulders and calves.
I guess that is swimming for you.
All proceeds went to Manly Surf Club so I'm happy. Now off for a beer in front of the cricket.

My collection of swim caps is now red, yellow, dark blue and sky blue.

Edit: I have seen the results and they only had 600, forecast if good weather was 1000. I did have 100 in my group the 35-39 M/F. Which was fun at the start.
All you do when you swim these is just head down and straight for the first buoy and go under or over whatever is in the way. Lots of kicking and hits from arms usually. But thats par for the course anyway. You get used to it.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Sunday's Ocean Swim

A light swim on Sunday. With good weather as predicted they are expecting close to a 1000 to front up for this swim.

http://www.oceanswims.com/nsw56/steyne06.html

Entered for the 2k swim. Might be interesting if there is good surf. The Manly locals won't like us getting in the way of their surf breaks. And we actually pass two, one at Manly Pt and then out at Fairy Bower.

Trivia: Apparently Shelly Beach at Manly is the only West facing Surf beach on the East Coast Mainland!

Monday, February 20, 2006

Still here

Just back from New Zealand after having company AGM which included 2 and half rounds of golf. Tough work but somebody has to do it.

Can't dummy spit about getting another stress fracture. At least they have been on different legs and it is not the same leg returning.

Best guess is that I can return to training in early May after 3 months off. That might put me in line to get back some decent fitness for City to Surf and the Sydney Marathon.

I do have a couple more races at my Surf Club in the next month. Only on the sand so they won't do too much harm.

I will be doing a 2k Ocean Swim at Manly this Sunday which should be fun, plus any others I can find.
Thanks for everyones comments.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Stress Fracture Final

Visited the Sports Doctor this morning who looked at my old Bone Scans of the left leg from August last year.
He then checked my right leg to see how much pain I had when he pressed the bone.

His advice was that the stress fracture that showed up in August on the right has decided to raise it's ugly head and I shouldn't run until he can press on the leg and I have no pain.

From his advice the one on the left leg which I had all the tests done in August last year has fairly well been repaired as I don't have much pain at all when he presses it. He does not know why the right has now decided to start being painful.

So basically I won't be doing much running until I feel that I don't have the pain in my leg.
He did say that the Anterior Tibia stress fracture which I have is the hardest one to heal. Great Doc!

So that means no Canberra Marathon and very unlikely for the Gold Coast as I can't do the training in time to return to the fitness that I would want to be at to run it fast.

It looks like I have a few more Ocean Swims to sign up for.
Thanks for everyones support. It is very much appreciated.

Edit: Doctor did say no point in getting another Bone Scan done as we can already see the little blackspots on both legs from the scans in August last year.

He also measured around my calves and found that the right one is 1.5 cm smaller in diameter than the left. How is that possible?
While I am out injured I may try and fix that by doing some weights.
Now I know why I swim like a brick. I keep going round in circles. haha.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Nth Bondi Classic 2k Ocean Swim

The day started in a panic as the usual Bondi traffic meant I was almost parked back near Randwick just to get a parking spot.
Anyway the day started pretty cloudy but the cover cleared up a fair bit during the swim getting pretty hot out in the water.

Goggles stayed on, in fact I think I made them too tight and left a couple of nice marks on my face from the goggle pressure after the swim.
The water was so clear or were my goggles magnified I'm not sure. I could see a lot of the bottom most of the swim and I am sure it was deep past the two points we swam past.

The swim was straight out at Nth Bondi and then turn South and head towards Bronte and then turn and swim back in towards the Bondi Icebergs club. Then the long swim back to Nth Bondi against the Northerly swell with tired arms and legs.
Swimming was not much to write home about. But then again I do these because it is a fun day in the surf.
I have photos I took on my phone. Too hard to take a camera. Can't do with blogger at the moment keep getting an error.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

The Swim on Sunday

This is what I am swimming tomorrow. The bureau is forecasting Showers, I don't know where from as the radar shows absolutely nothing. A muddy Striders Equaliser course could be interesting.

http://www.oceanswims.com/nsw56/northbondi06.html

The photo on the main page is from the Roughwater classic that I swam in December. I wore a yellow cap that day and was on the end of the line on the far right. The fastest way out through the rip near the pool at Nth Bondi. Can't see me though, too shy.

