2012 Season Recap

Training

Figure 1: That's me in 2011.

I got back to running on 16th of April 2012 after 10 years break. I was excited. But I had to be very careful and cautious. Obviously I can't just go out there and expect that I can pick up from where I left 10 years ago. I had more weight than ever (88 kg, my height is 185 cm), not overweight just a bit soft. My muscle strength was gone long time ago. At that moment we lived on the outskirts of Buenos Aires in Pilar where the streets are partly asphalt, partly dirt road. No fancy bicycle routes like in Helsinki, homeless and "guard" dogs were running around free on the streets but the traffic is fortunately less chaotic than in the city of Buenos Aires.

Table 1: 2012 training in numbers

I had brought my dad's sneakers with me from Finland because I did not have my own anymore. His shoe is 1 size smaller than mine so the shoes fitted firmly. I decided to be as punctual as was possible since the first practice to gather good data if I actually happened to get interested in running again. So I had my cell phone to measure time and my routes measured with Google Maps. I started out easy and actually survived the first practice:

16.4. Recovery Run 41min (5,7 km) 7:11 min/km

It felt quite alright. I had gone out easy. The next day I did a very light circuit training, some crunches and push-ups. I made a plan that I would just try to get to used to running as long as it took, remain injury free. The following days

18.4. Easy Run 44min (6,7 km) 6:34 min/km
19.4. REST
20.4. Fartlek 40min (6,7 km) 5:58 min/km

First week: 19,1 km in 125 minutes (3 practices)
Second week: 22,9 km in 146 minutes (3 practices)

Since the first week I was trying to run every other day (3 times/week). Sounds ambitious. And it was, a bit too ambitious. When the third week started I got injured in my 7th practice. My first injury: left achilles tendon started to hurt. I had to stop running. If I could go back in time, I would have changed at least the first two week practices to run and walk practice and try again. It's just rediculous how injury prone one is after a long break. I wonder if one can get injured by just wearing a pair of running shoes and mental practice running for 40 minutes, probably not, but you get the point.

The next day I flew to Finland and bought a Polar RCX 3 with GPS. I had been using Polar heart monitors sometimes in skiing and running. At that time there were no GPS systems, one could just measure time and heart rate. But now there are GPS distance and velocity measurement and you can upload your practices to your computer, view and analyze the practice afterwards. I love statistics so I did not get overwhelmed with these new possibilities, but indeed try to pick up all kind of tendencies to see what kind of correlations there could be to monitor my training progress. But first I needed data and that meant going out and run.

We went out to Pirkkola brick-dust track with my friend Markku Laitinen who had been running for sometime but was not racing, yet. I tried to run a Cooper test to estimate my maximum heart rate but had to quit after 6 minutes, I had gone out too fast. It was eye-opening to wake up to reality that I could not complete a Cooper test. I had run 6 minutes on 2900m Cooper pace and had to give up. But just for the day. I estimated that my maximum heart rate is somewhere bit over 180 bpm. I set my max HR to 185. Next day I run my first Long Run:

5.5. Long Run 77min (10,2 km) avg HR 135.

...and this time I felt pain in my right ankle and achilles tendon. But three days later I was running again:

8.5. Easy Run 46min (6,7 km) 6:50 min/km, avg HR 138.

and so I continued balancing in between the nuisances and running, trying to run 3 times a week about 20 km total, and adding swimming and occasional tennis ball hitting sessions in my schedule just trying to be active so I would've not get passive again. And I thought I was in such bad shape that any exercise was very good for me. Now was not the time to get picky. Couple of things I had already accomplished. I hadn't smoked one cigarette since I started to run and did not desire one anymore. Neither did I feel like drinking alcohol. The endorphin rush that I got from running was enough for me.

Figure 2: Asics GT-2160.

I bought a new pair of running shoes, Asics GT-2160 the fourth week. After this sixth week of running I had to made a self diagnose of my painful right achilles tendon that I had developed achilles tendinitis. So I ordered myself 3x 600mg ibuprofen per day, various times cold treatment per day, daily achilles tendon stretching, and running practices to be changed to swimming and water jogging. After two weeks I tried running again, I survived the first practice, but the next practice I had to stop because of pain. Then I called a doctor to see if he would have better ideas how to deal with the injury. The doctor told me (16.6.) to get or make myself supports under my heels and do some eccentric strength training. So I did them myself and saved money. ("Tein itse ja säästin") The one thing we Finns have is that we are always proud if we can make something ourselves instead of buying it. I was out of running the next two weeks mostly swimming.

