9 posts tagged “injury”
Without a PR.
But it was still actually a little bit fun, and considering all the trouble I had, I think things went OK.
I started to get a little sick on Wednesday. By Friday i had a fever and sore throat. So, I had the Doctor working in the Emergency Dept give me a script for antibiotics.
On Saturday I must admit, I was not feeling much better at all, but I thought if I just got a lot of rest, maybe I could do it.
I was able to go standby on an early flight and got into Albequerque just about on time. As soon as the plane landed I got a text from Monotreme telling me they were running late. I called and found out the first of many unusual surprises with the New Mexico Marathon and Half Marathon! They had decided to close Packet Pick up at 4 pm and not have any early am pick up! So, Mr and Mrs monotreme swung by the airport and then we rushed over to the expo to get our packets. I did not get a t shirt, as I had registered too late, but they immediately tried to sell me a t shirt. I have a ton of T's so I said no thanks. When I saw Monotreme's i was glad I had resisted. The shirt had a BIG applique of a plastic substance. its a technical T, but there was so much screened on it that it didnt look as if it would breathe well... the shirt had this on it.
If one is wondering, those are red and green chiles, the fame of New Mexico, along with the state bird, the road runner.
Anyway. We got the race packets, had a good dinner of Vietnamese Pho. We then tried to drive the route, which had us realizing that our choice of hotels close to the start line was hotels close to the start of the Marathon, not the half!!! So our planned half mile walk to the start became a 13.5 mile walk. Mr Monotreme quickly enlisted Mrs Monotreme to get up nice and early and drive us down there. Mrs. Monotreme is a stellar woman, so she agreed to do so. We then realized that the only thing given on the course was pretzels and oranges pretty late in the race. I'm a Gu fan, so we went Gu shopping. Mrs Monotreme used her cool hone to access the nearest sporting good store and we raided the gu. We bought "espresso Love" and some Cherry Sports beans. All were caffienated.
During the night I started to have a lot of GI trouble along with the fever. But i was thinking I could do the run. So I took a crazy 800 mg of Motrin and 1000 mg of tylenol. Then I went to Waffle House and tried to have a healthy breakfast.... With a Menu like this:
You can see I had trouble. I drank a lot of chocolate milk and had a piece of toast and half an egg. I just felt oogy.
Monotreme and Mrs. Monotreme joined me. I came to the realization that I had no saftey pins to get my number on.
I asked the waitress, she had one by it was holding up her pants. I told her to keep it. I asked another different waitress and some others overheard me. Suddenly, at 5:45 in the morning, people were out in their cars searching for pins. One gentleman who's wife was in the Marathon came up with 2 from her emergency baggie. He readily gave them up and I really appreciated that! Thats what I love about the running community, people always help each other out.
We got down to the race start and I was starting to feel a little better. My right leg was hurting but I felt like I didn't have a fever anymore. I was still having some GI problems, but...well what can ya do. They were playing good music and I danced for about 10 seonds with Mr. Monotreme.
The National Anthem was sung, great acoustics under the bridge there! and then we were off. I actually had a lot of problems from the start. I just plain felt bad. My leg hurt, And there were a lot of people in the way. I never understand why walkers start in the front. I totally get it when someone who is running slow starts in the front by accident, but if you KNOW you are walking the whole race, why start in the front? SO I dodged people and Monotreme tried to cheer me up.
Running a race with Monotreme is really really special. I felt especially special because he runs much faster than I do, but chose to run the entire race with me.
He started out doing a few Magic tricks- illusions of sorts with the fingers- and then reciting some Koans. The best of course is the "Ice Cream Koan" Of course, Monotreme is so gregarious, he soon made tons of friends in the field. A few people asked if we were related, since we were having such a good time. Unfortunately all good moments come to an end. My right leg did stop hurting after it got used to being pounded. Then I got an actual cramp in the right side at about I'd say Mile 2.2. I dropped back and walked a little. Monotreme told me later I looked pretty bad and he was worried I'd not finish. He convinced me to run to the next aid station where I drank some water and miraculously the cramp disappeared. I suppose because of the altitude change I was dehydrated from the start despite drinking a lot of water/milk/etc. Funny thing is that I would have totally avoided water if I had been alone thinking I was overhydrated and that would be the cramping reason. So score one for Monotreme the man of the day.
I never walked again in the race, except that we stopped at each and every aid station for me to get water or gatorade. This really slowed us down, but enabled me to not get too crampy.