The swim course is basically the same as last time except we go in a rectangle shape instead of an M shaped course.

Should be fun!

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Injury Update

I can't get in to see the Sports Doctor until Tuesday next week, he's a bit busy.

Instead of doing the Ocean Swim this Sunday I have now volunteered to help at the Striders X-Country Race, better known as the Equaliser 14k.

I think I'll be doing everything by the sounds of it as we are ten helpers short, and it may be cancelled otherwise.

Edit: Picked up the X-Rays this afternoon. Appears to be no break in the bone thank God. But I knew that anyway.
Probably only the Bone Scan will reveal anything.
And the Striders have found enough helpers for the Equaliser so I am back to swimming again. Forecast temp is 28 degrees. Not sure of the swell though.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Thank you everyone

Thank you all very much for your support, I'm very grateful.
I thought I was just a mushroom!

I have had an X-Ray done late today but won't be able to pick them up until tomorrow.
I'm not expecting them to reveal anything as last year the only thing that found the stress fracture was the Bone Scan.

Tomorrow it will hopefully be a visit to the Sports Doctor,an old school friend, who will possibly send me for a bone scan. And then back to him to look at the pretty pictures.

So really I can't say a lot until the Sports Doctor sees me tomorrow.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Stress Fracture 101

Not yet confirmed, but not looking good.

As many are aware I had a stress fracture of my left anterior tibia bone in July last year. Appears to be fully repaired. Appears that is.

In the last couple of weeks I have been getting pain in my right tibia while running. I never had that with the left it only hurt when I pressed on it.

A dark spot was seen in August on my right leg while having the bone scan done on my left. You have to put both together during the procedure so it showed a dark spot on my right as well.
You would think not running would fix both. Well last week it hurt that much that I decided to see a Doctor about it.

The Doctor has made a referral for an X-Ray(just to make sure) to show the leg specialist who will most likely send me for the Bone Scan on the right leg.

So at the moment I know nothing but I can feel it is the same as the left felt at the time.
At present it is back to swimming and more bike work in the gym.
I knew there was I reason I needed the swimming practice this week, a 2k swim at Bondi.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Surf Club Swim and Run

The morning started cloudy with a chance of showers around by the look of the cloud cover only to become a hot and humid afternoon with a good wave on.

The swim was nothing to write home about. Just get out there and smash myself around the buoys and back into the beach. Good wave to catch back in to the beach.

The run was tough considering the tide was high so the sand was pretty soft to run on. I started off a handicap of 60 seconds with my closest rival off 65 seconds.
Managed to hold him off until about 200m to go. He had a gap of about 2 metres all the way to the finish. With him finishing 2nd and me 3rd. I was 4 pts ahead in the comp with two rounds to go but now only three.

The next round is in 2 weeks time which I will be missing due to work commitments.
Next Sunday I have the North Bondi Classic 2klm Ocean Swim. Must do some pool swimming this week for practice.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

A late afternoon run in the park-10.3ks

I ran into Centennial Park late in the afternoon and ran around the fence on the grass.
It was pretty humid still but with a cooler temp and a wind blowing.

Ran 10.3ks in a time of 56:29. Average pace of 5:29 per klm.

Legs feel very tired.

This post had disappeared into the ether. When you find out what that is I'll let Einstein know.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

1k Reps x 4

I know very slack I should have done at least five.
Well now the excuses, I started out very late about 8 pm which meant the bike track I use was fairly well dark. I also had to put up with the Southerly which meant I was running across it the whole time. Really annoying.

Reps were 3:57, 3:55, 3:57, 3:59. Done with a 2 minute walk recovery between each rep.

Leg felt quite sore during this session. But better once I have stopped and now have no pain.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

2x3.7k Reps

Into Centennial Park with a temp of 26 degrees, 80% humidity and a strong northerly wind blowing.
I did these around the tar running track in Centennial Park and measured it as 3.7ks.

I did the first one in 15:20 which is 4:08 per klm pace. I then had a 7 minute walk recovery before starting the next one.

The second one I tried to keep the same pace as the first and ended up with 15:08 which is 4:05 per klm pace.
Pretty hard session. The lungs were living on the edge for most of each rep.