I run the next time first of July. Easy Running for 8,4 km for 53 minutes. I still felt something in the tendon. For the next practice I came up with a new trick. I had acquired kinesio tape and tried taping my tendon and it actually worked. I was back on the road running three times and quickly increased to four times a week. I used kinesio taping for couple weeks. Then, the day before I flew back to Argentina my mom gave me gel supports under my heels that she had found that day in the pharmacy. My cardboard heel supports had to give way for more sophisticated technology. With those new heel supports I could run without taping and without pain in the tendon. With the new gel supports I did my longest practice so far:

14.7. Long Run 103min 16,0km, avg HR 136 (6:27 min/km)

That week I had run 40,9km in four practices, a new record distance in a week. I probably had never in my life before run 40 km in one week. I was making progress, eventhough I was plagued by the injury.

I flew back to Argentinian winter from Finnish summer. The temperatures barely go under 0 C in Buenos Aires, but this was the coldest moment of the year so I had to put some clothes when I went out for run. Of course it was nothing new to me. I think -16 C was the limit before they postponed skiing competitions for the kids in Finland. And I have been practicing before at -30C. It feels fresh in the lungs to run at 0 C.

I had studied different marathon training programs for beginners and more advanced runners. I tried to figure out what kind of program would serve me. It needed to make me fitter, push me ahead but not get me injured. I had been injured enough, I wanted to run, feel the pain and satisfaction of a hard practice, not being sidelined by injury. After couple of weeks of injury-free running I had started to feel the addiction of running growing inside me. I wanted more. More!

I decided that I would try to run my first marathon. I needed to get first in 10K shape, then 21K shape, I knew that, but I figured I didn't need an official competition to prove me if I was fit or not. I would make my own tests on the way, but the primary objective would be to run and survive the 2012 Buenos Aires City Marathon in Octobre (7.10.). At that time I had less than 3 months time to prepare myself. 3 months had already passed since I started running. I could run 4 times a week total 30 to 40 km. That was my current fitness level. When I measured my weight in the swimming hall I had lost 5 kg or something weight at that time, weighing around 83 kg.

My training program included Easy Runs, Tempo Runs (aka. Hard Runs) and Long Runs. I started to develop shin splints, that I could keep in control with icing and cold baths after running. My right hamstring prevented me from sprinting, trying to run very hard or doing coordination practice. The hamstring rupture ended one of my seasons more than 10 years ago in the last competition of the season, and it had never fully healed. But I did not let that get me down, I was going to run a marathon and if I can't sprint at the end so be it.

After couple of weeks of happy running, the achilles tendon stroke back. I had to stop on one of my Long Runs. I tried icing, cold baths, eccentric strength training, stretching, pretty much all the tricks that I had learned recently to keep the pain away from it. The next training my right hamstring made me stop my run. OK, I'll just sit on some ice and stretch it. The week ended in a 21 km Long Run that was haunted since the start by the hamstring, followed by pain in the left achilles tendon and calf when I passed the 6 km mark. But I didn't want to quit, I could deal with the pain. I probably looked like an old pirate trying to run with a wooden leg before I stopped. Parrot on the shoulder and eye pad, sure thing!

I went to get a massage after that. But the massages I have come across in Argentina are not like in Finland where you go to a sport masseur, you ask for and he gives you 45 minutes of pain. In Argentina they touch you very gently and soft just like you were a newborn baby and if you try to explain that you are a runner and that you need as deep as possible massage for your legs, they warm up 5 minutes your calves, don't even touch the good parts (Got you! But in this case I mean the glutes, upper thighs, hamstrings), and move on to rub your back and shoulders for the rest of the hour.

So I was back with various injuries and nuisances, and had to cut down my weekly kilometers until I tried the kinesio taping again. The taping or glue by the way gives me a rash if I keep them on more than two days, so that was kind of a last resort to go back to taping. But it helped. That week I run with some nuisance, but finished the practices and run new record Long Run 24 km and almost cramping my right hamstring in between running but in the end felt better already. I was running 5 times a week, did I mention that already? All in all, I was making progress.

First of September 2012 we moved to a new home. The new home was in Olivos, 25km from the center of Buenos Aires. Since the day One I have been in love with Olivos: no stray dogs, traffic is tolerable, services are close, and most of all Paseo de la Costa, a park for skating, cycling and RUNNING is only 2 km away from my home. My new temple and sanctuary.

