Injuries, spring water, and running.

Last week I managed to put my mid back and neck out. This was due in two parts: I was dancing with my son on my shoulders, and the next day in class while teaching stage fighting, I held a position too long being headlocked, that my back went "Doing!" It stiffened up really quickly, and I could not move my head without moving my shoulders. I still managed to rattle off 7 Yasso intervals running up to the track from KG Nissan, and back down to pick up my car. A great workout even if my body was in pain.

This went on for a couple of days until I made it to the chiropractor Friday afternoon. This is the first time in my life that I have ever made a visit to the chiro, and I was naive to what happens. He popped my neck, popped my back and sent me on my way after 45 minutes or so. The stiffness miraculously gone, the muscle pain has lingered over the last 4 days...

I have had trouble trying to get a massage therapy appointment that fits my schedule. Also, my ankle has seemed to pack up, so getting that un-frozen is a priority. Chiro appointment is set up for Friday afternoon.

The Yasso's have been hard but great. Trying to maintain 3:00 minute 800m gets tough on the back end of the intervals, and this week I am taking on 8 intervals. Sean and I managed 28kms yesterday, and we are on the downward taper of marathon training. I am getting excited for the big day. A sub 3 hour marathon is the lofty goal, but I believe that I can make that happen.

One disturbing discovery on our run yesterday morning was the changes made to the artesian springs in the Watershed. The Corporation of Delta has unilaterally restricted access to the springs by engineering rocks with rebar drilled through them and cemented to each other. These changes to the springs we not made public at the park, and are quite concerning. I have been in contact with the Corporation of Delta trying to get and explanation about the springs, and will continue to push for open and free access to the water. I managed to jam out a letter to the Corporation of Delta Mayor and Council, and hopefully there will be some action to allow access to the artesian springs.

My letter to the Corporation of Delta:

Dear Mayor and Council

 

As a recreational user of the Watershed park, it is disturbing to me that the springs have been capped. This seems to be a knee jerk reaction to other users accessing the springs from Highway 91, and to the potential liability issue of the safety of the water from the spring. These reasons were suggested to me by Arvind Sharma of the Corporation's engineering department.

 

I myself do not access the park from highway 91 and cross over the BNSF rail line, entering the park at the proper entry points. I do use the springs as I have for the last 13 years, to fill my water bottle while exercising in the park. The water tastes amazing, flows freely, and my family and I have had no health concerns whatsoever regarding the consumption of this water. The last two winters have been wonderful for refilling my bottles while training for the Vancouver Marathon, and another 50km race. Spending 5 hours in the park in training, it is amazing to have access to such clean drinkable water. During the summer, the springs can be a godsend as the weather heats up.

 

The heavy handed limiting of park user's access to the spring is disturbing for a couple of reasons: First, there was no notice at any of the park entries of this action taking place. It appears that the public was not consulted about this action taken by the Corporation of Delta, Mayor, and Council. This is plain wrong.

 

Secondly, this is natural, beautifully free flowing water. I'm stunned that the elected officials at the Corporation would choose to prohibit or prevent people's access to water. this is something that makes the Watershed a unique park south of the Fraser. This is water that people have accessed for decades.

 

There are some ways to remedy the situation.

 

One, remove the caps. Immediately. These caps decided upon unilaterally, appear to be an attack on the Watershed Park. If safety is a concern, test the water. Have staff from the engineering department test the water daily, weekly, or whenever deemed necessary.

 

Two: Allow access to the water via Highway 91. There is a demand for this water. Many people access the park to cart water out. This is not a bad thing. It encourages people to use and explore the Watershed Park. Perhaps allowing for a safe crossing over the railway is a way to satisfy BNSF. A bridge over or tunnel under the rail line may be a way to erase the liability issue of crossing the railway. Or install an over the tracks pedestrian crossing with signage  at the crossing on the highway 91 side, providing limited access to the park.

 

Three: Do not allow access via Highway 91( as you already have done), but have users walk into the park to get their own water. If they want it that badly, make them work for it.

 

Four: Allow for users access to the spigot by the pumphouse, and to the other two springs along the lower trail, enough space within the boulder caps to fill their water containers, rather than completely covering the springs with boulders, rebar, and cement.

 

With the potential twinning of the train tracks that run alongside the Delta Watershed, I hope that the natural springs will be left alone, rather than capped permanently.

 

The capping of the springs is disturbing. It is an attack on the crown jewel of North Delta. Please reconsider your actions, and direct the engineering department to remove the caps on the springs.

I feel quite strongly about this issue, and it does not seem like it will go away easily. The online petition is here. The facebook group is here. 

If you feel strongly about this issue of spring water access in the Shed, please sign the petition and visit the Facebook page.

Freedom: Unlocking my foot

My ankle has been locked for the last 6 months. I found this out tonight at my 2nd round of physiotherapy, after a session with Christine at Physiomoves. After a short assessment, she managed to pop the foot out of it's jammed state with relative ease, and increase my range of motion and mobility more than I have been able to do in the last few months. I should have taken care of the ankle long ago, and thus prevented my Achilles injury, and now my calf injury. She said to take it easy on my run this weekend, if it feels good go for 10km, no more than that give or take. We will see how it feels, and make a call from there. A bit of kineseo tape on my Achilles and I was on my way, feeling better after two sessions than I have in six months. Sunday run is coming, Chucknut 50 registration tomorrow morning. Now I just hope to get in and be well enough to run in two days.

