Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[Mudsimus]

My google skills are letting me down. What is the official elevation gains of the Comrades up run and the down run respectively?

Up run

Edited July 5, 2017 by Mudsimus

[Chris_]

My google skills are letting me down. What is the official elevation gains of the Comrades up run and the down run respectively?

 

My Garmin said 1659m gain, and 1097m elevation loss - which I assume would equate to the gain for the down run...

[Chris_]

Then again, it also said I was 26m below (!) sea level at some stage...

[Jackes]

Then again, it also said I was 26m below (!) sea level at some stage...

 

That's the thing, I want to test Garmin vs the official...

 

BTW, my garmin said 1,915 and that same garmin file pulled into Strava said 1,802...

Edited July 5, 2017 by Jackes

[Lexx]

My Suunto said mine was over 2100m, but Strava told me the same as Jacked above, 1802m

[EmJayZA]

This saddens me!! RIP Leon

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

So sorry to hear

[dave303e]

elevation is a tricky one when it comes to devices tracking it.

If your watch has a barometric altimeter then there are always inherent issues such as pressure changes due to weather and temperatures, also these barometric alitmeters need to be calibrated at some stage which gets neglected.

 

Strava works on both data from barometric altimeters on watches for segments and using a digital elevation model(DEM) for most of the altitude stuff. A DEM is basically an image of the world where each pixel represents an area on the ground and the value for that pixel is the average altitude for that grid area. Depending on the resolution of the digital elevation model(how big an area each pixel represents) this can change the accuracy of the elevation data. 

 

This brings it all back to precision vs accuracy.

http://cdn.antarcticglaciers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/precision_accuracy.png

my 2c-

A calibrated barometric altimeter that is not strapped to a freezing wrist at the start and a hot sweaty one at the finnish will give accurate altitude however due to the nature of the beast this is not always true and thus the precision is badly hampered.

Calculating the altitude from a DEM, if the DEM is fairly accurate(which they are usually) the DEM will give far better precision so in my opinion(as someone who works in the GIS/geospatial industry) go with the strava altitude. Mainly because it may not be entirely as accurate, but it will be far more consistent.

[SeaBee]

Another problem with barometric: weather changes. I've been on top of a mountain when weather came in, having left in sunny but crisp morning and been told that I was riding at -300 elevation! 

[Jackes]

Now I'm worried. Ok, more like gatvol to be honest. So since my Itb flared up in Omtom, I took it easy, 3 weeks of nothing and a serious physio bill. That helped that I didn't feel my itb (or whatever this knee issue is) after 4 kms, but only after 7kms.

 

Come Comrades I felt it from 7 and by 20 it was buggered for the rest of the day. Way worse than it was after omtom obviously as well.

 

Since Comrades we only did a 5 and 10km after two weeks. Both these runs I felt it before 1km and it was as bad as it was at the end of Comrades. Then I also got a bad flu.

 

So from then until now I once again did absolutely nothing. I took a single dose antibiotics last week and tonight I just wanted to check the HR before Rhodes this weekend. Once again, within 1km I felt my knee.

 

So after 5 weeks of doing ZIP, and drinking anti inflamatories as well, there was absolutely no improvement whatsoever, rather worse...

 

So first of all I can guess what the 52km mountain trail of this weekend is going to do to it. Secondly I have no idea and hope of what to do with this from here on further. Now that we have to start training again. ????

[dave303e]

Now I'm worried. Ok, more like gatvol to be honest. So since my Itb flared up in Omtom, I took it easy, 3 weeks of nothing and a serious physio bill. That helped that I didn't feel my itb (or whatever this knee issue is) after 4 kms, but only after 7kms.

 

Come Comrades I felt it from 7 and by 20 it was buggered for the rest of the day. Way worse than it was after omtom obviously as well.

 

Since Comrades we only did a 5 and 10km after two weeks. Both these runs I felt it before 1km and it was as bad as it was at the end of Comrades. Then I also got a bad flu.

 

So from then until now I once again did absolutely nothing. I took a single dose antibiotics last week and tonight I just wanted to check the HR before Rhodes this weekend. Once again, within 1km I felt my knee.

 

So after 5 weeks of doing ZIP, and drinking anti inflamatories as well, there was absolutely no improvement whatsoever, rather worse...

