For reference, here’s last week’s data.

Summary

As mentioned earlier, I may have a stress fracture. Considering that, this was a good week. I started to learn how to swim, and while weight was still shooting up at the beginning of the week, I got my weight back below 160 by the end (I reduced my calories intake by about 500 calories/day). The marathon and bike-ride plans are still in danger, but if the injury is a stress fracture (hopefully), I can be back on the training plan in about 4 weeks.

Subjective Data

1. I wasn’t really able to move before Wednesday when I saw a sports-MD. He gave me a leg brace/boot which means I could hobble more effectively.
2. Leg feels a lot better after 5 days in the boot. I was able to stand at home yesterday and hobble around without pain.
3. A lot of people suggested swimming to keep my cardio-fitness level high while I recover. I’ve never swam for exercise before, but I started this week. Wow. That’s hard. Why didn’t someone mention that?
4. My back and shoulders were pretty sore and tired after Saturday’s swim, so I took Sunday off (trying to be better about listening to my body).
5. I still think I’m at a lower body fat than the 16.0% my scale is reading on “normal” setting. For reference it’s reading 10.8% on “athlete” setting.

Objective Data

Click here for a PDF version of my dashboard.

Assessment

First off, thanks to everyone for their great suggestions on what to do while I recover. A lot of folks suggested swimming, so I’m trying that. I’m also making sure my non-heavy lifting days are very cardio intensive to make sure I get my HR up (Thanks Amy).

I was much better this week about calorie intake and was religious about eating every 3-4 hours. It paid off in the data towards the end of the week (went from peak of 164 to 158, and while I know most of it was water weight and error of margins of scale, it still made me happy).

Lastly, apart from a miserable start to the week when it was painful to move, I’ve been excited and having fun learning something new (swimming). I definitely suck at it, but I’m sucking less each day (which is good, because sucking water while breathing ain’t nice). I did buy a copy of Total Immersion and will read it over the next few weeks.

As usual, if you have suggestions, leave a comment, or reach me at “art (at) abclarke.com”.

Plan

1. Continue rest, rest, resting the leg. I’m going to wear the boot for at least 2 weeks before I start trying to walk without it.
2. Keep up the swimming (I’m going to target 4-5 days of swimming and gradually build up laps). J is afraid I’ll start doing triathlons as a result, but I promised her “not this year” J
3. Keep doing the upper-body and core lifting. I’ll also start working in some left-leg leg drops (harder than you think…) in the hopes my right leg muscle decides to not atrophy out of solidarity.
4. Keep 2,000-2,250 calories-per-day target to keep weight under control.
5. Keep smiling.

Presentation Notes

I added swim data this week, and put a little reminder of the goal (and red/yellow/green status for how I’m tracking). I don’t have a gray target zone for swimming since it’s not on the official plan, and I don’t know what’s reasonable for my body yet. As with last week, data is presented in SOAP Note format.

– Art

Help me raise over $10,000 to help people suffering from cancer

For reference, here’s last week’s data.

Summary

Not a good week for training. I’ve sustained a potentially serious injury and marathon and bike-ride plans are in jeopardy. Read on…

Subjective Data

1. My IT-Band (or whatever it is) injury got markedly worse on Tuesday. The pain area is on the outer-right leg, about half way up the calf-muscle. I did a 2 mile on Tuesday (fast run) and afterwards it got hard to walk. I’ve been limping since then.
2. Secondly, I kept eating as though I was running and biking at the same pace, so weight crept (way) up.
3. And then lastly, my general bummed-outness about this meant I skipped the weight-room.

Objective Data

Click here for a PDF version of my dashboard.

Assessment

Not a good week at all and the low point so far since I started this transformation effort last July.

My right outer leg is sore to the touch, which could be several things, none of which are good. I have an ortho appointment on Monday the 16^th to see what’s going on. To make matters worse, I kept eating at the same pace as before, even though I wasn’t working out as much, and weight crept up.

Essentially, big piles of suckage!

Of course, I’m running naked which makes this both harder and easier: Harder, because I have to admit in front of a public audience that I overdid it. Easier, because I can ask for your help and support.

To that end, any suggestions readers have on things to do or try to hasten my recovery are really appreciated (can’t guarantee I’ll try everything, but I do want to get safely recovered as soon as possible so I still have a shot at the marathon). You can leave a comment, or reach me at “art (at) abclarke.com.” See my current plan below.

