Stuck in the Mud

I've been working on two blog posts for a while now but I haven't liked either one of them enough to publish.  It's become even harder to finish them because I'm now injured.  It's difficult to write about competing vs completing or about replacing negative thoughts when all I can think about is not being able to train and the ground I'm losing as I'm laying in the bed.

So...in typical Dana fashion...I'm just going to, once again, write about me and hope at least some of you can relate!!

As you may remember from my last post, I had made a decision to really PUSH in my workouts.  I was seeing some noticeable improvements on the bike and in the swim (not so much on the run just yet).  Then, a week ago Thursday I noticed my knee started feeling a little funny.  It wasn't hurting necessarily, just feeling wonky.  I had decided there would be NO EXCUSES not to train hard (when my plan called for it...hard is hard, easy is easy), so I didn't allow a wonky knee to stop me from going out.  I reasoned that if it were anything to worry about 1) it would hurt during activity and/or 2) it would be swollen and hurt all the time.  Well....when those conditions were met, I went to the doctor.  His first assessment was that it would probably only take a session of ART (active release therapy) to get me back out there.

After he started working on me he said it might take 2 or 3....but when the swelling and pain got worse even with no activity he said we might be looking at 2-3 weeks.  (I'm holding onto hope that he's just setting my expectations high so when he says I'm good to go after a week I'll be really happy.)  We figured out it all started with a tiny little very minor bike wreck.  I basically slid on a patch of gravel, but I went down still clipped in.  He said that (wrecking while clipped in) can do funky things to knees.  It might have been fine, but I gave everything I had to every workout for the next week without regard to how my knee was feeling.

Hindsight almost always gives me a clearer perspective of what should have happened.  When my knee started feeling off, I should have taken care of it immediately.  I did ice it one day...but then went out and ran almost 4 miles of trail, pushing myself the whole time.  (It didn't hurt while I was running...only when I stopped!)  When it was hurting the next day I should have not ridden my bike at all...but I was coaching that night and didn't want to be a wimp when I was given the task to get to a certain point as quickly as I could.  I think I had the fastest speeds on that route that I've ever had...but my knee was really hurting.  I kept thinking, "SUCK IT UP...NO EXCUSES."  When I got off the bike and I couldn't put weight on that leg I realized I had made a mistake.

But...here's the thing...I didn't know what I didn't know.  I had no idea that minor little bike wreck could have even possibly done anything to me (other than the massive bruise on my hip and some minor road rash on my hands).   When my knee started feeling off, I didn't connect those dots.  But, even now, I'm glad I didn't use that as an excuse to take it easy.  Eric Charette told me one time in order to find out what my limits are it's necessary for me to push beyond them every now and then.

Taken from THIS website.

You know I really like analogies, right?  As I've been writing, I've been thinking how it's much like going muddin'.  Now...I have to be honest, I don't like muddin', not on a four-wheeler, not in a Jeep, not in a big red-neck truck.  Okay, if I'm really being honest I'd have to say I've never really even done it.  But, I can see a good comparison here.  (For all my non-countryfied readers...muddin' is when you intentionally go out and ride around in mud....to have fun.)

There's technique to it...you not only need the right "tools" (mainly tires), you have to know how to use those tools in the right way or you'll end up stuck in the mud.  But...the truth is, if you never get stuck, you probably haven't come close to reaching the limit of what you can do!!  Yes...if you get stuck all the time, you aren't taking the time to learn the skills you need but never getting stuck probably means you're playing it safe.

As far as I can remember, I've only been injured once since I started running and that was from being stupid.  This time it's really a result of trying to find my limits.  I feel like I was smart in that I went to the doctor as soon as I realized it wasn't getting better, and I've followed his instructions (ice every 2 hours, take NSAIDs, light stretching, stay off of it, and NO working out).

I won't be stuck for long.

Thanks for stopping in...by the way, you got a winch??
:D