Progress...

I'll bet you thought I was never going to post again.  (Okay, so maybe you really didn't miss me at all...)

This is the longest I've gone without writing a blog post, but I have good reason.  Sort of.

As I explained, I had to have surgery January 7th.  The dr who performed the operation told Dwayne that my rotator cuff and labrum looked great but the bicep tendon was "a mess".  If you look at the photo, you can see the bicep muscle has two tendons that attach it to the shoulder.  The long head (number 10) runs across the top of the arm bone, the short head (number 5) goes in front of the arm.  Using this photo as a reference, basically the doctor cut out most of the white part of number 5 out and then attached the end of the muscle to my arm bone.  There's a graphic youtube video here of a procedure like mine if you are interested.  (As a warning, I actually like watching surgery videos, but this one almost made me sick...maybe it's because I kept thinking about it being done to ME which puts a whole new aspect on watching!)

The surgery went well, and I'm now five weeks out.  The worst part about the whole thing has not been the not-working-out part (although that has been extremely tough).  It has been the wearing of the mammoth sling.  I just realized I don't have a picture of me in it to share with you, but this is pretty much the same one I'm wearing.  It's not horrible torture during the day, but it's a real nuisance to sleep with it on.  From what I understand I have three more weeks of captivity.

Physical therapy started the day after surgery.  I've been going three times a week.  I've always heard how painful shoulder rehab is, and I'm certainly not going to dispel that rumor.  However, I will say that since my rotator cuff and labrum weren't injured, my rehab has been much better than it would have been had that not been the case.  I am almost at 100% range of motion for a normal person.  Unfortunately (fortunately?) I am very flexible which means I still have quite a ways to go before the left arm matches what the right arm can do.

If you have ever seen a house being built, you know how at first it goes up so fast you can't imagine that it will really take months to be finished, then progress slows to a snail's pace and you wonder if it will ever be DONE?  Well...I'm at the snail's pace right now.

Last week I started a new stretch (the "towel stretch").  Before I got hurt I looked like the guy pictured.  After working for a week, I have gone from barely being able to get the back of my left hand to my left hip, to being able to grab the end of a long towel behind my back.

That.  Is.  Progress.

Progress is, by definition movement toward a goal, advancement, growth, development and/or continuous improvement.  I am making progress.  I do see that.  But, I have to look really close to notice.  At least once every day I think (and more often than not, I say) "I'm never going to be able to X again."  (X is anything I am wanting to do that I can't manage at this point in time -ride a bike, swim, run, move without pain...)  I do realize that it's ONLY been five weeks.  But, come on...it's been FIVE WEEKS already.

Of course, it's been six weeks since I have written a post and you probably barely even noticed I was gone.  Sometimes ---okay, most of the time--- progress is just a matter of perspective.  When you are right of top of a situation, or very close to it, you may not notice the changes.  Step away and things seem to happen over night.  (That's why they say a watched pot "never" boils.)

I have a lot more to report on, but for now, I'll leave you with this little gem I found when I searched for a picture of a snail to add to the post.  Enjoy.  Until next time. :D

What I Expected...

Surgery.

I went to see Dr Dugas today at Andrew's Sports Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham.  In a nutshell he said it's time to go in and clean up my shoulder.  The MRI I had a few weeks ago wasn't "normal" although he said it wasn't terribly impressive (nothing was "flapping in the wind").  But I've tried every conservative treatment available and nothing has worked to get me back out there the way I want.  So, January 7th I go under the knife.  He knows he is going to cut out a piece of my bicep tendon and reattach it.  He said he would look at every other part of my shoulder/rotator cuff and repair/clean up anything he sees in there.

That's the good news.  The not so great news is that this means it will be 6-8 weeks of doing NOTHING after surgery.  He said I'll start PT the day after, but it won't look like anything I'm used to so he wants me to get it in my mind that I'll be doing NOTHING at all so it won't be such a shock.  He said I could plan to start "training" about 90 days post surgery and if Iron Man training was six months I could plan to race again in October!!  I'm taking that as EXCELLENT news.  The 6-8 weeks of "nothing" is just my ticket to train hard later.

Not the best example...but you get the idea...

He explained that the tendon tear is not exactly what we think of when we hear that word.  It's not like
a piece of paper.  He compared it to a green limb off a tree.  He said if you take the limb and twist it, the fibers would split apart.  If you twist it back together, it might look just fine from the outside, but it's "torn" and not as strong.  He plans to cut that "torn" part out.  From the way he talked there could also be a tear in the labrum that he'll need to repair.

So...from now until the 7th he said I could do what ever I want to do.  He said the shoulder is already beat up, I might as well burn it out!!  I instantly had visions of swimming and running!  The only thing that stands in my way is pain, and they make pills for that!  Seriously I feel like a teenager who has just been given keys to the car and told to have fun!!  (Ask me tomorrow how I'm feeling and I might have a different answer...)

January 7th...19 days and a wake up.  The countdown has begun.

Moving On

I'll be honest...the original title of this post was going to be "I Give Up".  I didn't mean give up on my body, I meant give up on physical therapy for my shoulder.  But, the truth is I am not giving up per se.  I'm moving on.

This shoulder thing has been hanging around FAR TOO LONG.  But, at the same time I have to realize that even though I haven't been 100%, I was able to train for (and complete) an Iron Man race that some are calling the hardest WTC (Iron Man brand) race around.  It may have been "slow" but I finished standing up!  :D

To recap...I started feeling something was not quite right in September 2012.  At first I thought it was sympathy pains for a friend of mine (who has since had surgery for a torn rotator cuff), so I ignored it.  When it kept bothering me I decided I needed to work it more and added TRX and Hot Yoga to my swim/bike/run plans.  When it (shockingly) didn't get better, I went to see Dr Olsen.  After a couple of visits didn't bring relief, I went to see an orthopedic doc, Dr Tindall.  He put me on steroids and told me to back off workouts (which I did).  When the drugs and rest didn't work, I went back.  He did a shoulder MRI (no contrast) and gave me an injection.  When that didn't seem to help he did a neck MRI (thinking it might be a nerve issue) and referred me to another doctor for a nerve conduction study.  The nerve study showed some trouble in the left (upper) trap.  She said the neck MRI was "normal" but that wasn't a finding she would usually see with a "normal" MRI, so she looked at it herself and said there were some slight bulges in the cervical discs.  She said she thought it was a "pinched" nerve.  Dr Tindall said I would eventually need surgery but there was nothing to do except live with it until then.  I had some visits with Dr Olsen again and had some PT with Jay Austin.  I then went to get a second opinion from another orthopedic doc, Dr Layton.  He referred me to another nerve doc, Doctor Cosgrove who gave me some facet joint injections.  THAT seemed to give me relief so I had a Medial Branch Nerve Ablation (they burned the nerves in my neck).  After I came to realize that wasn't the answer I went back to the nerve doctor, but had to see a new guy, Dr Reto since Dr Cosgrove had moved away by then.  Dr Reto referred me to the Alabama Pain Management Clinic where I had facet joint injections, an injection in my trapezius and two injections in my shoulder (one in the front and one in the back).  About five weeks ago I went for yet another opinion from Dr Ortega at Andrews Sports Orthpedic Center in Birmingham who sent me for PT (which I've been getting from Todd Hayes at Johnson and Hayes).