At mile 4 we used our first Espresso Love Gu. It tastes like coffee, pretty nice actually. If you want a caffienated gel, I recommend it because it tastes like coffee, so there is no odd caffiene taste in another flavor. Unfortunantely the effect of highly refined carbs and caffiene on the gut with water can be well, explosive. I fought to not have such an explosion. I did need the calories etc from the gel, so I dont regret it, but my intestines didn't like it.
We ran along a trail for bikers and hikers. The trail had not been closed for the race and we had been advised in writing to "Steer well clear of these individuals" (Bikers etc who may be out on Sunday morning). So each time one went by, Monotreme yelled at me to "Steer Clear!" At this point I realized I was running too slowly for anything good to happen. There were no time clocks and Monotreme's Garmin had malfunctioned. So I had no clue how slowly i was going. I knew it was slow, so I mentioned to Monotreme that he should start to throw rocks at me...
eventually he found one, and pitched it well clear of me over into a ditch. I was certain he had hit someone, and somehow convinced him that he had too, he ran off to check it out...luckily I was wrong, it was a fairly large rock.
We tried out the sports beans on the route, they tasted very very red to me, but sort of fun. I might try them again. Just really hard to open the packet on the run.
I started to whine about my gut, my toes and my hip flexors at this point. Monotreme cheerfully started to sing....
"Whats that coming over the hil, is it a Monster...." which cheered me immensly.
We hit mile 8-9 and I started to oddly feel much much better. Monotreme remarked that I did look a lot better and seemed to be running better as wel. It was a bit strange.
Unfortunately that wasn't to last. We rounded the corner, and came out on a gravel path, where Monotreme threated to throw a dead duck that was on the side of the road at me....hence I got a new nickname, "Smelly Mallard" (Nice huh). and then found a smattering of people playing nice music. Monotreme took a moment to dance the twist, and I went enthusiastically charging up the hillock. Oops. At the top of what was a teeny hill, I completely lost all breath. I was coughing and gasping and threatening to vomit. Monotreme told me to keep breathing so I did...and eventually all was OK again. I kept running. There was a girl in front of me who had the world's worst form. Monotreme made the comment that she used enough energy running that way to do the whole Marathon. I so wanted to pass her, so I focused on that for a long time. I never passed her. Monotreme thinks she dropped out, I think she just kind of finished before me despite the fact that her torso seemed disconnected to the legs!!!
We eventually came to near the end. I started to have some serious grumpiness. i felt like vomiting, diarrhea and my toes hurt. Monotreme lightened the mood by approaching the portapotties and yelling loudly "Ralph, ralph where are you" in the potty! We then started to pass traffic. The folks in cars were coming from the race and were cheering us on. Monotreme kept introducing me to everyone, Saying "This is KB, doesnt she look good?" so everyone would start cheering for me.
By the last mile, I was not feeling good at all. I was feeling very disappointed that I wasn't going to have a PR. Of course I hadn't run a half in years so it sort of was a PR, though it was terrible. Monotreme sang Boogie shoes to me for a while, and unfortunately I just wanted silence, which was really so sad since Monotremem had stuck by me and encouraged me through the whole ordeal.
Needless to say I was glad to see the finish line.
It was pretty cool to hear the announcer announce Monotreme and My name!
There was no time clock even at the finish so I knew I had gone slowly but wasn't sure how slow.
We recieved our exciting medals.
Ate some good food at the finish, bagels, peanut butter, cookies, oranges, bananas, etc.
After that, we went back to the Hotel. I had a shower and commenced the vomiting and diarrhea. Oh gosh. It was bad. I started with another fever and shivered and froze through the night. My right leg of course started to hurt, so getting to and from the bathroom was not fun either. Blech. The next day on the plane was not much better....and being on the plane mad eit sort of unpleasant.
I was also feeling a little tubed about my unknown results. I started to feel a little better when I met a guy who told me he finished the Marathon in 6 and a half hours. Wow. He said he had been sick on the course. He was not lucky enough to have a Monotreme to yell Ralph for him.
When I got home the results still weren't posted. A few hours later. i found my time 2:37. It was pretty awful. i haven't run a training run that slow in a while, so I suppose all the stops for water really slowed me down. I was lucky that Monotreme stuck with me though!
So it was a pretty bad race. But it was also the most fun I have had in a while. I enjoyed joggin with Monotreme, he is so so funny! I want to be more like Monotreme!
