to Shamrock? or not to shamrock? that is the question.

A few weeks ago my soleus and calf muscle in my bad leg were tight. some knots. PK dug into them over coffee. Because doesn't everyone want their coach to dig into their muscles at Starbucks? haha.

Saturday I ran 12.2 miles. My shin hurt, but not where the usual surgery pain is. no pain, no gain, right. I am an Ironman after all.
sunday I hit the elliptical for a fast 45. Holy shin bone.
Ice. Ice. Ice.
Every night I fall asleep in my ice pack. I un-velcro it sometime in the middle of the night when it actually eels heavy from being thawed out.
Now it's Tuesday and I have track. I rarely do track because hill repeats inflame the bad shin muscle, as does running stadium stairs. If we are on the track, I typically do every other speed drill so the added recovery keeps the inflammation at bay.
Last night's main set was 4 x 800 descending. PK told me to start at a 2:15/400 pace. Okay that works.
I hit: 4:13, 4:00, 3:43, 3:42.
As you can see there was minimal difference in the last two. Each time as I started it was like winding up my shin muscle to work for me. The last 200 it hurt so bad I went down to a jog.
I had to sit out of the timed 100 at the end.
Why does speed work injur me?!?!
This morning my leg pain is now to the point where I am ready to cut the damn thing off and ask McSteamy and Callie to give me a new one. A few tears shed at the idea of being injured...again. I just can't be no injured. It's so frustrating I just want to SCREAAAAAAAAMMMMMM.
Some words PK and fellow trainee and PT, Meredith threw out on the pool deck this morning...
- no shamrock half marathon
- shin splits?
- stress fracture?
not the way a girl training for an Ironman wants to start her day.
I was able to get in an appointment with PT Meredith this afternoon. We did some ultrasound on it and some icing. Hopefully this will help alleviate some of the aggrevation going on in there.
We are going on the theory that this is a serious case of shin splints. No impact for awhile. i'll take tonight off the bike. Try it on sunday (scheduled for a 2:45 ride). and back to aqua jogging I go. no roads. no elliptical.
If this keeps a stress fracture away, then I'll take it.
Is it ideal? no. But hey, when do I like to do anything the easy way?!

you may be wondering, what the hell did I do to get these anyways?
Well, I'll tell you. Because I know EXACTLY what has caused this crap. (bitter? yes i am)
I wear Asics DS Trainer. I love them. I've been wearing model 14 for two years now. I loved them so much I bought about 500 pairs. Well, I am down to my last pair. So, I bought the new version, 16, since they have a new model. Like cars, shoes get redesigned every year to supposedly make them better. BULL. SHIT.
I want the 14 back!!!! Screw you Asics. Look what you have caused me!! (again, bitter? yes!)

So to Shamrock? or not to shamrock? that is the question.

On a side note. I have friends who also blog. they are so enjoyable to read. their words flow. Verbiage is well used. Topics are usually interesting.
then I re-read my posts. I am all over the place.. and most of the time I don't care if there are mis-spellings or lower case instead of capitals. I type fast. I don't type well. but it's me. It's my typing character. And the train of thought..well that's how my mind works.
So I may not be as fluid as the skilled writer, but thanks for reading anyways!

xo.
fave.