This weekend was pretty good for training. I got in my first long run in a couple weeks. I did 9 miles on Saturday. My foot was pretty sore, but I got through it. Had to stop a couple times and stretch out the foot and calf. Still ended up with a 8:24 pace so not that bad. My foot was pretty sore the next day.
On Sunday I rode with a small group that I rode with last year. It is a good group of people, but they ride at a slower pace than I have gotten used to. This is good I guess, as I can now see that my training has definitely improved my cycling and after riding with them for 25 miles, I headed off on my own for another 20 miles. There was a lot of wind so I really had to put my head down and grind it out for awhile. Coming back was great because I had a strong tailwind so I was cruising at about 25 mph for most of the 10 miles back home. The ride felt good and I felt strong. No run after because the family was waiting for me.
St. Anthony's is coming up so I need my foot to get better so I can redeem myself of last year's poor performance.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Half Ironman Triathlon Training: Weekend Plans
My foot is feeling better today and I hope to get a big weekend of training in. I have a 2 hour trainer ride planned for tonight. We will be watching my nephew tonight so it will be a little crazy around the house with 3 kids, but I'll get the ride in after they settle down for bed.
Tomorrow I plan on a 10 mile run (easy to test the foot) before our second soccer game at 9. We lost the first game (I coach 5 and 6 year olds so it was an accidental shot) 1 - 0. It is actually pretty fun to watch the kids. Maybe 8 of the 16 on the field actually have a clue. I need to get a swim in after practice or in the afternoon. I may go to the ocean for some open water training. St. Anthony's is coming up fast and I want to feel confident going in.
Sunday is a 3 hour long ride. I will probably join a small group for the first part of the ride. They are pretty relaxed and it will be a good warm up. I'll do the last couple hours on my own. I would like to do a short transition run after the bike, but I'll see how my foot feels after the ride and long run on Saturday.
Tomorrow I plan on a 10 mile run (easy to test the foot) before our second soccer game at 9. We lost the first game (I coach 5 and 6 year olds so it was an accidental shot) 1 - 0. It is actually pretty fun to watch the kids. Maybe 8 of the 16 on the field actually have a clue. I need to get a swim in after practice or in the afternoon. I may go to the ocean for some open water training. St. Anthony's is coming up fast and I want to feel confident going in.
Sunday is a 3 hour long ride. I will probably join a small group for the first part of the ride. They are pretty relaxed and it will be a good warm up. I'll do the last couple hours on my own. I would like to do a short transition run after the bike, but I'll see how my foot feels after the ride and long run on Saturday.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Triathlon Training Update and Popular Triathlon Training Books and Products
Here are some popular triathlon training products to help you get the most out of your training:
I'm feeling better after my stomach funk and race let down this weekend. Did spin class yesterday and felt pretty good. I was a little slow to start (it was 5:15 so I usually am anyway) but it ended up being a really good workout. Planning an interval session with the wife tonight. Our plan is a 40 minute run set up like this:
10 min Warm up
3 min threshold pace
3 min recovery pace
3 min threshold pace
3 min recovery pace
3 min threshold pace
3 min recovery pace
10-12 cool down
I plan on a brick in the consisiting of 1hr 20 min bike followed by 25 min tempo run just under race pace. 4 weeks until St. Anthony's and I want to have a good race so I want to pick up a bit more. I'm counting on the fact that I'm able to keep my foot feeling at least tolerable.
I'm feeling better after my stomach funk and race let down this weekend. Did spin class yesterday and felt pretty good. I was a little slow to start (it was 5:15 so I usually am anyway) but it ended up being a really good workout. Planning an interval session with the wife tonight. Our plan is a 40 minute run set up like this:
10 min Warm up
3 min threshold pace
3 min recovery pace
3 min threshold pace
3 min recovery pace
3 min threshold pace
3 min recovery pace
10-12 cool down
I plan on a brick in the consisiting of 1hr 20 min bike followed by 25 min tempo run just under race pace. 4 weeks until St. Anthony's and I want to have a good race so I want to pick up a bit more. I'm counting on the fact that I'm able to keep my foot feeling at least tolerable.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Daytona Frogman Race Report
I started my weekend on Friday feeling great and ready for my race on Sunday. I was very excited to see where my fitness level was because I have been traing hard and I feel pretty strong. When my wife called me Friday afternoon and said she felt horrible, I was a little concerned (of course for her) that I may pick up some of it before the race. She was sick all night and I took care of the girls, 6 and 14 months. The youngest was the first one to come down with the sickness. I did my best to wash my hands obsessively but something must have gotten through. I started to feel the yuck at 2 a.m. When Saturday morning came around, I was down for the count. I spent all day Saturday feeling horrible. When I weighed myself Friday night I was 193. When I woke up Sunday morning, I still felt sick. I weighed in at 186. I was down 7 lbs from Friday night. Not good. I just tried to eat some toast with peanut butter and drank some water.
This race was to benefit the families of retired and fallen Navy Seals, so the race was started by the Seal parachute team dropping onto the beach right in front of us. Pretty awesome sight and gave a huge shot of adrenaline.
