One Step Closer...

Saturday I ran the McKay Hollow Madness 25K for the third time.

In 2011, the first year I trained to run McKay (sort of), the race was cancelled because of a bad storm on race day. I went out the following Monday and ran it on my own. I stopped a lot and took video and pictures, until my phone died. It was the first time I had seen many parts of the course. (This is why I said I "sort of" trained for it, I didn't have any idea how challenging many parts of this course really are.) Funny...I was just looking back at my training log (AKA Garmin Connect). Leading up to that race I ran the NOLA Half Marathon in late February (my 2nd half marathon ever) and then didn't run more than about 4 miles until MHM. So...I really didn't train for this race. In my mind back then I had trained for it. That's funny!! Anyway...the total time was 4:10 and the "total moving time" was 3:36. It was WET that year. With all the rain there were streams and puddles and just a lot of water to navigate through and around. It was foggy, chilly, and I was alone.

In 2012, leading up to this race I was training for my first 70.3 (NOLA...see a theme?). I was doing a lot of running and biking and swimming. It's funny I didn't feel as "trail ready" that year. The course was a bit drier that year and it was warmer.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't dry, as you can tell from the pictures, there was mud, but I wasn't even wearing gators and the mud was barely up over the top of my shoe on one foot. That year I didn't stop to take pictures and had a finish time of 3:36. (My moving time was 3:22...the other 14 minutes was at the aide stations kissing my husband, refilling my bottles, and catching my breath at the top of Natural Well.) I remember it being really warm.

Sadly, I didn't get to race in 2013 because I was battling my shoulder injury. From September 2012 until...well, really until almost September 2014* this shoulder has been a major issue for me. In the spring of 2013 I was trying to figure out what exactly I needed to do in order to do what I wanted to do and, sadly, that didn't include running McKay. Then in 2014 I was recovering from the shoulder surgery I had in January of that year. Which brings me to this year, 2015.

Well, before we get to this year, I want to revisit my 2011 self. I had completed two half marathons and one trail race (Xterra Dirty Spokes 5K). When I went out to run the McKay course by myself I was feeling really spunky. I pretended to be David O'Keefe and fully imagined myself giving Katie a run for her money in 2012. Oh how I wish I could go back and talk to that 2011 self... When I first started running I was making such great improvements that taking off a couple of minutes per mile seemed like a normal thing. It's just a couple of minutes per mile.  HA! The faster you get the harder it becomes to take a couple of seconds per mile off your best time. But, I digress...

I started this year with the goal of setting a PR on the course. I planned to train on every section and train hard to find :30/mile to get my finish time down to 3:30 or less. I'll skip the details, but that didn't exactly happen in reality the way it did in my mind.

I went to bed the night before the race not sure what would happen, but I knew I wanted to give my best effort and be happy with the results.
----
It was much colder this year than the past years I've run this course. I have developed Raynaud's in my feet and could feel them going numb from the cold before the race start. Ordinarily that wouldn't be a big deal but, with Raynaud's, when the feeling starts coming back it's very painful. I told myself to be ready for it.

......

I wrote the above right after the race but stopped writing it and haven't come back to it until now. The sad thing is that I don't remember the details of the race the way I would have if I had written about it right then. The big things that stick out in my memory are that I still didn't break 3:30. In fact I got SLOWER! My time this year was 3:43. At one point I thought I might have broken my foot because the pain was just getting worse and worse. It turned out that it really was the Raynaud's. One factor that made this year slower was the mud. It was ridiculous. Mountain Mist was muddier, but this was a very close 2nd.

Even though I was a bit disappointed that I didn't even come close to my goal,  I had to take a step back and realize every year presents new challenges, especially on trails. This year ended up being about pushing forward even when I desperately wanted to quit.

As I said, I didn't break my foot, but ironically, Bilbo DID in fact break hers on this course!! She apparently kicked a rock a little less than 1/2 way through and ran on a broken foot the rest of the time (about 9 miles)! We had to take her to the ER right after the race!!

Next up: what I have been up to lately!



