he called me a runner!

When I went in for my vo2 max test for running, the instructor (tester?), Ken, not only called me a runner...he called me a good runner...and a strong runner. Make no mistake, he didn't call me a fast runner...but a runner nonetheless. This makes me happy.

Home of the Vo2 Max test.

It's always kind of irritated me when I hear people say they are really slow... at 10 or 11 minute miles.  Kind of like when I was in school and people would say they did awful on an exam, only to find out they are the ones that ruined the curve.  Anyway, no, sorry, a 25 minute 5K is not slow.  I'd feel like a complete and total rock star if I could pull off those times.  There's a difference between "not fast" and "slow" and it's called middle of the pack.

But... we are all individuals and created differently.  To the people who are running 10 or 11 minute miles but know they can do better, I suppose that IS slow.  It's all relative.  Meanwhile, I have apparently been running too fast.  Yes, that's right, my 13+ minute miles have been too fast.  Seriously?  If I slow down any more I'm going to have to speed up to stop!!  #kidding #notkidding

Anyway.... my vo2 max test revealed that my zone 2 is a nice 13.5-15 minute per mile pace.  That's walking for most people.  You have to work hard to *run* at that pace.  But alas, that's where I'm at.  And training in my appropriate zones will make me a better runner.  We'll see...

So here I am, trudging along at my slower-than-molasses pace, doing my 30 runs in 30 days challenge.  It's been interesting trying to map out my perceived efforts with the appropriate heart rate zones.  I've been doing more running than walking though, and even dropping a lot of my walk intervals, only walking when my heart rate gets too high.  My long runs can continue to be run/walk intervals, but Coach Ken suggested that I start increasing the run/walk ration to 3/1..5/1...7/1... 10/1?

And then, wouldn't you know it?!  Right before I was supposed to run the Schaeffer Farms 5K.... another injury!  At some point the outside of my left foot around my ankle started hurting.  After a little internet investigation, I self diagnosed myself with peroneal tendonitis. Humph.  At least this is just an overuse injury that I am hopeful will heal on its own with ice and the use of a brace, though it did mean I had to walk a few more of my 30 "runs" than I had initially intended.  Though for full disclosure, this was not the main reason I skipped that 5K... such a long drive to Germantown, MD for only 3 miles, and I had plans that would prevent me from having brunch with the girls afterward so really, what's the point?!

Beautiful Saturday morning run!

The 30 runs challenge also sparked some creativity.  I've started taking advantage of the treadmill in my office gym (usually those are just walks so that I don't have to take a shower when I'm done).  I have had Jon drop me off a few miles away from home after we've been out.  There were beautiful days on the trail when I got to catch the last of the leaves changing colors, and there were freezing days when all I could think of was a hot shower.  There were days when my heart rate would sky rocket and I was "running" an 18 min/mi pace (too many layers of clothing??) and days that I was just cruising along able to keep my heart rate in zone 2 with no problems.

This is also the field where I used to play soccer with Joann...miss those days.

Luckily, that pesky little injury didn't take long to heal.  Oh, and remember those hard track workouts I was so nervous about?? No biggie!!  It's hard, no doubt, but doable.  I struggle with the heart rate though.  Often when the plan calls for zone 3, my heart rate jumps into zone 4 and stays there, and sometimes even gets as high as zone 5.  When I'm supposed to be in zone 4, forget it, I'm off the charts.  Then, Coach Ed has been talking to me about my running form and cadence, but as I try to increase my cadence, my heart rate gets even higher.  UGH.  I guess I just have to work at it.  Coach Ed reiterated to me that I just need to suck up my pride and slow down - even walk - to keep my heart rate where the plan calls for, and that if I stay with the science, I will improve.  Trust the training.  And.. if/when I get *too* frustrated, I can get tested again in 6 to 8 or 12 weeks.

Number of runs per day in November...
Had to double up those last couple days thanks to my New Orleans adventure!

I must say, I feel I ran a successful Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, and probably have the training to thank for that.  Patience, Jen.  I do wish it had been a 5K so that I might've been able to run the entire thing (instead, I took 2 walk breaks).  As such, I signed up for a Jingle Bell 5K next weekend to see if I can do it.  Anyway, another successful challenge is in the books.  30 runs in 30 days completed.  November totals:

• Swim: 2h 42m - 5750 M
• Bike: 4h 15m 22s - 58.42 Mi  (it's a start)
• Run: 15h 19m 27s - 53.54 Mi  (so much time, so little distance) 

Not really running related, but the highlight of my month was my trip to New Orleans
to cheer on my Ravens in Monday Night Football!!  Thanks Tommy [and Paula]!!
Final score?       Bourbon St: 1       Jen: 0

I'll tell you what has definitely improved though, is my run endurance.  I can now go out for a 30-40 minute run and actually run the entire thing without walking (disclaimer: the term "run" is used rather loosely here; most would call it a jog, or a walk with a bounce... still, it's a distinct difference in movement from just walking). I'm also enjoying it more, now that I don't feel like death after every workout!

Maybe Ken is right.  Maybe I am a runner. 

miscellaneous off-season ramblings

OK, I'm not going to lie.  It hasn't been all blood, sweat and tears since I finished with my last big event in San Diego.  After a nice weekend in Key West, there was some laziness and lounging around... quite a bit of it actually. 

That's us with Eddie Montgomery (from Montgomery Gentry) and his wife in Key West!

But, as the coaches say...

"don't sleep on fall training. Without it your winter and spring will involve a painful 'restart' process!"

So, after about a week, I dragged my lazy butt off the couch...

30-day ab challenge

I tried and failed to get partners in crime for this challenge...but I decided to do it anyway.  Hoping it will make riding in the aero position a touch easier...???

...and I am happy to report that I completed every single day of this challenge! 

To sum up, that's a total of:

• 1610 situps (actually, I did tuck-ups instead of situps)
• 2120 crunches
• 904 leg raises
• 1397 seconds of plank

All in all, I spent a total of 3 hours and 23 minutes doing abs during October!  And one of the best things about this was that I could do a plank even on my bad foot!

