Went to the doctor at 10:30 this morning.
This appointment took them 45 minutes to get me in to see the doctor and another hour and fifteen mintutes to give me a prognosis:
He said running is done for 4-6 weeks-this includes soccer and anything that causes my knee pain.
He said it was likely a meniscus tear.
He said it was likely from soccer.
He said I am having an MRI this week.
He said I am not allowed to run the half or even the full mary.
He said...
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Knee report--On the Shelf: Running
So much for running..indefinitely.
Saturday morning woke up at 6:30 for my 20 mi run. Ate a nice meal of multigrain oatmeal, got all of my running nutritional needs together, charged my ipod, did morning yoga & a 7 minute yoga specifically designed for running and put on my brand new shoes (I got them right before the Air Force Half Mary and they have yet to finish a run with me...you cannot call it a run if you walked most of it).
I headed out at 7:30 am for a clear, fairly chilly morning that I knew would turn into a fairly warm day. Even out that early cars were filling the parking spots and tons of people were already headed out for their long run or walk on such a beautiful day. I felt so energetic and was anxious to get in my first ever 20 mi day, I made sure to leave before Paul so that we could finish up around the same time (cause he is amazingly fast compared to me). Turned my ipod on to some RZA and headed out.
I felt soooooo good, my energy levels were high (probably because I took a full week off of my knee and my carbohydrate stores were replenished) and I was cruising through the first mile with a vigor that I had not felt in awhile. First mile had to be around 9 minutes, judging on how many songs passed. Suddenly, with just one step my knee twinged like never before and every subsequent step after was filled with a sharp shooting pain along the medial side towards the center of the knee joint. I knew I was done, I could barely put the weight of my body on it while walking. I solemnly walked toward the end of Sand Run knowing that Paul would pass by in the car soon to stash his water bottles. On the way I ran into my father, who walked with me until I was able to flag Paul down. He tried to cheer my obvious disappointment of the situation but I was on the verge of tears; the pain of my knee and frustration were too much at that moment.
I was definitely heart broken, my training has taken a complete stand still...at least until I know what is going on with knee. Sunday I tried to run the Nat 5K as I was already pre-registered, only to find that my knee only allowed about 1 mi of running before going out again.
This situation is frustrating as this is the second time that I have been training for a marathon that I have had to cease training. Once in the spring and now in the fall and I really wanted to get my first marathon in before the end of this year. I realize that I know nothing yet, at least what is going on with my knee but I am fearful that this may be the end of my season...and I am not ready for that yet. At the same time I have to mentally prepare myself to know that I may not be able to run the full Columbus, that this may not heal in time.
So what is the plan? Try to get into a sport med doc before my Akron half mary this weekend (of course I already paid for this one too). Then, well, I guess move forward. I am going to swim this week, already planned that for tomorrow and Thursday and we will see what the week brings me.
I need some good juju sent this way and hopefully everything will work out. I will keep everyone updated.
Saturday morning woke up at 6:30 for my 20 mi run. Ate a nice meal of multigrain oatmeal, got all of my running nutritional needs together, charged my ipod, did morning yoga & a 7 minute yoga specifically designed for running and put on my brand new shoes (I got them right before the Air Force Half Mary and they have yet to finish a run with me...you cannot call it a run if you walked most of it).
I headed out at 7:30 am for a clear, fairly chilly morning that I knew would turn into a fairly warm day. Even out that early cars were filling the parking spots and tons of people were already headed out for their long run or walk on such a beautiful day. I felt so energetic and was anxious to get in my first ever 20 mi day, I made sure to leave before Paul so that we could finish up around the same time (cause he is amazingly fast compared to me). Turned my ipod on to some RZA and headed out.
I felt soooooo good, my energy levels were high (probably because I took a full week off of my knee and my carbohydrate stores were replenished) and I was cruising through the first mile with a vigor that I had not felt in awhile. First mile had to be around 9 minutes, judging on how many songs passed. Suddenly, with just one step my knee twinged like never before and every subsequent step after was filled with a sharp shooting pain along the medial side towards the center of the knee joint. I knew I was done, I could barely put the weight of my body on it while walking. I solemnly walked toward the end of Sand Run knowing that Paul would pass by in the car soon to stash his water bottles. On the way I ran into my father, who walked with me until I was able to flag Paul down. He tried to cheer my obvious disappointment of the situation but I was on the verge of tears; the pain of my knee and frustration were too much at that moment.
