That just about sums it up. This week I am running with...... Running with a left ankle, running with a lower back, running with a right leg. Pretty soon I’ll be running with an ego and/or psyche. Whichever comes first.
- The ankle. This is the unaccounted for. Previous to the last few weeks I have never had issues with an ankle unless I fell and almost broke one. Now, I’m having pain in my heel right below where the shoe comes up to. Anyone ever had this? Advice?
- The back. Simply put, it’s killing me. Riding back from wine tasting in Sonoma on Sunday (yeah, I know: Rough Life) I was unable to sit up in the car because my back hurt so bad. Mind you, I was already living up to the DrunkRunner Creed. I had put the seat in recline and turn the heated seats on high (see previous parenthetical note). When I got home I eventually fell asleep, but only after some serious painkillers.
- The right leg. This is the big one, and I’ve got some good news. You may recall I have been struggling with this strange ass leg pain since last June. June 9 to be exact. I’ve had shooting pains down my right leg that come and go, occasional pain across the upper span of my gluteus maximi (sounds like a bridge) and just all around discomfort from this since day. Several months of physical therapy brought some improvement. Then I saw a specialist who recommended anti-inflammatory meds. No improvement. Then he prescribed Acupuncture. Overall there has been no improvement. So finally I will be going in for the MRI I was hoping he would prescribe months ago. It’s scheduled for Friday and I will let y’all know the results as soon as I have them. I’m not sure what the game plan is after that. Doc mentioned shots and/or surgery. I will take the idea of surgery very seriously. I’ve read many times that back surgery doesn’t always fix what was wrong, and of course, recovery is long. We’ll see. No matter what happens, I’m hoping that I’m on the road to recovery. I’ve been dealing with chronic back pain of a different sort since I was diagnosed with scoliosis in 7th grade. That I can deal with, because I’ve done it for so long. Leg pain on the other hand? I’m not ready for that. To put it simply, I’m not of the belief that things like this come along and they are just part of life forever. I have reconciled with the back pain, because I have tried everything to fix it. This leg will be fixed, cod salmon!!!!!
The good news that should be apparent through all of this quetsching is that I am still running. Sunday I ran 8 miles in Golden Gate Park with my friend David. It was almost like having the DrunkRunners right there with me. We ran, we laughed, we talked about Brokeback Mountain. It was just like the old days. This was the first time in quite sometime that I have been able to run with a partner. That is the problems with training for marathons. It’s not as if there are hundreds of other people in the neighborhood that are also training. You can’t just say, “Hey Dude, wanna go out for a quick 20 miles?” Knowmsayin?
Today, after seeing the doc I went for 4 miles on the Fire Trails. This run is quickly becoming one of my favorites. It’s a great one. It’s uphill all the way and a great workout. My favorite aspect though, is that I know that if I can maintain the pace I’m supposed to going uphill then the downhill portion becomes a no-brainer. Not bad, eh? Today’s 4 was accomplished in a 9:38 pace—my training goal was set at 11:12. I think It’s time to adjust those numbers.
Doing great! Just thought it was time to check in. I’ll post over the weekend to update tests, running and my progress.
Drink on, DrunkRunners! Drink on!
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1 comment:
hey man! sounds like you are running through some real physical challenges, and i must say its impressive. remember to focus on not over-doing it, though! we want you healthy long term. :) keep it up! we're proud of you over here across the puddle.
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