*Funny, this was written in March and I apparently felt like my shoulder was doing pretty good when I wrote it. Maybe I hadn't really started swimming again? I have struggled with this stupid shoulder all summer and it's still not "right".  Here I am THREE YEARS after it first started causing me trouble and it's still a thorn in my side! :(

Double Unders...Not to be Confused with Double Dutch

Tonight at ITF we REALLY went to kindergarten and not only jumped rope, but we also "played" on the rings (at least everyone but me "played" on the rings...I did box dips instead because I was too scared to try the rings since my shoulder is really NOT even close to 100% yet).

Double unders...in case you don't know, this is a jump rope thing.  You jump once and swish the rope around twice before your feet hit the ground.  Shockingly it's a wrist movement.  Embarrassingly enough at first I couldn't even get the single under down.  Mercifully the coach told us most people don't get the double under the first night, and many people take months to get it down.  You can guess, I had one goal for the night-to get at least one double under done.

We learned how to do ring dips but I opted out of that one.  The coach said it's not a strength issue for most people but a stability issue.  I can't afford to have my shoulder any more unhappy than it is right now already so I said no to the word "stability", and like I said earlier, I did box dips.  I have to say I didn't think I could do those either.  They didn't feel good, but I did all of the ones I was supposed to do and I'm okay so far.

Lastly we learned how to do a proper weighted front squat.  This seemed to be the thing that hurt my shoulder the most.  Mainly, I think, because the bar is resting on the part of my shoulder that hurts the most.

After we learned our new exercises we partnered up and did the WOD.  A partner workout is one in which you have a set number of rounds/reps and you split it however you want between partners.  We had 3 rounds of: a ridiculous number of double unders ((or WAY more single unders which everyone was doing instead)), some front squats and then ring dips (or box dips in my case).  Only one person could be working at a time and you could switch back and forth as you needed to.   I felt bad for my partner...I was REALLY struggling to jump rope and then my shoe came untied...and then my other shoe came untied!!  I was just glad she didn't beat me with that jump rope!!

On that first round I could't get more than a few jumps in at a time.  But, by the last round I got 40 in a row!!  Then I DID IT...ONE double under!!  I couldn't do another one, but I did ONE!  Goal MET!!  :D  I can't honestly say, but I don't think my partner and I were last tonight.  I think there was one other group that had a little bit harder time than we did.  I was consumed with the fact I couldn't jump rope and with the fact I was too scared to even try a ring dip to really notice anyone else's time.  But, if I don't listen to my body no one else will so it's up to me to decide what I can and can't do...what I will and won't do.

Still lovin it.

Until next time...
:D

Let's Get Ready to RUMBLE!!!

Okay, not really, that saying is for boxing and wrestling.  I don't do that.  But I like the way it sounds!

I went back to the doctor last week and he released me to train!!!  I'm certainly not 100% yet.  I have technical "full range of motion" but not MY full range, and not what I need for a strong swim.  I also have to start back as if I am a new beginner.  However, he told me, "you are as good as you could even possibly be right now.  It is not possible for you to be any better."  I thought he was giving me a line...you know, comparing me to me (you can't be any better than you are because you aren't better than you are...); just making a play on words to make it sound positive and encouraging.  But then he added, "If you could see the patients I see, you would realize how far along you really are right now."  So, okay...I'll take it.  I did ask for, and receive an injection.  It hasn't been magic, but I believe it has helped a good bit.

Where I Am Now

I have been swimming a handful of times.  Tuesday I was able to "swim" for about 30 minutes, mostly doing drills with 350 front crawl yards interspersed throughout, mostly with fins but some without.  I was only able to swim 50 yards straights at most, but most intervals were 25 yard "laps".

I'm going back today.  The plan is to continue with drills being the bulk of the workout but I'll increase the yardage to 400 and my plan is to increase the number of 50y intervals as well.  I'll probably stick with the fins because it really takes pressure off the shoulder joint and allows me to move the arm much better.

I haven't been on my bike AT ALL since IMLT.  I've been teaching Spin 2-4 times a week for about six weeks.  I'm ready to see what happens on the road.  I'm not going to lie, I'm more than just a little nervous.  I do LOVE to ride my bike now, but 1) I haven't ridden in almost SEVEN MONTHS!!, and 2) I've seen way too many stories about people being hit by cars lately.  However, I refuse to live in fear of anything so I'm going to get my chain cleaned and greased and my tires pumped and get out there.  Maybe even today!

