Thursday, February 23, 2017

Is This Still On?

So you might have not noticed (or remember) my last blog post.  I'll give you a second to read it.  Seriously... only a second or two it shall take.

My shortest post ever?  Yeah.  I wasn't happy with that one.

In attempts to make a long story short, here is how things went since then.

July
Good patient.  Didn't run but got in lots of riding with Kevin, Todd, and Vicki as they trained for IM Chattanooga.

August
Bad patient.  My leg still bothered me, so by the urging of Vicki, I went to an ART therapist who also does dry needling.  Soon I found out he was a Chiropractor. I swore I would never see a Chiro.  For clarification, the "bothersome leg" is the inside of my lower right shin.  Where I got my stress fracture before cancelling Boston.  Twice a week visits to the Chiro.

Dry needling = electro therapy.  He's alive... ALIVE!


September
Good progress but bad attitude.  I started running again based on urges of the Chiro.  Went to support Vicki, Kevin, and Todd at Chattanooga.  I did my best to be a good supporter but, to be honest, absolutely hated that I couldn't race.  I was registered, you know!  Once a week visits to the Chiro.

Dork, Kevin, Vicki, Todd, TKB

Participated in my last race of the year, the Jeremy Katzenberger Triathlon.  Had a super fast dude (Oren) do the run and we placed 2nd in the team event (even though I was third to last out of the water!)

Super fast dude, Oren, on the left.  Dork on the Right.

Colleen and Dork



October
Began hitting 3 mile long runs.  Nothing spectacular but had started buying what the Chiro was selling.  I was doing 30 - 45 minutes of physical therapy DAILY, so I might as well accept things. Also officially started a side business.  I had to figure out how to cover all these race registrations for which I couldn't participate. Moved to every other week for the Chiro.

Also replaced the Deerblazer with a newish ride.

Don't worry.  The mid-life crisis car eventually got a trailer hitch installed for my bike rack.


November
Was hitting 4 to 5 miles on my long runs.  Was getting consistent with every other day as well.  Moved to monthly visits to the Chiro.

December
We started doing a home renovation project.  Took two weeks off from basically all activities as I was scraping popcorn texture off the ceiling.  Leg began to bother me again.  Starting the Physical Therapy afterwords helped.

January
Did the 10k Resolution Run with Midwest Triathlon Coaching.  Longest run since, well, last year's resolution run.  Regretted it as my leg bothered me kind of bad for a couple days.  I really started to get down on myself after this point.  Took about a week off.  Ended up reinstating every other week visits to the Chiro.

DNS the Disney World Half Marathon.  Technically, everyone did.  The race was cancelled due to rain.  I didn't even show up due to the lack of training (and maybe a little bad attitude).  I felt bad not joining Jill, Ronnie, and Rebecca in Orlando.

I also lost a friend who had battled brain cancer for 14 years.  It was him who we did the Head For The Cure 5k (nearly) every year since I started this crazy running shenanigans.  It's something like this that puts petty little leg issues into perspective.  Miss you Mark.

February
Long runs have reached 8 miles; however, more and more tightness in the hips (quads, hamstrings, hip flexors).  I should probably say I have noticed the tightness, which had likely always been there. Finally shifted my Chiro sessions away from my legs and up to my hips.  Still going just every other week.

If I were truly going to summarize what my general physical, orthopedist, 1st physical therapist, 1st MRI, 2nd MRI, sports doctor, pulmonary doctor (yes, no joke), foot doctor, foot/ankle doctor, orthotist, 3rd MRI, 2nd physical therapist, and Chiropractor had been telling me, then it would be this: My inflexible hips were the cause of my shin issues.

I started doing yoga almost daily as well as the additional stretches recommended by the Chiro.

All of that brings us to today, February 23rd.  I did a 5 mile run at lunch and it was probably one of the best runs I've had in a very very VERY long time.  Nothing speedy about it.  It was just a run.  No pain in the shin.  Unlike on the previous weekend where it "was there" the entire time.  Not calling this thing resolved by any means.

With everything going on these days with the home renovation, job (I sort of changed careers in August within my current company), my freelance side business, getting back into training in earnest, I'm not sure how often I'll get posting again but I do have some things to talk about related to my long recovery and discovery. In addition, I have pieced together a small race schedule.  Although, I'm extremely trigger shy on registering for races.

So there's that.  Thanks for reading!