5K on the Pavement --- Check!

I was really nervous this morning.  I wasn't nervous about the distance.  I didn't care about the pace --- I didn't even wear my watch.  I was worried that running on the pavement would be too much for my achilles.  I was even more worried that, as a result, the upcoming races wouldn't be so possible.  Now, a few hours after the race with ice on my achilles and calves, I am ecstatic.

My friend Mary was generous enough to run with me this morning.  Mary kept me from going out too quickly --- which has been my problem when I have run outside.  I ran with Mary for the first half of the race at a very comfortable pace.  She kept me in line and it helped because I felt good, I had energy, and my achilles didn't hurt.  We hit the half way point and she gave me permission to start going faster, and I did.  It was fun.  I had my iPod on with the music I loved.  I was giving myself goals to overcome certain people as I approached them.  One woman in particular must have had the same "game plan" in mind.  I would get in front of her and then she would get in front of me.  The last quarter mile I saw the finish line, and I said to myself, "time to overtake her for good."  This is where the interval training came into play.  I kicked it into high gear and wound up finishing a full minute before she did.  ( I did the right thing, though, and cheered for her at the finish line even though I didn't know her.)

My time wasn't great but wasn't terrible.  36:22.  Really not bad considering I was at the half way point with Mary at 20 minutes.  I stretched well.  I drank a ton of water.  I'm icing now. I took ibuprofen before the race and I will take some more shortly.  All in all, not so bad.  I'm actually excited for the Shamrock Shuffle next weekend.

I didn't know the proper race etiquette.  There was this tab thing on my number that I tore off and put in my care before the race started.  That is what I was supposed to hand to them as I crossed the finish line so that my time could be officially recorded.  So, my time for this one won't be officially recorded --- but I am fine with that.  My time was 36:22.  I'll know better for next weekend.

This is starting to actually feel real, and it is starting to feel like an amazing thing.  I didn't run with my camera, so there is no shot of me as I crossed the finish line.  Mary took this shot of me after the race --- when we went out for breakfast.

I'm Walking (or Flying) to New Orleans

It's 6:15 a.m. and I have to be in the lobby in an hour to meet my colleagues and go to the airport.  Flying back to New Orleans --- back to the heat, humidity, and the office.  I'll be back in Chicago next Saturday for the Shamrock Shuffle, but a week in New Orleans will do me good.

I ran 6.5 miles yesterday.  It was raining and cold, so it was on a treadmill.  It was hard and my achilles started to "scream" around 5k -- but I walked for 2 minutes and then started again.  My goal was to run 7 miles, but it hurt and I bargained with myself as I was running.  I was exhausted afterwards.  I spent about 30 total minutes stretching and then iced.  I popped ibuprofen at dinner and again before bed.  I don't want to jinx myself but I actually feel fine today.  The true test will be tomorrow at the LSU Med School 5k in Audubon Park. 

I'm still VERY happy with the Adidas shoes.  I highly recommend them. 

All in all, great trip to Chicago.  Good work wise.  Ate at amazing restaurants (as an aside, go to The Girl and the Goat http://www.girlandthegoat.com/  if you are in Chicago).  Was able to run again.  Nervous about the Shamrock Shuffle next weekend in Chicago, but I will finish it even if it isn't pretty.

Fingers Crossed, But I Think I'm Back.

I started reading a great book yesterday called "A Clydesdale's Tale: or How a Big Guy Trained For and Ran the Vermont 100" by Steve Latour.  It is a bit tongue and cheek, but got me motivated and even more excited to start running today.  There was a quote that really struck a chord with me.

"Innate potential is a wonderful thing, but it is not necessary for achievement.  Sure, to be a world champion takes potential, desire, and effort, but to improve oneself greatly does not require potential.  All it requires is a basic ability to function combined with desire and effort.  That is the secret."

The book is the writer's story.  He is a man that you would never think is a runner.  He is a man that had never run before and was obese.  Yet he did it, despite how he looked to others and despite how people thought a runner has to look --- he is a runner.  In the book he defines "runner" as:

"If you actually give a care whether someone calls you a jogger or a runner, then you are a runner.  Everything else is secondary.  To wit, if while going for an easy two miles you are greatly out of breath and taking in oxygen in a manner like unto a wildfire that sucks away the very living air around it for miles, while you are sweating like the leaky faucets of a thousand correction facilities, as you are shaking all over in your limbs as if the monkeys of all the jungles of Africa were swinging over you, and if you are maintaining a steady 20 minute per mile pace all the while, and then you feel insulted that someone says 'Hey! Get a load of that jogger!', then you are a runner.  Don't let anyone tell you different, for anything they say is as the braying of donkeys and the barking of dogs."

