My left hip still has a very dull, deep pain but not as bad as it was yesterday or Wed night. I did not run last night and I didn't even cross train. When I do absolutely nothing, the guilt does get to me. Last Fall, I battled shin splints and it worked on me mentally. I basically told myself then to just try to get through the marathons the best that I could and I did but barely getting in under 5 hrs is not good enough for me. Chickamauga in November was basically just a training run for me. I got it in just a mere seconds under 5 hrs with my left shin wrapped in an ace bandage. The course was not entirely flat and I hated the way the roads would curve to one side for a minute and then to the opposite side and then back again. It's hard to explain unless you've been to the Chickamauga battlefield, walked the roads, etc... BEAUTIFUL area, but not my cup of tea for a marathon. I was only doing it for motivation and to get in a long training run so no big deal.
Exactly a month later in Huntsville, the shin pain had not totally gone away, I ran just a few minutes under 5 hrs. My worst Rocket City time ever and I was mad at myself. I told myself that I'd never run again injured and here I am one year later and I'm freaking out over this hip pain that has reared it's ugly head in the last week.
For the record, my shin pain gradually came on sometime in the fall last year and it did NOT completely go away until late Jan/early Feb. By that time, I had totally changed shoes and I was getting fired up about more races. I basically ran through the pain, aqua jogging when I could get into the pool, and riding the ellpitical trainer. What caused this shin pain? I deducted that I was running in motion control shoes, which I no longer needed (Plus running every weekend at Tim's Ford was not a good thing). I had battled plantar fascittis in the summer/fall of 2004. My PF had been long gone and truth be known, I really needed to get reevaluated. I had bought shoes at the Huntsville FF and in Brentwood but nobody ever offered to let me try a different shoe. I didn't know any better. I figured I was doomed to motion control shoes FOREVER. Lesson learned the hard way.
Christi, at the Brentwood FF, put me in stability shoes, the Saucony Omni's & Brooks Adrenalines. The shin pain was all but gone by early Feb '07 and I was HAPPY again! Now here I am with a totally different pain. I'm running in Adrenalines, Omni's, and the Trance now. The Trance is very much like the Adrenalines so I'm about 99.9% sure it's not my shoes this time. I did wear them this past Sat out at the Lake and I do remember jarring myself and losing my footing in an area that Carla fell down at last fall but I was ok. We all lose our footing and then regain it at some point in our runs sometimes. My middle name is definitely NOT "Grace". So, who knows...maybe that little jolt to my stride did cause this but I was already having a miserable run out there at that point anyway with my concrete calves but I had not started walking any at that point. I was maybe 3-4 miles into the run and I felt like my body was trying to loosen up.
As I ramble on about this obsessing over something that may only last a few days, I realize that for the sake of my sanity, I need to make an appointment with a sports med doc. I have an appointment with Dr. Stevens in Tullahoma next Thursday. The pain may be totally gone by then or it may be worse but you can bet, I will definitely test it out before next Thursday. I was told by a runner/doctor who frequents the nashvillestriders message board that it could be something called, trochanteric bursitis. Dr. Trent Rosenbloom is always so happy to offer advice on everything. He even went as far as saying that an orthapoedist could inject meds into the bursa to help the healing but I hope to avoid that with rest, ibuprophen, ice, massage therapy, and cross training. If there's still pain there next Thursday, hopefully, Dr. Stevens, will have something to offer....we shall see.
Running is not the "end all, be all, meaning of life for me" sort of thing but it sure makes my life easier when I can do it. I will never forget my roller blading, broken wrist incident of 2003. My whole attitude changed when I was sidelined. My personal life was a mess but "He's gone now" and I'm a much better person for not being with "that person". ha!
At one point, I even ran a few miles on a treadmill at DW Wilson with 4 screws coming out of my wrist. I think I freaked everyone out because one fall could have set back my healing wrist for a very long time but I had to do it for my sanity. 5.5 weeks later when those screws came out, I could NOT wait to get back into running shape! I wanted to "race". Even though I had already raced in a couple of races before the roller blading accident, I REALLY wanted to train/race now. Looking back, it was something I had to do to prove something to myself.
I seriously do NOT know how people do it when they are permanently injured, paralyzed, never being able to do what they did before their accidents, etc... My heart seriously goes out to those that go through that kind of hell. It can happen to anybody. It's scary but we can't constantly live in fear of the "what ifs". We run and hope for the best. That may have to be my philosophy once again in Dec. Run and hope for the best because once again, I know I can't give my best because of my stupid luck in the fall. If for some reason, I barely get in RC under the 5 hr mark, I will swear off that marathon for a very long time. Lord knows I'm not a huge fan of the course but it's "local". It's the flattest around here that's for sure but there's always the chance there will be headwinds and it could be 18 degrees at the start one year and 30 degrees the next. I've experienced both! It's not known for it's crowd support but if that's what gets you through a marathon then you really do need to train harder and be more focused. The marathon is a journey. It's not something to take lightly and I've made that mistake a couple of times. I've completed 7 of them and not all have been pretty! :)
So, anyway........getting my eyes checked for new glasses next Wed and getting my left hip checked out next Thursday. I pray for the best on Thursday!
No comments:
Post a Comment