MRI

I had an MRI done for my lumbar and left knee. I don't really like doctors. Here is the report:

MRI OF THE LUMBAR SPINE

Reduction in the degree of normal lordosis suggest muscle spasm. There is no listhesis.

There is an extrusion of the L5 S1 disc in a left paracentral direction.

This impinges upon the left S1 root.

Doctors suggestion: Physio- Ultra sound, electro therapy and traction.

                                 Lay of cycling till this weekend and see the progress.

                                 Could still race in Thailand, just not sure how much training I can do.

Friday I went for swim workout, the main set was pull and kick, there's not much pain when I swim. Just felt the left side of my back a lil stiff.

Saturday I ran for 30mins, the pain was not so much on the back. I feel it more on the left glutes and ITB. And then did core after.

Sunday I actually didn't want to run but after doing nothing I decided to run on the treadmill at home as it was really HOT outside. After a 20mins run I stopped wanting to stretch my ITB, I was standing on with my legs on the side. Suddenly I felt like I can't see anything and my heart was beating very fast so I put my head down and the next thing I knew my brother was calling my name. I passed out, and my mum came flying down the stairs. It was quite scary, the whole day I was feeling a lil light headed. So many thought were flying through my mind. Have to see doctor again tomorrow, maybe take a blood test.

A lil problem

I didn't ride yesterday because my legs were busted after the race. I had a massage appointment at 11a.m. at the sports massage centre at Kinrara. It was really good, I recommend that place. At about 3 p.m. I went for 45mins recovery run, my legs felt quite good but just a bit lazy after the massage. I went to the pool after that, I tried to swim but one side of my back was hurting so Paul said maybe call it a day for me so I had a shower and went home. Thinking it was muscle soreness after the race.

This morning I went riding and Joe was with us ready to see us suffer. Dennis, Andrea, Lim, Vong and I turned up. I was quite happy as there's quite a few of us riding. After the warm up, I had to do my first 8mins interval at race pace. As I was going into and 2nd minute I felt a very sharp pain on my left side of my lower back, went on in ignoring it. The pain slowly went down to my glutes, ITB and my knee. I couldn't push any longer so after Joe blew the whistle my whole left side  just gave up. I told Joe that the cleats position of the shoe isn't right and I feel the left side a lil weird before the race on Sunday but there was not much adjustment we could do. Today he changed the cleats position, the legs feels better but the damaged is already done. The pain wont go away. I have to take a rest from all training and wait til I see the doctor tomorrow. Hopefully it's nothing serious. I have to do my track session tomorrow. I think its nerve problem.

This week in detail

MONDAY

I went for a ride in the morning with 3 other riders. I had to do a 2hr ride on a hilly terrain and include 10x20sec burst so we decided to take the ijok way to batang berjuntai. The burst on the hills was very heart wrecking!! The guys were going really fast, somehow its good!! Total distance was 70km, we actually went a little more then 2 hrs.

Avg HR 165 bpm

Max HR 180 bpm

Evening I did a 40mins recovery run before swimming.

Avg HR 147bpm

Max HR 165bpm

Swim set:

2km warm up with some IM drills

1x100m on 1:40 + 1x150m on 2:15        

2x100m on 1:40 + 2x150m on 2:10

3x100m on 1:40 + 3x150m on 2:05

4x100m on 1:40 + 4x150m on 2:00

800m swim choice

Total distance: 5.3km

TUESDAY

Had to do some effort work on the bike so I I decided to do it with the same people who could accommodate my training. Repeats of race effort work: 2x5mins @race pace (spin 3mins btw), 2x2mins 30secs hard and fast in big gear (spin 2 mins btw, 1x5mins @ race pace. I did the race pace work by myself, in the end they caught up with me.

I was suppose to to a shorter swim session but I skipped that, the ride took a lil bit more out of me.

Track session at 5p.m. I ran from my house to MSN track as warm up and then did some drills and strides. I had to do 6x1km CRUISE INTERVAL at no faster than 3:55 to 4:00 pace per KM. 3:50, 3:53, 3:55, 3:56, 3:53, 3:58.

Avg HR 161bpm

Max HR 185bpm

WEDNESDAY

Drill and Strides run session at 7a.m., did this run on grass. I did all the drills that I learn from the training camp in Hungary. It took about 50mins.

Group swim in the evening.

2km warm up with IM drills and some pace check work

6x50m on 55secs

6x25m head up sprint on 30secs

2x50m moderate on 50secs

3 times through this set

15x100m pull on 1:30 (concentrate on rating)

Total distance: 5.2km

THURSDAY

I drove to Genting Sempah to do to long hill climbs. Its a 15km gradual hill climb, I had to do 3x6mins intervals with recovery on down hill but instead i did 3x6mins with big chain ring and recover 4mins with small chain ring, spinning.