In the beginning, I had very high hopes that PT was going to work.  I'm just a few weeks in but I am not seeing any measure of improvement.  The only time I can tolerate movement is when I'm taking two Aleve twice a day.  I could do that, but then I would end up needing treatment for a stomach ulcer!

So...I'm not giving up, I'm just moving on.  I made another appointment with Dr Ortega for Monday.  I'm going to ask for an MRI with contrast.  He didn't want to do that last time because I had not yet done a serious round of PT for my shoulder (when I went to Jay Austin, they were thinking it was a pinched nerve in my neck).  Dr Ortega didn't want to do anything before trying PT first.  There is a chance I haven't given it long enough to work, but at the same time, I don't think I'm seeing any improvement that might give me hope.

I watched a video on defeat today (see below).  Andy Potts (pro triathlete) says there are two things in life you can control-your attitude and your effort; when you're defeated you aren't able to give your best effort.  I am NOT defeated by this.  In fact, I'm going to say I'm even more inspired than ever to continue.  This shoulder thing will not stop me.

"Defeat meant reassess, rebuild, chase again...you learn more out of defeat than you do success because success makes you overlook things."  --Chris McCormack 

"I look at it as a chance to become a better athlete."  --Tim O'Donnell

Thanks for stopping in...I promise one day (really soon) I won't be whining about my shoulder any more!  :D

59th Street Bridge Song

I remember in 5th grade learning the 59th Street Bridge Song.  You know the one?  "Slow down you move too fast, you got to make the morning last.  Just kickin down the cobble stones.  Lookin for fun and feelin' groovy..."

Well...I'm fining myself on the 59th Street Bridge, being forced to, once again, SLOW DOWN.

After I went to the Andrew's Orthopedic Center a few weeks ago, I started doing PT at Johnson and Hayes.  Day one was GREAT.  I was given some home exercises to do twice a day, every day until I returned five days later.  I did them like a champ and got so excited I started penciling in races for 2014, including a tough 140.6, The Great Floridian.  Day 2 I was pushed and told I might need to take the next day off depending on how sore I was.  I did.  Day 3 I felt good, but still pretty sore.  Then I went out of town and was given some extra exercises to do at home but told to drop down to once a day and maybe only every other day.

By the time I went back for Day 4 I was hurting again just like I had been before.  At that point he backed off a little and rearranged the exercises.  Yesterday I was in a good bit of pain.  So today, Day 5, I was told we're going to have to slow down the process.

My back in 2011

Exaggerated winged scapulae

Possibly what is going on is this:  I started out with weak muscles
and what basically amounts to poor posture.  I added load to that and wound up injured.   In the last year I've done TONS of things in attempt to correct the symptom (pain)...but nothing to correct the underlying dysfunction (weakness and poor mechanics).  So, every time the pain went (mostly) away, I went back to working out and - BAM - more pain!  ((This is a theory, but it really makes sense to me and gives me some hope I won't need to have surgery so I like it a lot!))

So...the goal this week is to calm the pain down (most likely from tendonitis in that same pesky spot), then SLOWLY work on building all those little muscles up in the right way so that when I add some load to them, they will work the way they should and not cause pain.

I've decided to keep my 2014 race calendar open for now.  I'm not signing up for any races until I know my body can handle some intense training because in the words of Ricky Bobby, "I wanna go FAST"!!  I know I have it in me, I just have to start with a solid base of strength to build on.

I'm not going to lie.  When he told me today I needed to take a step back, I did start to cry a little bit.  But, all-in-all, this is great news.  If the theory is correct, this little step back is going to catapult me forward in the not too distant future.  You might see me on the sidelines for now...but you will find me on the podium later giving all the glory to Him to makes me strong.

"Life I love you.  All is groovy."  (FYI, in case you didn't know, that's the last line of the song...)

Thanks for stopping in.  Come again soon.
:D

"Your Shoulder Is A Mess"

(picture take a couple of years ago-to remember the horrible sun burn and all those tan lines!)

...not the words you want to hear from the Orthopedic doctor.  But that's much better than, "you need surgery" or "it can't be fixed" or worse "give up triathlon".

After almost a year of trying to figure out what's going on with my shoulder I went to see a doctor in Birmingham at the Andrews Orthopedic Center (arguably the best orthopedic clinic in the US).  Following the most thorough exam I have had, the doctor gave me his very educated diagnosis, "your shoulder is a mess".  As I suspected, there is a combination of things going on (welcome to my life).  I probably have some chronic tearing, likely a torn labrum, tendonitis/inflamation and some impingement.  He said it wouldn't get better quickly, and it will take work.  He was glad I didn't have any races planned so I can stay away from the pool and off my aero bars for "a while".  I'll start physical therapy as soon as I find an "overhead shoulder specialist" who can work with all the various issues I have going on and I'll start praying for a full recovery with PT.

If there's not some improvement in 6-8 weeks I will go back and "see the guys down the hall" (the surgeons).

You might think I would be down about this news, but I'm actually thrilled.  I remember when I had to stop running due to Periostitis.  That's when I discovered swimming and when I got to thinking about triathlon!!  And, when I was able to start running again I came back stronger than ever before.  This will get better.  I will be stronger.  Next year will be my best year yet.  All because this year I had to rely completely on God's strength to get me through, giving me a strong faith and mind...next year He's going to bless me with both a strong mind and body!

Let the healing begin!!
:D

...but I Get Up Again

You know that song (WARNING...earworm about to strike...)  "I get knocked down, but I get up again...you're never gonna keep me down".  I think it's actually called "Tubthumping" but I have no idea why.  (Are you singing the song in your head?  You're welcome.)