 

So first of all I can guess what the 52km mountain trail of this weekend is going to do to it. Secondly I have no idea and hope of what to do with this from here on further. Now that we have to start training again.

 

Ok so 2 years ago my ITB went on th 60km skyrun route at the wartrail event, it went at about 35km mark and it was bad. I had already committed to expedition africa a few months later, I took 2 weeks rest and then tried to run and it was sore after 1km, so I went to my regular ortho. Told him straight than in 6 weeks time I am gonna cover 500km, 160 of which is gonna be on foot and I need my ITB right...

 

So he offered 2 options:

1) Cortisone injection, and another one just before the race with some physio and it may still be sore.

2) Operate at 6am the next day and recover in time and race...

 

I boldly went with option 2 and he cut me the next morning(it was a friday), I walked out of the hospital at 2pm, 8 hours after the opp, without crutches!

Rested hard for the weekend and the following Wed went for follow up consult and he said I can get on a spinning bike and I must stop as soon as it is sore. That night I did 60mins on a wattbike at roughly 180watts with no pain. That friday I took the mtb out for a 70km mtb and proceeded to irritate my team mate, making him work hard even though I had stitches in my knee still.

 

10 days after the opp I ran for first time, 10km, not that fast but with no pain at all and was back up to full speed within 3 weeks.

6 weeks later completed EA, 160km on foot with no pain in the itb or weakness at all.

 

That is my ITB story, I have seen guys do 9 months of physio and still battle, but having an opp is also never fun. The other waiver is that I was 100% focussed on recovery, I was sleeping 10 hours a night for the 5 days after the opp and smashing protein shakes twice a day, icing the knee every 3 hours while awake, even at work, and had leg up when was not walking on it. Ate healthy no booze or pain killers only anti inflammatories.

To this day 0 regrets, not a single niggle with that ITB ever since then.

 

You are welcome to pm me if you want my doc's details, he is one of the best and he did an amazing job. 

[Mudsimus]

After suffering with itb for a few months I also asked my Dr about the ITB release surgery, he immediately refused to even refer me to an orthopedic surgeon, just told me to stop running completely for 3months. Very old school GP I must add. Obviously I didn't stop running completely, but tried not to aggravate it further. After about 6 months in total it just went away over night. Touch wood its fine since then. Its a real frustrating condition.

[Jackes]

I boldly went with option 2

 

I am not a fan of cutting or removing things that was there from birth for a reason normally (not saying it's the case in this instance)   What does this itb operations consist of, what do they do?

[dave303e]

I am not a fan of cutting or removing things that was there from birth for a reason normally (not saying it's the case in this instance)   What does this itb operations consist of, what do they do?

 

A lot of Dr's will not opt for the opp and that is their choice to make as a professional.

I am not 100% sure exactly what they did, but it is not a big cutt maybe 4cm down side of knee and from what I remember there is a Z pattern cut accross the ITB and then only the top and bottom are stitched back up but I stand to be corrected on the exact operation, there are operation videos on youtube which I am avoiding in case i need the other knee done some day. Basically they need to make it weaker and looser because it is too tight. A real doc will give you better advice though, I am just giving my experience with the treatment. Also some surgeries go better than others and some heal better than others.

[Jackes]

After about 6 months in total it just went away over night. Touch wood its fine since then. Its a real frustrating condition.

 

Yup, my wife's just dissapeared in less than a month a think.  Ridiculous.

[Pulse]

Most surgeons will only consider surgical interventions if conservative management (3-6months) have failed to yield results.  They see surgery as the "lazy" option for patients that do not want to put in the work to rehab it.

 

There are a couple of different surgical techniques, or combinations of them to either release the tendon completely (cut it off), division and lengthening (what Dave is talking about), and then some others make an incision, pull the ITB to "stretch" it, and release it from the tissue around it, but leave it in tact.

 

Depending on the technique, there are some negatives - it sometimes leads to increased instability in the lateral side of the knee, which could sometimes lead to other foot/ knee/ hip issues.

 

Best would be to discuss with you Doc, and see what technique he/she recommends

[Chris_]

Someone at work was also recommended this op by his doctor. Doc said he's seen unbelievable results. 

 

I'd also never heard of it. And also feel, if something is in there - there must be a reason and I wouldn't want it to get the snip.. But that's easy to say when I'm not the one in pain.