Returning From Running Injury

 The ankle mishap put a huge dent into my fitness. In fact it set me back to the start. In the first 3 weeks I could do no running and limited cycling and swimming. Nothing that maintained or improved my fitness. I use Training Peaks which I highly suggest to anyone and everyone who runs, rides or does multi sport. 

As of last Sunday my 42 day average stress score (a formula Training Peaks uses to measure the stress of the training taking into account the duration and the intensity) sat at 50. My 7 day average was 51. That simply means that I was fit for a normal human but not really fit to my standards and the 7 day average said I wasn`t doing anything to become more fit. 

The age old question is how to do you increase your fitness after injury to ensure you won`t set yourself back. 

This past week I did it this way: 

1. Recovery days were below the average or in this case below 50. 

2. General days were kept at the average. 

4. Improvement days were allowed to be free of constraint. 

The week looked like this. Total Stress 487

Monday: 31

Tuesday: 102

Wednesday: 52

Thursday: 66

Friday: 37

Saturday: 77

Sunday: 122 

My 7 day average is 56

My 42 day average is 51

To give some perspective, in December, January and part of February while gearing up for Ironman 70.3 Oman my weekly TSS was above 800. If I tried to execute an 800 Stress Score this week I would probably put to much strain on my ankle and quite possibly develop strain somewhere else. It is really boring to be this cautious and this specific but it will make sure I come out of this ankle thing stronger. 

Shoe of the Week 

New Balance Super Comp Trainer

My thinking for my ankle was that I needed stiffness and maximum cushioning in my running shoe. I bought this shoe for that reason. 

Highlights

1. 47MM in the heel and 39 MM in the forefoot. That will make you taller. 

2. Carbon Fiber propulsion plate that is specific to the stack height of this shoe. 

3. Fuel Cell foam which is resilient and alive on feel. 

The first 2-3 runs I was deciding whether I made the right choice. The shoe felt stiff and a bit firm for my ankle. Then all of the sudden it began to feel like butter. The midsole softened up and came alive. Running in it felt smooth and with that stack height and those other features there was no stress on my feet or ankles. 

If you are looking for a shoe to completely take the road out of the equation (don`t want to feel the road) this is a great option.