Also known as the foot torture chamber...

When I finished PT, I knew I wasn't completely healed, but had hit a plateau and my therapist didn't think she could do any more for me.  She did put me in touch with a colleague of hers who designs apparatuses for injuries similar to mine.  I haven't been as consistent with using it (10 min x 6 times per day) as I should be, but still... progress!

I was so happy about completing the ab challenge that I gave myself a new goal of 30 runs in 30 days for November.  The rules are simple: each run [or walk] must be 1 mile or 15 min (whichever is longer), and multiple runs per day must be separated by an hour.  So far, so good, and I have even done more running than walking (hoping that forcing the activity will also help my back).

moving on up!

...I'm talking about swim lanes.  I actually postponed this as much as I could, but the coaches finally made me.  I really enjoyed my lane-mates in lane 3 and knew swimming wouldn't be the same without them. 

One of the few days I got to the pool early :-)

Not that I ever disliked my new lane-mates.... it's just different.

But then Linda moved up a lane also!!  And honestly, my new lane-mates are super nice as I start getting to know them, and [at least] one of them is even signed up for IMMD!

And, moving up does mean I'm getting faster though and that's a good thing!  Jon is right, I may bitch and moan about my alarm going off at 4:30 AM, and fighting the bats to get to my car (OK.. full disclosure, that only happened twice.. random!), but once I get there, I put in the work (well...usually).

This is completely random, but it made me think of the time Dan and I were in Spain (2009) and
thought we were getting attacked by bats!!  (might've been bats, might've been birds, we'll never know)

My goal is to get to the pool once per week until January when I'll start doubling up again.

more whining about my back

For the past few weeks, my back has really started acting up again.  I feel like it's stuck in some kind of catch-22.  I was OK during the summer when I was training a lot.  Then get to the off-season and my training goes down and my back hurts worse than ever.  Except.. it hurts too much to actually do anything!

One of the best things about the off-season is getting to do some different types of activities.  On one of the nicest days of Autumn we have had, Sweeney and I set out on a short hike in the Shenandoah.  We (I) couldn't make it to the top.  This hike hurt more and more with every step, and it was frustrating to have to turn around early.

I made an appointment with Dr. Mazahery to see what I can do.  I've gotten an ESI.  I've done physical therapy (twice), I've been to the chiropractor (three of them).  I have tried spinal decompression therapy, electrical stimulation, traction therapy, massage, foam roller, ice, heat, epsom salts.

More x-rays, another review of my MRI scan from last spring, and Dr. Mazahery suggests that I get another cortisone shot.  This one went in a little higher than the last one, and I don't think quite as deep (this one hurt, but not quite in the same way as the last time). 

I have lost the ability to be optimistic about this, but it seems like there is no further treatment plan.  Yeah, I could do physical therapy again or go see another chiropractor, but my back is not surgical (yet).  Fingers crossed this works.

I told Sweeney that we are going back to that hike and I will make it to the top of the mountain!!  I've been doing the stair-climber thing in my office gym to help train my back to that climbing motion.  It really bothered me that I caused us to turn around that day... I am not a quitter!!

I made it to track practice!

Track is the one type of group workout that I have been nervous about attending, simply because I am not a runner and have been nervous that I won't be able to get through the session.  I would periodically glance at the training plans and see 3 x 1200m or mile repeats, and realize that in my normal run/walk style, I don't necessarily run 1200m in a row... I'm supposed to do three of them?!

Since the team is just starting to ramp up again after the fall "A" races, the workouts are shorter.  I decided I was going to do this.  I set my alarm, packed my bag and was ready to go.... only I woke up to rain, turned off my alarm and said "eff this" - Fail.  But then.. last week, I finally made it!  My workout was 10 min zone 3, which I was able to jog all of, and then 2 x 400m in zone 4.. and I did it!  I'm not sure how it's gonna go when those intervals increase, but I realized that nobody is really watching you all that closely, and if I can't make an entire set, it will be OK.

So there you have it.  My semi-lazy off season is off to a reasonable start.  Though, I do need to get my ass back on my bike (literally).  This is the area that I have been hoping to make the biggest gains in over the winter, but that's not going to happen if the bike just sits there collecting dust. 

spoke too soon re: back injury [but foot is improving!]

It turns out I should've waited another week or so before posting the update to my back injury.  Unfortunately, Dr. Anna just didn't work out.  When I first visited with her, we discussed my issue and her treatment plan.  I did a combination of heat, electrical stimulation and traction therapy before Dr. Anna performed some back adjustments.  My back felt better and I was optimistic that this would help. 

Unfortunately, on my 3rd or 4th visit, Dr. Anna decided to adjust my entire body, which was previously not discussed.  I asked her to please not touch my right foot, as I am in physical therapy post-surgery and it was still very sore and tender.  What did Dr. Anna do?  Grab my foot very hard, causing extreme pain.  She proceeded to yank my legs so hard that it jolted my back, causing more pain then I'd had in over a month.  I basically had to hobble out of the office, and I knew that I would not return.  It really just did not sit well with me at all that she didn't listen to me.

Seriously, is there a color-scheme prerequisite for
sports medicine / physical therapy / chiropractic practices??

Early on, Deb had recommended that I check out Capital Rehab as she has had such positive experience with them.  Unfortunately, they are located in Arlington, and with all the running around I feel I have been doing lately, I just couldn't see how I was going to be able to squeeze in a drive up that way multiple times a week.  But it got me thinking... rehab.  Maybe that is the key.  So, I did a little research and stumbled upon Sport & Spine Rehab in Fairfax.