We got lined up on the beach for the start and were a bit delayed while they tried to get the buoys to stay set. They finally started the race and we were off. I felt good getting through the surf and was on my way. I fell behind the lead pack and was fine with that. I just wanted to keep an easy pace to see how my stomach was going to feel. I was doing okay. Water was rough and was tough to sight at times. I was between the lead group and the rest of the men, so no drafting for me. I ended up coming out at 16:42. The course was obviously shortened due to the times that were put up. It was probably more of 1200 yd course. As soon as I hit the beach and started my run to transition, I knew I was going to have a long day. My stomach hurt right away as soon as I started to jog. No problems with transition. Wetsuit off easily and helmet on.
Shoes were on the bike and no problems mounting the bike. It was about 1/4 mile when I strapped in to my shoes, no problems. I did not practice transitions as planned due to being violently ill on Friday and Saturday. It worked out okay. I dropped my chain going over the bridge. My fault, I waited too long to gear down. I put it back on mid bridge and still got over it rather quickly. I Took it easy with the headwinds and tried to reserve my energy for the tailwind portions. Started too lose my steam about half way through the ride due to my stomach funk. I ended up with a bike split of 1:10:01 (21.3 mph) so not too bad after all.
The run felt horrible from start to finish. I stopped sweating at mile 2 and got the goose bumps. Not good. I was intent on finishing, so I slogged through the miles. Every time I started to run, my stomach knotted up and was very painful. I ended walking probably 3 miles of the 10K. I was so disappointed because my run is so much improved. My last open 10K was 44 and change so obviously, I was not happy with an 1:01 10K. I watched the people pass me by on the run that I have beat all winter in the run races and I felt worse with each one. I finally got to the finish line and kept running straight to the bathroom. 10 minutes later I emerged to see my beautiful wife and 2 daughters waiting for me. My oldest said, "Great job Daddy. You finished". That brought a smile to my face for the first time all day.
I am glad I finished the race even though it was probably not the smartest thing to do. I spent the rest of the day in bed and in the bathroom. Good times. After beating myself for a little bit, I focused on the facts that were positive. I had a good swim, and decent bike even though I felt horrible. Transition times were fairly good and I got through them rather quickly. I will take these positives and prepare for St. Anthony's next month. If nothing else, this will keep the fire going to continue training harder for St. Anthony's next month and Florida 70.3 in May. I am taking today off, and getting back into training tomorrow.
Thanks for following.
This race was to benefit the families of retired and fallen Navy Seals, so the race was started by the Seal parachute team dropping onto the beach right in front of us. Pretty awesome sight and gave a huge shot of adrenaline.
We got lined up on the beach for the start and were a bit delayed while they tried to get the buoys to stay set. They finally started the race and we were off. I felt good getting through the surf and was on my way. I fell behind the lead pack and was fine with that. I just wanted to keep an easy pace to see how my stomach was going to feel. I was doing okay. Water was rough and was tough to sight at times. I was between the lead group and the rest of the men, so no drafting for me. I ended up coming out at 16:42. The course was obviously shortened due to the times that were put up. It was probably more of 1200 yd course. As soon as I hit the beach and started my run to transition, I knew I was going to have a long day. My stomach hurt right away as soon as I started to jog. No problems with transition. Wetsuit off easily and helmet on.
Shoes were on the bike and no problems mounting the bike. It was about 1/4 mile when I strapped in to my shoes, no problems. I did not practice transitions as planned due to being violently ill on Friday and Saturday. It worked out okay. I dropped my chain going over the bridge. My fault, I waited too long to gear down. I put it back on mid bridge and still got over it rather quickly. I Took it easy with the headwinds and tried to reserve my energy for the tailwind portions. Started too lose my steam about half way through the ride due to my stomach funk. I ended up with a bike split of 1:10:01 (21.3 mph) so not too bad after all.
The run felt horrible from start to finish. I stopped sweating at mile 2 and got the goose bumps. Not good. I was intent on finishing, so I slogged through the miles. Every time I started to run, my stomach knotted up and was very painful. I ended walking probably 3 miles of the 10K. I was so disappointed because my run is so much improved. My last open 10K was 44 and change so obviously, I was not happy with an 1:01 10K. I watched the people pass me by on the run that I have beat all winter in the run races and I felt worse with each one. I finally got to the finish line and kept running straight to the bathroom. 10 minutes later I emerged to see my beautiful wife and 2 daughters waiting for me. My oldest said, "Great job Daddy. You finished". That brought a smile to my face for the first time all day.
I am glad I finished the race even though it was probably not the smartest thing to do. I spent the rest of the day in bed and in the bathroom. Good times. After beating myself for a little bit, I focused on the facts that were positive. I had a good swim, and decent bike even though I felt horrible. Transition times were fairly good and I got through them rather quickly. I will take these positives and prepare for St. Anthony's next month. If nothing else, this will keep the fire going to continue training harder for St. Anthony's next month and Florida 70.3 in May. I am taking today off, and getting back into training tomorrow.
Thanks for following.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Triathlon Training Plan: Daytona Frogman
Daytona Frogman is Sunday and I can't wait to race!I will go for a swim tonight and probably just rest tomorrow. I have bike check in on Saturday, so maybe a short ride to check everything out before I go. I will do some transition training tonight and tomorrow morning to get a little of the rust off. I haven't had a tri since last August so I need a little refresher. I am curious to see the results of my training this year and I hope to get a good gauge on where I will be for St.Anthony's next month. Even though I am using this weekends race as a "tune up", I want to do well because it is my hometown and I do every race as an "A" race really. I give all I can at every race otherwise I would just do a training session for free.
