5000m track training, style check and new chiropractor

Well where do I start?
The new chiropractor is brilliant.  He has ordered lots more xrays but he feels 99% confident that all my trouble has come from my feet or more to the point RIGHT foot.  This is the foot that I flick and flap around too.  He says that the nerve is not firing and so keeps tripping out the SI joint.  He manipulated my foot (boy did that hurt) and bingo ... pain went from my SI joint.  So on Friday he is going to strap my foot to hold it in place and I am to throw away my ballet shoes and jandals!    I am excited by all this as it is the first good result that I have seen yet.

I went along to the track tonight and just did a gentle 5000m but as per normal I hit the wrong button at the first km mark and stopped my watch...sigh...so by the time I realised I actually lost count of how many laps I had done...I think 2 and a bit or perhaps just two....any how I pressed start at where the end of the one km mark was and kept count from there so I know that the 4km recorded on my watch WAS 4km...but I am sure that I did at least a km in the missing spot.  Any how ... I worked out my 5km to be 30:50 and I am happy with that.

after I walked I asked Catrina if she would be kind enough to take a couple of videos of me so I can check on my style.  I am pleased to say that it is all looking pretty good.  Cant wait till I can really tuck that butt.

My weeks training and stretch results

Heres has been my week in training :-

Weds was 5km along the walkway in 30:40 - body felt tight but ok no pain in hamstring
weds 5km

Friday was 5km along the walkway in 30:42 - still feeling stiff and tight - hamstring tender
Friday 5km

Saturday - 8km on the treadmill in 49:12 - body felt great tonight.  No pain and not stiff at all.  I did get tired at about 6km but I am so pleased to have made it to 8km.
8km treadmill

I have been doing 30mins of stretching and strength building each morning....sometimes again at night.  When I started I could not lean over and touch my toes.  I could just touch my sock line at my ankle.  Laying on the floor with on leg straight on the floor and the other straight up in the air....I could not hold it straight and get it high enough for me to hold.  I had to bend my knee to be able to hold my knee to help stretch.  Sitting on the floor with back against the wall and hells of feet togehther (like the frog pose)  My knees were high off the ground and my heels along way from my body.

After 10 days .... I touched the floor today!!!!! and my knees are about an inch closer to the floor in the frog pose.  I can now put one foot on the back of the couch and lean forward to hold my toe!!!

I am very excited about this progress as I had not expected results for weeks.  I am also swapping to a new chiropractor - he is only 5 mins from my work so much easier for me to get to and cheaper too.  But he also does muscle imbalance work - which I think will be the most beneficial for me.

so my next goal is to put the palm of my hand on the floor and then my head to my knee!

First track walk on the new track

I got to the track a little earlier than I thought I would.  I had managed to start work early so was able to leave 15mins early too.  I had not decided what I was going to do and when I got there the others had already started their walks.  They were doing some thing I have NEVER done and I figured I would join in with them.  I missed the 1900m but I started at the next drop.

I was very aware that my hamstring was still tender and I didnt want to do anything that would strain it so I had already told my self to NOT push it tonight and keep my speed in check and just pace myself.  The new track is so spongy and soft....it was actually kind of bouncy.   My breathing was hard tonight but my heart rate was low ... shows I did keep my self in check...but the last set even though I thought I kept myself in check ... it was faster than I wanted and my hamstring did grumble through it.

So what is this odd work out.

1500 - 8:27
1100 - 6:15
700 - 3:54
300 - 1:39

I am very pleased with this.  My max heart rate was 170 and my avg was 155 (this is very good)

1500 m data
1100 m data
700n data
300m data

Xray results and my week that followed

I asked my chiro to book me in for xrays and I must say the results show why I am having such trouble.  1st I have little bend in my spine in the right places and too much in the wrong places.  2nd ...front on I have one hip higher than the other and the break in my pelvis looks to have not set correctly plus there seems to be a chunk out of the ball joint of that hip too.

So I have ALOT of work to do.  I have to work on my lower core, abs, back, butt and then also stretch my hammys ALOT.  (to confess....I actually cant touch my toes when standing....I can get to the tips of my ankles)  This WILL change.

I have too much curve down low and none up top

so you can see here left side is higher that right...right side was the broken side

So for the last week I have been doing about 30mins of stretching and strength exercises ... but no walking!... my hamstring is still angry so while I let that settle I have been doing alot of core work and lower back and glute work.  