Dr. Sevel is pretty awesome.  She reviewed my MRI and did a thorough exam and measured my range of motion, something that neither my previous PT nor chiropractor did.  In fact, she spent a lot of time with me, watching my movements, taking measurements and evaluating me. Her conclusion is that yes, I do have the disc issues, and that accounts for the "some days is definitely worse than others" or the more acute times that I physically can't move... BUT... for the more consistent pain I've been having, she believes I have a dysfunctional SI joint. She thinks I've probably had both all along, but once people saw the disc issues on the MRI, they focused on that. OK, I'll buy that.. and glad I didn't pursue another ESI unnecessarily.

My disc issues are in L4/L5 (the disc above the 5th lumbar vertebra)
which appears close to the Sacroiliac (SI) joint.

The treatment plan started out with three times per week of physical therapy, adjustment (and sometimes a grafting tool when my back feels tight), ice and electrical stimulation.  I will say that the physical therapy associated with the rehab is a little tedious, if not annoying at times, but at least the exercises they give me seem to work my back (as opposed to the joke of physical therapy I experienced before).  The most obnoxious part is that the "rehab specialists" just stand over you and babysit you while you are going through the exercises.  Watch me, sure, and make sure my form is correct, but please give me some personal space!  Then, with the adjustments, and after the jolting that I experienced with my previous adjustments, it initially seemed that Dr. Sevel was barely doing anything, so light to the touch.  But.. I *have* been feeling better after my visits [and doing foam roller, biofreeze, etc at home], and Dr. Sevel thinks I can start reducing my frequency to twice per week.

You can tell the difference between left [good] and right [bad] feet.
For once, you actually WANT to see wrinkles in the foot as it bends...
Still, the fact that I can go up on my toes AT ALL is a good thing!

Meanwhile, I am thrilled to say that my foot is improving!  Definitely not 100% yet, but Amy did a new set of measurements and my foot has gone from angles of 15/32 (down to up motion) up to 23/58.  This is compared with my left foot's measurements of 38/85.  I'm not going to lie, the physical therapy has hurt.. a lot.. but I know that it's helping.  In fact, Amy has told me that I only need to go back three more times before she sets me free.  I will need to continue working with my foot on my own and doing the exercises.  I am headed in the right direction!!  Finally, physical therapy has actually worked for me!

...and the foot injury

After surgery, I was on crutches for 6 weeks, and was then told I could ease back into my full workout routine.  I even decided to run a 5K on New Years Day to start off the year right.  I also signed up for a yoga class.  Bad idea.  Pretty much every move in yoga requires that you bend your toes, whether weight-bearing or not.  I could not do that.  I then attempted my run/walk routine a few times over the next couple months, but never without pain.  I figured it would just take awhile for my foot to get back to 100% so I didn't think too much about it.  In mid-March I found out I had a degenerated and herniated disc in my lower back, and so I was happy to just take running off the table for awhile until that got stabilized.

My need for surgery was direct result of a soccer play gone wrong, however the joint
that I hurt was the same as though I had a bunion, so that's the procedure I received.
It's also possible that I did have a bunion that just never bothered me at all until this happened.

It was June when I was finally cleared to run again by my new back doctor, and I decided to start very easy with the couch to 5K program.  I was doing well but my foot hurt with every single step.  I wondered if it was really just taking a long time to come around?  Meanwhile, I was still attempting to do the yoga once a week and it was getting more and more painful.  The day that it hurt while I was swimming(!!) is the day I made a follow up appointment with Dr. Lutta.

This is how it looks today, or at least a month-ish ago when I saw Dr. Lutta.. much better!

I have had nothing but great experiences with Commonwealth Orthopaedics, except for the wait time to get on a doctor's schedule.  This was no different, so I suffered through a few more weeks before I finally had my appointment.  X-rays showed that structurally, my foot is doing great.  He noticed some scar tissue on the top of the joint and thinks that maybe this is what is causing me pain...although then he checked my "before" x-rays and noticed I have scar tissue there also (possibly from when I broke my feet during one of my college summers).  He decided to give physical therapy a try. 

It was a little weird to me that I wasn't sent to physical therapy right after the surgery, but I guess it was winter and I wasn't really doing too much - or wearing flip flops - such that it really really bothered me.  I was a little hesitant after my poor experience with my back physical therapy, but as much as it hurts, I'll give anything a try!  I'm glad I did because immediately, I was much more impressed with this practice.  I have 2 therapists, Amy and Jenni.  In my evaluation, Amy took measurements of my feet.  My left big toe joint had range of motion 38/85 (down angle to top angle), and my right joint has range of 15/32.  Amy's initial response was "wow, how the hell have you been running at all with this?!  Your joint has zero mobility!"  and, after several chats about my triathlon training schedule [which admittedly has been light on the running lately], commented, "ahh, I can tell you're going to be one of those patents."

This part of PT - the hands on part - HURTS!!

Dare I say, I think the physical therapy might be working.  I have exercises to do on my own, and I have been diligent about it.  After all, it's in my best interest to do anything and everything I can to get rid of this pain once and for all.  And contrary to my PT experience for my back, I really like my physical therapists.  They each spend quite a bit of time with me each day, really working the problem area in my foot, and explaining clearly how each thing they do will directly address the issue.  The exercises are designed specifically for my injury and, while it does hurt [which they warned me it would do.. if it doesn't hurt at all, it's not working the area], I am optimistic that it is helping.

After the PT works with my foot, it's a series of foot/toe-specific excercises and then ice.

It's not yet been determined how long I will be in PT.  The original suggestion was 4 weeks, but given the absolute lack of mobility, it could be considerably longer.  I'm OK with that.  It's a pain to schedule alongside of work, training and chiropractor for my back, but if it helps in the long run, then it's totally worth it.

catching up on the back injury

I feel like I've been injured forever, and to some extent, with no end in sight.  It's both annoying and frustrating... often fairly painful and sometimes downright debilitating. The more recent issue is my back problem, the degenerated and herniated disc in my lower back.  In hindsight, I learned a huge lesson with this injury.  I'd had such a great experience with Commonwealth Orthopaedics, that I knew I should look to the same practice for a back specialist.  I was impatient though.  My back hurt and I wanted to get it addressed.  So I settled for a doctor who could see me on short notice.  Now, Dr. Davis was nice, and I'm sure very qualified.  He is the first doctor in all the times I've been seen for my back to send me for an MRI which finally revealed the problem.  That's where my good experience ended though.

