KISSING BOULDERS

I entered an Xterra trail race in the White Tank Mountains just west of Phoenix this last Sunday because I normally jog in the desert by myself and I thought this would be a more social way to get my exercise.  Well, it turned out that this 20K race was on a very "technical", narrow, rocky trail more suitable for billy goats with almost 2,000 ft of elevation change.  I was very careful and walked much of the steeper inclines.  On a steep descent about 4 miles from the finish I stumbled and fell so quickly I still can't recreate the accident in my mind.  I was in a line of joggers all carefully picking our way down the mountain and suddenly I was "kissing" a large boulder with my jaw and mouth.  I partially broke my fall with my right hand but not before the damage was done.  The runners around me stopped to help but practically there were only two ways out of the mountain:  walk/jog or helicopter.  While I was bleeding profusely, I had not lost conscious nor broken any skeletal bones (at the time I thought I had broken my jaw).  I decided to finish the run to get to the aid station at the finish.  Which I did.

ALL STITCHED AND CLEANED UP

After the medics cleaned up some of the blood it was clear that an emergency room visit was called for. I called my wife to inform her of my predicament and was nervous that she would be upset.  I think that I started the conversation with something like "please don't be mad at me" since I have had similar accidents before and apparently I am a slow learner.  She was concerned but not mad (How stupid is he anyway?).  I decided to drive to the Mayo Clinic an hour away as it is nearer our house and followup would be easier.  Besides, they have my records from my last fall while running in the desert some years ago.

Admission was quick (OK, this profusely bleeding guy isn't here for a stomach ache) and they started the cleanup and assessment.  Three or four broken teeth and possibly broken teeth roots (you need to see a dentist as soon as possible), two deep puncture/tear gashes to the chin that need stitches to stop bleeding (I may get a cleft chin out of this -- I left some skin on the mountain), a lot of abraded skin removed from the chin and lips, massive bruising of the chin and lower lip, and a deep tear gash on the palm of the right hand requiring stitches to tie down whatever skin was left.  My jaw was swollen but not broken.  However, my "bite" no longer matched up as my lower jaw was sticking forward causing my lower front teeth (minor chips) to contact my upper front teeth (very sore, damaged, a little loose) before the back teeth met.  In 5 days the face stitches will be removed (shorter duration results in less scaring) and in two weeks the hand stitches will be removed.

I LIKE HIS NEEDLE WORK

Clearly I had to cancel my golf lesson for Monday morning.

Clearly I was on a diet that could be eaten through a straw.

Clearly I was not going to sleep well Sunday night.

We visited our dentist Monday and received the early dental assessment.  X-rays revealed no cracked teeth roots.  (Yeah, or an instant root canal and dental implants would be required)  I was outfitted with a temporary tooth splint to help stabilize the damaged teeth.  I need to return in two weeks to see in the teeth have stabilized or if any nerve damage has occurred to the teeth roots (discoloration is a bad sign). We'll go on from there.

As the admitting nurse said to my wife "He was doing what at age 67?  Well, he's too old to change now."

I checked the on-line results on Monday and I was first out of 5 in my age group.  I am not alone!

HERE WE GO 2014

As I mentioned in my last post, I needed some time to reflect and evaluate what activities and goals to set for 2014 that will acknowledge that my knees are going to prevent me from doing what my mind wants them to do.  Growing old gracefully is not in my makeup as it probably is not in yours either. While the recommended treatments for rheumatoid arthritis is to lose weight and exercise, I already meet those recommendations.  Unfortunately running is not included in their recommend exercises.

So I've been experimenting with a limited amount of desert trail running/walking as a substitute for run training in the classical sense.  It appears my knees will not let me perform quality speed work or long distance runs, the cornerstones of improving your running performance and conditioning.  I've resorted to the following after 6 weeks of experimentation:  1) Desert trail runs with material elevation changes twice a week following a 3:30 min jog then a 1:30 walk, repeat as needed.  2) Alieve 1 hour before said runs. 3) Ice on knees following said runs.  4) Machine weight workouts twice a week emphasizing the lateral leg muscles (ie, abductors and aductors), calves (eccentric foot drops), quads, hamstrings, gluts. 5) Bike rides twice a week. 6) One rest day per week.  7) At some point I may actually start some pool workouts, don't know when.  I don't follow this routine uniformly each week, but target the workouts around "living".  I have worked my longer "runs" up to 8 miles with 1,000 ft elevation change and can average under 10 min/mile with the run/walk routine.  Not fast but better than walking the whole way.

This gives me the opportunity to digress into the impact of aging on the competitiveness of athletes. I used the USAT Rating system  as a "for example" (visit usatriathlon.org for a complete description of how this is calculated --- basically 100 = par and your time is measured relative to par as a percentage).

The graph and data below demonstrates how age impacts the top performances achieved by the best male triathletes as a function of age (similar results for women).  You could use the USAT Ratings data to literally handicap each athlete by age, similar to the par ratings of golfers.  And,  you can compare the relative effort of a 30-yr old male to that of a 60-yr old male. For example, a 30-yr old would have to be about 21% faster than a 60-yr old (108/89 = 121) on an age-adjusted basis to have out-performed him in a race.

 
Even more interesting is the steady improvement in the top athlete ratings in each age group over time. For example in the 65-69 age group (mine) the top rating has improved over time as follows:  2010 (79.1),  2011 (83.1 - the year I finished first at age 65),  2012 (85.3),  2013 (86.6).  And, these numbers are usually put up by the younger athletes in the age group. So, I'm not only getting slower due to age but faster athletes are entering my (and your) age group.

OK, for 2014 I've settled on two "A"races:  ITU world championship in Edmonton Canada (September 1), and the Arizona Ironman (November).  I don't expect to win my age group in either as I won't be as competent on the run as the other age groupers, but would like to podium.  Besides, at the Arizona Ironman I will be racing with my son in the field which is a treat.  I will fill in the calendar leading up to those races with a variety of events including bicycle races, duathlons, and a few triathlons as my knees will permit.  And some golf.