That feels like exactly where I'm at...getting knocked down, getting up again only to be knocked down again.

Back on May 14th (so that's like 26 days ago) I had a Medial Branch Nerve Ablation.  Basically some nerve endings in the vertebrae of my neck were burned.  The doctor told me my symptoms would get worse for a bit then gradually go away.  Thankfully that has been my experience!  There have been some days I have NO PAIN (or even discomfort) at all!  I have been able to run a decent 5K and a PR 10K.  I even had a few "good" swim workouts.

And then...I started getting sick.  I'll spare you the run down, but I actually started noticing it a week ago Thursday.  But, come on.  I JUST started training again.  This happens every time and I know it.  When I start buckling down my body revolts a little.  This time it revolted a lot.  I finally took myself to the doctor and found out I was probably on the verge of walking pneumonia!!  She said it wasn't there yet, but all things considered, if I had continued to ignore things that's where I would probably have wound up.  Who knows if my body could have fought this off if I had rested more in the beginning.  ((If I'm being honest I would probably say it could have, but I'm going to stick with
there's no way to know for sure and leave it at that!))  But, as it is I've had to skip workouts since Wednesday (unless you count sitting on the Spin bike for 2 hours, which I can't say that I really do).

However...I get knocked down, but I GET UP AGAIN!!  I'm starting to feel human again (at least a little bit).  I'll start (again) on Monday.   This is a serious exercise in patience and in relentless forward movement.  Sometimes that looks like stillness, but the truth is I'm just recharging so I can put more effort into my "forward"!

Thanks for stopping by...come again soon! :D

Two Steps Forward...How Many Steps Back??

The Dance of Injury Recovery...

 A week ago Wednesday I went to see a new doctor who ended up performing a diagnostic procedure on me that really worked.  I went this past Tuesday for the "real thing" (a Medial Branch Radio Frequency Neurolysis).  (I'll try to write up a post on what all that really means this week sometime.)

I was really glad the doctor managed my expectations well because if he had not I'd be very discouraged about right now.  He told me to expect a greater level of discomfort at first then it would settle down to my "normal" level for about four weeks and THEN it will feel like it did the day of the diagnostic block.

Tuesday night I was in pain.  I slept quite a bit and then went to bed early!  I woke up Wednesday unsure if I could teach Spin, but I didn't have a sub lined up so I figured I'd try.  I was a bit stiff at first, but after I got warmed up I felt GREAT and had an excellent workout with a great class. 

Thursday I had planned to run with some friends...it didn't start off well but not because of my neck/shoulder/arm.  My left leg wasn't happy.  After I stopped and stretched a bit and walked it out I was able to finish up strong.  Immediately after that one of the athletes I'm coaching was going to be doing speed work so I planned to go to the track to yell at encourage her.  I told her I didn't think I'd be able to DO the workout with her but when we got done with the warm up and a few strides, I was feeling spunky so I thought I'd see what I could do.  Let me just say it wasn't easy, but it certainly wasn't hard.  I was glad I was coaching and that wasn't my workout for the day, although it was certainly a workout nonetheless!!  My athlete made some GREAT improvements and, I think, learned some valuable information that will help her in the future.  And, I got a big ole heaping dose of encouragement in terms of how my body was feeling.

Friday morning I taught Spin and felt really good through class.  Then...(play creepy scary-movie music)...I swam.


I wish I had better news to relay.  I wish I could say how great it was to be back in the water.  I wish I could talk about how encouraged I was.

I can't.

It hurt.

Bad.

I didn't swim a lot.  I was actually coaching so it wasn't MY workout (once again).  I did that by design.  I knew if it felt GREAT there was a chance I would overdo it.  I also knew if it felt bad I would have to try to keep a positive attitude.  I didn't do the best job at that, but at least I didn't cry!  The truth is, it wasn't as bad as it has been.  I was able to swim some.  I got some excellent coaching from Eric (since he happened to walk in about the time we were finishing up).  But, the truth is also that it wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be.  It certainly wasn't as good as it had been running/spinning.

However...when I woke up Saturday morning...I was ready to go race a 5K!!  :D  I had no idea what I would be capable of since I haven't been training other than the little bit of speed work Thursday (which should have kicked my butt but didn't).  I ended up running a MUCH hillier-than-expected 5K in 26:53.   They had 10 year age groups, so in the 40-49 year olds I came in 4th out of 24.  (First place was 22:07, 2nd 24:28, 3rd was 26:06.)  I ran about as hard as I was prepared to run.  It did NOT feel good, but I wasn't killing myself either.  I was talking which always tells me I'm not working as hard as I "could" but for that day it was as hard as I was going to.  Also...I didn't get any kind of warm up!  I walked out of the bathroom planning to go run a mile to get ready to race, and they made a big announcement for everyone to listen up.  They proceeded to have 15 minutes of presentations.  This race is a special race for a local man, David McKannan, who lost his battle to ALS this last year.  I wasn't about to go trot off to do a warm up when they were talking about his life and battle.

Oh...and...it started pretty much up hill!  I'm pretty darn pleased with that 26:53 time, all things considered!!

I woke up this morning and ran/walked just over six miles.  I was with an athlete who was having some issues we needed to work through otherwise I was feeling good enough I could have run the whole thing.

I had planned on riding my bike today but after church and lunch I was in a fair amount of pain so I decided to take a nap instead!  I know my mom is reading this scared to death that I'm not taking it easy enough.  Don't worry, Mother, I really am.  It's just that "easy" is relative and my "easy" doesn't look like it does for a lot of people.

I have no doubt my body will be ready to teach Spin again in the morning...and then I'm going to get back in the water for some chlorine therapy.  I'm keeping in mind the doctor said I'd be at my "normal" level of pain for a while.  That hasn't really been the case so far.  Other than when I was swimming, I haven't really had pain in my shoulder.  It's been confined to my neck.  THAT is VERY encouraging to me.  I know I've taken steps forward this week.  I can't honestly say if I've taken any back.  I may not be where I WANT to be (uh...there's 17 weeks until my Ironman)...but I'm not where I was a week ago either.

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!  :D

ANSWERS!!! Facet Joint "Issues"

Let me just say...it's a Zippity Do Da day!!

