The Evil Eyebrow

Category: injury

  • Training Continues; Paranoia Sets In

    We’re training for the Mount Desert Island Marathon. You may recall that I’ve been having some calf issues which caused me to DNF out of the Georgia Marathon. Well, training has begun again for the next big race and it’s kind of a pain. Why?

    Every little tiny twinge or ache in my calf makes my brain immediately start whirling around thinking, “Oh gosh! Is it too much? Am I pushing too hard? ((Ha! Today’s run clocked in at a 12:00 pace which is way slower than I’m used to)) Am I injuring myself!? Am I going to have to give up running!?!? Dogs and Cats, living together!!!”

    And so on and so forth. I have to monitor the sensations coming from my leg very carefully because I don’t want to injure myself again and spend another two months going to physical therapy. Today, for instance, I went out for a 5 mile run at a slow pace and started feeling some “stuff” around mile 3. It went away but came back at 4 so I decided to walk the rest of the way. Discretion being the better part of finishing the race I’m signed up for.

    This is an exercise in discipline, but it also means I don’t enjoy running nearly as much as I’m used to. I can’t zone out and get into the flow very easily when I keep getting jerked back by calf sensations.

    The best I can do is the best I can do. I’ll continue to train at a very low intensity, once again keeping “finish the race” as my only goal. I probably should get back into the pool soon as I have a triathlon in August, but I can probably dog-paddle the swim if necessary.

  • Doctor Frustration

    Warning: The following constitutes generalizations with a sample size of “not very big”.

    Medical Doctors, it seems, don’t really want to look at me as a whole anymore. They want to look at “the problem” and fix it. Or try. Or prescribe medication until it fixes itself. I am not interested in that; I need a long-term approach to a persistent problem; this seems to be an alien thought to the specialists I’ve been seeing.

    Some background: I’ve had two back surgeries, one in 1991 when I was 17 and one in 2001 when I was 27. Both were discectomies, removing bulging discs that were pressing agains my spinal cord and causing debilitating pain. Since then, I’ve had chronic issues with my back, but not associated with the spine per se. The issues have to do with my frequent overstressing of back muscles which then put me on the sidelines for two weeks to a month.

    Additional background: Last July I pulled my calf and this caused me to defer training for the Marine Corps Marathon. It wasn’t for about two months that the calf was healed enough to let me run. Now, after training for the Georgia Marathon, I pull the very same calf muscle ((medial gastrocnemius, if you care)) and am now fed up. With both issues.

    I’ve been a mostly self-coached athlete since taking up running and triathlon. I make efforts to do the things you’re supposed to do in my position: train your core, work on stabilization, improve hip flexibility and strength. Things are obviously not working. So, it’s time to seek some professional help.

    Enter the doctors. They seem convinced of several things:

    • I don’t know what’s wrong with me
    • It’s “my back” or “my discs” ((the first doctor I saw said, “your discs are hurting.” This after I explained my relative familiarity with lumbar anatomy and the several conditions I’ve personally experienced. Kthxbye))
    • It’s something that can be treated through injections
    • It’s something they need to refer to a spinal surgeon

    Finally I gave up and said, “Just give me a referral to a physical therapist who specializes in athletes and sports medicine.” The second doctor seemed convinced that all of my issues were due to overtraining, which I suppose is possible, but there’s no way he could know that from a five minute talk with me and a very brief discussion of my training.

    Thusly, I’m a bit frustrated with the medical community right now. When I made the appointments, I tried to tell the people involved what it was I was looking for (long-term plan and approach) and almost universally I got blank silence on the phone. They seemed to be taken aback that I wanted to vet the doctor I was making an appointment with before showing up. Doesn’t anyone do that nowadays? When I picked my primary care physician, I called the group he is a part of and told the receptionist that I didn’t want to see a doctor who didn’t run at least once a week. I wanted a physician who I could trust at least had an inkling of my habits and conditions.

    Unfortunately, when I started looking around for someone to help treat my calf and my back, I discovered that “sports medicine” around here ((at least within my insurance plan)) does not mean backs. It means arms, legs, elbows, knees, etc. Also, I’ve discovered ((again, within the doctors on my insurance plan)) that “sports medicine” and “non-operative” seem to be mutually exclusive. The doctors have seemed a bit huffy when the very first thing I’ve said is that I don’t want surgery or medication. The guy I saw yesterday said, “I can recommend a non-operative back specialist in our group. He only does injections.” What part of non-operative means “injections”?

    I’ve tried to explain, up front, exactly what I want, and why I want it. I want non-operative, long-term care to take care of muscle imbalances and strains that are affecting my running. I’ve also tried to explain that I do indeed know a little bit about this stuff and that, no, it’s not my discs acting up ((Probably. I obviously can’t guarantee it)) because I know what that feels like, and it’s distinctive ((Truly. There’s nothing quite like leg pain or sensations due to inflammation around my lumbar region. Plus, if my lower back hurts, and it hurts because of a pulled muscle and not lumbar issues, then when someone palpates that muscle and I yell, it’s obvious where the problem lies)). I’m also an experienced athlete with an unfortunate amount of knowledge with these particular injuries. Lastly, it’s my body and I have an investment in knowing what’s going on with it. What I don’t know, and the reason I’m seeing doctors, is how to fix it. Or if not “fix” at least “reduce”, “mitigate”, or “avoid”.