I was definitely heart broken, my training has taken a complete stand still...at least until I know what is going on with knee. Sunday I tried to run the Nat 5K as I was already pre-registered, only to find that my knee only allowed about 1 mi of running before going out again.
This situation is frustrating as this is the second time that I have been training for a marathon that I have had to cease training. Once in the spring and now in the fall and I really wanted to get my first marathon in before the end of this year. I realize that I know nothing yet, at least what is going on with my knee but I am fearful that this may be the end of my season...and I am not ready for that yet. At the same time I have to mentally prepare myself to know that I may not be able to run the full Columbus, that this may not heal in time.
So what is the plan? Try to get into a sport med doc before my Akron half mary this weekend (of course I already paid for this one too). Then, well, I guess move forward. I am going to swim this week, already planned that for tomorrow and Thursday and we will see what the week brings me.
I need some good juju sent this way and hopefully everything will work out. I will keep everyone updated.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Training (September 15th-21st)
Training
- Saturday September 15th: Air Force Half Marathon
- Sunday September 16th: off
- Monday September 17th: climbed 30 min
- Tuesday September 18th: off
- Wednesday September 19th: Walked 5 mi
- Thursday September 20th: 1 hour Yoga, Walked 3 mi, Climbed 30 min
- Friday September 21st: 15 min cycle ergometer sub-max test, off
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Frustration
Knee still hurts, feeling a little worried about upcoming races. Today's 5 mi run turned into a 5 mi walk. I have a 20 mi run tommorow...is it going to happen???? I have already taken 4 days off of running, I know that seems like very little but doesn't anyone remember the saying
"Two weeks to get in shape and two days to get out of shape"
All I have to say is why now?
"Two weeks to get in shape and two days to get out of shape"
All I have to say is why now?
Monday, September 17, 2007
Air Force Marathon
After a late start on Friday, my father, mother, and I managed to make it in time to pick up our packets at the Air Force Half Marathon. It was seemingly a trip through memory lane. The reason I really wanted to participate in this marathon event was largely due to the fact that my father was a fighter pilot for many years. He retired after many years of duty, but that part of his life and really our whole families lives was never forgotten. Military life was something that we all truly loved; the travel, the planes, the family, it was all part of us. Plus it was really cool to have a father who flew F-15 s at the speed of sound.
We have been away from a military life style now for over 12 years and my father, I believe, has stayed away because he missed it. That being said, a crisp, perfectly clear Saturday morning we headed to Wright Patterson AFB to begin our half marathon. We were greeted by a lone F-15 playing in the sky and it sparked so many stories of my fathers time flying that I felt for a moment that we were back, ready to watch my father take off...I am sure he remembers how to fly.
It was a perfect day for a run. The crisp autumnal air was brisk, but exactly the temperature that you want to run in. The half marathon began at 8:15 with 2000 participants, and we started with a 1000 ft gain in elevation in the first mile. My first mile was 9:30, my second was 9:30, my third mile was 9:45, 4th was 9:45, my fifth was 11:25...oh yeah on a hill coming down my knee began to ache. Dang. I knew that the med tent was coming up, so I made myself slow jog until I found it. A woman quickly wrapped it and I began to limp my way through...she tied the wrap way too lose, so mile 6 16:00. I was getting discouraged, why now on this perfect day for running is my knee hurting so bad. I walked/ran to the next med tent to get the wrap fixed a little tighter and the man there sure wrapped it up. In fact after limping for a half of mile I found that my foot was becoming numb and my muscles behind my knee were feeling tight. So I completely undid the wrap and limped two miles to the next med tent. I felt similar to Goldilocks as this woman wrapped it just right, but my knee would not allow me to run anymore. Thank goodness the field was large enough that I was able to walk the rest of the race and finish. There were tons of walkers, so this made me very comfortable with my decision. Why permanently injure this knee when I have the choice to finish with my limp/walk. My splits were around 20 minutes for the last few miles, I couldn't even walk fast with my knee the way it was. I did stop to stare at the dozens of plane fly bys along the way, why not, I was not making any PR anyway.
Unfortunately, my father and father-in-law were alarmed when I did not show up at my usual pace and they were in a tizzy when I showed up at 3 hours. It all worked out in the end. My father had the best run of the season, and that made my knee injury take a shelf. I was here for him and the reminiscing that occurred made everything worth while. I am sure we will participate in this race every year now, it was a good race, albeit injury.