Plan

1. See an ortho specialist this week to figure out what actually happened, and what sort of recovery time I’m looking at. I’ll keep y’all posted.
2. Rest, rest, rest. No running or biking until I know what’s going on. That pretty much restricts me to upper-body and core work in the gym.
3. That said I’m going to try to be good about going to the gym so my upper body remembers what that’s like.
4. Cut back on calorie intake to 2,000-2,250 calories-per-day target to get weight back under control.
5. And lastly, smile, because although it does suck, I’m still alive, mostly healthy, and (despite this minor setback) still one of the luckiest guys in the world.

Presentation Notes

I now have copies of bike and run targets (in gray) in dashboard. As with last week, data is presented in SOAP Note format.

No changes to presentation this week. For reference, here’s last week’s data. As with last week, data is presented in SOAP Note format:

1. I’m still lacking copies of the bike and running training plans (hence no gray areas).

Subjective Data

1. Got eating back under control – targeted 2,500 to 2,750 calories a day.
2. My right IT-Band has been acting up for 3 weeks now.
3. Lower running mileage this week as per Team Continuum training plan – but much faster than normal.
4. I didn’t get a long ride in on Sunday because… well, I didn’t get to bed on Saturday night until 4am. I had tons of fun, but I’m not young enough for that J
5. No spinning on Thursday because I took my wife out to dinner instead.

Objective Data

Click here for a PDF version of my dashboard.

Assessment

Well, couple of observations:

1. Good: weight-room work-outs were good this week. Core getting stronger.
2. Good: put life ahead of training on Thursday and Saturday (biking mileage is down as a result, but “Happy Wife” == “Happy Life”) and this was good.
3. Good: running speed continues to increase. I did the race part of my long run (8.6 miles) in 71 minutes, which is fast for me.
4. Watch: Weight is up but body fat percentage is declining which suggests I’m adding more muscle than fat (but still need to watch here).
5. Bad: My shoulder injury from some weeks ago is still there. My friend JK suggested I get my bike fitted, so I’m doing that this Thursday.
6. Bad: My IT-Band on the right side is quite sore. I bought new shoes (3^rd pair in 3 months) on Sunday to see if that helps. I’m also taking Monday off to let it rest.

Plan

1. Keep constraints on eating, at the range to 2,500-2,750 calories per day. Keep body-fat at current % level or below, and focus on abs/core in weight room.
2. Give IT-Band some time to heal, lightening up on running if necessary.
3. Get at least one long bike ride in this week.
4. Get copies of training plans so I can show targets for run and bike.
5. Start taking photos to track progress (as per a few requests), and if I get brave enough, actually post them.

Couple of changes to presentation this week. For reference, here’s last week’s data. As with last week, data is presented in SOAP Note format:

1. I’ve added gray areas in the weekly graphs that show the target where the lines should be. I don’t have targets yet for bike and run, but hopefully will have them next week.

Subjective Data

1. I really relaxed my eating this week (ate whatever I wanted) and my energy level was way higher. This is good, that said…
2. I got very unrestricted later in the week, and averaged over 3,000 calories a day and body fat crept up slightly. I’m now in danger of missing my November 10-12% target, but…
3. I used two other alternate measurements of body-fat this week. On the Tanita “Athlete” setting on my scale, I’m getting an 8% measurement. At the gym using the caliper method, I’m getting a 10% measurement. Lastly, using the “mirror” test, I’m happier with my overall fat composition, but my abs/core need work.
4. My shoulder hampered me on my long ride on Sunday, so I cut it short from a 65-mile target to a 38-mile ride.

Objective Data

Click here for a PDF version of my dashboard.

Hit two personal bests this week. Longest run (Saturday): 10.18 miles. Fastest 4-mile run ever (Friday): 4 miles in 30’20” (with half-mile warm up and cool down).

Assessment

Well, couple of observations:

1. Good: 2 personal bests! It appears that upping calories was a good call.
2. Good: Back in weight room which was a miss last week, and abs / core are definitely getting stronger.
3. Watch: Need to start watching calorie intake again, but increasing my target is the way to go.
4. Bad: My shoulder injury from some weeks ago is still there. Not much I can do here except work on my core/abs to make sure I have good support during rides (keep shoulders relaxed), but this is an injury I’m just going to have to grit out.

Plan

1. Put constraints back on eating, but up my calories officially from 2,000-2,250 range to 2,500-2,750 range.
2. For now, keep body-fat at current level or below, and focus on training over body-fat for a few weeks to see if abs/core work gets me where I want anyway.
3. Get copies of training plans so I can show targets for run and bike.