"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

To Recovery and Beyond!!

      (this is the musical symbol for a "whole rest")

Two days after the marathon I ran a couple of mile on the trails...and felt FANTASTIC!!  I had to make myself stop after two because I kept hearing everyone I know telling me I needed to recover.  The thing I believe to be true (from everything I've read) is that lack of muscle soreness is NOT a good indicator of muscular healing (roughly quoted from an article from McMillan Running, but I've read this same kind of thing in several places).  I didn't want my desire to get back to running override my body's desire to rest and heal....so I let two miles be enough.  Two days later the weather was simply DIVINE (like 72 degress!!) so I decided to take my bike out for a spin.

Remember Doug, from the Long Course Training Camp, let me borrow his aero bars?  Well, even though I had them put on my bike a couple of months ago, I haven't been on it since Frantic Frog in September.  So many people told me I would be wobbly and feel like I was unstable I was slightly nervous to ride with them....but WOW, I LOVE THEM!!  I planned to ride an hour and (again) I had to MAKE myself stop after that amount of time.  My sit bones were probably grateful but boy did I want to keep going!!

Since that ride (a week ago tomorrow)...I have not worked out even one single time!!  This is the longest I've gone without doing some form of work out in almost two years!  I didn't intend to take off this long but I think it's been a good rest for me....and I'm ready to get back into the swing of things.  I'm planning to run in the morning and maybe spin tomorrow afternoon (if I can con my way into the Y one more time this year--I've already used up all my "visits" but maybe I can sweet talk someone into just one more).  It's my intention to ease back into swimming next week.  I'm going to be taking it fairly easy for another couple of weeks, then I'll start my training plan for the half iron I'm doing in April.


To recovery and beyond!!  (Sound familiar?)

Thanks for stopping in!  Come again soon!
:D

Overtrained? I prefer "underrested" thank you very much.

Let's take a look at the week in review...

***WARNING, this is a very boring, detailed recap, really for my own (confessional) benefit, feel free to skip it.***

Monday I woke up at 5 so I could drive back from Arkansas.  With the time it took to pick up my daughter, I was on the road about eight hours.  Food for the day: a half dozen of the best cream-filled (and chocolate covered cream filled) donuts on the planet, and probably little else.

Tuesday, on very little sleep, I did P90X on an empty stomach, then ran just under six miles (half those were very hilly) (yes, I did eat before I went out).  My total net calories that day 687 (78% carbs, 13% fat).

Wednesday-P90X but no other exercise at all.  I ate very poorly because my husband had surgery.  Net calories 954 (60% carbs, 24% fat).

Thursday-I ran 4 miles, swam (well, splashed around back and forth in the pool is more like it) 300 yards (yes, I know-pathetic...but at least I didn't drown!!) and walked 1.5 miles later in the day.  I was 124 calories over for the day (70% carbs, 17% fat).

Friday-I ran 4 miles, biked 9.5, splashed around in the pool 400 yards and did a LAME "Zumba"-wanna-be class.  Net calories-........... (insert long drawn out internal struggle here...tell, don't tell, blah blah blah) 71 (seriously, I don't know if the calories I burn are correct or not, who knows, but it was 65% carbs and 27% fat).

Saturday-I ran 10 GREAT miles (that's what I wanted to sit down and write about, until I read THIS).  I don't think I really logged all my calories that day because I'm not showing that I even ate any dinner (and, no I can't remember), but what I did log was a net of 304 for the day (63% carbs, 32% fat!!).

And, finally, Sunday-I didn't do any exercise at all and ate a total of 1358 calories (50% carbs, 34% fat!).

I don't think I've probably had half the water I "should" have this week, and there's no way I've gotten 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

*****Long, boring, detailed confessional concluded******

I woke up this morning, (after a fitful 5 hours of sleep) VERY upset with myself for not getting in a work out yesterday.  I wanted to run a couple of recovery miles (it was unbelievably cold and windy), I wanted to swim...okay, I thought about swimming (I went to the movies instead), I briefly considered doing P90X when we got home from the movies, but the fam and I put a (VERY HARD) puzzle together and waited for the great Alabama blizzard of 2011 to hit.  I was laying there replaying the week and trying to understand my less than sunny mood, when I read today's post on Run Like a Mother regarding over-training.

She had me hooked the fourth sentence in, "I was exhausted, in a crappy mood, especially snappy with my kids, overwhelmed with work and life." (Bold type is mine, although my husband and daughter would bold the "especially snappy" part.)

The whole time I was reading I kept thinking, "I can't be over-trained."  ...Until I got to the little test at the end.  I scored a whopping 7 (unless buttered popcorn counts as "dinner").  Chances are really high I didn't score above an 11 all week.  If you read the post, you can't help but to see my comment as it's second in the list.  I considered just sitting on this valuable information, and even more strongly considered NOT sharing it with my husband.  I don't need to hear how I'm doing to much.  But, the truth of the matter is, although I refuse to believe I'm "over-trained", I am under-rested.

I printed out the "test" to use as a guide.  Also, I'm going to plan on making a meal plan in addition to my work-out plan.  I don't want to cut back my training, but I will step up my rest!!

Thanks for stopping in....I think I'll try to go take a nap now!  :D