I been running about as much as I've been swimming.  The longest distance I've covered with walk/run intervals is 3.5 miles.  The longest distance I've run straight is just over 1 mile.  My shoulder does bother me when I run, but my legs are the biggest limiting factor right now.  There are muscles you use when you run, but you don't work them by running.  When those muscles aren't used or worked, they balk a little bit at being brought out early retirement!!  I've been thinking about those muscles for a couple of months, but I haven't done a lot to reignite them in preparation for a return to running.  So, that process will restart today!

Overall I'm pleased with how I feel when I run as far as my shoulder goes.

PT has been going VERY well.  I'm now working on aggressive strengthening and have been making progress every time I go.  Yesterday I did several new exercises and increased weight on some older ones.  It's the strangest feeling when I do hammer curls.  The right bicep tendon starts feeling fatigued and feels like the limiting factor for the move.  Because I don't have a tendon there in the left arm, I feel NOTHING on that side in that spot!!  STRANGE.

Overall, I am READY to get started.  The first race on the plan is Wet Dog on July 19 (or maybe Cotton Row 10K on Memorial Day-I haven't decided about that one yet).  I did fairly decent at this race last year, winning second in my age group.  My overall time was 1:04:something.  I would LOVE to beat that this year, but I'm fairly certain I was farther ahead of where I am now at this same time last year.  However, I was also actively fighting with a wonky shoulder.  My plan is to train hard and race hard and see what happens.

Until next time...

:D

I SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!! (almost)

I seriously can't remember the last time I was able to get a full night's sleep.   I'm sure it has happened since the surgery, but I can't remember it.  Well...until last night that is!!

I think three factors came into play.  In no particular order they are:

1) I did some "PT" right before I got into bed.  My physical therapist (Todd Hayes at Johnson and Hayes) has told me movement and strength are the things needed to get rid of the pain and get me back to doing the things I want to do.  So, I did some stretches and general movement (basically arm swings) right before I got into bed.

2) We sold the cloud we've been sleeping on.  Four and a half years ago my husband and I bought a new generic memory foam mattress.  It wasn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't Tempur-Pedic and it was on the softer side of the spectrum.  I loved it.  It was like sleeping on down.  The problem was that after four and half years, the bed had developed a bit of Alzheimer's (it had no memory).  I never really noticed but my husband, who would probably prefer to sleep on a  ROCK, did.  So last week we ordered a new mattress (a Tempur-Pedic that will allow me to sleep on a cloud and my sweet husband to sleep on a rock).  Yesterday, we sold the dementia plagued puff box.  We were going to sleep on the guest bed, but it is currently covered with yard sale stuff.  Instead we pulled out the air mattress.  It's a nice one and was considerably more firm than the cloud.  I don't know if the firmness of the sleeping surface had anything to do with the quality of my sleep, but it was a change, so it made the list.

And, last, but certainly not least...

3) I slept with a pillow under my arm.  A friend of mine who had shoulder surgery last year told me that's what she does to keep from waking up in pain.  (Her procedure was different, but I think the reason it's hurting now is just stiffness in the joint, which would be the same for both of us.)  I don't exactly understand the physiology behind why that would work, except that it's probably like the pillow in the sling I was chained to for eight weeks; it just puts space in the socket.  (That's a guess.)

I'm aware this is an ad for alcohol, and their meaning is not mine, but challenge is the fertilizer of a great life!!  We remember the bumps in the road, not the smooth sailing!!

I did actually wake up three times in the night.  (I think that was all my better half's "fault".)  However, instead of being in tremendous pain (as usual), I was able to go back to sleep two of the three times and only got up the third time because it was legitimately MORNING!!!!!  The sun was coming up and everything!!!  GLORIOUS MORNING!!!

To make things even better, it didn't take nearly as long this morning to get down to a comfortable level of discomfort.  Most mornings I am convinced that I should either call the dr as soon as their office opens, or maybe just start driving to Birmingham right then, because something has gone terribly WRONG.  You would think I would be used to the routine by now, but I am an "in-the-moment" kind of gal (in case you didn't know that already!).