I also need to see where my foot is because I have only ran twice in the last week so I could take some time for my plantar fasciitis flare up to calm down. It feels better, but not 100%. I will baby it until race day and see what happens. There is an expo on Saturday and I am sure it will be fun. I'll let everyone know my results and if anything comes up over the weekend, I'll throw up an update.
I also need to see where my foot is because I have only ran twice in the last week so I could take some time for my plantar fasciitis flare up to calm down. It feels better, but not 100%. I will baby it until race day and see what happens. There is an expo on Saturday and I am sure it will be fun. I'll let everyone know my results and if anything comes up over the weekend, I'll throw up an update.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Triathlon Training Schedule: Swim Bike Run Session This Morning
This morning our spin teacher, who is also a triathlete coach, decided today would be a full (not quite) swim, bike, run brick. we started with 20 minutes in the pool, ran to the spin bikes and did a full hour simulated race day, and then quick transition to a 20 minute run. There are a few of us in the class that are racing The Daytona Frogman on Sunday so this was a nice workout for us. I felt good and the foot held up pretty well (I have been fighting with plantar fasciitis for a few months). I hope to have my bike back in action today and have a good trainer ride tonight. Tomorrow will be intervals for my last hard workout before the olympic distance race on Sunday. I AM READY TO RACE!!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Weekend Triathlon Training
I had to go to plan b, literally because Plan B is my local bike shop, because I tightened my seat on Friday night and broke one of the screws on the clamp. The screw broke off in the clamp. Arggg! They managed to get the broken screw out, but they had to order a new screw. That meant no bike this weekend.
I did manage to run the 10K for Daytona Frogman on Saturday. I took it a little easy because my foot is feeling a little better and I did not want to aggravate it. Ended up with a decent 7:27 pace and I hope that I can hold that pace on Sunday off the 25 mile bike.
There was an open ocean swim clinic yesterday and we had a decent turnout. There were a lot of beginners but some experienced people as well. We basically did beach starts and swam out to a buoy that was about 100 yards off the outer sandbar and came back in. We did about 10 of these heats and it was good to get the feel for the ocean starts again. I felt good and was able to keep out in front of most of the others. I feel confident for sprint distances, but a mile swim is totally different. I'm hoping to be able to relax and get into a good rhythm for the long swim and not get out of the water too drained.
Tomorrow we are doing a 400 yard swim before spin class, then a 2 mile run after class for a nice full brick. I plan on doing a couple hours on the trainer tonight, if I get my bike back together, and then Wednesday will be an interval run. That will be my last hard workout of the week. I will do some transition practice after work this week. Probably at least 2 days at about an hour each. Transition practice is like getting free time in the race. I learned the hard way last season that transition can mean the difference between 3rd and 4th. transition training can take off precious seconds with minimal training time. Try taking 1 minute off your swim and see how long that takes. You can easily get your transitions down to at least 30-45 seconds if you train for them correctly (olympic and sprint distances). Have a great week everyone!
I did manage to run the 10K for Daytona Frogman on Saturday. I took it a little easy because my foot is feeling a little better and I did not want to aggravate it. Ended up with a decent 7:27 pace and I hope that I can hold that pace on Sunday off the 25 mile bike.
There was an open ocean swim clinic yesterday and we had a decent turnout. There were a lot of beginners but some experienced people as well. We basically did beach starts and swam out to a buoy that was about 100 yards off the outer sandbar and came back in. We did about 10 of these heats and it was good to get the feel for the ocean starts again. I felt good and was able to keep out in front of most of the others. I feel confident for sprint distances, but a mile swim is totally different. I'm hoping to be able to relax and get into a good rhythm for the long swim and not get out of the water too drained.
Tomorrow we are doing a 400 yard swim before spin class, then a 2 mile run after class for a nice full brick. I plan on doing a couple hours on the trainer tonight, if I get my bike back together, and then Wednesday will be an interval run. That will be my last hard workout of the week. I will do some transition practice after work this week. Probably at least 2 days at about an hour each. Transition practice is like getting free time in the race. I learned the hard way last season that transition can mean the difference between 3rd and 4th. transition training can take off precious seconds with minimal training time. Try taking 1 minute off your swim and see how long that takes. You can easily get your transitions down to at least 30-45 seconds if you train for them correctly (olympic and sprint distances). Have a great week everyone!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Wheelbuilder.com Aero Disc Wheel Cover Review
**Updated**
3/12/2010
Well I got another 30 miles in on the wheel cover and still like it. It was another windy ride and I did feel it a little with strong cross winds. Not out of control or anything, but I did need to pay a little more attention to what I was doing.
I rode the Frogman route again with a friend Sunday and it hurt going into the wind, but we were moving at a really good pace (up to 30 mph) with the tailwind. I got in a good training ride and I'm looking forward to the first race of the season next Sunday and using the wheelcover in a race. I have a new bike this season and the wheel cover makes it look extra fast, so I hope I have built up the engine enough to go with the looks. I guess I'll know next Sunday. I'm out.