So here it is Sunday................ I decided to try for a 5km walk.  I had a good snap crack with Mark on Weds and my SI joint was feeling much better.  My hamstring was tight but now sore...so I thought yep lets do this.

Wow is all I can say.  I started out way to fast but at the time it didnt feel fast.  I felt great and was shocked to see my time of 5:40......whoa...ease that up!!!!.... but I actually kept it up for most of the way.  I got tired on the way back but wow..........this was a huge confidence booster. 

I finished my walk in 28.55 looking at my data I kinda fartleked it....I was surging each km...but I felt great and my heart rate on increased on the return when I was getting tired.  I am so thrilled with this...it proves to me that the last 4 days of stretching and strength exercises have and are working.

5km data

5km along broadbeach walkway

I am so so so tired of constantly having trouble with my SI joint and I am tired of paying $$$$$ to get by back corrected.  Why cant it be "fixed" ..... or is this a result from my motorbike accident 15 years ago (broken pelvis on the right side)  Not once has anyone xray my back or scanned my SI joint....I think it might be time for me to voice some thoughts at the chiro or doctor.

I got up at 6am and went out to do 5km.  I am constantly doing 5kms at the moment....mainly due to its a quick walk and its not too far so if my back does lock up I can still get home and not be late for work.  Once my back settles I can go back to longer walks.

While my back was stiff and achy it was not OUCH sore, but when it gets stiff I loose all my power as I cant bring my leg forward for a longer stride.  I felt slow...really slow.  While I am normally an up beat and positive person today I let the negatives creep in and all I could think about was its going to be over 31mins...snails pace....this is really bad .. why am I bothering.   Looking back now I can slap myself because I know that 31mins is a great time, its not bad and slow and snails pace.  By just saying that out loud I am insulting so many of my friends and fellow competitors ....  it just felt that way to me compared to my usual walks.

I am off to the chiropractor tomorrow and its time to demand they do something other than charge me a fortune and adjust it.  I want this to be fixed.  Either give me a cortisone injection into the joint or tell me how this can be fixed.

Todays 5km was done in 31:15 and looking at the km splits I kinda did a wee kick down in there too.
5km walkway

3000m Masters Walk at Ashmore

Well as you may all be aware....I pulled or gave a small tear to my Adductor (muscle at inside top of thigh)  This slowed me down ALOT this week and I only really got one 5km walk in.  It went ok but my SI joint was really stiff again.

I was meant to do a 10km walk on Saturday but first I thought I would tidy up first.  While leaning to the right side to pick up towels off the floor all the muscles in the right side of my back went into a spasm and left me almost a cripple for an hour.  After a haste chat to Jim he sent me a video of how to apply Kensie tape to my SI Joint....and Shane followed the instructions and applied the tape.  Wow that was instant relief.

So Jim said that if I felt okish in the morning that I could try the 3000m but to stay at only 90%  I was not feeling that confident that I would be able to walk but surprisingly ... I woke and while I felt stiff and tight it was not sharp pain.  So I went down and decided to see how things went.

I had said to Paul that I was only walking my own race and at 90% ... if I pass him I am not racing but it just means he has slowed.  Turns out I passed him at 1km and then he passed me at 2km.  He slowed down and so I called out and said "oi... move it" lol and it spured him on to pick up.  

I finished in 17:27  I was consistant through the walk with my km splits being   5.49  5.49   5.50 

My back was achy through the walk but its pretty tight and sore now.  Will be looking at getting into a chrio tomorrow.

3000m Masters Walk

10km up hedges ave and back

Time to kick my own butt!!!!

I slacked off while my son visited but I had already been wishy washy about my training......but the time has come for me to get my act together.  I want to aim towards Australian Masters Track and Field in Hobart and this is March next year so I need to start getting some distance under me and to build up some strength.

So I have written my self up a new program for walking and I plan to also make use of our home gym after work.  The hardest part for me is getting used to training before work..........back to the solo training at 5.30am.  Well at least it wont be too hot so thats a bonus hey.

Today I set off to do 10km.  I am still a little tender from my sprints last week and some new moves learnt at Burlesque.  But I made it through the walk ok.  My heart rate is up a little but that is to be expected.

It was 28 degs and 75% humidity tonight .... making it a very hot and stick walk.   The small tender spot on leg annoyed me at about 9km but other than that I was ok.  Still having pain in my right shin/ankle after the walk .. but it doesnt seem to annoy me during the walk.

total time was 1:01:29 Very happy with that.

10 data