A Day of Remembrance

Memorial Day. A day to remember the lives lost of those who fought to preserve the freedoms we all take for granted.

Since this is a running blog, I took a break today to think about those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and I am thankful. For it is those men and women who allow me and others like me the freedom to run when and where I want to.

As I ran yesterday (3 miles by the way), I thought of places in this world where a 3 mile run would be dangerous and where I would be taking my life into my own hands. But I live in a nice neighborhood and I have the ability to roam at will.

Thank you to all the men and women who gave so much for so many. I for one, do not take it for granted. Today is a day of thanks. And a day to remember. Memorial Day.

DIS and EN...It's a Start

DIScouraged. I would be lying if I said I wasn't. It's been 18 days since the marathon and I have jogged a 5k, and jogged 1 1/2 miles. My ankle has been slow to heal (by my standards), and I'm nowhere near ready at this point for my next scheduled race. That would be the Daily American 10k in Somerset on June 9. Two weeks from this Saturday.

I'm also DIScouraged while being ENcouraged at the same time. Today I ran 2 miles!! Nothing by my standards, but considering I was limping doing the 1 1/2 on Sunday, progress is still progress, right? I'm a tiny bit sore, but I was able to run with my own gait and not limp at all.

But back to DIScouragement. Those 2 miles were horrible. I am starting over again. I doubt I'll be completely ready for that 10k. I doubt it will take long for my wind to return, but after nearly collapsing into my driveway this morning, I have reasons to be both EN and DIS. Hopefully before long I'll be able to say that I'm only EN.

It feels great to be running again.

The Good, Bad and Ugly

The Good:
I don't think my ankle has a hairline fracture. After self-treating and avoiding running for the best part of the last two weeks, it appears that it is working. I am walking up and down stairs again and despite my unbelievable impatience I have been biking on the stationary and doing what I can to stay active while I continue to wait.

The Bad:
After seeing the Physician's Assistant this morning, I am on a different anti-inflammatory. Apparently over-the-counter medications can help, but are not as effective as stronger prescription strength anti-inflammatoy drugs. I have a hard time believing that myself, but who knows?

The Ugly:
Today's appointment was nothing short of a travesty. I self-treat and basically self-diagnose myself and patiently await my opportunity to get in and see a medical professional. When I finally get in and am asked what the problem seems to be, I tell my story. Fully expecting a "thorough" examination with a possibility of x-rays to rule out a stress fracture, what I ended up getting was a short exam over my sock and without ever taking my shoes off. The entire time spent in the lobby was three times as long as the actual time spent in the examination room. What I did get was a prescription for an anti-inflammatory that is typically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and a follow-up appointment in 4 weeks. I was also told to take off from running for two more weeks.

Inevitably, I was never told that it was or was not tendinitis. I was also not told it wasn't broken. I wasn't told anything. So I leave with the same questions I had going into the appointment.

I have improved greatly and despite attempting to run yesterday (got a mile and a half in of light jogging), I realize that I could use a few more days off. In addition, I believe that in another couple of days I'll be fine. As I write this tonight (Monday, 5/21) I am at about 95%. Nearly pain free and experiencing none of the symptoms that had me truly worried just one week ago.

Lesson learned: Take control of your own treatment, especially in the doctor-deprived state of Pennsylvania.

NOTE: I did file a formal complaint with the office manager and was given the chance to go back free of charge and see the actual Doctor this coming Wednesday. I'm probably going to take the appointment even though I don't think I need it or that it will help at all. What's right is right though. I would rather hear my diagnosis from a true professional.

Better But Still Waiting

I swim. I bike. I rest. I whirlpool. I take Aleve now.

Playing a Waiting Game

Ok, so I ran a 5k race with a friend and for breast cancer research this past Sunday. It wasn't the wisest of things to do, but I don't really think I did any further damage to what I believe is an issue with my posterior tibialis tendon on my right ankle.