3/3/2010
I rode for the first time on the road with the disc cover this weekend. Only did 25 miles and I was very surprised with the disc wheel cover. I was expecting quite a bit of rattle from the cover but I never noticed it and even my ridng partner said he did not notice it either. Not sure if I could tell a whole lot of difference with the wheel cover on, because I have been doing so much on the trainer and spin class, I know my fitness level is improved. I do know it doesn't hurt so I'm keeping it on. We had 20-25 mph winds and the only time I felt a little sketchy was going down the bridge with a bit of a cross wind. I rode the brakes at 25 mph (I know , what a pus) because I just felt a little loose. Not sure if it was the disc or just the strong winds.
I checked everything out on the disc when I got home, and it was all still nice and tight. I plan to keep it on for a while now as I start racing this month and have one a month until October. I'll keep updating as I put on the miles.
2/4/2010
I have a few more hours with the cover on the trainer and still fits snug. No strange rattles or anything as of yet. If the weather cooperates this weekend, I will have a 3 hour road test and post how it went. Our weekends for the last month or so have been extremely windy so I hope it lets up some for this weekend.
1/4/2010
Happy New Year! I have about 4 trainer hours with the wheel cover on and it has not loosened up at all. The weather has been unseasonably cold here in Florida so I have not been on the road with the aero disc yet. I will continue to train with the wheel cover on the trainer and monitor if it loosens up or if there are any other problems.
12/29/2009
I received my aero wheel cover from wheelbuilder.com today. I was excited to try out and review this product. I have heard many people like the product and wanted to know for myself how it works. I needed to stop at my local bike shop and get the necessary tools for installation (chain whip and lockring removal tool).
I know the aero wheel cover is only for racing, but I wanted to install it and ride a little to get a feeling for it and make sure when it comes to race day, that I know how to install and feel comfortable putting it on.
When I opened the box, all the installation pieces were there and I was ready to give it a shot. Let me first say that I am not very mechanically inclined when it comes to my bike, or anything really. Removing the cassette was not all that hard and the biggest trick was getting it off without losing the order of the cogs and the spacers. I accomplished this without a problem.
I then put the wheel cover on and it was fairly easy. It did take a little adjusting back and forth once I got the fasteners on and this was a little frustrating. I put a fastener in every other hole at first, then I installed the others. I kept them loose at this time so that I could do the adjusting. After a few minutes of moving the disc around, I finally felt like it was in the right spot.
I tightend the fasteners and checked the fit. There seemed to be some warping of the cover so I loosened up the fasteners a bit and it seemed to take care of the problem.
I reinstalled the cassette and went to put the wheel back on my bike. I don't know why, but I have the hardest time putting my back wheel on. I messed with this for a little while and finally got it. I put the bike on my trainer and made sure nothing was rubbing. It seemed fine and I will go for a short neighborhood tour tonight after work. I will post updates on the durability of the product as time goes on.
3/12/2010
Well I got another 30 miles in on the wheel cover and still like it. It was another windy ride and I did feel it a little with strong cross winds. Not out of control or anything, but I did need to pay a little more attention to what I was doing.
I rode the Frogman route again with a friend Sunday and it hurt going into the wind, but we were moving at a really good pace (up to 30 mph) with the tailwind. I got in a good training ride and I'm looking forward to the first race of the season next Sunday and using the wheelcover in a race. I have a new bike this season and the wheel cover makes it look extra fast, so I hope I have built up the engine enough to go with the looks. I guess I'll know next Sunday. I'm out.
3/3/2010
I rode for the first time on the road with the disc cover this weekend. Only did 25 miles and I was very surprised with the disc wheel cover. I was expecting quite a bit of rattle from the cover but I never noticed it and even my ridng partner said he did not notice it either. Not sure if I could tell a whole lot of difference with the wheel cover on, because I have been doing so much on the trainer and spin class, I know my fitness level is improved. I do know it doesn't hurt so I'm keeping it on. We had 20-25 mph winds and the only time I felt a little sketchy was going down the bridge with a bit of a cross wind. I rode the brakes at 25 mph (I know , what a pus) because I just felt a little loose. Not sure if it was the disc or just the strong winds.
I checked everything out on the disc when I got home, and it was all still nice and tight. I plan to keep it on for a while now as I start racing this month and have one a month until October. I'll keep updating as I put on the miles.
2/4/2010
I have a few more hours with the cover on the trainer and still fits snug. No strange rattles or anything as of yet. If the weather cooperates this weekend, I will have a 3 hour road test and post how it went. Our weekends for the last month or so have been extremely windy so I hope it lets up some for this weekend.
1/4/2010
Happy New Year! I have about 4 trainer hours with the wheel cover on and it has not loosened up at all. The weather has been unseasonably cold here in Florida so I have not been on the road with the aero disc yet. I will continue to train with the wheel cover on the trainer and monitor if it loosens up or if there are any other problems.
12/29/2009
I received my aero wheel cover from wheelbuilder.com today. I was excited to try out and review this product. I have heard many people like the product and wanted to know for myself how it works. I needed to stop at my local bike shop and get the necessary tools for installation (chain whip and lockring removal tool).
I know the aero wheel cover is only for racing, but I wanted to install it and ride a little to get a feeling for it and make sure when it comes to race day, that I know how to install and feel comfortable putting it on.
When I opened the box, all the installation pieces were there and I was ready to give it a shot. Let me first say that I am not very mechanically inclined when it comes to my bike, or anything really. Removing the cassette was not all that hard and the biggest trick was getting it off without losing the order of the cogs and the spacers. I accomplished this without a problem.
