A quick update

Just a quick update - did nothing over the weekend, a combination of wanting to let things settle post-cortisone shot, and the lingering effects of the virus I picked up.

The cortisone shot's given considerable relief - once the discomfort of the shot itself passed, it would seem fair to say the pelvis feels about 80-90%, with just a little bit of a feeling of 'not sitting quite right' on the right side. Of more importance is that both this and Monday morning I woke just before the alarm feeling refreshed, without the usual waking at around 4 - 4:30 and trying to get into a position to accomodate the aching pelvis and trying to get back to sleep. I didn't realise yesterday, but this morning it was really apparent. The virus receding is doubtless helping on this front as well.

In terms of plotting a return, well, not so fast there, young man. I'm doing a little bit of background research into pelvis stability core exercises, for which I'll be speaking to a friend who's a pilates instructor (a proper one, not a gym class instructor who kind of does it on the side) and going back to the physio next week to get some guidance. I don't particularly want this to flare back up again, so I'm keen to look into anything that can prevent that.

Shooting up

Action was right - I should have sold tickets...

Off to the North Shore Ortho & Sports Med centre for my cortisone shot into my pubic symphysis. I'll spare you the complete details, suffice to say it was fairly humiliating and quite uncomfortable, although nowhere near as bad as I was expected, nor as suggested by the doctor. Fairly messy business with the ultrasound and iodine, too.

So, we'll see how it goes. I walked back to St Leonards from Crows Nest and it was surprising the effect the local had - the pelvis felt like it was 'on straight' again. Bizarre.

This wretched bug's continuing along, too - throat's still pretty sore. I got off lightly compared to some, though.

Update

The household has been devastated by the bug going around Sydney and Melbourne at the moment, EliseS getting it a week before I did. Saw the GP last Friday (I was off work Tues, Thurs and Fri), he said it was a virus but pretty much everyone was getting a secondary respiratory bacterial infection along with it, so I got a little course of antibiotics for my trouble. Still pretty clogged up, with a very strained voice which is gradually improving.

I get my cortisone shot on Friday - the GP said based on the MRI report I should see a good result from it, although it will sting for about 10 seconds. Oh well, considering the trouble it's caused me over the last 18 months, a ten second sting seems like a pretty good investment.

Weekend summary

A busy Saturday, didn't get out until a bit after 3. Hadn't felt fantastic all day - one of those days you don't feel quite 'all there'. Decided not to push too hard, so decided to take the opportunity to check out the bike path they put in alongside the Gore Hill Freeway.

It's useless - the Pacific Highway end comes off the footpath there at Lane Cove, but goodness knows how a cyclist coming up Epping Road is supposed to get on to it easily. Coming outbound, it just ends in a useless T-junction.

The path starts with some very tight corners and drops down to a path that rolls, ducks and weaves - visibility isn't great. You arrive at the shops at Narremburn, and goodness knows how you're supposed to find your way to town from there.

Anyway, waddled around the north shore for a while and headed home for just under 25km in just under an hour.

Got up at sparrow's on a fracking cold Sunday morning (3 or 4 degrees) to meet up at Colin's to do the M7. Out and back from his place for 71.95km in two and a half hours - good fun, with good company and entertainment. Amazing how you can wear full length Skins, running tights and bike pants and your legs are on the cold side of comfortable. Forget about feet - two pairs of socks and they went numb.

An interesting afternoon

Off to see Dr Rooney this afternoon.

Good news from the MRI is the right joint is fine. In fact, the area all looks okay, except for some drama in the bottom right of the symphysis pubis. Plan of attack at this point to get a specific X-Ray with a Dr Linklater at the North Shore Sports Medicine Centre, with an eye to a cortisone steroid injection directly into the little bugger. Sounds like fun! Right up there with being set on fire, I imagine, but without the horrible burning. Still, Dr Rooney reckons if I'm a candidate for that, I should see results within a week. We'll see - hopefully I'll see him next week.