So, let's review. I ran the marathon on Sunday, May 6 after a week off due to a painful piriformis muscle. Then, on Wednesday May 9 I ran about 1/4 mile with our new greyhound up the hill in front of my house. I had noticed and knew my ankle was sore, but it wasn't awful.

I continued to struggle with it and was fearful I wouldn't be able to run the 5k that I had committed to a few months ago. When my friend Mike guaranteed me that he was around a 29-30 minute finish, I figured "no big deal". As it turns out, that's what it was for the most part.

But then Monday morning I decided to take some time off and schedule an appointment. I've got my appointment on Monday next week and in the interim I'm following my own strict guidelines of NO RUNNING. It's painful (well, not necessarily the ankle as much anymore, but not getting out on the roads). I knew I would struggle, and I am. It's like a drug problem. My high comes from running. But looking at the bigger picture I suppose I need this short rehab session. Well, at least I hope it's short. I suppose I'm also going to have to come back slowly when that time comes. Yet another challenge.

In the meantime, I'll pray for good news on Monday.

It Comes With the Territory

I have been blessed since I started running. I began my running quest back in 2002. In five years of running and training and racing, I have experienced a lot of the things that runners typically go through. The first race. The first 10k, the first marathon. But I've also experienced some of the mistakes and issues that runners experience as well. I remember my first bout of "tendinitis". This lovely term can be used for any part of your body where tendons are located and that can be injured as a result of over training or stupidity as I like to call it.

I remember having Achilles tendinitis. I had a wicked bout with that and then a bout with plantar fasciatis. I remember my first back issues, and as I've documented so well here my piriformis issues.

Amazingly I was able to get to the starting line last Sunday and amazingly got through the marathon. All the while setting a new PR by over thirteen minutes. I wrote about a slight calf cramp that came on twice during the race. What I didn't write about was the cramp that came on as I was walking back to the hotel afterwards. As the week has gone on; post-marathon, I wonder if it was a cramp. I wonder now if it was a tendon again. I have had issues with my right ankle (on the inside) and now 7 days later, I am battling issues with it.

For now, my running has stopped. I don't know when I can start again. And as is my usual rule, I will call tomorrow and try to arrange an appointment with the Doc for as soon as I can get in. I want to start running again, but I'd prefer to keep walking pain free. What do I think it is? Tendinitis, stress fracture. Those are my two thoughts. Obviously, the tendinitis would be nice. Ahhh, the wonders of running. I suppose this IS part of it. Now I will try to recoup and get back on the roads as soon as I can. In the meantime, it's biking and swimming. Anything but sitting around. I'm going nuts here.

Too Hard on Myself (a fresh perspective)

I made no secrets. I went to Cincinnati to qualify for Boston. One week before Cincinnati I started to have severe piriformis pain in my hip and lower back. I didn't run a single mile in the six days prior to the marathon. I loaded up on Motrin and whirlpooled and iced and heated and iced and heated and whirlpooled and loaded up on Motrin.

I said goodbye to our dog, Mesa, 4 days before the race. He had to be put to sleep (rest his soul). I wondered if I had plenty of reasons NOT to run this race. I drove 5 1/2 hours to Cincinnati on Friday. I woke up Sunday morning and ran the race. I worried about my hip, that amazingly had gotten just well enough for me to run. I panicked when my right calf began to cramp slightly in the middle of mile 5. I worried some more. I panicked when my slight calf cramp reappeared somewhere during mile 13. I still believed I could qualify for Boston. I ran with the 3:20 pace group for 21 miles. I was withing striking distance of qualifying until mile 22. I didn't hydrate properly throughout the race and bonked during mile 22. I said goodbye to Boston. Still, I realized that a PR was not only a possibility, it was a sheer certainty. I could have walked to a PR. I did walk (about 150 yards or so). I got angry with myself. I reached down and gathered what I could to battle through and ran (jogged) those last four horrific and miserable miles. Inevitably I did finish. I was disappointed. I felt bad for myself. I knew I hadn't run the smartest race, yet I gave it my very best shot to qualify. I knew I would have run smarter if not for the attempt to qualify. I thought I was ready. I don't make any excuses. I did not qualify for Boston.