I then put the wheel cover on and it was fairly easy. It did take a little adjusting back and forth once I got the fasteners on and this was a little frustrating. I put a fastener in every other hole at first, then I installed the others. I kept them loose at this time so that I could do the adjusting. After a few minutes of moving the disc around, I finally felt like it was in the right spot.
I tightend the fasteners and checked the fit. There seemed to be some warping of the cover so I loosened up the fasteners a bit and it seemed to take care of the problem.
I reinstalled the cassette and went to put the wheel back on my bike. I don't know why, but I have the hardest time putting my back wheel on. I messed with this for a little while and finally got it. I put the bike on my trainer and made sure nothing was rubbing. It seemed fine and I will go for a short neighborhood tour tonight after work. I will post updates on the durability of the product as time goes on.
Weekend Triathlon Training Plan
This is the last weekend to train before Frogman next Sunday. I plan on a good brick of 30 miles on the bike and a 6 mile run on Saturday, as long as my foot holds up. I plan to take it at an easy pace on the run. Sunday there is an open water swim clinic on the beach. The water temps are still in the 50's so it is going to be chilly. I planned on a swim this weekend anyway, so I'll join them and have a group to swim with. It is the same area for the Frogman and I think they are setting up the buoys and using this as a test run for next weekend. I hope we have a good turn out. I have heard some local grumblings about the water temp being so cold, but come on. Suck it up and let's get the season started without all the whining. Save the whining for the end of the season when we're all beat up and tired. I'm out.
I finally broke down and bought a pair of CEP compression socks yesterday. I hope they live up to the hype. I will try them out this weekend and let you know what I think. Have a great training weekend, I'm out.
I finally broke down and bought a pair of CEP compression socks yesterday. I hope they live up to the hype. I will try them out this weekend and let you know what I think. Have a great training weekend, I'm out.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Nic Ebright Massage: Help With Plantar Fasciitis Problems
I got a post from someone on twitter who was offering to help me out with my plantar fasciitis problems. He gave me some general advice and then asked what my race schedule looked like and he would send me a plan that may help me. I was not sure what to expect as I had never met him before. I checked out his site and it was informative. I think he is having it updated right now so it is currently down but check back later for his updated site. Later that evening, I got an e-mail from him with a great treatment plan. I have pasted it below:
Nic Ebright LMT-CES
Web: www.nicebrightmassage.com
Location: www.awakenwellnesscolumbia.com
7130 Minstrel Way, Suite 160
Columbia Maryland 21045
410-312-9922
Please Print for Your Reference
Before You Begin Home Care Plan:
Although seeking help for an injury or condition is beneficial, it is important to realize that you may need to perform some stretches, strengthening, self-massage or cold/heat therapy between sessions.
This treatment advice is referred to as 'home care advice' and it will help speed up the recovery process, shortening the healing time and thereafter help prevent further injuries.
If home care advice is given it is important to act on it. Massage alone may not be sufficient to rehabilitate a condition.
If appropriate, you may be referred to an alternative practitioner if a different form of therapy would be better suited, either in addition to or instead of the therapies Nic Ebright or Awaken Wellness offers.
Statements are not a medical diagnoses, please see your doctor if you want an official diagnosis.
Client: Craig McGray
Date: 3/9/2010
Session Date: 3/9/2010
Session Type: Overuse Injury Recommendations
Chief Complaint:
History of Plantar Fascitis or strain
Primary Session Treatment Goals:
No treatment performed
Professional Observation:
Plantar fasciitis is traditionally thought to be an inflammatory condition. This is now believed to be incorrect due to the absence of inflammatory cells within the fascia. The cause of pain and dysfunction is now thought to be degeneration of the collagen fibers close to the attachment to the heel bone. Analogous to a frayed rope, scar tissue fibers are not as strong/resilient as original tissue. This particular tissue does not heal as fast because under constant stress. Could be result of stress on rigid arch or overpronation with flat arches. cycling can be as equally painful because of direct use of the forefoot and calf attachments. Treatment is relatively long term.
Home Care Plan:
Protect Heel and Arch with heel pad or KT Tape
RICE affected area before and after activity frequently
Manage pain and inflammation using Ice Massage Technique along heel and arch for effective cooling of the tissue
Use tennis or golf ball to break up and realign scar tissue length wise from heel to forefoot
Stretch plantar tissue and ice again.
If no inflammation, heat the area with moist hot towel.
If POSSIBLE, decrease or discontinue activity causing pain until inflammation decreases
If NOT POSSIBLE, decrease intensity or volume or cross-train or apply KT Tape to support tendon
Reduce overactive muscles with foam roll (Myo-fascial Release). Usual suspects are calf and calf and soleus muscles
Lengthen/Stretch overactive muscles (Listed above)
Strengthen lower leg muscles, foot and toe muscles. Add ankle balance exercises.
References for You:
Taping the Plantar with KT Tape video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x272_NziK2g
Other methods of treatment if condition prolongs
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/4-Ways-to-Fight-Plantar-Fasciitis.htm?act=EMC-Active&Vehicle=Running&Date=03_02_10&Edition=1&Sections=Articles&Creative=4_Ways_to_Fight_Plantar_Fasciitis&TextName=More&ArtText=Txt&Placement=2&Dy=Tue
"Be Informed to Stay In Form"
Bottom line was that if Nic cares for his clients in the same way he was willing to give me advice, he must have very happy and faithful clients. If you need advice or are in his area of Maryland, I would recommend you stop and see Nic. Thanks for all your help Nic!
