Next Event Approaching

Monday: rest
Tuesday: gym, 1:30 hrs
Wednesday: bike, 35K, 300m, 1:25 hrs / run, 11K, 150m, 1:03 hrs

This is how I was looking when taking part in our local fun run event last year. It doesn't really look like fun, does it? I have to admit I hate the race for being so exhausting but I love it for the fun before and after the pain.

The event is called the "Zwiebelsackträgerstaffellauf". The attempt of a translation may sound like: Onions Bag Relay Race.

The distance for everyone of the five runners of a team is just 800 meters. The first half of it is a slight ascent and then it is turning and back down. The bag's weight is 10 kilogrammes. I very much remember my first participation when I was so worn out that I felt down just after crossing the finish line. You see - it is really great fun. 22 teams in different classes have signed in for the race on Saturday evening in the town's shopping mall. My predominant target is to finish safe and sound.

Looking Forward to Racing Again

Friday: gym, 1:30 hrs
Saturday: bike, 60K, 690m, 2:20 hrs
Sunday: hilly run, 16K, 310m, 1:25 hrs

I now hope that I will soon not only be photographing runners but racing myself again. Today's workout was fast, hilly and without any orthopaedic problems. There are a couple of short races which I look forward to. An 8K on Sept 10 and a marathon relay race with 8.4K for each runner on Sept 17. I also hope to do a few longer training runs to build up already for the NYC marathon.

Yesterday I watched the match of my favourite football club VfL Bochum vs Cottbus. I got the ticket as a present otherwise I wouldn't have thought about going there as it was a meeting of underdogs. A week ago VfL played Bayern Munich and everybody who wanted to get a ticket for this match was forced to buy the underdogs' ticket, too. The match was even worse than I expected it to be. My team seems to be the worst the club has had since decades. VfL has now lost any of the three matches so far and anything but relegating to second league again will be a surprise.

Links: 8K Race Wetter Marathon Relay Sprockhövel VfL Bochum

Close to Come Back

Tuesday: gym, 1:30 hrs
Wednesday: bike, 107K, 610m, 4:05 hrs
Thursday: very easy jog, 10K, 1:13 hrs

New orthotics again. I have been using orthotics while running for about 20 years but these are the best I ever had. They are firm enough to support the foot and they are soft enough to give some cushioning. And most important they fit perfectly. I brought my running shoes when ordering the orthotics. What I did several times in the past, but this time the shop man agreed to take them and customize the orthotics to fit into the shoes.

I don't think that the new ones give more support for the forefoot that the older ones. As the foot seems to be okay again I don't bother.

I also bought a booklet showing some foot exercises. More about this later.

Marathon Poodle

Saturday: gym, 1.5 hrs
Sunday: rest
Monday: easy hilly jog, 7.5K, 44 min

Oskar is our local long distance dog. He has finished about a dozen marathons. This is how he was looking when finishing yesterday's very rainy half marathon. He is still relaxed, isn't he?

Certainly I would have preferred to take part in the race but I also enjoyed to take photos of nearly everybody of the 600 runners. I always thought I would stop the website work if I weren't able to run any more. But yesterday I learnt that it is great fun to meet all the people even without running. However, I hope to keep running for some more years.

The good news is that I did a first easy jog today without major problems. But did my legs hurt afterwards! It was just for a fortnight that I couldn't run but the muscels seem to have forgotten how to cope with.

Foot Story

Thursday: rest
Friday: bike ride, 57K, 440m, 2:17 hrs

Yesterday I learnt that that the problems I have with my right forefoot are called splayfoot which is the most common deformation of the foot. I saw the doctor who cures my elbow (let's say he tries to). He recommended to order new orthotics and his opinion was that injections are not indicated because they wouldn't solve the original problem.

The picture shows a healthy foot to the left. Did you know that one should carry all the body's weight just on the outer toes? My foot actually looks like the one the right. Obviously the toes number 2, 3 and 4 have to fight for more space what causes some pain in the runner's foot. And the sole of the middle part of the forefoot is not used to contact the ground and reacts by developing weals.

Investigating the internet for ways of treatment I found the most promising suggestion to do some foot gym regularly.

However, today I was happy to be able to do a nice little bike ride in the sunshine. I have missed this. I even allowed myself to have a big dish of ice cream on the way. Always by-passed the scales during last week I have to admit. Hope to start running again on Monday.

Still Hurting

Monday: rest
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: gym 2 hrs

Got my forefoot x-rayed on Monday morning after I realised that there was no improvement. The good news is that the bones are okay. The radiography didn't show any sign of fatigue fracture. I would have been amazed if there was broken anything. I never had any kind of fracture so far.

The doctor agreed to set a cortisone injection after I told him that I already tried to cure it with ice, salves and diclofenac tablets. The bad news is that he set the injection at the wrong place. The most important point with cortisone is that it has to be placed exactly where the inflammation is. It seems to be a matter of millimetres. Of course it was my own fault. The patient has to tell the doctor where it is hurting. But sometimes this isn't easy. I think I will have to get another injection next week.

By the way: I have added an English sitemap to my website.

Doomed to Spectate

Friday: gym 2hrs
Saturday: rest
Sunday: rest (still injured)

It was a hard day for me as I was doomed to watch the bike race in the city of Bochum while some friends of mine were taking part. So I was glad there were more friends to meet beside the route to encourage those who did the race.

The hobby biker's route consisted of 4 laps with 15K each. The professionals rode later on the same route but did 12 laps. My hometown Bochum is quite hilly and there were even two special finishes for a climbing classification.

Before the pro race the teams were presented. This is team Davitamon-Lotto with its most famous rider Robbie Mc Ewen (far left) who won this year's sprint classification (green shirt) at the Tour de France. Seeing him live on stage one wonders how small and slim he actually is. But the Australian has the strongest legs within the peloton. He gives the impression that he always works hard to keep his image as a tough guy.

With the loss of Jan Ullrich now Jens Voigt of Team CSC is everybody's darling. He won a Tour de France stage this year and he recently won the Tour of Germany. He won a one-day-race yesterday and consequently he also won the race in Bochum today. Being interviewed before the race he argued: "I just have to steer my bike, everything else goes automatically." He was right once more.

There were thousands of spectators along the route and it was sort of a party with some sports to view every 20 minutes when the riders had done another lap. They were fast like hell and I counted that they cover two laps while I would be able to do one.

The bad news today is that my foot injury has not improved significantly. I think I will have to see the doctor this week to get the foot x-rayed.

Today's hyperlinks: Sparkassen-Giro Bochum Robbie McEwen Jens Voigt