I left my house in New Orleans this morning at 4:15 a.m.  The storms were terrible last night with flooding, power outages, and hail the size of golf balls.  I didn't really sleep because I was afraid --- in light of the power going out --- that I would oversleep, not pick up my colleague en route to the airport, and miss the 6 a.m. flight to Chicago.  I made the flight, even though the storm started up again as I was leaving my house, and "napped" during the flight to Chicago.  We landed at O'Hare at roughly 8 a.m.  I wore my running clothes on the plane figuring we would get to the hotel so early that my room wouldn't be ready and I would go straight to the gym.

The car picked us up and it took us about an hour to get to the hotel with traffic.  Our rooms were ready (and I even got a suite), but even though they were, I literally dropped off my bag, put on a pair of shorts, and went straight to the gym.  I was able to run again today, and I was excited.  The hotel has recently been gutted and the gym is a part of the spa at the hotel; this was actually the perfect setting.  I spent a decent amount of time stretching, and then started on the treadmill.  I went in thinking that I wasn't going to go too far today as I didn't want to overdo it, and also that I was going to listen to my body and if the pain was unbearable that I was going to stop.  (I also took 600 mg of ibuprofen before I started.)  At roughly 3 miles in I started to feel some pain in my right achilles --- so 5k it was today.  My pace was 11:18 per mile.  Not stellar, but also not terrible considering everything.  I had absolutely no pain in my left foot --- which was huge.  I cooled down and spent some time stretching --- including stretching in the steam room.  The steam room was a perfect place to stretch because the heat was great for my muscles.  I felt absolutely amazing when I left the gym.

Here is where it gets kind of funny --- as I left the gym/spa I asked the woman at the desk if she had any bags that I could put some ice in so that I could ice my achilles.  She said that she would have housekeeping bring it up to my room.  I got to my room and the front desk called about the ice --- asking if I wanted bags to put ice in or the single use ice packs.  I said, if they wouldn't mind, I would like both as I could use the single use packs later in the day.  Not 5 minutes later two men came to my door, with all of the ice on a silver platter.  There was some confusion, as one of the men wanted to ask me some question about how I had hurt myself in the gym that morning.  As soon as I explained that the injury was longstanding and that I just needed ice they breathed a sigh of relief (and left me a little "care package" of single use ice packs for the next few days).

So, I iced my achilles --- with a spectacular view of the City in the process.  I took some more ibuprofen later in the day and put on some compression socks (to wear under my boots) as a bit of an insurance policy.  I don't want to jinx anything --- but I feel pretty good right now.

I listened to my doctor, as I previously reported, and bought the Adidas shoes I wrote about the other day.  So far, so good.  Truly, they were the best shoes I have ever run in.  I am going to wait another day or so before I buy another pair --- but I am pleased.  When I got them the other day I was so excited at the thought of being able to run that I could barely contain myself.

Fingers crossed.  So far, so good.  Hoping that on Friday I will be able to run the actual course of next week's Shamrock Shuffle. 

And The Cause Of My Injuries Is . . . Me.

I am feeling relieved.  In the last few days I have had so many different people tell me so many different things about the issue with my left foot.  There were x-rays, MRIs, examinations, therapy, medication, ice, heat, etc.  There were different doctors who had different opinions.  All but one of the doctors who had a specialty in a type of surgery wanted to operate, because that is what surgeons generally do.  The only doctor who didn’t think surgery was necessary --- or even indicated --- is a runner.  Note to all runners (or people trying to be runners) out there who have orthopedic issues and need to consult a doctor: make sure the doctor is a runner or has been a runner.  In my humble opinion (and after the last few days), having a medical degree and even board certification in orthopedic medicine/surgery and/or podiatry isn’t enough.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, I was prescribed orthotics and told to give up my neutral running shoes (which I loved) for running shoes that had more stability/motion control.  It made sense and I did it.  A few weeks ago the doctor also gave me a prescription of prednisone, which I took.  I ran somewhere between 25-30 miles with this new combination of orthotics and stability/motion control shoes.  With the exception of the last 5.5 miles that I ran, I was taking the prednisone, which was numbing the pain.  I was already being tentative while I was running because of the Achilles tendonitis, which is more pronounced (and more painful) in my right leg.  Seemingly, as a result, I was putting more pressure on my left leg and foot.