    All of the above is my fault, however. From the very first moment I decided I need professional attention I’ve been tempted to just go to some of the sports physiologists that are associated with the triathlon club I’m a member of, or that hang around the Atlanta Track Club, etc. However, these professionals aren’t members of my insurance plan. I have no desire to spend money I don’t have to, so I would prefer to have the insurance pay the specialist I’m going to see. If I need to, though, I’ll bite the bullet and pay out of pocket.

    So, right now I’m not too keen on the medical profession. I understand why they’re geared up the way they are (no time to spend with patients, paid by the procedure, paid by the patient) but that doesn’t make me happy about it.

  • Georgia Marathon 2011 – DNF

    Today I ran the Georgia Marathon. Exactly 3.8 miles of it.

    Icing the Calf
    I managed to pull my calf again. I was at the water station at on Auburn avenue when the aching in the calf became a shooting, stabbing pain. I told Jenn to keep on without me and I’d catch the sag wagon back to the finish. Thus ended my third attempt to complete this marathon course.

    I am not as philosophical about this DNF ((Did Not Finish)) as I was about the Ironman. Although it’s true that I was badly trained for this race and questioning my ability to finish, I didn’t expect to be hobbling at mile four. I thought I might have to make a call at mile twenty! For crying out loud, I nearly beat a PR in a 10k three weeks ago. To pull a muscle this badly at mile four is profoundly depressing.

    Where to from here? Professional help and treatment. This is ridiculous and I can’t put up with it any more.

    At least I picked an appropriate backdrop for the end of my shitty race.
    Appropriate Backdrop for my Race

  • Georgia Marathon

    Tomorrow I run the Georgia Marathon. The course map is here (pdf) if you want to come cheer me on. You can figure I’ll cross the start line around 7:10 AM and be maintaining a 12:00 per mile pace (more on that in a second). So, if you happen to be at any location on the course, look for me. I’ll be wearing a blue shirt, red shorts, and a visor. Pretty much exactly this outfit ((Jennifer, also pictured here, although she’ll be wearing something else, will be running the half marathon tomorrow)).
    Peachtree Road Race 2008

    I’m predicting this race to be the most painful I’ve ever experienced.

    First, a little history: I have had great trouble completing training programs for marathons. This makes the 5th marathon I’ve trained for, but I’ve only completed one. I’ve trained for this very race three times, but have had to back out twice.

    The reasons why have been various. Injury. Laziness. Illness. They’ve all contributed. This year, I decided that despite my training being fubar ((Oh, and I haven’t been blogging much so I didn’t tell you that the 20 mile training run on that schedule was cut in half due to a calf pull and I haven’t run since. Tomorrow is going to be soooo much fun)), I was going to run the bloody race no matter what. Even if by “run” I mean, “slowly jog, then stagger, then walk” until I’m done.

    So I will line up tomorrow in my corral and set off on a pace that will not exceed 12:00 minutes per mile. I will husband and cherish and baby my strength so that I can try to get through this race without being a total wreck. I’m confident that I’ll finish. I’m not confident that I’ll be happy about it, at least, not in the miles leading up to the end.

    Wish me luck. Or come cheer me and my 17,999 closest friends on!

  • Atlanta Track Club Peachtree City 5k/10k 2011 -and- Injury Update

    Racers Ahoy!

    I ran today with Keith and Jaime the Atlanta Track Club 5k/10k in Peachtree City (we all ran the 5k). I turned in a 26:00 according to my watch and both Keith and Jaime broke their previous PRs. Go us!

    This race is always fun, and in my experience now, always cold (n=3). It was about 28 degrees Fahrenheit at race start, so a bit chilly, but no real wind.

    Given my experience of one week ago, I took it a little easy during the race. I put in about 85% effort. Nicely (although not coincidentally) this activity did not bother my back strain in the slightest, aside from the drive to and from the race where I was sitting in the car.

    This tells me several things:

    • The strain was definitely the quadratus lumbarum because if it had been the multifidus or the erector spinae (or some combination of the above) I’d have been having more issues
    • It’s not my running muscles that need to be worked on in my abdominal strengthening work
    • The quadratus lumbarum is definitely not a running muscle

    I went to see a physician on Friday to start a professional treatment of my problem, but I have a whole post just for that. Look for it soon.

  • Injury – Frustration

    Backache
    Last night I attended/worked the Search for the Golden Sprocket, an event sponsored by The Extraordinary Contraptions. I arrived earlier than most of the band and discovered that the primary entrance to the venue was a slick ice death trap. Therefore, I shoveled.

    Now, I’m sitting on the couch, wondering when I’ll be able to run again. I have (again and again!) managed to pull muscles in my back that make me feel a lot older than I actually am. Hell, I’m wondering how many days it will be before I manage to walk about the house in a normal fashion. This leaves me very frustrated, because I’m in the middle of training for a marathon, and if you follow this blog you may be aware that the last marathon I trained for had to be deferred because of another injury.