I went to see a new doctor yesterday....and I LOVE him!  He listened to what I had to say and looked over all my tests and told me what he thought what might be going on.  I heard what all he was saying but to be honest I was more interested in what the solution was so I didn't completely absorb what he was telling me...until he said what he was going to do to see if he was right.  He wanted to do a medial branch nerve block.  Basically he injected pain killer into the joints of the vertebrae in my neck.  I'll try to write a more detailed post about the issue and treatment later on.

For now I want to say---it WORKED!!!  I was able to run pain free last night!  And do TRX.  And do some bicep curls.  And do some pushups.  (He told me to do the things that usually cause pain...the only thing I didn't get to do was so swim because I wasn't supposed to drive.)

An added bonus...the kind of issue I'm having can cause ringing in the ears!!!  I have been suffering from this horrid ringing since September 2010!!!!  I have gotten very used to it so it only really drives me crazy on occasion but if the long term solution corrects that too I would be over the top with joy!!

James 1:17 says "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."  Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow!!   So...yes...I'll be singing Zippty Do Da all day long!!!  :D

Thanks for stopping in...I hope you find a blue bird on your shoulder today!!!

Saying "I'm Good" and Meaning It While Battling Demons

A while back I had two solid weeks with no workouts at all except PT.   And, at the end of that time I still had hair (I didn't pull it all out).

I will say though, my attitude wasn't exactly where it needed to be the whole time and it's still not exactly where it needs to be.  I feel like I'm in a constant battle to stay positive.

Rather than trying to write all the "right" things...I think I'll take some time to give those "demons" in my mind a voice.  Fear is something that grows in darkness.  I'm going to shed some light on the thoughts I've been having and let the light of truth burn them up.  My hope is that you will get some benefit from this "excorcism" as well.

"You'll never be able to do triathlon again.  You can't even swim 100 yards without hurting.  How on earth do you expect you'll be able to finish even a sprint distance much less 2.4 MILES in an IronMan?  Are you insane?"

"And forget about running after you have doggy-paddled 2.4 miles and pedaled 112 miles....you hurt after 3 miles of walk/run as it is."

"There is something terribly wrong in that shoulder.  The doctors don't know what they are talking about.  It's not a pinched nerve...there's a terrible tear.  If you keep trying to train you're going to end up with an injury so bad you'll never be able to use your left arm again."

"...and so what if you are able to train to complete the distances...so what?  You know you want to compete not complete."


You know what?  The truth is all those thoughts swirling around don't mean anything.  Those thoughts have no power over me.  I can't think about what may or may not happen in the future.  Matthew 6:27 says, "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?"  Worry does nothing for me at all.

The problem comes with trying to decide what to do TODAY.  I've been told to take it easy in training.  But "easy" for my doctors and "easy" for me are two different things.  The other day I taught spin and walk/ran for 3 miles and the doctor looked at me like I'd done an ultra Ironman.  Uh...no...that's easy.  I'm not supposed to do anything that hurts.  Well...that's plain crazy.  Training really does hurt sometimes.

....Okay...what would I tell my athletes.  First of all...I try to really listen to them.  When they complain (not "if" but "when"), I try to discern what's "pain" from injury vs. pain from training/overreaching (not over training-there's a difference).  This feels like pain from injury.  However, the doctors say it's "just" a pinched nerve.  They don't exactly know why it's pinched, or where, but they think it's in my neck and due to a bulging disk.  I will go see yet another doctor tomorrow to find out what they want to do about it (possibly a myelogram or a nerve block).

There I go again, thinking about tomorrow.  Even thinking about what to "do" today isn't the best approach.  It keeps me tangled up in a web of worry and anxiety, agonizing over what's best and what outcome each potential decision will bring.  (If I go ride my bike will it hurt worse?  Will I be doing more damage?  If I don't go ride will I be missing an opportunity to train, letting yet another day slip by...one day closer to my big race for the year?)

"...and who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?..."   All I can do is keep moving forward.  For right now, that forward movement will be on my bike.  It's a beautiful day; I don't want to let another moment go by without enjoying the sun.

Someone asked me today how I was doing.  I started to say "my shoulder hurts" but I decided it's just a shoulder and the truth is, "I'm good".

Thanks for stopping by.  Come again soon.  I promise to have something else to talk about!! :D

(Yes...I know I sound a bit like a broken record...)  You can buy this cool print HERE.

Riding the Coaster of Injury

Runaway Reptar Roller Coaster at Dreamworld

I'm going on about four and a half months of being injured.  I think I've run the gamut of emotions.  Mostly I'm just tired of it hurting.  Yes, I "could" stop working out...and it would still hurt.

Yes, it hurts worse after I work it (any kind of work-running, biking, TRX, and especially swimming), but it also hurts when I just sit.  And...yes, I've taken time COMPLETELY off from ANY kind of workout at all.  And...it still hurt at the end of that time.

I've tried pushing through (it hurts worse).  I've tried taking it easy and consistent.  I've tried easy and sporadic.  And...it still hurts.  I've had some really great workouts only to have it hurt again a few hours later, or the next day.

I've tried chiropractic care, physical therapy, and have seen an orthopedic doctor who put me on steroids, and gave me a steroid injection.  Something is wrong in there.  I have an appointment with another doctor for a second opinion a week from Monday.

There are times I think I'm just being silly and that it's really not "that bad" and I try to just ignore it...but have you ever tried to ignore a screaming child?  Yeah, it's a little like that.  I can't ignore something that's really there!

There are times I think maybe I really should just give up.  Okay...those times amount to seconds in a week.  Honestly, the thought of giving up this thing I have come to love so much would be like losing a limb!

One of the guys in my Spin class asked me to write about how I have been feeling throughout this whole process because a lot of people write about getting hurt and then they write about getting over being hurt, but very few people write from the pit.  I've sat down many times to attempt to write it all out, but it's harder than I'd like it to be because it has me focus on the white elephant in the room.  What if it never goes away.  What if there's isn't a time I can write about getting over being hurt.  What if this is it?  What if the choice is either give up working out and not hurt AS bad, or keep working out in pain?

The positive side of me says that's not going to happen.  There's a reason this is feeling the way it is and someone can find it and fix it.  ...but I do know a lot of people who live with chronic pain.  If I'm going to be one of them, then I'm going to live with it while I'm running, and biking, and lifting weights, and, yes, even swimming.

But, the truth is, there's a reason why.  For me that reason is faith.  If you read The Competitor's Creed on the side bar of the blog...that says it well.  Not everyone is called in the same fashion and not everyone has the same gifts.  I believe completely I'm right where I need to be.  Right now that is struggling through an injury I don't understand.  Life could be SO much worse.  

