Bob Goes Down for the Count

Week of Jan 30 ~ Feb 5

Ran: 0/20/6.2/0/14/11.8/0 - 52km / 32 mi.  4:50

Had a strange incident on Saturday - read on.

The "good" news is that I discovered that my butt/hamstring problem is actually neither - the problem is the piriformis muscle, which is actually in between those two areas. The symptoms of an inflamed piriformis are exactly what I have: pain in the butt  (it's also called Runner's Butt), in the upper hamstring, in the area between them, and sometimes radiating down the leg, which is because the piriformis presses on the sciatic nerve.
So I am doing lots of piriformis stretching and strengthening exercises.

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
11:30 - machines and core at the gym.
3:30 - 20k in 1:54:35 @ 5:45/k
Legs tired and lower hamstring sore last 10k.
Weather: 7C/45F
Weight: 61.4kg

Wednesday
5:00 - Acupuncture
7:30 - 5000m TT in 22:24 4:25/24/32/32/29
Running a little above marathon pace, but didn't want to go any faster. Legs very stiff and a very cold wind.
Actually, you shouldn't run after acupuncture - the sensei even recommended that I take Thursday off. Oh, well.

Thursday
So I took Thursday off.

Friday
11:30 - machines and core at the gym.
3:00 - 14k with 9k of hills. Each k had a short, steep hill and a 150m gradual hill.
I was running abut 5:00 per k, and then got slower from the 6th, as the leg got more sore. Planned 10 but stopped. I did this workout because I didn't want to do a long run, but it was not a good idea! Hills aggravate the piriformis (didn't discover the problem is piriformis until Saturday).

Saturday
10:30 - 11.8k in 1:08:29 @5:48. Easy run in Yoyogi Park with Jim Weismann visiting from the US and Steve, Gareth and Colin (who also has a piriformis problem).
So after running, we had a beer (no water), then ate Italian food and drank 3 bottles of wine. Then had another beer. Then I went to acupuncture. He puts you under a heat lamp, so I got very warm (and dehydrated). As I was standing at the counter paying, I fainted. Suddenly the sensei was picking me up off my knees. Surprise! I sat down and drank some water and felt better. Went down the elevator and decided to wait a bit near the mailboxes to make sure I was all right. Suddenly I was on my back, looking up at the mailboxes. How did I get here? Very strange. Got up and noticed a puddle of blood on the floor. Thought I had been there for 2 or 3 seconds, but by the size of the puddle it must have been 10 or 15 seconds. Put my hand to my head and it came away bloody. Apparently, I had hit my head on a metal knob sticking out from the mailboxes - hadn't felt it at all since I had been unconscious. Sat down on a convenient low wall and drank the rest of the water bottle. Used two packs of tissues to clean the blood off my head - and covered it with my hat - too bad I hadn't had that on when I fell. Felt ok after a bit and walked to the station and got home with no problem (fortunately didn't faint on the train).
So no more drinking after running and then acupuncture. Who knew?

Sunday
Rest - for the piriformis and for the head. (Lucky I only hit my head, which is not a vital body part in my case.)