Ouch!

I've been fairly lucky in the injury department.  Early on when I first started running I ended up with some periostitis (inflammation of the periosteum (the lining of the bone)).  Because I didn't want to back off I ended up having to take 5 weeks off running.  That turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened to me because I went to my first Spin class and my first yoga class and went with Flipper to the pool and started on the journey of trying to learn to swim.  ((Hard to believe I literally couldn't swim 25 yards back then!))

A full year later I became a "real trail runner" and skinned up my knee which kept me out of the pool for a few weeks. (How on earth did I manage the pattern of damage I got??)

Then in June of last year my knee started acting up a bit which ended up taking me out of training for several weeks.

Well...back in September I started noticing my left shoulder would bother me after hard swims.  It wasn't horrible and it always resolved by the time another hard swim would roll around.   Then I added some things to my workout plan....hot yoga and TRX.  Here's the thing...I didn't tell my coach, "hey I want to add these things in, do they fit?"  I just added them.  I know better, but I wasn't thinking from a coaching perspective.  I was thinking from a "I want to do these fun workouts" perspective.

When I started noticing it wasn't getting better from one workout to the next, I went to see my favorite sports chiropractor, Dr. Olson at P3 Chiropractic and Sports Care.  After a couple of visits and no workouts it actually was feeling worse so broke down and went to Sports Med.  The dr there said it was a raging case of tendonitis.  He said NO running or swimming or anything else that would require use of my shoulder and he gave me a prescription for steroids with instructions to get some PT after 10 days and return to see him in four weeks.

Well....after 10 days it was still hurting.  I moved up my appointment and had an injection on Friday....and it's still not better.  In fact, I'm writing this as I wait for my MRI.

I've not been able to do any kind of workout except spinning since early December.   That may not seem like a long time, but you have to remember, I'm used to working out almost every day.  While I have been able to spin, and that is a great workout, I'm certainly not getting my fix!!

What's interesting about it is my attitude about it.  Back in the spring of 2010 when the doctor told me I needed to take a couple of weeks off, I thought I was going to die.  I had just started running.  I had just embraced the idea that I could run and was being told I needed to back off??!!  Well...I didn't do it.  Then when he said I would need to take even more time off, I found other things I could do instead.  When I skinned my knee I was still able to run and ride my bike so I didn't feel like I was injured.  When I hurt my knee it continually felt like it was getting better so it always seemed like I was moving forward.

This time has been different.  It seems like it's only gone from bad to worse.  Even after the injection that was supposed to provide some relief, I haven't had a day without some kind of pain.  And yet, I have not felt any sense of despair.  I actually miss swimming--I didn't think I'd ever say that!!  I really miss running.  Maybe it's because I've still been able to bike ((although I haven't been able to get out on the road because the only time the weather wasn't bad my shoulder was at it's worst)).  I honestly think it's because my thinking has shifted.

I'm not an athlete because of what I do.  I simply AM an athlete.  Just because I'm not being able to work out in the way I want to right now, that doesn't change who I am.  I'm not saying it's not hard to not do the thing I love.  Because it is.  And, I'm not saying I'm not scared to death about what might be wrong.  Because I am.  But I know that no matter what I am told Friday when I get the results of the MRI (Lord, please let there BE results) I know I will persevere and I will work through this adversity and be back on track as soon as I can be to train for my Ironman in September.

This injury may have knocked me down, but it has not knocked me out.

Thanks for stopping in...I'll let you know what I find out. 


Boy howdy...I just realized how it was that Rocky could have kept getting up!!!  :D