1 Cor 9: 24-27 says "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

With that...I'm going to go for a run and enjoy this body I have.  Thanks for stopping in, come again soon.  :D

Starting Over...Again

Well...It's almost April and I'm still dealing with a petulant shoulder!  I have been able to run some (I got up to 6 miles of straight running), and swim some (about 2400, but half of those yards were wearing fins).  I haven't taken any time off the bike, but I haven't really been doing super-long bike rides either.  I decided to try a different route and have gone to see Jay Austin (a "not so traditional" physical therapist).  After a few sessions he suggested I might want to take a couple of weeks completely off of working out to focus on getting better.  As much as I didn't want to hear that...I want this injury to go away.  Last week was a great workout week...but this week has been much less than even "adequate".  This pattern will not get me to Tahoe, much less through it!

So...I'm taking two weeks completely off any kind of workout except what I'm supposed to do for PT.  I'm about 55 hours in so far and I haven't pulled even one hair out!  In fact, I actually have a very good attitude about it.

I remember the first year I did the Cotton Row 10K, I had been told early on in the 12 weeks of training prior to the race that I should take a couple of weeks off.  I didn't.  Instead I limped through the weekly runs and then limped through the 6.2 miles on race day.  After I took the time off, I came back stronger than before.  (It's kind of funny to me now to go back and read that race re-cap.  The "I-don't-know-if-I-can-run-a-10K" me had no idea I'd be training for an Iron Man just three short years later!)  So I'm going to take the advice I give to others so freely: "don't be afraid to rest".

I'm not going to lie...the thought has crossed my mind, more than once, that maybe I just can't do "it" (what "it" is varies..."it" is whatever seems hard to me at the time).  But I've gotten much better at self-coaching out of that dark place.  I can do "it" but "it" might not look like someone else thinks it should or the way I thought it would.  Two weeks is not a lifetime....and it's already down to 12 days!!

I'm not giving up...I'm just starting over.  ((But I won't be starting from square one!!)

--F. Scott Fitzgerald

Learning The Cries of My Body...

I've been talking about my shoulder injury for a while now.  I really started feeling it about mid-September but I didn't start paying any attention to it until I went to my TRX certification training on November 30th.  I remember thinking on the way over to Atlanta that morning I should maybe opt out of doing the exercises, but quickly poo-pooed that idea when I got there.  I decided I would listen to my body after the class was over with.

Have you ever tried to not listen to a fit-throwing child?  If they are really good at it, they will follow you around until you pay attention like this toddler:



That's pretty much what I thought was going on with my shoulder.  I didn't realize there was an actual problem until I found myself not recovering from one workout to the next.  When it hurt so bad I couldn't even hold a brush long enough to dry my hair I decided to do something about it.

Almost three months, 2 MRI's, a nerve conduction study, and countless visits to my favorite chiropractor (Dr Olsen, P3 Chiropractic and Sports Care) later I have finally gotten some answers.

Drum roll please....

Turns out I not only had a raging case of tendonitis but I also have a pinched nerve in my neck.

Now...tendonitis is a real thing.  It's basically inflammation of a tendon.  (No, I'm not a doctor, and I don't even play one in my blog...this is just my understanding and not to be used for anything other than that.)  The only thing that will make the pain go away is reducing the inflammation.  You can do that with a pill or a shot, or reducing/limiting usage of that tendon.  Well...I took pills, I had a shot, and I reduced/limited activity of that shoulder as much as humanly possible without resorting to keeping it completely immobile.  And yet I still had strange pain that I couldn't get away from.

I like to think of tendonitis as the tantrum-throwing child.  There may be a real reason for the fit, but it's just blown way out of proportion.

The pinched nerve, however, is even "more" real.  Not only was this causing pain, it was causing my arm to tingle and go numb all the way down to my fingers.

Thankfully a good bit of the results of both of these issues have resolved.  I do still have some pain in the (bicep) tendon, but it seems the "child" is calming down a bit.  And, the numbness and tingling in my hand has mostly resolved, for the most part.

From what I understand, the nerve is still pinched.  The orthopedic doctor at Sports Med pretty much said there's really nothing that can be done short of surgery.  I haven't fully accepted than answer yet.  My suspicion is that Dr Olsen and even my favorite physical therapist, Jay Austin of Austin Physical Therapy, will have a different opinion about that.  I think I'm going to like their answers better than the one I got from the Sports Med doctor.  (Although...I have to say, I left my appointment with him very encouraged since he didn't tell me I couldn't train for IronMan Lake Tahoe.  In fact, he said I would have to train as a 43 year old woman who is trying to finish and be healthy for the rest of my life.  I agree completely with that statement.  I just think I may have a different opinion about what that might look like than what the good doctor does.)


I think the question is the same as it's always been...how do I discern the difference between a temper tantrum and a real cry for help.  Learning that distinction is like a new mother learning her child's different sounds.  The problem is my body has thrown more tantrums than it has had the need for real screams for help.  Unfortunately I have a history of giving in to those tantrums, creating somewhat of a brat for a body.  Consequently, now, I hear every cry as "WOLF" and don't pay attention like I should.  This is precisely how I have ended up with three different injuries.

There's a balance in there somewhere...and I aim to find it.  I love my body enough to take the time I need to learn the meaning of each and every cry.  More importantly, I love my body enough to respond in a healthy way.

Thanks for stopping in.   Come again soon.  I have some exciting news to share with you!!
:D

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

Passion, Not Addiction...NOT ADDICTION

I went back to the doctor yesterday...my knee is getting better, but isn't 100% yet.  I think we did finally find the underlying cause of the whole thing (or at least the thing that is taking the longest to heal up).  Naturally, as with everything about me, it's not a "normal" thing to be injured.  Without going into much detail I'll just say it's the gracilis muscle.   There were other things wrong by the time I finally went to the doctor, and I have no idea which issue came first but this muscle is the last remaining problem area that stands in the way between me and my workouts.

I have to give a shout out to my amazing doctor...Dr Walter Olsen of P3 Chiropractic and Sports Care.  I'll be honest, I never expected to be seeing a chiropractor for any kind of ailment.  However, he has been able to pinpoint the problems with precision (and that's not even what P3 stands for!).  I'll stop gushing before I start or I'll have to change the name of this post!!  Let me just say, I'm a complete believer in Dr Olsen not in chiropractic care in general.  It's like anything else, there are good ones and there are not-so-good ones out there.  He's a great one.