What did I do? I chopped over 13 1/2 minutes off my previous personal record (PR). I finished 315th of a possible 4,732 runners overall. I finished 58th out of 378 people in my age group. I ran my 3rd marathon in less than 365 calendar days. I got faster for the second time. I persevered. I conquered what I thought I might not be able to conquer less than 2 days earlier. I toed the starting line. I ran 26.2 miles. I crossed the finish line. I learned a lot.

I learned that Boston is now just 10:09 away. I learned that under the worst possible circumstances I can do it. I learned that the mind is a very powerful thing. I learned that not every day is a good day, but even bad days can be good days. I learned that every race, every marathon is different in it's own unique way. I learned that every day should be a blessing. I learned that I love what marathons bring out in me. I learned once again that running a marathon is tough. Running a marathon is humbling. Running a marathon is a lot of things planned for, and a lot more things unplanned for.

I learned. I ran. I finished.

Worried for Nothing?

Hard to say. All I know is that I got through it; somehow, someway and today I'm exhausted. It was a tough week last week. The 6 hour drive home today and no internet access from my hotel did not allow me to blog over the weekend, so I must catch you; the reader up. But I think I'll wait until tomorrow. I am much too tired and not thinking clearly enough today to post all that I want to post.

But in case you were wondering. Boston qualifying time? 3:15:59 or better. My finish time yesterday? 3:26:08. I hate to give away one of my future post headings, but here it goes.....Boston, I Am a Comin'.

Uh, oh!

Sixteen weeks. Minimal problems. Few sore muscles. Couple of bad days running. Minor stuff. Until Sunday.

As I made my final preparation and headed into my final week of preparation, a pain entered into the equation that I've had before. I had it the day after my first marathon. I've had it occasionally since then, but nothing like this. Nothing this bad and nothing that hung around this long.

Piriformis. I've heard about it. Read about it, and even experienced pain in it before this week, but the concern is real this time. It's hung around at varying degrees since Sunday and it's now Thursday. I've got three days to figure this out.

I've tried my 1800 mg of Rx Motrin. Icy Hot. Whirlpools. Ice. Massage. Nothing.

I've got real concerns. Sometimes I even wonder if I'll be able to get to the starting line. There is no way I'm not making it to Cincinnati. But a part of me wonders what kind of shape I'll be in come Sunday morning (less than 72 hours from now). And worse yet. What condition will I be in on Sunday night or Monday morning?

In an earlier post I talked about all the things that can go wrong and wipe out all the preparation and training. I am concerned. Very concerned......

To Run A Marathon

To run a marathon, all you need is the will, the desire and the right preparation. In the end, if you do all those things, you can finish a marathon.

In Cleveland, I ran a marathon. I finished a marathon. In Baltimore, I ran another marathon. I finished another marathon. Going in relaxed with no expectations and just the right conditions gave me an extra boost that helped me to improve how quickly I ran that second marathon.

In less than a week I'm going to Cincinnati. I've done this before, right? Wrong. I've never 'raced' a marathon. And to qualify for Boston, I'm going to have to race this marathon. That is a huge difference. No matter what, I expect pain; lots of pain. It's inevitable. But will it be worse? Will it onset earlier? That's my expectation. And what if it comes on around mile 19 or 20? I've never hit the wall before. Perhaps it is because I've never actually raced a marathon before. It's like I've never done this before. It is different. But I'm going in with my eyes wide open and like the two times before, I am scared and don't know what to expect. This time it is for different reasons. I suppose if I run into trouble, I can always slow to a walk if necessary and still come across in decent time. I have the 30k to help me realize how close I am. But then, 18.6 miles leaves an uncertain 7.6 miles to go. Lots can happen in that period of time. A lot. Will it be great? I hope so.

3:15:59 or better. If I can do this, it will be the single greatest accomplishment in my life to this point. Realizing just how close I am almost brings me to tears. I can only imagine what it will feel like for real.