Nic Ebright LMT-CES
Web: www.nicebrightmassage.com
Location: www.awakenwellnesscolumbia.com
7130 Minstrel Way, Suite 160
Columbia Maryland 21045
410-312-9922
Please Print for Your Reference
Before You Begin Home Care Plan:
Although seeking help for an injury or condition is beneficial, it is important to realize that you may need to perform some stretches, strengthening, self-massage or cold/heat therapy between sessions.
This treatment advice is referred to as 'home care advice' and it will help speed up the recovery process, shortening the healing time and thereafter help prevent further injuries.
If home care advice is given it is important to act on it. Massage alone may not be sufficient to rehabilitate a condition.
If appropriate, you may be referred to an alternative practitioner if a different form of therapy would be better suited, either in addition to or instead of the therapies Nic Ebright or Awaken Wellness offers.
Statements are not a medical diagnoses, please see your doctor if you want an official diagnosis.
Client: Craig McGray
Date: 3/9/2010
Session Date: 3/9/2010
Session Type: Overuse Injury Recommendations
Chief Complaint:
History of Plantar Fascitis or strain
Primary Session Treatment Goals:
No treatment performed
Professional Observation:
Plantar fasciitis is traditionally thought to be an inflammatory condition. This is now believed to be incorrect due to the absence of inflammatory cells within the fascia. The cause of pain and dysfunction is now thought to be degeneration of the collagen fibers close to the attachment to the heel bone. Analogous to a frayed rope, scar tissue fibers are not as strong/resilient as original tissue. This particular tissue does not heal as fast because under constant stress. Could be result of stress on rigid arch or overpronation with flat arches. cycling can be as equally painful because of direct use of the forefoot and calf attachments. Treatment is relatively long term.
Home Care Plan:
Protect Heel and Arch with heel pad or KT Tape
RICE affected area before and after activity frequently
Manage pain and inflammation using Ice Massage Technique along heel and arch for effective cooling of the tissue
Use tennis or golf ball to break up and realign scar tissue length wise from heel to forefoot
Stretch plantar tissue and ice again.
If no inflammation, heat the area with moist hot towel.
If POSSIBLE, decrease or discontinue activity causing pain until inflammation decreases
If NOT POSSIBLE, decrease intensity or volume or cross-train or apply KT Tape to support tendon
Reduce overactive muscles with foam roll (Myo-fascial Release). Usual suspects are calf and calf and soleus muscles
Lengthen/Stretch overactive muscles (Listed above)
Strengthen lower leg muscles, foot and toe muscles. Add ankle balance exercises.
References for You:
Taping the Plantar with KT Tape video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x272_NziK2g
Other methods of treatment if condition prolongs
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/4-Ways-to-Fight-Plantar-Fasciitis.htm?act=EMC-Active&Vehicle=Running&Date=03_02_10&Edition=1&Sections=Articles&Creative=4_Ways_to_Fight_Plantar_Fasciitis&TextName=More&ArtText=Txt&Placement=2&Dy=Tue
"Be Informed to Stay In Form"
Bottom line was that if Nic cares for his clients in the same way he was willing to give me advice, he must have very happy and faithful clients. If you need advice or are in his area of Maryland, I would recommend you stop and see Nic. Thanks for all your help Nic!
I Tested The Foot This Morning
I tested out my foot this morning after spin class. I went out and did a 20 min transition run and it went OK. I did not really push it all, but put in a decent pace. I plan to take it easy on the runs for the next week until my first race of the season next weekend. It's an Olympic distance and I want to be able to make the run. I realize I may not be 100% for this race and that's ok. Next month is St. Anthony's and I really want to be race ready for that one. I'm going to try to add in some trainer rides since I am cutting back on the run volume a bit.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Swim Training Tonight
Tonight is a swim night. Daytona Frogman is in a week and a half and the ocean is still only 53 degrees. It's gonna be chilly for sure, but that's just more incentive to swim faster and get to my bike. I don't plan on being in there for more than 25 minutes at the most (Olympic distance race)anyway. I grew up surfing here, so it's not that big of a deal to me. There are some locals who are questioning whether they are going to race beacuse of it. We live in Florida and can pretty much train year round, so I can't see complaining about a little cold.
There are plenty of people who would love to train in our "cold" weather. People around here have really been slack this winter because of our cold snaps. I hope the fact that I have trained through most of it translates into some noticeable improvements this season.
I plan on an ocean swim this weekend to get a feel for the open water again before next weekend. I think we will have a group of people show up for a group swim. I have not ran since my PR 5K (20:22) on Saturday due to my Plantar Fasciitis problems. I plan on taking it easy with the run until the race and putting in extra time on the bike between now and then in order to keep my fitness level up.
I am going into Frogman with the mindset that I may not be 100% and I'll just do my best and try not to further injure myself. My main focus is St. Anthony's next month and of course, Florida 70.3 in May. That's a quick update for everyone and thanks for following. I'm out!