So...yesterday...when I went in.  I was a little down because after riding a whopping eight miles on Saturday and doing a tiny bit of Spinning on Sunday, my knee wasn't feeling as good as I had hoped it would.  I told Dr O how it was feeling and what I was experiencing; he felt around and found the culprit (it was easy to tell from my YOWL of discomfort).  He worked on it a bit (ART, E-Stim and ice massage) and then I had to ask him "the question"....what exercise can I do??

Dr O, being so in touch with an athlete's driven nature, and being the "get them back out there as quickly as possible" kind of doc he is, asked me what my goals are, what races am I looking at and what I am hoping to get out of the rest of this season.  Well...I have a sprint tri in just under two weeks.  But my goal race for this year is Atomic Man at the end of September (since the NOLA swim was cancelled, this will be my first half iron).  I told him I want to be injury free.  Ideally I'll be strong for Atomic Man, but my first goal is to get over this injury so it doesn't continue to hang around.  So, with that in mind he told me it would be best for me to continue not working out for the rest of this week.

Sigh.

As I walked out of his office I realized something very important.  I am not addicted to working out (anymore)!  There was a time when I was told to stop running for a couple of weeks and you'd have thought the doctor told me to cut my arm off.  I didn't do it.  That decision led to a five week hiatus instead.  It was that period of time of no running which led me to swimming and ultimately to triathlon because I couldn't NOT workout.  Right now I can't do anything really that involves my legs because this muscle controls the femur in a bent and straight position.  I could find things to do with my upper body if I needed a "fix" but I don't feel that same frantic desperation I did the last time I was told I couldn't do what I had come to love so much.

It dawned on me at that moment I'm okay even if I'm not working out.  I think there was a time, not too long ago, when (if I were being completely honest) I would have said exercise had become an idol in my life.  I didn't feel like I could/would give it up for anything at all.  This experience has made it clear that is not the case.

I think another huge factor at play is the fact I have NO DOUBTS about some of my abilities at this point.  Knowing I have a sprint tri coming up in just under two weeks, Dr O asked me if I felt like I could go do those distances without any training leading up to it.  I had to say yes.  I probably won't do as well as I would if this had not happened...but maybe, with all the rest, I'll do even better!  (I'm NOT bragging here...it's just where I think I'm at right now.  Swimming 400-500m, biking 18 miles and running a 5K all in one event will not be an issue.  (I can remember the time when doing ONE of those things at a time was a HUGE mountain to climb.)

I also have NO DOUBTS I will not be stopping forever.  There was a time when I would have been afraid that taking a complete break from working out would mean I wouldn't start back again.  But I know that will not happen now.  I know I will workout as soon as I can get out there safely.

I haven't had any kind of exercise in three full weeks, and I'm okay.   Well...I did bike 8 miles...and there was about 100' in there where I peddled fast, but most of it was under  about maybe 12 miles per hour...I didn't sweat/it wasn't a workout....well...I did sweat a little in my Sunday Spin class...but not a lot...

I am NOT addicted.  I could quit if I wanted to.  I just don't want to.  I have to for a time, and I've been able to do that.  Right? 

...are these rationalizations of an addict?

Hi.  My name is Dana.  I am addicted to working out. I haven't had a fix in three weeks...okay, I haven't had a fix in 36 hours since I'm sure legalists would say my little 8 miler and my few minutes of sweat Sunday have to count.  But...it's like an addiction to food, working out is healthy.  It's good for you.  It's beneficial.  And...it shouldn't control one's life.  I think I'm finding that sweet spot of balance.

(Not sure if my sweet husband would agree...)

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

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

Up for the Challenge

Somehow I pulled my right soleus last week and ended up going to a CHIROPRACTOR.  The fact I spent over ten years in the insurance adjusting field should tell you why this is "said" in such an incredulous "tone"...  However, to my pleasant surprise, Dr. Olsen took such great care of me I was back up and running (literally) the very next day!!  He didn't do the pop and prod type of chiropractic adjustments...he did Active Release Therapy (think focused massage while moving the muscle). 

Although he told me to stay away from hills...I sort of didn't really listen to that part; this past Sunday I CONQUERED Cecil Ashburn on foot.

Well...maybe "conquered" is a little too strong of a word...but (for the locals) I ran from the Rave theater to my house (just over 9 miles), so it was the "easy" way.  For non-locals, here's the elevation profile from my Garmin (you can see why the direction I ran was "easy", right?  (I did go VERY slow and I walked a couple of times-but only about 30-45 seconds total.)  Wow...this is the first time I've looked at this...makes me realize just how much I didn't listen to the good doctor!

But, as Coach Eric always says, "WE LOVE HILLS!!  HILLS MAKE US STRONG"...today I got some (more) proof of how right he is.  My day started at the pool but that's not the "proof" I want to talk about.  Afterwards I went for a run on the trail I usually take with Daisy (who, sadly, was not with me today).  I am pretty sure our best time together on that trail to date has been 35:XX minutes.  I think my very best time alone has been about 34:XX minutes.  Today.........THIRTY TWO MINUTES AND THIRTY SEVEN SECONDS!!! 

The whole time I was running I felt like I was moving through mud.  It seemed as though I couldn't make my legs GO.  When I would look at my pace it was almost always under, or right around, 9...but I didn't believe it.  I thought my Garmin was not being honest with me, just trying to keep me from quitting.  (The pace usually seems off on the trails.)  When I STOPPED TO TIE MY SHOE and when I STOPPED TO TIE MY SKIRT (because it kept trying to fall off)...I considered walking since I "knew" my time would be so slow.  I decided I had to keep going if only for the experience of slogging out a tough run when I didn't feel up to the challenge. 

I've talked about the part of the route where the trail meets the road before...it's where Daisy used to tell me, "it's only SIX minutes to the car from here".  When I got there I thought I might just slow down to a jog, but THANKFULLY I checked the time instead of just looking at my pace...27:??.  My thoughts at that point: 

"REALLY???  TWENTY SEVEN???....plus 6 is only 33...that's a PR on this route....REALLY???  AS SLOW AS I HAVE FELT ON THIS RUN???  NO WAY I'M SLOWING DOWN NOW!!!"

I didn't PUSH it as hard as I could because it was supposed to be an "easy" run today...and I know speed work is tomorrow.  I kept telling myself I didn't have anything to prove, it wasn't a race, and more than that, it was a TRAINING RUN that was supposed to be EASY.  I was not running as if racing, but I certainly wasn't holding back either!  I wanted that PR...and you should have heard me WHOOP when I stopped my watch and saw I had made it even faster than I expected. 