When you put your heart, soul, and mind into training and when you have a goal, it really throws you when someone who doesn’t really know you tells you that you won’t be accomplishing what you set out to do.  Frankly, I was downright pissed.  It showed in my mood.  It showed in my interactions.  It showed in relation to my sleep and my pain level.  I was starting to get very nervous that I actually needed surgery now.

I pulled some strings and got into a doctor who is also a runner.  I wasn’t expecting much.  It was more to appease myself and make me feel as if I had done everything in my control.  I was wrong.

The purpose of stability/motion control shoes is to control your motion and make your gait more stable.  The purpose of orthotics is to control your motion and make your gait more stable.  Theoretically, if you use orthotics with neutral shoes it should have the same effect as using stability/motion control shoes without orthotics.  But, if you use orthotics with stability/motion control shoes then it is too much stability/motion control for your foot --- it actually hurts your foot by pushing on your outer foot and arch and putting pressure on that part of your foot. 

Remember I said there was pain on my left outer arch and foot and that it was a pain that I had never felt before?  Remember how I said that in all but my last 5.5 miles I had been taking prednisone, which was masking some of the pain?  Remember how I said that I was putting more pressure on my left leg and foot?  Is this starting to make sense?

Bottom line, I screwed up my foot with too much stability/motion control.  Luckily, I caught it early enough and didn’t keep running in the combination of orthotics and stability/motion control shoes.  Just think that if I hadn’t been so insistent in seeing a doctor who was a runner, I may have ended up with surgery that, in all likelihood, wouldn’t have helped and may have hurt my foot even more.  I was told to keep up the ice, take the pain killers for a few more days, and then it will start to get better.  I was told to try running in the motion control/stability shoes without the orthotics and then try running in the neutral shoes with the orthotics and compare them.  Under no circumstances, though, am I to run with both the orthotics and the motion control/stability shoes combination.

The doctor today gave me a lot of really amazing insight.  He said that you can tell the difference between a good running store and an average running store by the shoes that they give you.  He said that if the store brings you three models --- Asics Gel Kayano, Mizuno (model I don’t remember), and the Nikes that I have --- they are bringing you the three most expensive shoes in the store and also bringing you more stability/motion control than you likely need (especially if they know you have orthotics).  For some reason, the stability/motion control shoes are more expensive than the neutral shoes.  That comment made me appreciate Varsity Sports so much more, especially when there have been times when the staff there has talked me out of the more expensive shoes based on the reasoning that I didn’t need “that much shoe.”

The doctor also recommended that I take magnesium.  Magnesium will help with muscle recovery and timing.  Every night, during the hour before I go to sleep, I am to spend the first 20 minutes icing, the next 20 minutes soaking my feel in Rev Epsom Salt (http://www.rev-life.com/ ), and then the final 20 minutes icing.  Apparently the Rev Epsom Salt makes a product meant for athletes that has more magnesium in it than other brands, which will help work out muscle knots. 

He didn’t tell me anything that I didn’t know in terms of my Achilles issues.  I am going to be sore.  I am going to have to spend a lot of time stretching and icing.  I am going to have to take a lot of ibuprofen (although he said I should take it before my runs).  I am going to have to limit how many times per week I run.  But, if I can handle it then it won’t hurt me any more than I’m already “hurt”.  But, at the end of the appointment he asked if I loved my shoes before, the neutral ones, why had I changed because the shoes weren’t going to help with my Achilles issues in light of the bone spurs?  I didn’t have a good answer.

What a lot of this comes down to is the need to trust yourself and your senses.  My feet weren’t really hurting me.  It was my right Achilles, not even my left Achilles.  I saw a doctor not because of my feet, but because of my Achilles.  I should have trusted myself and asked more questions before making the change in my shoes.  Lesson learned, loud and clear.

I didn’t trust myself enough or my instincts enough, and as a result I got hurt.  I got hurt because I wasn’t able to see myself as a runner.  Instead, I was comparing myself to my impression of who a runner is and what a runner looks like.  I might not be the person in my head, but based on my mileage and what I have done in the last 11 months --- I am a runner.  I may be a runner who is trying to improve my distance and my pace, but I am a runner.

In a few weeks, God willing, I will be “back in the game”.  Bruising and minor tears will be healed by then --- injuries I brought upon myself.  I can’t wait to get "back in the game."  Until then, let's hope for a Badger win tonight.  It may be the pain killers (which I admit I took a few hours ago, so this post may not be so lucid), but I am starting to think it is possible that the Final Four may be four Big Ten Teams --- maybe even a Wisconsin v. Michigan showdown.  Now that would get me excited.......