Hopefully my knee will start to feel better after some time off. I did not play soccer yesterday and I am not going to run or bike until at least Wed. and that will be a short run, just to get the knee ready. Somehow I was deleted from the Buckeye Half Stats (like I did not even run) and this weeks run was crappy. I have the Akron Half Marathon and the Columbus Full to still look forward to, just hope that my knee holds up. So far this running season has been full of disappointments, but I cannot do anything about it now.
Just keep running, running, running...
We have been away from a military life style now for over 12 years and my father, I believe, has stayed away because he missed it. That being said, a crisp, perfectly clear Saturday morning we headed to Wright Patterson AFB to begin our half marathon. We were greeted by a lone F-15 playing in the sky and it sparked so many stories of my fathers time flying that I felt for a moment that we were back, ready to watch my father take off...I am sure he remembers how to fly.
It was a perfect day for a run. The crisp autumnal air was brisk, but exactly the temperature that you want to run in. The half marathon began at 8:15 with 2000 participants, and we started with a 1000 ft gain in elevation in the first mile. My first mile was 9:30, my second was 9:30, my third mile was 9:45, 4th was 9:45, my fifth was 11:25...oh yeah on a hill coming down my knee began to ache. Dang. I knew that the med tent was coming up, so I made myself slow jog until I found it. A woman quickly wrapped it and I began to limp my way through...she tied the wrap way too lose, so mile 6 16:00. I was getting discouraged, why now on this perfect day for running is my knee hurting so bad. I walked/ran to the next med tent to get the wrap fixed a little tighter and the man there sure wrapped it up. In fact after limping for a half of mile I found that my foot was becoming numb and my muscles behind my knee were feeling tight. So I completely undid the wrap and limped two miles to the next med tent. I felt similar to Goldilocks as this woman wrapped it just right, but my knee would not allow me to run anymore. Thank goodness the field was large enough that I was able to walk the rest of the race and finish. There were tons of walkers, so this made me very comfortable with my decision. Why permanently injure this knee when I have the choice to finish with my limp/walk. My splits were around 20 minutes for the last few miles, I couldn't even walk fast with my knee the way it was. I did stop to stare at the dozens of plane fly bys along the way, why not, I was not making any PR anyway.
Unfortunately, my father and father-in-law were alarmed when I did not show up at my usual pace and they were in a tizzy when I showed up at 3 hours. It all worked out in the end. My father had the best run of the season, and that made my knee injury take a shelf. I was here for him and the reminiscing that occurred made everything worth while. I am sure we will participate in this race every year now, it was a good race, albeit injury.
Hopefully my knee will start to feel better after some time off. I did not play soccer yesterday and I am not going to run or bike until at least Wed. and that will be a short run, just to get the knee ready. Somehow I was deleted from the Buckeye Half Stats (like I did not even run) and this weeks run was crappy. I have the Akron Half Marathon and the Columbus Full to still look forward to, just hope that my knee holds up. So far this running season has been full of disappointments, but I cannot do anything about it now.
Just keep running, running, running...
Friday, September 14, 2007
Training (September 8th- September 14th)
Training:
My knee is hurting a bit, I think from all the running plus a long soccer game on Sunday. Hopefully this weekend at the Air Force Half Mary I will be feeling good.
- Saturday Sept 8th: 9 mi Potato Stomp Race
- Sunday Sept 9th: Buckeye Half Marathon & soccer 45 min
- Monday Sept 10th: Climbed 1 hr
- Tuesday Sept 11th: off
- Wednesday Sept 12th: 9 mi run
- Thursday Sept 13th: off
- Friday Sept 14th: off
My knee is hurting a bit, I think from all the running plus a long soccer game on Sunday. Hopefully this weekend at the Air Force Half Mary I will be feeling good.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Carpe Diem
Cliche, maybe. But at the same time there is a reason that for the term. As we all know life is short and at any moment, scope, or time I could be gone.
I guess I always, in theory, understood that life would end but at the same time I didn't. It became a reality when my father was diagnosed with CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) about a year and a half ago and the naive belief that life was forever, just wasn't anymore. Since then I have felt that not only should I start hitting those lifetime goals but participating in life with all the vigor and gusto that it deserves. If I am on this earth for only one lifetime, then I should really involve myself in life itself. So I began to really carpe diem; which, ironically now includes running.