Yup, again...Eric was right.  I guess it's only five minutes to the car now, huh??

Thanks for stopping in!  Come again soon!
:D

The "Action" of MIA

I can't believe I haven't posted on this blog in over a week.  I think that's the longest I've gone since I started it a year ago.  The thing is...I have been "in action", just not writing about it here!

Tri training is much harder than I expected it to be....either that or the fact my thyroid is shutting down really is causing me to be exhausted.  You know, I'm going to go with the later.  I've had a prescription for Synthroid for quite a while (I won't admit how long)...and I will get it filled as soon as I get back from...

I'm really pumped about this trip.  It's not so much the race, although I am looking forward to it, it's the fact that I'm going on a trip with my family (and a friend my daughter is bringing along)...to a city I LOVE.  (That's a whole other post-the race/trip.)

The main activity that has been consuming me lately is something I haven't talked about on here yet at all....

Hear Ye, Hear Ye.....Stop the presses....Now hear this.....

I'm on a Hood to Coast team!!!!!!  If you don't know about this race...it's a 197 mile relay race that runs from Mt. Hood to Seaside Oregon.  It's divided up into 36 legs; the typical team is 12 people (elite teams have 6 members because they run so fast they needed more time to get to exchange points).  Our race isn't until August 2012.  (The race is so big, they have registration a year in advance and it's open for one day only.)  My team, The Dixie Daredevils, is raising money for the American Cancer Society in order to gain entry into the race.  We have to raise $15K by August 26th of this year in order to be entered. 

I'll be writing more about the race, the team, and our efforts during the next 18 months but for now, please pop over to our team blog Journey to the Hood to read more about my team mates and who we are running for.  While you're there, just go ahead and click on the "FOLLOW" button to keep up with our progress as we fund-race to the coast.  We (meaning I) don't have a "donate now" button set up yet on that site, but if you'd like to make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation to the American Cancer Society, and get us closer to our fund-racing goal, please click on the link HERE and then again on the "DONATE" box on the right hand side of the screen, just under the Uncle Sam.  Every dollar helps fight this terrible disease.  (If you'd like to be a virtual "Dixie Daredevil", click on the Uncle Sam and join us in our fund-raising goal**.)

Thanks for stopping in...come again soon!
:D

Migraine, perhaps??

I don't know what is going on with my body!

I feel horrible.  My head is still pounding.  The ringing in my ears that has played in my head like quiet strains of muzac in an elevator for about a year now is blaring like a too-loud rock concert.  I thought it might be blood pressure related, but it's 108/62 and my pulse is 57.  (Pretty good, huh??!) ***Side note-I used to have a pounding heart beat...it has gotten significantly better since I started running.  My BP has always been on the low side of average, and even it has dropped a bit.

Okay, back to how bad I feel today.  I can't express to you how much I want to just go back to bed.  Actually, I did that already.  I took a nap before lunch.  What a slug!  I wish I could sleep until I feel better no matter how long that takes.  I HATE feeling bad.  Especially when I have no idea what's causing it.

I don't think I've eaten anything on "the list" all week, so I don't think that's it....wait, it's only Tuesday, huh?  Well, this would be day three since eating "bad" food.  That could be it.  From what I understand, it takes about three days to "detox".

THIS IS WHY I HAVE TO EAT CLEAN.  If I can't stay away from food I'm not supposed to have I'll never know if it's food that makes me feel like crap.  But, the ringing in the ears thing has been going on for a year now.  It gets better and worse but has not ever gone away.


Okay....enough about not feeling well.  Lamentations about it won't help.

My run yesterday morning was less than stellar.  It was my shortest run in a VERY long time.  I have strange niggling pains in various parts of my body...and I feel run down...and like I can't breathe.  But, when I got home and uploaded the Garmin data, I found out that my first mile was 10:23--much faster than I usually run.  Mile two, even with a couple of walk breaks, was 11:25 (which it more comfortable for me).  It was also stinking HOT out there.  Not only did I get a bit of a later start than usual, it's been hotter than it should be for FALL.  All-in-all, I'm okay with it.

....I wasn't okay with it until last night when I ran with the NOBO group I'm helping with.  I had the opportunity to run with someone who was really struggling.  I found myself telling her all the things I needed to hear.  (Imagine that, huh?)  She was really struggling to keep running (and lost that struggle many times).  She said, "I know when I get to the end, after I rest a few minutes, I'm going to feel like I should have been able to run the whole time, and that I could go do it again."  I told her, and myself at the same time..."You have to trust yourself. When you are done, and you are beating yourself up for taking these walk breaks, you have to tell yourself that you would have kept going if you could have.  It's easy to say, 'I could have done more/better or gone faster/longer' when you are sipping water after the fact.  But, right now, when you're out here doing it....do all you can so you can tell yourself you did all you could."

Okay, okay, I get it.  I'm not helping myself by berating myself after the fact.  It's hard to have a hard running week after having a good running week.  But, hopefully that means I'll have a good half marathon on Saturday!!

Speaking of the Women's Half Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee this Saturday September 25th, starting at 7am....my bib number is 4312.  I'm taking one for the team on this race...I'm going to be the last one in our group of runners to finish.   Someone has to be last in the group, so I'm volunteering for that spot so no one has to worry about it being them.  :D

Thanks for stopping, come again soon!

Overdoing It??

I'm supposed to be coming back to running "slowly", without "overdoing it". 

Well, what exactly does that mean??  "Overdoing".  In true NORK* fashion, I looked it up.  (*Yes, I made that word up--part nerd, part dork..."derd" just isn't right!)  Mirriam-Webster says it's doing something in excess or to exhaust.

Well, I think I got very close to "overdoing" it today...if I didn't in fact cross over that imaginary line.  The thing is...for all you runners reading this...don't we all overdo it?  Isn't that kind of the point of training?  You find that line where you think you've given all you have and then go just a bit more.  You run as fast as you can, and then just a bit faster.  Or you run as long/far as you think you can and then just a little longer/farther.