So, I have a degenerative disc AND a herniated disc, both at the same
location, L4/L5 [so lumbar spine near the arch]

I wrote before about Dr. Davis' treatment plan, basically physical therapy that ended up being a complete joke, and an ESI that helped for a bit, but obviously didn't solve the problem.  When I returned to Dr. Davis after my trip to Florida, his professional advice was to avoid lying on the ground, which is the thing that triggers my back locking up most of the time.  Huh?  That's all you've got?  I felt as though I was getting dismissed.

At the urging of a coworker who's recently had back surgery for a similar [but significantly worse] back issue, I saw a neurologist (his referral) for a second opinion.  Well, that jackass told me to simply stop doing activities.. no running, no biking, no yoga and even no swimming.  End of treatment plan.  Uhhh.. no, sorry, that's not even close to an acceptable path for me.   But, I guess why they call them "opinions" though, because it's just that.. his opinion.  Next!

Yep.. Jon had to place my wine on the floor for me when my back locked up b/c I couldn't sit up.. AT ALL!
[btw, face down on the couch with ice on your back is not the most ideal way to drink wine]

Immediately, I got on the phone with Commonwealth Orthopaedics and got myself on Dr. Mazahery's schedule.  I had to wait a month, but it was well worth the wait!!  Such a night and day different experience.  He reviewed the MRI and discussed my options with me.

1. Do nothing - but since I'm active and my back hurts, that's not really an option
2. Physical Therapy - which I've already tried, but perhaps with the right physical therapist I could have a better experience.  That said, he thinks PT probably won't do anything extra for me since I'm already pretty active.
   
3. Chiropractor - yes, there are some quacks out there, but there are also some good Chiropractors that can help, and it's a good way to help avoid any surgical procedure
   
4. Pain Management - basically, get another ESI.  He gave me the "prescription" and referral, but told me to hold off using it until I've tried one of the other options, to see if I was still having issues.

I've had one ESI and thought it worked for a while, but then BAM.. locked up again, and went back to hurting constantly.  Andrea told me that it took her 2 injections to really see a difference... but the idea of shooting steroids into my spine doesn't sit great with me, so I'm hoping one of the other methods will help.

OK, so I found a chiropractor close to my home that I visited.  He looked at my MRI and settled on a treatment plan of laser therapy and spinal decompression therapy.  I thought it was odd that I was going to a chiropractor and spending all that money and he never even touched me!  All he ever did was rub some laser thingy on my back and then hook me up to a machine.. anyone could've pushed that start button.  Part of me feels like this was just a huge waste of time and money, and as far as chiropractor care goes, a big pile of shit.

This is the exact spinal decompression machine that was used on me and it
basically stretches your spine back and forth.

Nevertheless, I completed that treatment plan... and my back still hurt.  A lot.  Not all the time, there are definitely better days than others, but enough to still seek out a treatment plan that works.  I feel like I haven't really given the chiropractor route a decent chance because I am still not sure what this guy did was really chiropractor care.  Through connections with Team Z, I found Positively Chiropractic and made an appointment with Dr. Anna who does a lot with sports chiropractic medicine.

Heating pad... Every. Damn. Night.

My first visit with Dr. Anna went well, and I am hopeful that she can help.  She did some adjustments (she actually touched my back!) and did some traction therapy with heat and electric pulses.  She gave me some exercises to do, which I have been good about doing, and instructions to ice and heat my back daily [which I have been doing this whole time].  My only concern with her is that she seemed to want to be more of a life coach than I was looking for, giving me advice about my foot that sometimes contradicted what my foot doctor and PT were telling me, and nutrition advice even though I told her I was working with a nutritionist [who is even associated with her practice!].  Not sure I care for that, but at the end of the day, if she can make my back feel better without the need to get another shot in my spine, then I guess I can handle auxiliary nonsense.

Dr. Anna uses this table for some type of traction therapy also, but actually adjusts me first!

My treatment plan with Dr. Anna is for about 6 weeks, so fingers crossed that this works... because the next step is to revisit the pain management specialist, which I am really hoping I don't have to do.

All my new accessories to hopefully help me at home!  Thanks, Amazon Prime :-)

XTERRA Rosaryville Trail 5K

So, I'm sitting at my desk, basically just finished writing the race report for the Kinetic relay and thinking about my busy couple months ahead, already filled with activities, when I get this email in my inbox:

Hmm...

- May is already packed with events.. in fact, I literally *just* finished writing the Kinetic race report, and have a lake swim and a triathlon in the next 2 weeks, not to mention the Rev3 race in June...

 ... I have not been cleared to run yet thanks to my back injury (and quite frankly, my foot still hurts a lot also)

 ... My alarm clock has gone off before 7am each morning of the past weekend, is set the same for Sunday both mornings of the following weekend as well.. this Saturday is the ONE day I could sleep in and have a lazy morning

So naturally, I hit reply and say "Count me in!" -- seriously, I think I have a problem :-)

Then..

Thursday I complete my first double workout in awhile {.. pause to celebrate THAT accomplishment!!! ..}, morning swim which was a little OFF, but otherwise no biggie, and then about a half hour on the bike trainer in the evening.  My back felt a little sore on the trainer, so I iced it immediately after as a precaution... didn't work.  I could feel it slowly getting worse and worse as the night went on. 

By Friday morning, I was in serious pain.  It didn't completely lock up on me [yet] as it does after lying on the ground, but it was close.. could not stand or sit stand up straight.  I left work early and decided to go get a massage thinking maybe that would help... nope!  worse.  Jon had to literally come help me get out of the jeep, fed me Vicodin and wine, and put ice on my back.  I was beginning to wonder how I was going to do a 5K the next morning...