I was talking to a girl on my soccer team, Sharon, yesterday about why I run. I was never the runner...still not really. I hated it even. So why run now? My father was always a runner. Many times as a young'n he would ask me to join him, but usually with the answer no. After I hiked the Appalachian trail, my father was so inspired by my sister and I's journey that he decided to hit a lifetime goal of his, to run a marathon. He chose the inagural year of the Akron Marathon and I was there cheering him on. I was so inspired that he could even try something that seemed so hard and finish it as well, the thought still gives a little jump to my heart. He managed to finish three marathons since then and numerous runs. Ironically, after his Leukemia diagnosis, we realized that he had already had the disease during that first marathon and all the runs after...and yet he still managed to do them.
I must say that I run because of my father. As of right now he is still in good health and running. This weekend my father and I completed the 9 mile Potato Stomp on Saturday and the Buckeye Half Marathon on Sunday. If a 57 year old man with Leukemia can run that much then I have hope for myself and my future. My father really participates in life...to the fullest and he inspires me daily.
I guess I always, in theory, understood that life would end but at the same time I didn't. It became a reality when my father was diagnosed with CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) about a year and a half ago and the naive belief that life was forever, just wasn't anymore. Since then I have felt that not only should I start hitting those lifetime goals but participating in life with all the vigor and gusto that it deserves. If I am on this earth for only one lifetime, then I should really involve myself in life itself. So I began to really carpe diem; which, ironically now includes running.
I was talking to a girl on my soccer team, Sharon, yesterday about why I run. I was never the runner...still not really. I hated it even. So why run now? My father was always a runner. Many times as a young'n he would ask me to join him, but usually with the answer no. After I hiked the Appalachian trail, my father was so inspired by my sister and I's journey that he decided to hit a lifetime goal of his, to run a marathon. He chose the inagural year of the Akron Marathon and I was there cheering him on. I was so inspired that he could even try something that seemed so hard and finish it as well, the thought still gives a little jump to my heart. He managed to finish three marathons since then and numerous runs. Ironically, after his Leukemia diagnosis, we realized that he had already had the disease during that first marathon and all the runs after...and yet he still managed to do them.
I must say that I run because of my father. As of right now he is still in good health and running. This weekend my father and I completed the 9 mile Potato Stomp on Saturday and the Buckeye Half Marathon on Sunday. If a 57 year old man with Leukemia can run that much then I have hope for myself and my future. My father really participates in life...to the fullest and he inspires me daily.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Training
Training (Sept 1st- Sept 7th)
- Sat Sept 1st: 16 mi run
- Sun Sept 2nd: 30 mi bike
- Mon Sept 3rd: 5 Mi Labor of Love Run
- Tues: off
- Wed: slow 3 mi run
- Thurs: 19 mi bike Climbed 30 min
- Fri: off
I need to start swimming, probably Monday mornings at the Rec...I miss open water swims already.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Anxious Patience
Antsy Pants.
Good description for me today. Paul woke me up at 6:30 am with a phone call from the Long Trail. It was the first time I have gotten to speak to him since he left and it made such a difference on how I was handling him being gone. It is almost as if not talking to him would be easier, out of sight-out of mind. Once again I miss Paul, but it is the missed hiking experiences that are really driving me nuts. To me, it is as if I cannot sit here going about "normal" life when I know there are mountains to climb...calling me with their feelings of calm simplicity, all the while I am going about my "norm".
So after class this morning I peddled for 19 mi hoping that some exercise would calm my antsy feeling. Unlikely, getting to see trees and hills just reminded me what I am missing. I am counting down the days until I graduate because this girl is going for a hike, whether two weeks or a month (or two). Slickrock lives, hidden, but she is there.
Good description for me today. Paul woke me up at 6:30 am with a phone call from the Long Trail. It was the first time I have gotten to speak to him since he left and it made such a difference on how I was handling him being gone. It is almost as if not talking to him would be easier, out of sight-out of mind. Once again I miss Paul, but it is the missed hiking experiences that are really driving me nuts. To me, it is as if I cannot sit here going about "normal" life when I know there are mountains to climb...calling me with their feelings of calm simplicity, all the while I am going about my "norm".