I got back and told my trainer about it and she seemed to think it was OK, of course its her job to be positive. She also seems to think she can get me moving a bit faster than that for the Marathon. My goal is still about 4:20. Clearly not on track for that. But....I will be running at regular altitude in cooler conditions.
I'm not entirely thrilled with my results, but....I'm not as sad as I was either. In fact, I had a lot of fun running and I think I learned a few things that will help me out the next time....
and somehow I know I can not get a fever/GI problem for the Marathon. Sort of interesting how I might avoid it.
(And yes for those wondering, I did obtain some cool socks for the man in question. ;) He needs to ring me back though.....)
Mrs. Monotreme kindly took a photo fo us and I wanted to include it but....she has not sent it to me.
In more ways than one!
I'm signing off the computer for the entire weekend now as I am going to New Mexico for my Half Marathon experience.
I'd be a little more excited if my right leg wasn't slightly tweaked and I wasn't running a fever, etc But...I am hoping with a lot of rest and fluids, I can get through it with a slow time. I really want this race, so I am just doig a lot of resting and fluid pushing....my leg is really not a concern anymore, as the fever has taken center stage.
Hope ALl my Voxer neighbourhood has a great weekend, holiday or not!!!!
Well WOE is probably too strong a word.
I woke up today with both sore arms and sore quads, meaning that my upper body session from Tuesday with Trainer Boy was still with me, and that my speedwork session had affected the quads.
when I got out of bed, I realized I am working again on some shin splints. Since starting to run outside I have had more and more impact related aches and pains. Nothing serious, but I always look at little aches and pains as harbingers of things to come.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way I have also gained a pound, and since I have 10 to lose, this was not very welcome!!! So I need to exersise. The pool at my gym has been drained for 3 weeks, so no swimming (My hair thanks me)....
So, I think I'll have to do the ellipitical.
Dorky as it is...I want to run. Not so much because I think I'll enjoy it. I know I won't because right now my gastrocs (actualy not my actual shins) hurt when I walk.... But I want to download my run from the garmin, and look at all the little details, and see what my splits were and my times. I love numbers. For me, going on how I feel is usually a mistake, so I learned a while back to always look at the numbers.
Still, there is something to be said for restraint and also a lot to be said for not being injured.
So today....
ellipitical.....stationary bike.....erg rower.....Balance board....some weights.....
And maybe I can live vicariously through Julio who is having his first speedwork session with very fast ladies today.
Tomorro is the big day. I started to get nervous about the whole thing, so, what did I do? I looked it up on youtube...
if anyone wants to see a 17 second video of a pin coming out here it is....i have about 6 of them in between my knuckles. I don't mind saying, I think this is going to get my attention. Anyway, today I learned that while my fingers bend in conjuction, they will not bend themselves separately at all. It's like my brain decided the two were one. What an odd sensation to look at the finger, will it to move and see nada, zip, zilch, zero.... but they do move together..I'm assuming they will eventually get tired of each other....and seek temporary separation or a total divorce.
This photo above demonstrates my current exersise regimen. Minus the rubber bands, I just bend bend bend stretch and bend.
It is a lot more flexible than it was at first....so, I am looking forward to being unpinned and starting to gain some new range of motion...
On another different note: I was called by the local Special Olympics coordinator! We chatted for about an hour. She is really bubbly and fun. The end result was that I am now on the roster as an Assistant Coach for the Track Program!!! I'm afraid I'll get beat by all the participants!!! Apparently the team's goal this year is to stay within the lanes on the track. cool. They practice twice a week, the coaches run with them and they mostly do drills and 400 meter runs... so, sounds like I'll be getting speed drills 2x a week! I'm hoping I'll be good at it, that the team will like me, etc etc etc.. This is exciting for me. I'm getting an opportunity to do something I love and help someone else enjoy something I love. Yay!!!!!!!!
I'm thrilled also as she told me explicitly she wants me to enjoy it too, so no root beer floats for me. The head track coach also sounds like a blast....
I ran yesterday. 8 on the Mill. Mostly due to the weather. To add insult to my pain, when I finally finished my workout when I left the gym it was warm and sunny!
8 miles on a Mill is a special thing. I discovered a lot of different things about my ipod, playlists and my neighbouring tm users. (They of course kept changing...) I stopped at 4 miles and drank Gatorade. Then I hopped on again and did about 4.10 miles. I intended to do 9 but my body was having none of that. Glad I did it, but it sure was uncomfortable. At about 7.5 miles I had a breathing problem sort of a side stitch pain and I had to walk for about a minute to recover my ability to breathe. Legs felt OK, though my left achilles feels a little yuck this morning, and my legs hurt yesterday enough to keep me awake at night. )I thought of fellow voxer NYCineophile as I tossed and turned. I finally broke down and took some of the prohibited Motrin and eventually fell asleep.