I realize that most sane people would have passed on doing a race at this point, but I am stubborn.  When I woke up, my back still hurt, but I was at the point of thinking that maybe a little movement would be good to loosen it up.  I planned on walking the whole thing anyway.  So, I got up, got dressed, made some iced tea and was on my way to Jessie's house.  Let's do this thing!!

Jessie, me and Lizzie... ready to roll!

This race was super small... like seriously we could count the people there on 2 hands!  I knew I was going to walk the entire thing, but of course I tried to run a little (I told you I was stubborn!).  I didn't get 10 feet, the pain was too much.. so fine, walk. 

About half mile in, a girl passed me (wait.. I wasn't last??) and commented that I was walking faster than she was running.  I caught up to her in another half mile and she had decided that walking was just as good and we got to talking.  She was going a bit slower than me, and at first, I found myself getting angry, thinking back to the Mount Desert Island marathon, I can't believe I am letting myself get held back again...

Then reality set in.. I am injured, like *really* injured.  This is just a 5K, not a marathon.  What is wrong with me?!  So Darlene and I walked and talked together for the last 2+ miles of the race, and I must admit it was nice having someone around... she was super nice, doing her first event ever, and I educated her on Deb's and my favorite motto, which she loved (and made her feel better for being so slow):

[dead f'ing last] beats [did not finish] beats [did not start]

We finally came to an opening to see Jessie and Lizzie waiting and cheering, and they hung out with us for the final stretch.  We turned the corner and [against better judgement] ran across the finish line!

Removing the timing chips.. about the moment that Lizze glanced down at her shoes, "Dude!!  You cut my LACES!!!"

All in all, a great morning, amazing weather, beautiful trails and scenery, great company....  Lizzie's first ever trail run and Jessie ended up with 1st place in her age group!!!  Looking forward to more trail runs this summer with these ladies (and hopefully I will be able to run one of these days!).

cause one injury isn't enough.

Maybe I am just having a super terrible string of bad luck.  First there was the foot injury and subsequent surgery.  The surgeon told me it would be 6 months to a year for the foot to be back to normal.  I am at 7 months at this point, and it still really hurts.. and now, all of a sudden, my foot cramps up ALL THE TIME.  It's so obnoxious, so random, and so painful.  Doctor did not warn me of this! 

Stages of post-surgery; the center is at 6 weeks out (still looks about the same).

But then... just as I think I will be able to ease back into running......

Live Out Loud Yoga Studio
La Plata, MD

my back starts acting up again.  It started in my yoga class, during final savasana, I laid on the floor for and could not get up!!  Couldn't move.  I struggled to collect my things and drive home, and it was awhile before I could walk around like a normal person.  A fluke?  Maybe...

Nope.

That next weekend, Cindy was opening her very own yoga studio!!!  I went down for the occasion and to lend a hand.  She was providing a sampling of classes that weekend and I decided to sit in on a meditation class.  All you do is lie on your back.  That is seriously ALL YOU DO.  Twenty minutes later, I could not get up.  It took half a bottle of wine and a Vicodin to be able to stand up straight.  Perhaps I should visit a doctor.

Fast forward a month later and some obnoxious insurance company battles to find out an MRI shows a degenerative *and* herniated disc at L4/L5... at this point, my back seems to hurt all the time, not just after lying down (although that's still the only time it really locks up on me).

I don't think you can see anything in this shot?

so there's that. //sigh//

Steriods, pain killers (Naproxen), physical therapy and an epidural steriod injection is the treatment plan.  Swimming and biking were fine, but no running!  Well..

• The steriods did nothing..
  
• The pain killers were only semi-effective (and not as effective as the Vicodin I'd had to use a few times)
• The physical therapy was OBNOXIOUS.  There were a few certain things that helped - but why did they have me doing bicep curls to help my back???  Most of the therapists were super obnoxious as well with high squeaky voices, condescending attitudes, no thanks.
  
• The ESI was... well let's just say it didn't feel like a massage :-)  But, I do think it helped.. my back stopped hurting for the most part of day-to-day activities... until, I went to a different yoga instructor who did an extra long savasana and BAM, locked up again, couldn't move, needed ice, heat and medication..UGH. (oh, and did I mention I was traveling to Florida the next day -- now THAT was a fun flight!)

Wine and beach helped relieve some of the pain :-)

Where are we now?

I had my follow-up doctor appointment this morning and was told to go see a pain management specialist, so I suppose that's the next step.  As long as I don't lie on my back, it really only hurts after sitting or standing for a long period of time, driving on super bumpy roads, etc.  Swimming and biking are still fine, and I'm hoping to be able to incorporate some running back into my life with the proper medication (and sticking to softer surfaces like dirt trails).

I'd like to say I'm on the mend, but I'm really not positive about that.  Seems a pain management specialist's job is just to mask the pain until it's bad enough to think about a more serious procedure? 

under the knife

The dreaded foot surgery, a year in the making... almost literally -- original injury happened on Oct 20, 2012 (a week before Cori and Marcello's wedding in Punta Cana), and surgery was scheduled for Sep 25, 2013 (the day after returning home from Ragnar Relay in California).  I'm sick of this stupid injury and ready to be fixed already!  The procedure was scheduled for 7AM which meant arriving at the surgical outpatient center by 6AM.  It was close to midnight that we finally made it home from the airport (I wasn't kidding when I said it was the day after!) so we were both still pretty tired when we had to leave the house at 5:30 that morning.  I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything, which was fine, I was looking forward to Chick Fil A breakfast after the operation. 

Lots of prep work, fitting my crutches, taking my vitals, hooking up the IV, making marks on my foot to ensure they operated on the correct one!  The next thing I knew, the nurse was asking me if I'd like something to drink - sprite please - and I kept staring at my foot trying to figure out if they'd already done the procedure.  I didn't remember being rolled into an operating room??  I guess they knocked me out before that part b/c indeed, they were finished and it was time to go home!  I didn't get Chick Fil A for breakfast (I don't really remember why?) but Jon did stop at Subway and got me a breakfast sandwich, and then it was to the couch to be hooked up to my ice therapy machine for the next 48 hours.

