Kim Siebold Macro

Kim Siebold

I posted this in my micro too... sorry not sure which thread it should be in..

HI Coach, just checking in with you.. because I feel lost a bit and feeling like I am starting over fitness wise so maybe i just need a little pep talk!! 

My calf is way way better... I almost (but not 100%) don't feel amy strain but it is still there so I am waiting to run until i no 100% no pain before I attempt any running. Last week I ended up only do a swim and a 45 min ride and focused on more rest based off team members stories and insights. I decided I needed a few days of rest to get some extra healing and get my head on straight. But now I am kinda left with the feeling that I am starting over, which i know i am not but you know... the feeling of huge accomplishments kinda went out the window. I started swim camp this week early  and will repeat it to stay with my plan so I do have that to focus on. I decided to take it easy on the bike too (will replace with the runs this week) until i am totally healed as my calf is obviously used in the bike. 

I have been standing at work (at home) which has been great and thanks for mentioning that! 

You asked what happened 24 hrs pre accident. Nothing except I got VERY motivated by the threads with being fatigued, etc. Once I was reminded that  I was suppose to be fatigued at week 12, it make me super motivated for some silly reason. So the day I did my long run, I also ran it WAY faster than i should of and it was a long run of the week. So volume that week was too much and the combo of running too fast that day. I am sure it was more the volume. I have a history with high volume plans + intenstity in the past i have gotten injuries. So no one to blame but me!  I know better.

I just not sure how to start up again with the run.. once no pain, then just go a mile and then if that is good go two next run, etc. Any advice? I was planning on doing a half marathon in april and now I will have to see how the running goes as I would rather skip it and just keep building for my HIM Raleigh.. maybe do some oly races now to keep the distances shorter. Thoughts?? Sorry, is this a macro discussion?? I might post there too.

Dsutter24

Kim,
Working on physical strength is tangible and quantifiable but what you are doing is the mental work. That is much harder because the outcomes are not tangible and quantifiable but probably more necessary than physical strength. It is hard to work through an injury or taper for that matter. Athletes have to learn to listen to their bodies and respect them. The mental toughness of having to sit and rest or recover from an injury is taxing. There is the worry, the frustration of lost gains, the anxiety of having to adjust your schedule drastically, constantly questioning if you are making the right choice to rest yet another day. Then there is wondering if you have the motivation and desire to keep chasing your original goal. Trying to stay positive when you do have to start from scratch and not beating yourself up for being slow and weak. Mentally you are earning your endurance athlete experience. Thank you for being wiling to share because of you I was inspired to get on the dreadmill today. Stay strong and keep the faith, you got this.

Coach Rich

Hey Kim,

I myself am going through a very similar situation, working to get my run back after having broken my leg in September and not running since. I've also had several other motorcycle and other injuries over the years. My notes:

• Your injury is driving the train now, and your timeline for healing / getting your fitness back, not your goals or the race day. 
• VERY important that your goals for the race fit within the amended box that your injury has created for you. That is, it serves no purpose to retain old goals and then let those goals drive your day to day, as this will likely lead to you doing too much too soon.
• Last week I ran 3x for the first time since I crossed the finish line at IMWI. On Monday I ran for about 1:30 and walked about :30, doing this for 3.2mi. I was letting the pain tell me when to switch over to walking. (note that I've gotten the thumbs up from my doc that I'm doing going to reinjure the bone and that the pain I'm feeling is soft tissue, muscle weakness stuff). On Friday I managed to run the entire 3.2 miles. While I could have a had plan to do Run 'X, Walk Y' for one week, then Run A', Walk B' for the second week, etc, I prefer to listen to my body in real time.
• ^These^ runs were very, very, very slow...and I don't care. They are very, very short compared to where I was this time last year...and I don't care. I look at each individual run as an individual run, doing what I need to make it the best, for me, in real time, and I never compare it where it should be, given race dates on the calendar. 

In short, you're simply going to have to listen to your body, do your best to not be dumb, and very much focus on managing the present situation vs creating artificial timelines for yourself based on races on your calendar. 

Good luck!