Physio Day One

Yesterday I paid a visit to my physiotherapist, Reneé, who doubles as my sister in-law. Perhaps a combination of not running this week, and the treatment she gave me has resulted in much improvement in my leg. The achilles is not nearly as sore as usual, the ankle is the best it has felt, and my calf is feeling normal. I check in with Physiomoves (Tyler Dumont's set up) tomorrow, so maybe they can tell me something more about it tomorrow, such as causes of the injury, what I should do in terms of running, and duration and intensity of my training. I hear that it takes six weeks to meet up with Tyler, so I will get who I get tomorrow. He is a popular physio, and he also teaches at UBC.

Sunday is looking good, and Saturday is the Chuckanut 50 registration, so I feel like I need to get out there. I am kinda chompin' at the bit to be honest. Patience will pay off for me if I take some more time right now.

Bad to worse...injured and in pain...

Today was the first time in over a year and a half that I had to can my run shortly after starting it. 3km is all I could hack, and nearly half of that was walking back home. It seems that the sprained/ turned left ankle that I have been experiencing over the last few months, dating back to June, have finally put me on the shelf.

It is hard to walk, quite sore throughout the low and high ankle, and up the anterior shin. GRRRRRR.... I should maybe book a date with Tyler and get some physio to see what the real deal is. The goal now is to do nothing in terms of running until it gets better, hopefully that will be by Sunday if I keep taking the gel caps and icing it.

A bit of patience and TLC of this thing, and I should be alright, I hope. However, it is something that started in June, the soreness I have had since October, and perhaps I have reached the tipping point here. Calf raises are my bag now, and I will listen to doctors orders.

A little trail running vid c/o Adam Campbell. This is enough to get me out there.

Points, practice, and injuries.

Yesterday on my morning run, I was dealt a blow: a turned ankle on a 5:55 am trail run in the Shed. With head lamps in full effect due to the morning darkness, the left ankle rolled over--the same ankle as always--at the same place on the same trail that I usually have this mishap happen. I caught it in time before I did any major damage, and managed to finish the run, but today, the whole foot is tender. Add to that, some acute tendonitis in my my left achilles, and I have a recipe for pain.

The last time I rolled it badly was in a staff boot camp in June. That time, the bruising was all over the foot, and stepping on it was painful for days until it healed. I took two weeks off of running after that injury. The thing healed fine in time for the Chuckanut Footrace in July.

A few months later, some time off of running after the footrace due to the start of CX season and vacations, and an attempt to get back into regular trail running, and my achilles is starting to wear with pain. It was fine for the marathon this May, and after the injury in June. But it seems that taking time off of running can do more harm that good. Even a morning CX ride today in place of the Cross Border Clash in Washington State that I (regretfully) did not attend, and the bottle of gel caps is looking pretty good right now.

That leaves me with two weeks off of racing since the Pumpkin Cross. I didn't make it to Kamloops last week due to the LAPS gala, and this week the grandparents are visiting the grandchildren at our home, so that leaves me rested and ready for next week. Looking back to Pumpkin Cross, I now realize that I was exhausted from the training that I put in before that race. Coupled with mental fatigue, and poor race prep, and I was out of it before it began. I blame a lack of sleep/rest on that one. Something to remember for the next race. GET MORE SLEEP!

This week Cycling BC released the upgrade points totals for the Cat.3/4 and Masters 3/4. As it turns out, I am tied for first with 42 points. This is great because that means for the weekend, I will be the first to be called up for the Mighty/Daryl Evans BC CUP Race. A win, third place finish, and 13th place finish has helped to keep me in the M 3/4 category. Once riders accumulate 50 points, they are automatically upgraded. It looks entirely possible that I will be moved up after this race, which means that I have to give everything to a good finish for November 12th. Only 8 points an I am in the Masters 1/2 catagory. If I finish in 11th, I will move up. I had better finish higher than 11th. Make that better than 5th.

Last weekend, Tyler Dumont and I toured the two South Surrey CX courses. Solid ride with the man, he and I pushed each other pretty good on a few hot laps of the Nov. 12th Course. He has the ability to ride hard and push himself to the limit, as we lead each other on alternating laps.

Along with the CX practice, I have had a bit of fun winning the race home from work everyday. Although it is a solo race over about two kilometers, I always end up winning. This gives me a great reason to practice my victory celebration. Sometimes I practice the cliches: El Pistelero (which feels corny, plagiarized, and just wrong). the sharpshooter (a bit too violent), paddling my bike across the finish (that one works), the "point to the heavens" (I dig this one).

It may be presumptuous to do this, but you never know when it will come in handy. I have seen many finish line celebrations in the local cross scene that are kinda wasted, riders who do not do much when they cross the line a la Cadel Evans winning the 2010 World Championships. Although modesty does have its place, we in Canada can celebrate and be excited about winning races that we in an expressive, energetic way. I am all about that, letting out a war cry at the end of my battle. Yes, it is only the Master's 3/4 catagory. But how many riders win the bike race you are in? I will tell you: one. And only one. And if that is me, darn rights I am going to let out a little sumpin' sumpin' at the end of the race. I just raced my b'donki-donk off, and a little hard fought release is well earned. I expect whomever wins the race in South Surrey this weekend to do the same....