There are plenty of people who would love to train in our "cold" weather. People around here have really been slack this winter because of our cold snaps. I hope the fact that I have trained through most of it translates into some noticeable improvements this season.
I plan on an ocean swim this weekend to get a feel for the open water again before next weekend. I think we will have a group of people show up for a group swim. I have not ran since my PR 5K (20:22) on Saturday due to my Plantar Fasciitis problems. I plan on taking it easy with the run until the race and putting in extra time on the bike between now and then in order to keep my fitness level up.
I am going into Frogman with the mindset that I may not be 100% and I'll just do my best and try not to further injure myself. My main focus is St. Anthony's next month and of course, Florida 70.3 in May. That's a quick update for everyone and thanks for following. I'm out!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Wheelbuilder.com Aero Disc Wheel Cover Review
**Updated**
3/22/2010
I had my first race with the wheel cover on yesterday. I had a bad race overall (see the Daytona Frogman Post), but felt good about the wheel cover. I honestly forgot it was even on. I never heard it and the winds were either headwind or tailwind, so no real crosswinds to deal with. Not sure if it helped me much, but it definitely did not hurt. My time was faster than last year so I'll keep the cover on. I have trained hard since last year so I know that has helped. I assume the cover helped a bit too. Well worth the $90 I spent on it. I'll keep it on for the rest of the season. So far so good.
3/3/2010
I rode for the first time on the road with the disc cover this weekend. Only did 25 miles and I was very surprised with the disc wheel cover. I was expecting quite a bit of rattle from the cover but I never noticed it and even my ridng partner said he did not notice it either. Not sure if I could tell a whole lot of difference with the wheel cover on, because I have been doing so much on the trainer and spin class, I know my fitness level is improved. I do know it doesn't hurt so I'm keeping it on. We had 20-25 mph winds and the only time I felt a little sketchy was going down the bridge with a bit of a cross wind. I rode the brakes at 25 mph (I know , what a pus) because I just felt a little loose. Not sure if it was the disc or just the strong winds.
I checked everything out on the disc when I got home, and it was all still nice and tight. I plan to keep it on for a while now as I start racing this month and have one a month until October. I'll keep updating as I put on the miles.
2/4/2010
I have a few more hours with the cover on the trainer and still fits snug. No strange rattles or anything as of yet. If the weather cooperates this weekend, I will have a 3 hour road test and post how it went. Our weekends for the last month or so have been extremely windy so I hope it lets up some for this weekend.
1/4/2010
Happy New Year! I have about 4 trainer hours with the wheel cover on and it has not loosened up at all. The weather has been unseasonably cold here in Florida so I have not been on the road with the aero disc yet. I will continue to train with the wheel cover on the trainer and monitor if it loosens up or if there are any other problems.
12/29/2009
I received my aero wheel cover from wheelbuilder.com today. I was excited to try out and review this product. I have heard many people like the product and wanted to know for myself how it works. I needed to stop at my local bike shop and get the necessary tools for installation (chain whip and lockring removal tool).
I know the aero wheel cover is only for racing, but I wanted to install it and ride a little to get a feeling for it and make sure when it comes to race day, that I know how to install and feel comfortable putting it on.
When I opened the box, all the installation pieces were there and I was ready to give it a shot. Let me first say that I am not very mechanically inclined when it comes to my bike, or anything really. Removing the cassette was not all that hard and the biggest trick was getting it off without losing the order of the cogs and the spacers. I accomplished this without a problem.
I then put the wheel cover on and it was fairly easy. It did take a little adjusting back and forth once I got the fasteners on and this was a little frustrating. I put a fastener in every other hole at first, then I installed the others. I kept them loose at this time so that I could do the adjusting. After a few minutes of moving the disc around, I finally felt like it was in the right spot.
I tightend the fasteners and checked the fit. There seemed to be some warping of the cover so I loosened up the fasteners a bit and it seemed to take care of the problem.
I reinstalled the cassette and went to put the wheel back on my bike. I don't know why, but I have the hardest time putting my back wheel on. I messed with this for a little while and finally got it. I put the bike on my trainer and made sure nothing was rubbing. It seemed fine and I will go for a short neighborhood tour tonight after work. I will post updates on the durability of the product as time goes on.
3/22/2010
I had my first race with the wheel cover on yesterday. I had a bad race overall (see the Daytona Frogman Post), but felt good about the wheel cover. I honestly forgot it was even on. I never heard it and the winds were either headwind or tailwind, so no real crosswinds to deal with. Not sure if it helped me much, but it definitely did not hurt. My time was faster than last year so I'll keep the cover on. I have trained hard since last year so I know that has helped. I assume the cover helped a bit too. Well worth the $90 I spent on it. I'll keep it on for the rest of the season. So far so good.
3/3/2010
I rode for the first time on the road with the disc cover this weekend. Only did 25 miles and I was very surprised with the disc wheel cover. I was expecting quite a bit of rattle from the cover but I never noticed it and even my ridng partner said he did not notice it either. Not sure if I could tell a whole lot of difference with the wheel cover on, because I have been doing so much on the trainer and spin class, I know my fitness level is improved. I do know it doesn't hurt so I'm keeping it on. We had 20-25 mph winds and the only time I felt a little sketchy was going down the bridge with a bit of a cross wind. I rode the brakes at 25 mph (I know , what a pus) because I just felt a little loose. Not sure if it was the disc or just the strong winds.