Speaking of "in-the-moment"...Thursday I had a moment that caught me completely off guard.  I was sitting at lunch and my friend asked me how my shoulder was doing and I realized that not only did it not hurt right then, I didn't even NOTICE it...I wasn't even AWARE of it...I couldn't even FEEL it!!!  It was GLORIOUS to feel like a normal person after a year and a half of being in a continuum of "aware of it" up to "wow that hurts so bad I think I want it cut off to stop the pain!".    (I wish I was kidding...)

I think it will be a long while before I'm not aware of it more than I am on the other 99% of the spectrum, but for now I'll take sleeping through the night!!

Until next time...  :D

Swimming-Just Like Riding a Bike

Photo credit:  Olivia Locher; found HERE

A week ago Monday I was cleared by the doctor to do "anything I want".  I know, he then had to go and add "within reason" but my mind heard "anything I want" and replays it over and over again.  I'm having to very consciously protect myself against the big bad wolf.  On Monday I was telling some athletes from my Spin class about what I had done since being cleared; one of them looked at me and rolled her eyes saying, "and you call that reasonable?" (or something to that effect).  It made me stop and think for a minute.  Well...yes...I think so.

You're wondering now what I have done, aren't you?  (If not, skip this paragraph!)  Wednesday I taught Spin for an hour long (fairly tough) class and did PT (stretching and about 75 minutes of upper body work).  Thursday I taught a 45 minute (not so tough) Spin class and did about 40ish minutes upper body strength training.  Friday I taught a 45 minute Spin class (I'd call it fairly tough) and did PT.  Saturday I ran/walked 3.5 miles (run 5 walk 1) and did some of my PT stretches.  Sunday I ONLY did at home PT stuff (not as much upper body strength).  Monday I taught Spin class (I'd call it moderately tough) and did PT (including 75ish minutes of upper body strength).  Then Yesterday

I SWAM!!!

I'm pretty sure that was the first time in the water since IMLT!!  ((I could be wrong about that, but I'm almost certain.))  I was really nervous about going.  My daughter was laughing at me and said, "okay, just tell the lifeguards to watch you closely since you haven't swam since your IRONMAN".  That made me laugh at myself.  Swimming is like riding a bike...it's not like I would have forgotten how!

However, I knew it wasn't going to be totally great when I had a lot of trouble even doing the dynamic warm up.  I was shocked at the difference in the left shoulder/arm.  The really good news is that when I got in and started swimming, other than the pain it felt really good to be back in the water.  My form wasn't 100% spot on, but it really was like riding a bike.  My body got right into the catch/pull groove.  Even better, I haven't lost a lot of speed.  Endurance is nonexistent, but that's to be expected.  I think the best news is that I don't think I feel any more pain today than usual!!

On tap for today is Spin and PT.  Tomorrow is Spin and possibly another swim!  I don't think that's unreasonable at all.

Until next time.  :D

*Did you know it's apparently illegal to ride a bike in a swimming pool in California?!  I found that out here when I was searching for a picture to use for this post.  By the way, the picture used is copy written by Olivia Locher.

I'll Huff and I'll Puff and I'll Blow Your House Down

We all know the story of the Three Little Pigs.  The first pig builds his house of straw; the wolf comes and blows it down.  The second builds his house of twigs; the wolf comes and blows it down.  The third builds his house of bricks; the wolf comes in through the chimney.

When I started running, I basically built my running fitness out of straw.  I didn't have a foundation and the "walls" were very weak. Consequently, I ended up getting hurt.    After taking five weeks off, I was able to run again.  I talked about strength training quite a bit, but I really didn't know what to do at the time so I "built my house out of sticks" and simply added biking and swimming to my running.  I thought I was doing well to add yoga to the mix.

Quite a while later I had a little issue with my knee.  (Can you hear the "WHOOSH" sound of the big bad wolf's hot air?)  After the requisite five weeks off, I came back strong at Wet Dog, moving right back into a house of sticks!!

Then this issue hit with my shoulder in September 2012.  Fifteen months worth of issue.  If you've followed my blog for long, you'll know I had surgery January 2014.  Unfortunately, it wasn't five weeks off this time, it was EIGHT.