    I’ll have to rejigger my training schedule based upon what I’m guessing my recovery date will be. I am going to finish this marathon, dammit, but I might change up the race schedule I have planned for the rest of the year. I’m thinking I may want to concentrate hard on one thing, strengthening my core, for the entire year. If that kept me from being a couch-ridden doofus, it would be worth giving up triathlon and serious racing for a year. Maybe I’ll go see a specialist (I wonder if my health plan would cover that?).

  • Running/Triathlon Training: State of the Bill

    IMG_9297
    I had a commenter a while back say that he missed my posts about running and triathlon training. Alas, for the last little while there hasn’t been much to post, but here is a general update:

    Jennifer and I are registered for the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC. This race is October 31st. Those of you good at math may note that date is about 2 months away.

    We’ve been training regularly for this race, doing quite well keeping up with our schedule. Until… [duh duh DUHHHH] I pulled my calf muscle and Jennifer started having some feeling-well issues. Right now, I’m about 4 weeks behind on my training and Jenn maybe two. But all is not lost! Things seem to be better in my calf and this weekend I will be resuming my exercise schedule by participating in the Peachtree City Sprint Triathlon (Tri-PTC) which, if you recall, I had to walk 2 years ago due to another calf injury.

    I think I’ve given the leg enough time to rest and heal. Now I need to see if I’ve got enough time left to prepare adequately for the marathon. I’ll know that in a few weeks. Jenn is coming along well; if she can survive this CRUSHING SINK OF DEATH known as submitting her tenure dossier, everything will be fine.

    Despite the fact I’m racing a triathlon this weekend, I haven’t been doing any real training for triathlon this summer. I’ve been swimming enough to not drown, but I haven’t been on my bike in weeks. No, I’ve pretty much just been concentrating on running, except for the last 3 weeks where I just Sat On My Butt And Ate Bon-Bons™.1 That will obviously change soon and I’ll be back to doing three-days a week runs at work (please oh please oh please will the humidity drop soon?) and long runs on the weekend.

    I also need to work in some basic strength training. I can’t really know but I blame my lack of any strength training this spring or summer for my calf strain. I plan to go (after the marathon) and get an evaluation of my muscular weaknesses from an expert and spend the winter working on those.

    So, Triathlon this weekend. Marathon on Halloween. I’m sure there will be some other races in there, also. I’ll keep you posted.

    1: SOMBAABB is a trademark of the JBWR community. This is what we do when we’re not doing anything else.

  • Workouts – Back to Basics

    Today I began something that I should probably have been doing all along. It might have averted the little tiny problem I had last fall. That thing is: core workouts every day.

    Don’t misunderstand me; I don’t plan to put in a 45 minute abs-back-hips intensive crushing exercise session every single day. What I plan to do is devote at least 15 minutes to doing basic strengthening exercises to stabilize my core. I know I can come up with 15 minutes every day for a basic set of poses. If I don’t manage to get up in time, I can do them at lunch. If I don’t do them at lunch, there’s at home. 15 minutes is easy. I can do it!

    If the marathon training underway knocks my fat percentage down any more, I might even have a six pack! I won’t hold my breath, though.

    15 minutes a day (or more, depending). Jenn might even get me back into Yoga. We’ll see.

  • Back, Ironman, Training 2010

    My back is much better. Thanks everyone who’s been keeping up.

    Ironman is past and gone. Too bad I couldn’t do it. I will keep that in my back pocket for some other year.

    I am even as we speak (not that we’re speaking) putting together my training calendar for 2010. It begins today with a benchmark run of 1.0 miles for time. I plan to do a mile run every four weeks or so to gauge my progress toward my goal of a 5k under 21:00.

    That is all. Stay tuned.

  • Ironman Conclusion

    Today I made a tough decision. I decided to not race in the 2009 Florida Ironman.

    On Sunday I pulled some muscles in my back in a truly heroic manner. This particular injury is one I’m familiar with from past experience and I knew on Sunday that it was deal breaker for this race. I held out against the hope that maybe, just maybe, a miracle recovery would occur and I’d be able to race. Alas, it was not to be. Today I’m still not able to stand up straight except for immediately after lying down for a while. We were scheduled to leave tomorrow morning for the race site therefore this was the first of two go/no-go decision points.

    No Go.

    I could conceivably get better enough in the next two days to race, but I place the likelihood somewhere between “maybe” and “not a chance in hell”. Then there’s the serious prospect that even if I did get “better enough to start” I would re-injure myself during the race. I don’t know about you, but I like walking and would prefer to avoid lying on my back for a couple weeks.

    All the factors are lined up against going, only the desire to enjoy what looks to be perfect racing weather is driving me to reconsider.

    It’s a tough decision, but the right one for me. There will be other races, possibly other ironman races, to look forward to. I won’t say I’m not depressed about this, but in the grand scheme of things there are worse things that could have happened. This was just exceptionally bad timing for an injury.