So after class this morning I peddled for 19 mi hoping that some exercise would calm my antsy feeling. Unlikely, getting to see trees and hills just reminded me what I am missing. I am counting down the days until I graduate because this girl is going for a hike, whether two weeks or a month (or two). Slickrock lives, hidden, but she is there.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Laboring Through
Labor Day...another holiday excuse to run a race. This year and last I decided upon the Labor of Love 5 miler as my run choice. It is close to home, a little more of a distance than a 5K, and the proceeds benefit Akron Pregnancy Services. I am trying to incorporate more runs that actually fund raise for charity.
This weekend on Saturday I did a 16 mi run long run and on Sunday I chose to bike 19 mi with Brandon and 10 mi with my mother later on that evening. I tried hard to eat the needed carbs to get myself set for the 5 miler, which in my head was going to be an easy run...I had already run 16 mi this weekend, what is 5 miles. Wrong. I made some bad choices in recovery and I paid for it during the race.
Monday was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky and the type of day we live for here in the northeast. I felt a little tired when the alarm went off at 6:30 am but I made myself get up to eat breakfast with enough time to digest it before the run. Soy milk and cereal is the new breakfast of choice, I am trying to eliminate dairy before any big events to see if my stomach likes me a little more. After breakfast a slow 20 minute morning yoga DVD was the key to stretching after my run & spins this weekend.
Pre-race I tried to jog slowly for 10 minutes, I could feel stiffness in my calf but I figured it would release some after a warm up but it still was tight when I began the race. The first two miles of the run were splits of 8:33 and 8:46 (which is good for me) and then at about mile 2.25 on a fairly steep uphill through Akron University, my calf began to cramp. I just kept thinking "You have got to be kidding me. " I had to walk for a couple minutes, massaging my calf as I went. Mile 3 split 11:43 (ouch). I began to slowly jog again, but my calf felt like it had a softball sitting in it, unfortunately this slowed my last to splits to 10:09 and 10:40, and I finished in 49:51, 3 minutes slower than last year and my worst run since the beginning of training this spring.
I watch a lot of really good runners run race after race, long run after long run, without that much trouble. It seems though, that my body needs a little more recovery time than I might like to believe, but at least I found this out on a short run instead of the upcoming half marathons that I am doing and especially for my marathon in October. I have to be smarter about allowing myself the time to heal before any race.
Lesson Learned.
This weekend is a the 9 mile potato stomp on Saturday and the Buckeye Half on Sunday.... and I am only allowing myself a 3 mi run on Wed and a short spin on Thurs. Today I rest. I need it.
This weekend on Saturday I did a 16 mi run long run and on Sunday I chose to bike 19 mi with Brandon and 10 mi with my mother later on that evening. I tried hard to eat the needed carbs to get myself set for the 5 miler, which in my head was going to be an easy run...I had already run 16 mi this weekend, what is 5 miles. Wrong. I made some bad choices in recovery and I paid for it during the race.
Monday was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky and the type of day we live for here in the northeast. I felt a little tired when the alarm went off at 6:30 am but I made myself get up to eat breakfast with enough time to digest it before the run. Soy milk and cereal is the new breakfast of choice, I am trying to eliminate dairy before any big events to see if my stomach likes me a little more. After breakfast a slow 20 minute morning yoga DVD was the key to stretching after my run & spins this weekend.
Pre-race I tried to jog slowly for 10 minutes, I could feel stiffness in my calf but I figured it would release some after a warm up but it still was tight when I began the race. The first two miles of the run were splits of 8:33 and 8:46 (which is good for me) and then at about mile 2.25 on a fairly steep uphill through Akron University, my calf began to cramp. I just kept thinking "You have got to be kidding me. " I had to walk for a couple minutes, massaging my calf as I went. Mile 3 split 11:43 (ouch). I began to slowly jog again, but my calf felt like it had a softball sitting in it, unfortunately this slowed my last to splits to 10:09 and 10:40, and I finished in 49:51, 3 minutes slower than last year and my worst run since the beginning of training this spring.
I watch a lot of really good runners run race after race, long run after long run, without that much trouble. It seems though, that my body needs a little more recovery time than I might like to believe, but at least I found this out on a short run instead of the upcoming half marathons that I am doing and especially for my marathon in October. I have to be smarter about allowing myself the time to heal before any race.
Lesson Learned.
This weekend is a the 9 mile potato stomp on Saturday and the Buckeye Half on Sunday.... and I am only allowing myself a 3 mi run on Wed and a short spin on Thurs. Today I rest. I need it.
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