Periostitis

 ((my pain is right where the big calf muscle meets the bone-NOT the areas circled on this photo))

I'm really blessed that I go to church with my orthopedic doctor because I was able to get my results today!  Periostitis*---inflammation of the lining of the bone. 

I could really tell he wanted to say, "I told you so" but he managed to resist the urge nicely.  See, when I saw him eight weeks ago, he told me I should really lay off running for 4-6 weeks.  I refused to hear that, so he told me to "take it easy".  Well, I think I have been taking it (relatively) easy.  For the most part, I ran three days a week instead of four.  I have gone slower.  I've taken liberal walk breaks. 

I think the physical therapy I was getting the first few weeks really did some good, and when I stopped going (because the physical therapist said my leg wasn't going to heal if I kept running on it so I elected to tough it out until my big race)...the pain started ramping up again.  Interestingly enough, a lot of muscle pain I was having initially is gone--it really is all in the bone.  (So the diagnosis I got really fits with the experience I've been having.)

He basically told me now I really "need to" not run for 6-8 weeks.  He said this kind of "injury" rarely turns into a stress fracture.  It just hurts, and it won't stop hurting until it "heals".  Ice, anti-inflammatories, rest.  That's really all I can do about it.  The good news is that I can swim, bike and even strength train; the eliptical is better than running, but still not good for it.  I don't see how it's different from biking, ...well, except for the fact my hiney would be sitting in a seat while biking so my full body weight wouldn't be on my leg.  Okay, so it does make sense.

Do I wish I had taken off early on?  No.  I think I've gained a lot of ground in the last eight weeks.  I think my muscles were hurting in the beginning, and now they don't because I'm stronger.  I think I "proved" that I really can run through pain....because it really has been painful almost the whole time (at least in the beginning of every run, sometimes the whole time).  Am I still going to do my race?  Certainly.  I won't PR or anything.  I probably won't even do as well as my recent training run, but I will finish.  Will I take off 6-8 weeks?  Well, I'll certainly take off (after the race which is a week from Monday) for at least four weeks...maybe six....seven will be pushing it well beyond reasonable and eight is OUT OF THE QUESTION.

I've already scoped out a spinning class at the gym I belong to as well as a pool where I can train!  Maybe a sprint-distance triathlon could be in my future.....

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

*BTW, I've been questioning Dr. Google about periostitis, and he seems to think it's the same as shin splints...but my real live doctor said it wasn't actually shin splints.  From what I've read so far, the term "shin splints" isn't a medical term, but is widely used for any pain in the shin area.  So, my guess is periostitis is just more specific.