Day 1

My surgery was on a Wednesday and the plan was to take the rest of the week off, returning to work the following Monday.  As the weekend came, however, the pain had started (I was taking 2 percocets at a time) and I wasn't sure how that was going to work.  I couldn't even shower yet!!  I contemplated taking additional time, but the threat of a government shutdown gave me the desire to get to the office and see what was happening and get in some hours.  I lasted a whole 40 minutes.  Luckily Chad was around and nice enough to drive me right back home.  I did end up getting that extra time off, with the shutdown lasting over 2 weeks!

Normally, I'd give anything for a day or two on the couch, but I was bored out of my mind!  Joann and Cori were also furloughed and they took turns coming to get me for some day drinking, which I so appreciate!  In retrospect, I didn't take enough advantage of that time off, but I could not wait to get back to work.  Getting a paycheck again also contributed to that feeling...  The crutches sucked, as did not being able to drive, there is no question abut that.  I dropped down to using only one crutch, and eventually just hobbled around in my fancy medical shoe.  Traveling was the worst, though getting pushed around in a wheelchair through airport security does have its perks.

On the way to Boston!

The doctor gave me an initial assessment of 4-6 weeks and I was really hopeful and optimistic that it would be closer to the 4 week mark.  Not so much.  Six weeks is a long time to be completely dependent upon other people.... Jon was awesome though, and I definitely wouldn't have survived without him!  Finally, the doctor gave me the good word.  I still couldn't really exercise for another month at least, but I could walk and I could drive.  I will take it.  I spent that month looking at swim and bike races to focus on for next summer and I'll confess that I did go out on a couple walks (shh.. don't tell!).  After that month though, the doctor gave me the green light to increase my level of activity!  It still hurts to run the 30 second intervals I've attempted twice now, but I know it will get better.  Apparently the swelling and soreness will be the last to go away and it could take awhile.  At least I'm on the mend.

getting the boot

It was a lovely autumn day, sunny and warm, and I was at my morning soccer team with Fury.  In the first 15 minutes, I'd had a few break-aways and a few shots on goal [to no avail, sadly] when once again, I see the ball coming my way.  I sprint up the field full force and get my foot square on the ball to make another shot against their goal keeper.  Unfortunately, at the exact moment I made contact with the ball, the opposing defender, also coming full force towards me, planted her foot on the ball as well.  BAM!!!  The ball shot straight up into the sky as pain permeated my foot.  Ouch.

I tried to convince myself I wasn't hurt too bad and wanted to burn some extra calories, so I limped my way through another 5 or 10 minutes when I finally pulled myself out of the game.  Sitting on the sideline with the remaining ice from my morning's iced tea, Joann and I determined that I should get some x-rays.  Bleh.  Everyone knows how I feel about hospitals at this point (see Exhibit A).  My leaving the game put our team short players and Joann leaving also would mean we'd be playing down even more (and I just hurt my right foot, so driving myself was out of the question).  With my phone in the jeep, Joann texted Jon and James to hopefully help transport me.  Jon was doing volunteer work at the zoo and wouldn't be able to get out to Fairfax anytime soon and we never heard back from James, but we didn't want to leave our team in the lurch, so I sat through the second half of the game.  This worked out well actually because that freed up more people and Daz was able to follow us with my jeep.  

For once, the wait at urgent care was minimal and I was getting examined fairly quickly.  Initial results showed no sign of fracture, but a severe sprain, and I was not to walk for at least a couple weeks.  I planted myself on the couch for the rest of the weekend.  To make matters worse, this happened 6 days before Jon and I were set to leave for Dominican Republic for Cori and Marcello's wedding.  I will say this, however, about travelling with a boot:

• No waiting in the lines at airport security... anywhere!  
• First to board means first dibs at the overhead bins.
• No rushing to make your connection flight... instead, they will summons the people mover and transport you in a timely manner (even better that your destination flight knows you're en route and will wait for you)
• No standing in lines at customs!  Just like with airport security, they wheel you right through.

Nonetheless, having the boot is annoying.  It makes paradise a little less fun, and it makes an active person antsy to get moving again (though admittedly, there were times that I was grateful for having a decent excuse for sitting on the couch).  Driving was a pain and entirely unsafe.  Formal occasions were difficult, and of course I had several:  Joann's birthday at the oyster riot, holiday parties, Ingrid's birthday, and of course the wedding in the DR.  Yuck, yuck, yuck!

BUT.  This injury is temporary, despite my orthopedic surgeon threatening surgery if it does not heal soon, and I am looking forward to spring races and even my first triathlon in two years, this June in Williamsburg.  Guess I should be hitting the pool or the bike trainer, huh?!

Rev3 Cedar Point -- Swim

This is my second intentional DNF with the concept being introduced to me last fall at the Baltimore Half Marathon. Did I get lazy this summer or just plain burnt out? I'm not sure but I just wasn't feeling it and had no interest in jumping on a bike or heading out for a run. So, I made the decision to stop doing triathlon training. I suspended my membership to Team Z (not that I was doing any of the workouts anyway, that was a big waste of money), and stopped feeling all the pressure to train in all three sports. I liked the swimming though. Since I'd already paid for the Rev3 Half and reserved a room at a resort, I figured why not just go, swim, and call it a day.

