I must rant!
I'm usually a glass half full guy. Usually. Since January, I've had many stops and starts with my running. Lots of easing back into it, and up until Tues, I was feeling great. Got my long run up to 18.36 last week and I was in a groove. Tues AM, I was running like the wind, just effortlessly. With 1 mile left on an 8 mile run, my lower right calf tightened. I had issues with my left calf, right hip, but never the right calf. I stopped, stretched it, ran, stopped again and walked it in. Didn't want to do damage. Felt good the next day, had it dug out, took Thurs off, last night the pool was closed so I figured I'd try an easy run. 1 mile in tight again. 
That's me crying all the way home.
So, I took my half full glass and threw it again the wall and smashed it into a million pieces because I'm f'ing pissed. Why the F does this have to be so f'ing difficult? 4 weeks out from Placid and I can't run a mile. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! 
Ok, I feel better. I just had to get that off my chest and share it with the nation. I will ice. I will stretch, I will elevate, I will strengthen, I will roll, I will dig it out, have it dug out, I will compress, I will rest it. Maybe I'll even pool run.
Back to glass half full. I can ride, I can swim, and I'm healthy. I have a tremendous family. Ok I feel better.
Thanks for letting me rant.
Dave
Comments
Like Dave said though I've been able to bike, can finally swim now (3rd time now in last 10 weeks), am alive and healthy otherwise, and have the awesomest family around.
AAAAAHHHHHH. I feel better now too!! Thanks Dave for starting this little rant it makes you breathe easier now..
My "1 thing" now for this race will be to just finish for coach P my "Crash buddy"
Injuries SUCK---especially the chronic ones. It's really easy to get so burned out rehabing and trying to get to some form of normalcy. After my injury last Memorial Day, I was ready to sell everything triathlong I owned and become a professional bird watcher. Yep, I was that pissed off.
Both of you guys are very, very close to being on the pointy part of the race, way to the right of the bell curve that it's extra frustrating to have a set back. No point in saying, "Buck up, Buckaroo!" Nope, I say throw f-bombs until you soil yourselves! It's really very liberating to do (I do it almost weekly). Then go clean up and resume the rest, ice, stretch, foam rollering...
Oh, and of course...I'm sending antiinflammatory and healing vibes your way!
Dave why so touchy
You can Rant away all you like, it is frustrating to have this happen to you so late in the game.
If you need anything let me know, I have a great body work guy in Marblehead who put me back togetehr with 2 weeks to go before timberman last year.
No, really. Maybe this is a good thing this will force you to be rested for that run. You've clearly got a lot of solid run work in those legs, and maybe this is just your body's way of saying, "alright, man, enough." Get it tended to and start gluing that glass.
Trent, you've been through so much. I hear you on the disappointment but you will have great day too. Just enjoy it for what it brings. I for one am just so thankful to know that you're getting to the finish line after all those crashes.
WSMs will jump in here but I've heard more stories in the haus about peeps who couldn't do much running up to an IM, went in with no expectations and then did well.
You are super strong. Keep the faith. Keep chuckin' the f bombs. (Ear muffs.)
Dave- you just described my biggest fear for IMWI with my own calf troubles. Bad Ju Ju dude!! So if you don't mind...
LA LA LA LA LA, I'm not listening, LA LA LA LA LA :-)
Dave, If this makes you feel any better, 4 or 5 weeks out from IMWI in '08 I developed some severe achilles tendinitis. I was doing one of my last long runs. Felt great and then 10 minutes after stopping I could barely walk. Thought I was screwed. Went to my doc who gave me some oral steroidsa and put me in a boot for 7 days. I was not optimistic. I was disciplined about staying in the boot and off my foot. I was able to run again the next week and by race day I nailed it. Don't give up hope! Rest up and let it heal. Keep crushing it on the bike and swim extra. Sounds like something minor at this point even though it doen't feel that way to you. I know exactly what you're going through.
Dave,
I've been dealing with a version of this myself. The physical issues I have had to deal with the past year has taken much away from me performance wise. I am down 10-12 watts in FT, and off at least 1'/mile running. I don't see it coming back between now and WI either. Like you guys, I have had a big set back, and it's not been fun in the least. I had aspirations for my next Ironman, and now I just want to give it the best go I can, revel in the day with my friends, and finish knowing I did not give up for one minute out there. That's all I got, and it's what I will give. Once you give the race your all, your personal 100%--no matter what condition/speed you find yourself in--there is nothing more you can ask of yourself. Nothing..
