100 Days

I have roughly 100 days now to get ready for IMLP . Since I lost 3 entire weeks of training due to the aforementioned back problems it is now almost like starting from scratch. Not quite, but being out of action for so long definitely interrupted my training groove.

As of this week I was back to the gym and the pool, and ventured out a couple of days ago for a very short run just to see how the back would feel. About 90% as it turned out, so that's good enough for me. The swimming felt ok too, though I've yet to do a session longer than 30 minutes. I'm not worried about the swim - I find I can swim for ages once I get into a good groove. I still have to plan some longer sessions though, it would be stupid not to.

Tomorrow (saturday) is another short(ish) run, likely a 10k-er just to see how I feel. Followed sunday by a long bike ride since the weather has turned warm this week and sunday is looking good enough to go for a few hours.

One hundred days.

Quelle Difference

Not to belabour this latest shtick about the injuries, since this is after all supposed to be a blog about Ironman preparation, but I thought I would make a short and simple comparison of my recent experiences with a) an osteopath, and b) a GP.

Today I woke up and knew right away that I would not be going to work. My stupid back, which last week was starting to feel better, had been on a downhill slide since saturday (this is tuesday). No 25k run as planned, just rest and a bad mood. Anyway. Today I decided to go to a walk-in clinic to see what they had to say.

The difference between the diagnostic methods employed by the osteopath I saw last week and the GP I saw today were startling.

Osteopath - a one hour treatment session, about half of which was taken up by diagnosis. Lots of probing questions followed by some very careful observation of how my body moved, my balance, strength, pain levels and probably a lot of other stuff I didn't notice at the time.

GP - the doctor asks me to stand up, touch my toes, stand straight and then lean back (which I could not do without pain). Up on the table for some quick reflex tests of the classic cornball variety. Done. Prescription written, x-ray session booked, out we go. Total time: about 5 minutes.

Quite a difference, no? Mind you, the GP visit, the x-ray and the prescription (Naproxen, sold over the counter in the U.S. as Alleve) will all be covered either by OHIP or by my insurance coverage, and the $100 visit last week... not so much. Still.

Back Story

A brief side-trip away from Ironman prep and into some physio information today. As previously mentioned, I have kind of a wonky back. Why, you ask? I don't know, I just do. For as long as I can remember (admittedly not that long) and probably for my entire adult life anyway, I've been unable to stand or walk for extended periods without having to stretch or 'crack' my back, or sit down, or preferable both. No big deal, that's just the way it is. I've been going to a chiropractor off and on since, oh, the mid 80's anyway. At least I was, until my chiro moved away to the bustling urban centre of Keswick about 3 years ago. Too far to go. At about the same time I was recommended to see a shiatsu therapist to see if that would help. It did, and I never had to return to a chiropractor. Now my shiatsu therapist, the incredibly gifted Julie Savoie, is moving away, and it's a lot farther than Kesrock ON this time. See previous post from January 5 for background. This is not good, since I found shiatsu to be almost a perfect therapy for me - half massage, half stretching, and extremely energizing. Julie recommended another therapist but this person was halfway across the city, so no thank you.

They say when one door closes another opens, and this week I paid a visit to an osteopath for the first time on the recommendation of a co-worker who claimed that this woman was (is) a miracle-worker. But they all say that, don't they? Well, she did help, although during the treatment it didn't feel like she was doing much at all. Very subtle, but none of that goofy hand-waving energy stuff - this was definitely hands-on technique. Anyway one hour and $100 later my back felt pretty good. I noticed when I got home that I could stand without pain or stiffness for the first time in about 3 weeks. A good sign.

So what is the difference between these 3 therapies? In a very non-scientific nutshell, here's what I know so about each so far:

Chiropractic: involves aggressive maniupulation of the spine to re-align stuff that's, uh, misaligned. Your bones don't actually crack, but they do make some alarming noises sometimes during treatment. Worked for me initially, especially after a head-first crash into the board playing hockey a few years back, so I can't slag chiropractic as a treatment. Wikipedia page

Shiatsu: Originating in Japan, this massage techniqe is apparently related to acupuncture in that it works with the body's energy meridians, but without the needles. Less aggressive than chiropractic, but can involve application of some moderate pressure to stiff or painful areas. I highly recommend it, especially for athletes. Wikipedia page

Osteopathy: even less aggressive than shiatsu, it's basic philosophy is that the human body should be treated as an integrated system and that if our bodies are able to function properly we can affect our own healing. Or something like that, this is all new to me. But hey, if it works I'm all for it. Just don't come near me with a scalpel unless you're about to save my sorry ass from imminent death. Wikipedia page

More info to come as this all shakes out. In the meantime I'm feeling good enough to schedule a 25k run for saturday. Bring it on!

Music vs Pain

Until now I've been wrestling with whether or not to shell out for an iPod. You see them everywhere now, the telltale white cables snaking up out of someone's jacket and disappearing under their hat, or terminating in the little white earbuds. I finally broke down and bought a 4G nano last week, and so now I am one of Them. The Pod People. Hardly cutting edge now, even though Apple seems to bring out a newer, smaller, sexier model every other week, but I didn't buy it to be cool. I told myself it would be good to have for long runs and later, long bike rides (in the country away from city traffic of course).

An unexpected side benefit came to light today on my long run. Another 20k jaunt through the Don Valley up to Sunnybrook Park, and what a beautiful day it was. Clear blue sky, temperatures just below freezing, and the bike path was almost totally free of snow and ice. The only thing that could mar a day like today would be, oh, I don't know, chronic back pain. My back has been giving me grief again, this time for about the past 2-3 weeks. A round of shiatsu and accupuncture last week helped for a few days but the pain is back (ha ha) again now.

So how does that relate to the iPod? Listening to tunes today (first run with the iPod) was a great distraction; it kept me from focusing on my back too much. The iPod was great to run with, especially in the valley away from traffic noise. It's very quiet down there and the music sounded awesome. I'm also pretty sure that it helped me shave a few minutes off my previous 20k run time, just by keeping me in a good groove. My back still hurts, but I guess Apple can't do much about that. I'm seeing an osteopath in a couple of days so I'm hoping she can help pinpoint the cause of this.