Health issues in the weeks leading up to this race questioned whether or not I could even do just the swim. In fact, my doctor suggested that I just sit this event out. Being that it was my only chance at an open water swim before the 2.4 mile event in Las Vegas, and that I was going to be there anyway, AND Deb was there doing the full race, there was no way I was backing out. The first 600m was HARD, straight out from shore and completely against the current. I almost gave up and flagged down a kayak. But... I am not a quitter. I painfully continued on.  Once I made the first turn around the red buoy, it got a bit easier. It helped knowing that Deb was right there with me. We somehow managed to stay next to each other almost the entire swim. One yellow buoy after another, I was a third done, four ninths done, almost halfway.... Part of my health issues involved a severe pain in my right arm which was throbbing at this point. I also had a lot of pressure in my head from various facial swelling and my goggles were making me miserable. Finally, that next red turn buoy and all I had to do was get back to shore, though it seemed so far away. For the first time in my life I had a kayaker approach me and ask if I was OK. I must have looked as awful as I felt. I kept going though, inching my way toward the shore and finally, finally, finally it was shallow enough for me to stand up and walk up the beach. Since I didn't see a timing mat, I went all the way to transition, through 6" deep sand and the water in my head making me dizzy. OK, done and in 55 minutes which oddly isn't my worst 1.2 mile swim time. We must have had the current to our backs part of the way? Sure didn't feel like it though.

Deb got out of the water a minute or two before me and headed off on the bike and run. Meanwhile, Jon and I went to the rental car so I could change and hung out at Cedar Point. Unfortunately, roller coasters combined with the pressure in my head was a terrible mix and I ended up back out in the parking lot to sleep in the car after only 3 rides. The good part was that this meant I was around the final part of the run course to see Deb run in about half an hour ahead of schedule... enough to capture 2nd place in her age group. Way to go, Deb!!!!

I did end up back in the amusement park to ride one more roller coaster with Jon before heading back to the hotel. A good dinner of ribs followed by a full day at the water park and animal attraction at the Kalihari resort were how we ended the weekend. I was so glad to get back to Virginia and my bed. Flying with a swollen face and head pressure is no fun at all.

===
Background: Driving to work a few weeks ago my vision went completely blurry on my drive into work. Scary! After a stop at the nurses station at work, I was directed to the Urgent Care. Stephanie and Joann took me there and together we waited well over 2 hours for me to even be seen. By the time the doctor called me back, a severe headache had started and my right arm started hurting and went completely numb. I ended up at the hospital ER where they ended up admitting me for 24 hours of observation. Luckily my CT and MRI scans came back clean and they sent me home with a diagnosis of "complex migraine". Well, the headaches and arm pain continued, despite the medicine, and then to top it off, my face started swelling up every 1-2 days. Eyes, mouth, cheeks, nose, throat. It was awful. I finally got an appointment with an allergist and neurologist and was told to cease all medications (antihistamines for the allergy testing and anti-inflammatories in case that was causing an allergic reaction). This meant no more Allegra for my allergies, which naturally got worse. It also meant no pain killers for my back pain along with my constant headache and worsening arm pain. This was the worst week ever, so sick and so scared that they aren't going to figure out what's wrong with me.

Update: Allergist is convinced the swelling was a reaction to one or both of the migraine medications so she ended up not doing the skin testing after all.  Instead, we're treating the symptoms with a powerful antihistamine and steroids which I should be able to taper off from eventually.  The neurologist still isn't sure what's wrong.  Everything seems to fit a complex migraine except for the persistent headache and arm pain/numbness.  So, that's what we're going with and I started wondering if maybe the arm pain is really just a soccer injury made worse by the open water swim?  Maybe it's swollen and creating pressure that's causing the tingling? 

Good Riddance 2011

Worst end of the year ever.

It all started the Monday after graduation.  Gosh, in retrospect, at least this all began AFTER graduation!!  Anyway, I started having this pain on the left side of my mouth, similar to the pain that I felt a year ago when I needed a crown.  This crown that I got was so deep that my dentist told me I'd need a root canal one day because it was so close to the nerve... so close in fact that my dentist sent me home with a slew of antibiotics and pain killers after putting in the crown.  Naturally, I assume that this new pain is the indication that I now need the dreaded root canal associated with this crown.  Tuesday morning, I call my dentist and schedule an appointment for Wednesday morning where she takes full mouth x-rays, conducts the tap test and fracture test and concludes that everything looks OK.  Since I'd been stressed with school, she concludes that I must have been clenching my teeth which can cause this type of pain.  I'm sent home with instructions to use a mouth guard and take ibuprofen, and the pain should go away soon.

Not so much.  The pain does not go away and on Friday morning, it hurts bad.  This is the only day that I can actually pinpoint one tooth that hurts, versus the generalized pain that had been present... and of course the pinpointed tooth is the one with the crown.  I call my dentist's office which is closed, and then based upon Joann's recommendation, leave a message on the emergency line indicating that my mouth hurts so bad that I cannot sip liquids.  No call back.  Saturday morning, the pain is much worse and Jon takes me to the local emergency care center.  It took the doctor there about 10 minutes to diagnose me with acute sinusitis, which made sense because James had mentioned that sinus problems was a possibility.  I go home with antibiotics and pain killers.  Up until now the pain would come and go in spurts, becoming very intense but only for 10-15 minutes every hour or so, but now... the pain was not going away.  I had to cancel Christmas with the family and skip the annual Leftwich party in lieu of sleeping off the pain.  Hopefully the antibiotics would start working soon!!

Christmas morning, I wake up with a partially swollen face, and I can no longer eat without massive amounts of pain.  Since I had not planned for this, I asked James if he'd go get Chinese food with me for lunch since that was likely the only place open on the holiday.  Jon goes for Chinese food with is family every Christmas for dinner so I didn't think there would be a problem, however apparently not all of the restaurants are open for lunch.  After driving all over the place, we finally found an open place, though the soup wasn't very good and I still wasn't able to eat very much.  As a consolation, James went next door to the 7-Eleven and stocked my kitchen with a ton of ice cream and soup which would end up being my only food source for the next few days.

Monday morning the swelling was worse.  The antibiotics didn't seem to be working and it seemed clear that I'd need to schedule an immediate follow-up with an ENT doctor to figure out what the heck was going on.  Of course, all the offices were closed because of the holiday and so I'd have to wait until Tuesday.  Ugh.  Finally, on Tuesday I started getting through to ENT doctors offices, only nobody had any available appointments.  I tried everybody I could think of, and was even willing to drive all the way up to Georgetown, but not one place was able to see me.  The earliest appointment I could get was Thursday.... I ended up taking that one, but needed to do something about the pain and swelling and so James agreed to drive me to the ER, only this time I decided to go to an ER that was actually attached to a hospital so that they could conduct any necessary tests.  Joann said that INOVA Fair Oaks was the best, and so this is where I ended up.