Total distance: 60km

Hill run session at 4p.m., I ran from my house as a warm up to the hills at the Bukit Jalil park. 5x2mins hills building up progressively jog down easy and then 10mins easy jog, continue with 10x1min same hill at the same effort. Running home as a cool down. Quite exhausted after the run, went for a dip in the pool.

Avg HR 170bpm

Max HR 186bpm

FRIDAY

Just a swim session to be done today.

3km swim with IM drills

250m swim +200m kick (4 times through)

Total distance: 5km

SATURDAY and SUNDAY

I had to make some small adjustment, I had to do my long run on saturday because I have a criterium bike race on Sunday at the F1 track.

Long run 1hr 15mins, last 10mins 4:00 pace. Total distance: 13km

Avg HR 135bpm

Max HR 186bpm.

Swim:

2km warm up

50m on 55secs + 100m on 1:40 + 150m on 2:05, 2:00, 1:55 (3 times through)

2x50m (25m sprint then moderate)

6x50m pull on 45secs

2x50m pull on 40secs

(3 times through)

The race on Sunday didn't start til 3pm so I did a small 30mins run in the morning. Headed to the race site, the Women's race was 4 loops of 5.5km. It was quite a fast pace with many attacks, I did most of the work in front because I didn't want to get cornered by the teams. There was so many teams, I was riding alone. In the end I got cornered near the finish line anyways but I was happy that I could lead with the national riders. Straight after the Women's race I entered the Open race too, they had to do 12loops. I just wanted to see how I could cope before the teams lap me, obviously exhausted from the previous race I could only managed to complete 4 loops. I was really out of breath. Very good experience for me!! Thanks everyone for the support!!

Friday & Saturday

Friday was pretty much a cruisy day for me. I did a small run in the morning and then a recovery swim of 4km.

Saturday morning I swam with the group, total was 5km. I did a main set of 4x50m, 4x100m, 4x150m, 4x200m twice through. It was a pull set as I'll be doing at 90km criterium race tonight.

Putrajaya CycleFest

Start time was 8:30p.m., we got there at bout 7:30p.m. Got registered and socializing, by the time I realized it was 15mins to the start and I havent even pin my race number on. RUSH RUSH, didn't even warm up!! It was an open category so I would have to race with the guys. The race went off and I felt the lactic acid shoot up so fast, I would never do that again. Always remember to have a good warm up, the whole ride was so painful but I was the last girl standing. Even though I almost got lapped by the guys but they finished the race before they could so my pack only did 77km. I was great!!

Great day of training

Yesterday I had a really good day of training. I swam in the morning.

600m every 4th 50m BK

5x200m (50m fist/50m swim)

6x400m (200m swim/ 200m kick) on 7:30

16x50m fins (scull with fly kick)

It went very well, I felt good in the water. I like Paul too, he pointed out some of my mistakes. I'll have to pay more attention till i get it changed.

Evening I had to do a 3km time trial on the track, here are the times:

1st km 3:40

2nd km 3:45

3rd km 3:55

Total: 11:23

Avg HR 185bpm

Max HR 194bpm

I'm quite happy with the results.

The last few days

Haven't updated my blog for a few days, so here's what I've been up to. 

Monday- I went for a 60mins run in the morning, was feeling very good. Total distance was 13km. I                          didn't train anymore because I had treatment in the afternoon.

Tuesday- Morning I rode 85km at Puncak Alam (3 loops), did some SE's. And swam in the evening, just                     easy.

Wed- Rode 85km mostly flat, did some pacing work with a friend. Enjoyed the ride so much. Evening just

          a 40mins recovery run as i have to do a 3km TT on the track tomorrow.

Mad ride

On friday and saturday a few of us went for a 65km ride, some just wanted to get the body back after CNY. All the dinners and late nights. It was good for me too because I could only ride for now, the crash in OZ has caused some muscle spasm and I had to get it treated before I could swim and run. I didn't know the crash was that bad. But it's all good now.

Yesterday went for a 85km bike ride with PCC, it was a mad ride. Initially it was suppose to be a fat burning ride but someone started the fire before we even had to. We caught up with some riders that started somewhere else and it was all ATTACK!! Til almost end of the ride, i was able to give them a fight. Not gonna let them go so easily, hehehe. It was also really hot, we finished the ride at bout 12noon. Had lunch and chit chat.