Figure 3: Paseo de la Costa

The next day I run:

2.9. Long Run 162min 27.0km avg HR 149 (6:01 min/km)

The right hamstring was still with pain, but did not force me to stop running. The next week my legs were pretty tired already going in to the practice. I had to stop running because of pain in the right knee, probably the so-called "Runner's Knee" if not IT-band. The knee forced me to stop several runs early. But still I run 50 km on that week. And I run the most important practice of the season: 

9.9. Long Run 181min 28.7km avg HR 156 (6:18 min/km).

I run that Long Run without drinking and I was really exhausted at the end. I got a little taste of what it feels like to try to run dehydrated. The next day I went to doctor's office because I had a sore metatarsal that would start aching if I walked more than 200 meters. No fracture. Just had to make sure I was still on the right track. I rested 10 days without running. Ice ice baby and ibuprofen. I went out to skate (inline skating) couple of days to get a little cardio practice.

Two and a half weeks to go before the race. I got back to running. I run some Easy Runs and tried to run my estimated marathon pace (5:15 min/km). Kept on tapering and tried to get healthy. I had to quit one run because I had pain on my chest. Later I figured out that I must have strained slightly my pectoral muscle while carrying food from the store. What a nerd! Other than that the tapering phase went alright, I was hopeful and excited to run my first marathon.

The day before the race we met with my friend Pasi and his chilean girlfriend, Isabel, in the marathon expo. He was living in Chile at that time. I showed a bit around my new neighborhood, Olivos, and we went out to eat pasta in a local restaurant. They went to their hotel and I went to my home getting ready for the next morning.

Racing

Figure 4: Finishing my first Marathon.

My One and only race that season: Claro Maraton de Ciudad de Buenos Aires (42K) 7th of Octobre.

The Race start was Sunday at 7:30 AM. Slightly raining, temperature 15 C, a good running weather. Cold for the spectators. My team was me and my girlfriend, Sandra. More than 7000 runners took off. I started at about position 2000 crossing the starting line 1:20 after the Bang. I was warming up the first kilometeres. First km 5:34, second km 5:22, third km 5:19. Steering clear in the traffic, and holding back. At 3 km I started feel slight pain on my left foot metatarsal. 

I run about 5:20 min/km pace really controlled up to 8 km mark. Then I added some pace running 5:05 - 5:10 kilometeres. My 10 km official split was 56:01, my position was around 2300. Sandra was cheering for me at about 11 km, waving the Finnish flag. So far so good, feeling fresh, I had survived the first test: the temptation of going out too fast. After about 15 km mark I started slowly gaining positions, the first people who had gone out too fast started to feel it and were falling back already. 

My 21K official split was 1.52:45, position 2037. I had found good pacing group: an argentinian man and a woman. Together we were working our way up in the field. Since the half way mark almost no-one passed us and we were passing at a constant pace around 4:50 min/km. 25K split 2.12:28 and position 1819. Sandra was cheering for me at 29 km. That helped a lot. 30K split 2.37:40 position 1610. I run my fastest kilometer of the race the km 31, 4:42. The legs started to really hurt after 32 kilometers. Every step. But we were still pushing and a constant stream of backs was flowing our way. 35K split was 3.02:22 position 1386. I could keep the pace under 5:00 min/km until km 37. My new team was pushing me when I started to fade and I tried to keep up, running out of energy and legs hurting, but still passing other runners constantly. 

The final 3 kilometers of the race I could not keep up with my group and my pace was slowing 5:13 (km 40), 5:27 (km 41) and 5:23 (km 42). On the final kilometer I tried to ask from the spectators how much more did I have (I had missed the 41 km mark and you can't trust the GPS in a race) "Cuanto más!?" No answer. Then I saw the finish line in the distance maybe 400 meters to go. I tried to put up a little sprint and my right hamstring reminded my immediately what my current condition was. OK, maybe I don't want to cramp now, but still tried to find the limit pace I could run without cramping. 

I finished the race at official time 3.39:06 position 1299. My netto time was 3.37:46. I went to get massage in the finish area, my legs hurt a lot, but I felt great, I had run a perfect race for my condition. With a negative split of 5 minutes. Special thanks to Paco Caballieri and Gisela Di Camillo for pacing and working together.

Figure 5: Polar Race Data (Red line=HR, Grey line=velocity)

I got a medal and a ride home in our car. I was exhausted and happy. I had done something I hadn't been able to do before. I grew a lot as a runner and person that morning. Changed my life. Or maybe I just got my old life back. All in all the season was filled with injuries as was kind of expected but I managed not to lose my hope and got through it with a very decent result in the end.