I checked into the ER around 10:30 that morning, had two CT scans, hooked up to an IV and told I'd have to stay the night.  WHAT????  The doctor was sure this wasn't a sinus issue, and we're back to the dental problems.  Turns out there was an infection behind the tooth, and to make sure it didn't spread to my brain, they had to monitor me and give me a full dose of antibiotics.  I should have had breakfast before heading out that morning because now the doctor wasn't sure if I should eat because he wasn't sure what the oral surgeon would want to do.  OMG, I was soooo hungry!!  James hung out with me the whole day and finally the doctor allowed me to eat, and I had the best pizza ever from the cafeteria (ok.. probably not the best pizza ever, but I was so hungry it tasted fantastic).  Jon showed up a little later and the three of us killed a few long boring hours until my room was ready for me.  I was admitted to the hospital for the first time ever.

Joann and Ingrid were on their way to see me, but the oral surgeon had other plans.  He had to do a procedure to drain some of the fluid in the abscess.  This meant drilling a freaking hole in my gum, which I would feel because with all the swelling, the numbing wasn't going to work.  I'm sure this procedure lasted only 5 minutes or so but it felt like forever with the needles and scalpel going into my mouth... thankfully James stayed behind while Jon got dinner and held my hand through the ordeal.  I made it through in one piece... well, one piece with an extra hole in my mouth.  Worst pain ever, and now my mouth was stuffed with a bunch of gauze and so now it was as hard to talk as it was eat.  I'm sure I was a great sight for Joann, Ingrid and Rachael who arrived with balloons and Panera mac & cheese... turns out when it comes to mac & cheese, I could eat!!  One noodle at a time and confining the chewing to the right side, YUM.  The constant checking of my vitals and changing of the gauze started getting annoying.. one by one my friends left and thus began my lonely, sleepless night in the hospital room.

Mr. Bear joined me for the stay in the hospital :-)

I ordered yogurt and applesauce for breakfast on Wednesday and tried to nap until Jon showed up around 9.  Other than a brief outing to check on the dogs and get lunch for us, he kept me company all day until James showed up that evening with a lovely strawberry milkshake.  Not too much later, Joann arrives with sushi, and then Jon returned... we actually had a pretty good time joking around and playing games on James' iPad.  I needed to get out of that room and so we took a walk through the hallways where Jon said goodnight.  The pain was getting worse as I think I overdid it with the laughing and the eating.  I was so unhappy to be there for a second night and I think I worked myself into a good enough panic that the pain medication stopped working.  It was awful.  The hours kept passing and dose after dose of pain meds didn't seem to make a difference.  Jo and James stayed there with me even though they both had to get to work on Thursday morning, taking turns talking to the nurses and trying to get a doctor to come see me.  Around 2AM, I had a craving for pudding so James went on excursion and returned with a ton of pudding, crackers, soda, cupcakes (for the going home party) and flowers.... it helped.  Joann finally headed home around 4:30, and James decided to stay and sleep in the most uncomfortable chair ever for the next few hours.  So ready to go home.

Awesome flower color choice!

By Thursday morning, I was soooo exhausted, yet I could not get any good sleep in that hospital or with the IV machine hooked up to me (which, by the way, was the most annoying thing to have to unplug and drag around with me every time I had to go to the bathroom... which was frequent because of the constant stream of saline solution they were pumping into me along with the antibiotics).  I spent the morning alone fielding calls from work and trying to catch up with a few friends.  Cindy decided to come see me and took the day off so that I'd have someone to drive me home when I was finally released.  A coworker stopped by with more Panera mac & cheese and then finally, finally, finally, the discharge papers came.  I was FREE!!!!  Cindy and I went to CVS to fill my prescriptions and then back to the hospital to pick up my CT scans and then I was home-bound.

I got home around 4:00, took some Nyquil, and slept straight through until 3AM.  I took a couple more Tylenol, which is the only pain medicine they gave me, and slept until about 9 on Friday.  I had some of my cupcakes for breakfast, scheduled the root canal for Saturday and went back to bed to nap off and on for the rest of the day.  I finally did take a shower (first since Monday) and wash my hair (you don't even want to know when the last time *that* was), but later that evening, Jon scolded me for trying to do too much and so I didn't get a chance to flat iron.  I did have to call the doctor and get better pain meds called into the pharmacy.  My mouth started bleeding again and so it was back to bed, but Jon bought that iPad game and sat with me and played it.

Saturday.  The dreaded root canal.  I was soooo nervous.  I was told that if I went to a specialist it wouldn't be so bad, and it really wasn't except the way the Endodontist had to play with my mouth really hurt the incision from my procedure and the remaining swelling in my cheek.  That is, it was bearable until she started filling the canal.... because of the infection, the numbing agents didn't work 100% and so I felt a LOT of the filling process and it was seriously horrendous pain.  She finally finished, and my mouth was all swollen again, and I was in so much pain that I couldn't even stand in the reception area to handle the paperwork.  Luckily Jon was there and agreed to finish up inside while I sat in the car.  He brought me home and then went to get me scrambled eggs and fill my new prescriptions.  Back to bed.

Luckily, after breakfast and a nap, the swelling started going down and I started feeling a little better.  After all the sleep I'd gotten in the past couple days it was hard to nap any more and so I scheduled a nail salon appointment... decided to bring in the new year with pretty nails (sangria color with sparkle!).  I'm finally starting to feel better.  My mouth still hurts and I can't chew much.. and my arm is sore from where the IV is, but overall I was already so much better and ready to get out of the house and ring in the new year with my good friends over a quiet and classy dinner at Chef Geoff's.  Good riddance 2011, bring on the new year!!