I checked everything out on the disc when I got home, and it was all still nice and tight. I plan to keep it on for a while now as I start racing this month and have one a month until October. I'll keep updating as I put on the miles.
2/4/2010
I have a few more hours with the cover on the trainer and still fits snug. No strange rattles or anything as of yet. If the weather cooperates this weekend, I will have a 3 hour road test and post how it went. Our weekends for the last month or so have been extremely windy so I hope it lets up some for this weekend.
1/4/2010
Happy New Year! I have about 4 trainer hours with the wheel cover on and it has not loosened up at all. The weather has been unseasonably cold here in Florida so I have not been on the road with the aero disc yet. I will continue to train with the wheel cover on the trainer and monitor if it loosens up or if there are any other problems.
12/29/2009
I received my aero wheel cover from wheelbuilder.com today. I was excited to try out and review this product. I have heard many people like the product and wanted to know for myself how it works. I needed to stop at my local bike shop and get the necessary tools for installation (chain whip and lockring removal tool).
I know the aero wheel cover is only for racing, but I wanted to install it and ride a little to get a feeling for it and make sure when it comes to race day, that I know how to install and feel comfortable putting it on.
When I opened the box, all the installation pieces were there and I was ready to give it a shot. Let me first say that I am not very mechanically inclined when it comes to my bike, or anything really. Removing the cassette was not all that hard and the biggest trick was getting it off without losing the order of the cogs and the spacers. I accomplished this without a problem.
I then put the wheel cover on and it was fairly easy. It did take a little adjusting back and forth once I got the fasteners on and this was a little frustrating. I put a fastener in every other hole at first, then I installed the others. I kept them loose at this time so that I could do the adjusting. After a few minutes of moving the disc around, I finally felt like it was in the right spot.
I tightend the fasteners and checked the fit. There seemed to be some warping of the cover so I loosened up the fasteners a bit and it seemed to take care of the problem.
I reinstalled the cassette and went to put the wheel back on my bike. I don't know why, but I have the hardest time putting my back wheel on. I messed with this for a little while and finally got it. I put the bike on my trainer and made sure nothing was rubbing. It seemed fine and I will go for a short neighborhood tour tonight after work. I will post updates on the durability of the product as time goes on.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Endurance Nation Training Plan Sale: 20 Week Training Plans
Click here to visit Endurance Nation
Endurance Nation 20-week training plans are on sale from March 2nd through the 7th. This is a limited opportunity to get a great training plan from a great triathlon coaching company.
20-week training plans are on sale from March 2nd through the 7th.
use the code IMUSAfriend20 to save 20%
Click here to visit Endurance Nation
Endurance Nation 20-week training plans are on sale from March 2nd through the 7th. This is a limited opportunity to get a great training plan from a great triathlon coaching company.
20-week training plans are on sale from March 2nd through the 7th.
use the code IMUSAfriend20 to save 20%
Click here to visit Endurance Nation
Half Ironman Training: Plantar Fasciitis Sucks!!
My weekend started off well with a 8 mile run in the cold rain. Not the best of conditions, but I had a good training run and felt good. I had a 25 mile bike ride planned before a 6 mile run on Sunday. The ride went great. We had pretty strong winds, but it made for some fast parts of the ride with a 20 mph tail wind. The head winds were pretty crappy, but oh well.
When I got back to the house where I had set up a little transition area, my foot was a little tight, but not much worse than normal. I threw on the running shoes and off I went. Sort of. I couldn't get my foot to loosen up at all. It usually takes a mile or so, but I could not get going at all. I had to bail after only about 1/4 of a mile. I figured better to get off of it before I did some real damage. I went home and iced it for a bit, then taped it up.
I took it easy the rest of the day and it feels a little better today. I'm hoping to rest it today and swim tonight. I have a 5K planned this Saturday, so I hope it's doing better. I also don't want to ruin my training plans for Florida 70.3.
I have my foot taped up today and have a golf ball under my desk to roll my foor throughout the day today at work. I hope it gets better. I have had this for almost a year now, but it is usually at least a manageable pain. This time it's a little more severe of a flare up.
My tri season starts this month with an Olympic on March 21 (Daytona Frogman), St. Anthony's in April and Florida 70.3 in May. I will probably go through the summer with 3 or 4 local sprints.
When I got back to the house where I had set up a little transition area, my foot was a little tight, but not much worse than normal. I threw on the running shoes and off I went. Sort of. I couldn't get my foot to loosen up at all. It usually takes a mile or so, but I could not get going at all. I had to bail after only about 1/4 of a mile. I figured better to get off of it before I did some real damage. I went home and iced it for a bit, then taped it up.
I took it easy the rest of the day and it feels a little better today. I'm hoping to rest it today and swim tonight. I have a 5K planned this Saturday, so I hope it's doing better. I also don't want to ruin my training plans for Florida 70.3.
I have my foot taped up today and have a golf ball under my desk to roll my foor throughout the day today at work. I hope it gets better. I have had this for almost a year now, but it is usually at least a manageable pain. This time it's a little more severe of a flare up.
My tri season starts this month with an Olympic on March 21 (Daytona Frogman), St. Anthony's in April and Florida 70.3 in May. I will probably go through the summer with 3 or 4 local sprints.
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