From the time I was told I needed surgery until yesterday I was making plans about "building my house of bricks" when the time came.  I was thinking through how I wasn't going to start running/biking/swimming right out of the gate.  I was going to work on general strength--core, arms, legs, even respiratory muscles!  No more big bad wolf for me.  Strong foundation and strong walls, that was the plan.

Until I heard, "you can do what ever you WANT to!"

WANT!  What I want is to race McKay Hollow on March 22nd.  I want to start training for another IronMan.  I want to get out on my bike.  That's like when my husband says "what do you WANT to eat?"  What I WANT is pizza, ice cream, Mexican, lasagna, Kit Kat, Nutty Bars...and the list goes on.  I don't WANT salad and grilled chicken.

Pig number one and number two WANTED to have fun.  They wanted to play all day.  They didn't WANT to take the time to build a solid foundation and solid walls.  And...clearly they weren't thinking about the big bad wolf!  Pig number three however took the time on the front end to prepare a good footing.  He properly stacked brick and mortar, and obviously put in a sizable fireplace because when the big bad wolf couldn't blow number three's house down, that wolf ended up in a soup pot!!

I'm not saying I won't be running/swimming/Spinning*, but I can say I will be doing so sparingly while I work on my masonry skills!  I'd rather have wolf soup than be forced to take five or eight (or more) weeks off again!!


Until next time....  :D

(*My surgeon said Spin is okay but no biking right now.)

FREE AT LAST!! (...within reason)

I know it's a bit melodramatic, but have you met me??

I went to the doctor yesterday and his exact words were, "you can do what ever you want to now!"  (That wasn't my surgeon, it was a Fellow who was working with him.)  As soon as he saw the elation on my face, he back pedaled a little bit and had to go and add the words, "within reason".

Two little words--such huge impact.  I mean, really, what does that mean anyway?  My "within reason" probably looks very compared to someone whose only activity is surfing the web.

Not Looking Ahead...Yet

I started this blog in 2010 (well, technically I started it at the end of 2009, but it was about starting the blog in 2010 so that doesn't really count).

My first post in 2010 was about getting ready to get started on the path to becoming a runner (a marathoner to be exact).  I talked about how important it is to start slow and I expressed my desire to take a turtle's pace forward.  I knew then that I was in this new life for the long haul.

My first post in 2011 was about discipline.  This was when I first started thinking that training shouldn't dictate life, but that it should work the other way around.  I decided it wasn't good for me to follow a stock plan, but at the same time I needed structure and organization.  Very quickly I started talking triathlon and being welcomed by the swimming and biking communities.

My second post in 2012 was all about looking ahead for the year.  I wanted to add strength training into my plan and to be choosy about which goals to work on when.  I did have my race calendar filled in for the year, but I had only planned training through spring of that year (up to IM NOLA 70.3).  In that post I talked about how I felt like I had two big issues:

1. One of the problems I've had in the past is not making decisions about what I ultimately want causing me to change course mid stream because I hadn't clearly targeted where I was going.  
2. Another huge problem is giving up on what I want because getting there is too hard, or will take too long. 

I tried to fight those tendencies by setting some goals up for the year (race calendar) and by putting a plan in motion to accomplish those goals.  But I also made a conscious decision not look too far ahead, to stay focused on the task(s) at hand.

Last year my main focus for the new year was IMLT.

This is February 17th and I haven't taken my eyes off today long enough to even think about what might be in store for me as an athlete this year.  I know what's going on with me as a coach (more on that later), but me as an athlete?  That's a different story altogether.

I have 2 more weeks in the sling, then about 30 days until I can start training again (from what I understand right now)....44 days and counting.  While I don't think it's too early to be thinking what my goals might be for this year...I also know I don't want to get too far ahead of myself.  I am not that person who must have a race on the horizon to train for all the time anymore.  I don't think it would be a mistake to simply start working toward being stronger for right now (...that is in fact precisely what I am doing right now but I'm talking on day 45 and beyond).

With progress slowing down just a bit, it's becoming more challenging to stay focused.  However, I know that is what is required right now.  It's always darkest before the dawn.  I will get "there"...and "there" will be farther than I have ever gone before (and faster...).

Relentless forward motion doesn't always break speed records!

Until next time...
:D

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