Had a good conversation wth trainer yesterday. He says he's really excited about my new no whining policy. So, if I can maintain no whining and apparently no complaining aout my weight....we will start some speed work in March. He also has some extra samples of powerbar gel he wants me to try, he was not so pleased when I was drinking my Gatorade Juice box, but it was what I had in the car...
Well, my Long run for the week is done. The only thing that remains is 6 outside with a killer hill series, and a fun run with my cousin who is coming for the weekend, requiring a big bit of clean up.
So withthe INGhalf coming up, I am now at the mileage prior to my injury 8 months ago. Unfortunately when I did 8 miles 8 months ago, it was more pleasant than yesterday. Only 5 more miles to cover to make the distance, and then I really have to kill some hills.... (And I think I'll slip in a few double caffiene gels in my pocket....)
So back to work today and a rest day. Yipee for rest days. Now if I could get enough sleep.
Well, of course I couldn't wait until Wednesday. I mean, what is the point of working in a hospital....if you can't...
Well the thing is you are not allowed to access your own medical record....but if I give permission to a physician, they can...so thats what I did.
No evidence of compartment syndrome, and my stress reaction doo dad is healed. I do still have some pain, but like I said in the earlier entry, I feel much better.
ONWARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still sore from that experience of laying in the MRI for 70 min post running. but thats getting better too. Things are really looking up.
I have to say though, I was shocked, I tell you, shocked, at the amount of FAT that encases my leg! I suppose that is just tough. I'll try to get my oc to email me a few piccies so I can post them here.....
In hopes of overly aggravating the injury I allowed myself to run again.... 3.55 miles in 40 min. I'm pretty darn slow these days.
The injury seems stable. It hurts but the hurt doesn't get better or worse really while running. It doesn't feel so hot now, but..thats the point. I'm starting to think its a minor (not achilles) tendon. I injured my right achilles and eventually had to stop running for about a year...and its a similarly wierd injury...
Unfortunately, my left hip (The one with the loose IT band) hurts a lot. It feels like a flare of bursitis. Hopefully it is, and its not some horrid arthritis going on. I want to hold off the hip replacement for at least another 10 years... I won;t be able to do a lot of things once that comes into play.
Still running was fun. Today was one of those rare days that I occasionally have, where my legs seem to be independent of the rest of me and just run themselves. I LOVE this feeling. It's unreal, it doesn't happen all that often so it was a small gift for me, for trying. SO thats a big bonus for the day. Yipee.
Now, to build up some speed and aggravate some more and see what on earth this next MRI can show.
So, my physician came in with a bucket full of needles this morning (it must have had other things in it, but all I could see were needles.) I got a little pale. He poked about for a while and then told me that they are doing a new study to see if they can identify Compartment Syndrome on MRI, rather than jabbing you 4-6 times in the leg.
essentially I have to run until I get the pain intensely, and then they will wheel me into the MRI Machine to see if they can see the stuff.
The unfortunate thing is that because it is experimental, I still have to have the needle test, but I was able to put it off.
I'm a bit disappointed because I wanted an answer, but it does make sense to look at the leg under MRI again. and I don't mind the MRI, I tend to fall asleep in the things generally.
It's scheduled for the 11th....
Today I went to Physical Therapy. The Physical Therapist went along having be do all sorts of exersises. It was all fine, and I was feeling like the same old song and dance. finally, when she went to give me a stretch to stretch the hurting medial gastroc, she discovered indeed I can't stretch it out. I'm too flexible, and so no amount of flexing my foot stretches it. So she then took a better look. And found a knot right at the area of pain. (Wish she would have found it 40 mins before!) And then came deep tissue massage.
Deep Tissue Massage sounds so lovely. It sounds very relaxing, and peaceful. When I think of this phrase, I think of swedish massage, hot rocks and other good stuff. This is not it folks! It provides instead an exquisite pain. I almost cried, at one point I laughed, because I can usually bear most pain quietly.
Whats so funny is that she did this for however long she did it, and right as she stopped she asked me, "So how does it feel now?" Well better now that you have stopped.
I have bruises from my massage!
The leg hurts, but actually feels a lot better... in fact this may actually be the answer. I'm curious to see how it is on Tuesday.
and frightened to go back to PT on Thursday. Very afraid.
