The 2016 Boston Marathon is 4 weeks from this coming Monday and week's 9 and 10 of training have required me to pull out all the stops in order to stay on track for the starting gun on Monday April 18. My lower right leg muscle/tendon tweak (See Peroneous Brevis image here) from the first 4 weeks of this training cycle has continued to slow me down. While it hasn't prevented me from my long run progression (3rd 20+ miler tomorrow), it has kept me from my usual 50 mile training weeks and weekly rotation of 8 - 10 mile tempo runs and 6 miles of strength intervals (6 x 1 mi, 4 x 1.5 mi, etc.). I've managed to maintain a high level of total workout volume (8-9 hours a week) of which 6-7 are aerobic but not marathon race specific work -- which could haunt me around mile-16 at the start of the Newton Hills.
Like so many goals in life, achievement of a goal is rarely (if ever?) measured as a straight line between the beginning and end. Most often achievement is a function of managing the unexpected, perseverance, commitment and a level of grittiness that boils down to doing what it takes regardless of pride, peer pressure, and even sometimes the voice in your own head telling you that it's just not worth it. The latter is most often the strongest detractor.
In pursuit of getting to the starting chutes for this year's Boston Marathon, I've pulled out all the stops in terms of finding alternate methods to train while trying to rehab my grumpy leg tendon. I'm sure most everyone who's a serial marathoner is well aware of Alter-G treadmills, dry needling, graston technique, etc.
This week I found a local PT clinic that has an Alter-G treadmill, purchasing five 1-hour blocks over the next 2 1/2 weeks so as to continue my interval and tempo work while not overly aggravating my leg tendon. I was able this week to get 1 hour tempo and interval workouts in at 88% - 92% of my actual weight which pushed me into my Zone 4 (HR) and also gave me great range of motion while not aggravating my tendon and promoted more blood flow into the injured area (since I could use it and not risk injury).
The Alter-G is basically a treadmill that you can zipper into (the facility will give you a pair of shorts that resemble cycling pants but with an outer zipper) around your torso while allowing your legs to rest on the treadmill. Before beginning, the Alter-G is then pressurized (it feels like a balloon inflating except your hips are inside the balloon) to 100%. At that point, you can select what % of your actual weight you want to run at and dial that % into the treadmill. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs and run at 90% you are effectively running at 135 lbs which greatly reduces the strain on your hips and lower body (and is also an incredible reminder as to just how good it is to be lighter weight when it comes to running since we all have to overcome the force of gravity which is easier in proportion to the lower your weight).
In addition to my Alter-G workouts this week, I've also had Dry Needling therapy. Dry needling in simple terms is a form of acupuncture that promotes a neuro-muscular response in the area of attention. In simple terms, acupuncture gauge needles are inserted around the area of injury or within the muscle/tendon eco-system which often promotes a "twitch" or "contraction" response. This relaxing or twitching of the muscle allows it to relax the injured area promoting blood flow and resumption to more normal muscle function. It doesn't heal the injury, it simply promotes a level of blood flow for a period of time to flush waste matter and promote blood flow which can drive the healing process. My treatments the last 3 weeks were very intense (the PT also used low amp voltage on the affected area to promote more twitching which can be quite intense) but each time resulted in me feeling as though I could gently work the affected area helping to promote healing.
Lastly, I saw my sports chiro this week with whom I've worked through each of my prior 7 marathons. We do a combination of ART, Graston, Fascia Stretching and now Cold Laser treatment (which was a first for me) (see picture below).
Will this all result in me getting to the start of the Boston Marathon on April 18th? I'm optimistic. With 2 1/2 more weeks of hard training remaining before I begin to taper, I will have more than enough time to continue to train, rehab and hopefully strike the right balance of still showing up in racing shape while also not aggravating my injury to the point I can't run a pain-free race on Patriot's Day.
Tomorrow is an easy 22 miler. If that goes well and the level of tendon pain Sunday morning is low to negligible I may just be back on track. Stay tuned.
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