We are not our numbers, we are not our finish times.They do not define us, they do not make us whole. Letting go of the "if onlys" lets you find relief. And through that relief you relax emotionally, and let go of arbitrary expectations to give the day the best effort you can. That does not mean give up the fight. It means keep fighting as hard as you flippin' can with joy and gratitude, rather than tenseness and angst. It's not easy, and I'm working on it too.
I wish this didn't happen to me, you, Trent, Gina, Olivia, marianne, Patrick, Nemo, Kitboo, Linda H, Suzanne....and the list goes on. It's quite a club we've got going, isn't it? Hang in there everybody.
Dave, Trent -- doodes, that seriously sucks. Maybe it is time to get in touch with your feminine sides, let your bodies know you love them and take them to the spa?
Take care. Throw all the f-bombs you need. Maybe visit the Lush store.
that sucks! I feel your pain. It was like I lost the whole season last year due to that damn nagging achillies and calf crap. Wrap that calf tight all day. Use heat packs to warm it up before you run. Have you tried a gel heel lift? Good luck.
I can totally relate both from my experiences last year and this year. 6 weeks out from Lake Placid last year and had shin pain that ultimately was tibial stress fracture. No running for 6 weeks before LP. Lots of same emotions for me last year. After no running for 5 weeks and running on a stress fracture I was still able to maintain "run fitness" with aquajogging. Wasn't the marathon (5h) I was hoping for but got er done and still pulled off a PR. Until the calf plays nice I would definitely give the aquajogging a go. This year, had my A race taken away from me 2 days before my race by a driver who struck my car from behind (guessing he was doing about 50-60 mph) while I was stopped in traffic. Vent, get it out of the system and keep focussing on what you have control over and the aspects of your life that are in the half full part of the glass. There's a lot we all are fortunate to have (the ability to train at the levels we do, our supportive families that love us regardless of time/result, our health) that go well beyond a time or race result. All we can do is the best we're capable of given the hand we're dealt on race day.
Also, may want to drop a line to Leigh or Carrie. Maybe they have some ideas.
Hang in there.
Aaron
@Aaron...same thing happened to me for Muskoka last year.
Dave, Trent...hang in there. I like Beth's idea!
Dave,
Funny you should mention it...for the past year I've had a weird ping pong match between shin splints and calf problems. Once one gets better (probably by getting stronger) the other pops up (since it's now the weaker of the two). I've started to focus on going long and supple rather than strong - more stretching than tip-toe exercises, and it seems to be getting better. But I've noticed that my first road run (typically Tuesday) after my long trail runs on the weekends, are plagued by shin splints. So the ping pong match continues...
All that being said, this sounds like a typical over use injury...so it's GREAT that it's happening right before a race. No joking. You are strong as an ox, and your body knows what to do. As you ratchet down your training time and intensity as the race approaches, your body will sort itself out, and there will be only one fear at the starting line - as the other competitors look over and realize that The Halligan is toe-ing the line against them.
Mike
You have done a lot this year with TOC and some always PRs on the bike. Not that you need to get any stronger on the bike but at least you can still ride.
You are doing everything right, keep your head up and you will come back to crush it at LP.
As others said Rant away as much as you need.
rant away. seriously. I read somewhere that yelling/cursing, etc. is more effective a way of dealing with pain/emotion than eating it. so, let 'er rip. that totally sucks and I wish I knew what I could say to make you feel good and get your mojo back. See a chiro or physical therapist or massage therapist you trust and see what if anything can be done... it may be related to shoes (old/not right for you - but I find that hard to believe as you're not new to this), but it could also be a gait issue due to compensation issues unrelated to your calf and you''ll want to get to the bottom of that. Regardless, keep your chin up and your eyes on the prize! LP is a month away, which is plenty of time to nip this in the bud!
Dave- Rant away!!! Glad it made you feel better. I just poured out my fears/doubts about the race in the women's forum the other day.
All the Chicas gave me great advice as usual. Felt better just by putting it out there.
I completely understand your frustration! Rest it up, pool run etc.
WE WILL GET THROUGH IMLP
First of all, as soon as Trent responded, I felt like a self absorbed you know what. Trent, what you've been through thus far just ain't right, not to mention our compadre recovering from a pelvic fracture.
All - thanks so much for the repsonses. It's just what I needed. My wife is away with the kids so I couldn't rant to her and I had to get it out somehow. I don't think my neighbors or anyone at work would really understand. Can you imagine, 'oh man, my calf, I'm so pissed I can't run.' They'd be like, what?!? Weirdo.
Got in some great riding and an ocean swim and have zero pain in the calf. Lots of stretching, icing, compressing and the like. Fingers crossed.
Dave