Got out on the bike in the evening for a little half hour blat from home down to Onion Point at Woolwich and back. Had a little bonus this evening, I acquired a Sigma BC 1606L with cadence (thought I'd got the wireless one - no such luck) which I set up on the bike last night, so it was a chance to get out and try it out against the Garmin.

Interestingly, the Garmin gave 12.85km (Sportstrack adjusted) versus 13.03km on the Sigma. Checked the circumference of the wheel when I got home, and it was spot on (2.133 metres), so I guess the Garmin robs me a bit over my old Hunter's Hill course. Average cadence was 73, top speed was 61.7km/h (in a 50 zone past the Hunter's Hill Post Office - oops). Nice little toy. Nice to be out.

A pleasant Sunday morning

Out the door just before 7:30am to meet up with two mates over at St Peters. Pretty comfortable cruise in fresh conditions (including the usual 60km/h run off the Drummoyne side of the Gladesville Bridge) and ended up over there for 13.9k in just under 29 minutes.

We headed off a couple of minutes later, working our way through the back of Erskinville and Alexandria, up to Centennial Park to circulate with the multitudes - certainly a stark contrast to my solo run on the M7 last week. We cruised through around 25.8km in a few minutes under an hour before the boys stopped for a coffee and I took the opportunity to catch up with Mohammed, Craig Dunn and Sean Williams. Rolled around to meet back up with the lads for the final instalment of the morning.

Did a couple more laps of Centennial Park before we started back home - back to St Peters, and back up through Newton. I farewelled the lads and decided to head back to Gladesville via the north shore to get the miles in, and came up through Broadway and Ultimo into the CBD, over the Harbour Bridge, up the Pacific Highway to plug into Epping Road, and down Centennial Avenue to Victoria Road and home. Final instalment of the day, 41.4km in 1:38:35 (including EVERY red light on the Pacific Highway - aaarrgh!) to give a total of 81.08km in a couple of minutes over 3 hours. Exactly what I was looking for, a good mileage accumulation morning with some good company.

Back to the M7 next week, I think, to aim for a solid 3 hours rather than the disjointed riding you get around town.

Up and down, and up, and down, and up, and down....

I've decided to make July my month of getting back into regular exercise, and cleaning my diet up. I was fairly good on both fronts, and managed to hit the exercise bike each week day, alternating a fairly easy 20 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a 25 minute hill sessions increasing in intensity, with level 17 on Thursday. Also did some weights and core work each day.

Today, Saturday, I had intentions of heading down to the Striders at Lane Cove but I completely failed to get out of bed.

So, as punishment, off to Lane Cove in the afternoon, and smashed out 3 laps of the Striders 10k course in 1 hour 3:53, with the laps going 21:04, 21:18 and 21:30. Still feeling pace out on the bike. Last lap stung a bit, especially the last climb to Lane Cove Road, but eh, ya gotta work for these things.

M7 Out & Back

Out to lovely Glenwood, home of the McMansion, at around 2pm to hit the M7 again. It's not scenic, but it's great to be able to do two to three hours unmolested by traffic. I can actually ride with the iPod there, which is a big help on the long rides (as, indeed, it has been on long runs).

Where I park is not quite at the start of the bike track, rather it's about 1.5km in from the start. I got kitted up, called Mohammed about his efforts at GC (next time, mate), and then cruised down to Old Windsor Road to the start of the track - I wanted to get a GPS plot on the full track.

Felt okay early on, much stronger than last week, despite a strong headwind. I was hoping to do about another 20 minutes over last week, with a turnaround of about 1 hour 15 or so. As I continued, I decided to go the whole way, and made the turnaround at Cambden Valley Way, 38.6km, in 1:15:58, and pushed hard from there.

It was tough work heading home from there, but managed to grind it out. Reminded me of some of my long runs - it was good, I felt strong, had some up and down periods, but managed to finish the whole course in 2:36:14, 77.19km (by the Garmin) at an average speed of 29.6km/h. Pleasing, as I'd wanted to cover the M7 in less than three hours, and the next goal from there was 2:45. I'd like to cover it in better than 30km/h average speed, and then under 2:30.

Fitness is coming along nicely. Felt much stronger than previously.