Today I started my run with my Newton's...only about a half mile (I'll write more about them later).  Then I changed shoes and joined up with Turtle.  The run I planned for us was three minutes running a bit faster than "comfortable"/two minutes walking for a couple of miles....and that's almost exactly what we did.  (We did 3/2, 3/2, 2/2, 2/2, 2/cool down.  Man!  What a great run.  I can tell I've improved a great deal because I seriously didn't feel like I needed to stop after the first three minute interval.  Running with her is SERIOUSLY helping me.  She doesn't realize what good shape she's in.  She struggles, but not like I did when I started out.  She reminds me of Speedy-she wants to say she's "slow" or "can't" go further...but she certainly can.

Anyway, I digress....our average pace over all was somewhere around 12 (I forgot to stop the Garmin when we finished).  The best I can tell, our average running pace was about 10.  Our average "best" pace was about 9!!

But, really, that was a digression as well....because what I was really talking about was "overdoing" it.  After my great run, I went to a spinning class.  Today was the first time I stood up on the bike.  Talk about HARD.  I could sit in the saddle "all day", but standing up?  Jesh!  That really took it out of me.  Another neighbor went with me and she said her experience is just the opposite-she could stand "all day" but sitting is harder for her.

About half or two thirds through it, I felt what I can only describe as a bee sting in my right calf.  Ouch.  It didn't last long, but, at that point I had a decision to make, a decision I didn't even realize I was making.  I had to decide what "overdoing" means to me.  I quickly sat down and slowed down, but I kept going.  The sting pretty much went away....so after spinning I went to the Extreme Abs class!

My abs IMMEDIATELY started screaming at me, "YOU'RE OVERDOING IT!!!!"  I seriously couldn't do half of what I did Monday.  I tried, but I just simply couldn't.  Thankfully, my neighbor (who I conveniently rode with) had to leave before we started glutes.

When I came home I took an ice bath and then (after my real shower) I iced the "sting" (10 on, 10 off) for about an hour.  It isn't hurting so I think it's okay...  I think I found that fine line that runs between quitting too early and overdoing it...and I might have crossed just a few toes over it.  I think in order to be classified as "overdoing" the whole foot has to be over the line, so I'm good!

I think I'll wait until tomorrow to decide if I'll do Body Power or take a rest day.  After all, I don't want to ...well, you get it.


FOOD UPDATE

I don't think I've done a food update in a while.  I have given up the food on my list of allergies for about a month, with only a few little snafus here and there.  I feel much better when I'm not eating the stuff on the list.  My appetite is great-I don't feel hungry or have food cravings like I usually do.  Eating out is the hardest thing.  It used to be one of my favorite things....but now, it just completely stresses me out.  I hate it.  Just thinking about it makes me feel anxious.  We're going to Olive Garden tonight for my daughter's birthday dinner (her choice)...I'm NOT looking forward to it at all.  (At least not the eating part.)  It's hard to figure out what I can and can't eat, and garlic is in just about everything! 

But the good news is that I feel great.  I've maintained the weight loss, although I'm not losing any more.  And...amazingly enough, my thyroid (that's been swollen for about 5 years) feels completely back to normal!!  I've been on Synthroid for almost 8 months...I don't think that's what has caused the shrinkage that's happened just this month!

I am fast on my way to becoming a zealot about the dangers of food allergies!!

Thanks for stopping in; come again soon!
:D

A(nother) New Way of Eating

Last November I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  Basically, in a nutshell, it's an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the thyroid.  Most doctors don't know, and don't seem to care, WHY this happens, they only seem to want to treat the resulting symptom of low thyroid hormone by prescribing a substitute.

Because I am a "I-want-to-know-WHY" kind of person, when I was diagnosed, I started doing some research.  There are a host of theories out there, but one seems to come up quite a bit-food allergies.  Well, namely gluten actually. 

About the time I discovered this potential answer I met a dear friend who had an experience with a food allergy that went undiagnosed until adulthood.  She had suffered from asthma pretty much all her life.  The condition worsened when she was pregnant and nursing to the point she was using an inhaler an alarming number of times a day.  The only thing she could think of that had changed was an increase in her consumption of dairy.  After her family doctor laughed at her for thinking she had a milk allergy, and after he refused to test her, she found a doctor who listened and discovered she was in fact allergic.  As soon as she removed all dairy from her diet-no more asthma.

I decided to have a full allergy blood test done...and have now been told I'm allergic to: the whole cow (dairy and beef), eggs, garlic, barley, coconut, peanuts and a few more things that I can't remember off the top of my head.

Well, isn't that a kick in the head!?  I was drinking a whey protein shake every morning, especially before my runs.  I was drinking chocolate milk, or eating a peanut Cliff bar, for recovery.  I eat garlic almost every day...especially in my eggs!

Before I get comments about this food allergy thing being a bunch of hooey...trust me, I was a bit of a skeptic, too.  But, I've spend enough time researching that I could just about get an associates degree in immunology and I believe there's something to it.    Although I find it all very interesting, I won't bore you with the details here.  What I want to focus on is the fact that I've pretty much eliminated the "off-limits" foods from my diet for a week now...and not only do I feel better than I have in quite a long time, I have lost three pounds.

And, no, it's not because I'm not eating enough.  I'll admit, the first day or two I had a hard time finding things to eat that weren't on "the list" and ended up eating so few calories it would have left Twiggy starved.  But, since then I've eaten well. 

Interestingly enough, after two days with none of the "bad" foods, I felt ....lighter.  I left for vacation and even after seven hours in the car, my fingers and ankles weren't swollen (as they normally are).  On day two of the longest road trip of my life, I threw the list out the window on the way to my favorite donut shop.  I decided I would eat the golden, chocolatey, cream filled, heaven-in-my-mouth delicacies, even if they were going to send me to an early grave...because they truly are the best thing I've ever tasted in my life.  I completely over-indulged the whole day, with enough milk and eggs to start my own farm stand.  That night, the only word for my lower extremities is "cankle", and I could have barely gotten my wedding ring off my finger if I had wanted to.  The next day, after I had put several hundred miles between me and pastry bliss...and returned to food sanity...the extra water was magically gone (even though I was in the car another almost 12 hours).  

One thing food allergies are said to cause---inflammation.

So...I'm embarking on yet another "new way of eating".  I intend to strictly avoid all the foods on the list, while consuming about 1200 calories a day (plus extra on work-out days) with a healthy (as yet to be determined) ratio of fats, carbs and proteins. 

I'm excited to see how the new way of eating will affect my workouts right along with my weight!   It will take longer to find out if there's any kind of change in the thyroid...but if the food-allergy theory is correct, it could even mean no more Synthroid!  We'll see.

Thanks for stopping in.  Come again soon!
:D