Setting Goals

I am in a goal-setting, life-exploring, ready-for-change mode. One area that has been a big struggle for me is my weight. I used to look good. I look back at pictures from college and wonder what happened to me--how I let this happen. I realize that a lot has happened and I can't beat myself up about it...but it is hard. So...I am working on it. And a big part of that is setting goals. My goals are related to both my weight and athletic performance. So....drum roll please....

1) I will weigh 145 pounds and

2) I will complete an Ironman

That's it :)

Which events?

So now that my legs are cooperating, I need to decide what events I want to train for this year. I still really want to do a marathon, but am scared to register now because I am afraid that I will jinx my legs. I would also like to do at least one triathlon...maybe Seafair sprint. A friend of mine is going to do her first triathlon this year, so I said I would do that event. What else? I want this to be an awesome year!!! Decisions, decisions, decisions...

First Track Workout

Last year I decided to join a triathlon group and get some help with my running...well, my shins did not cooperate, so I didn't get to do as much as a wanted. Now, post-surgery, I am joining up with the group again. Tonight was the first track workout of the year for TNMultisports and I was so happy to be there! It was a great turnout...the team is big! I was a slow as molasses, but I was there, and my shins DID NOT hurt! I can't tell you how excited I am! I was nervous when I started knowing that I would be really slow and scared that the pain would be back...but I talked myself out of that and tried to relax. So, about 3 miles tonight (1 jogging at a snail's pace and 2 walking) in the books. Yay!

Thanks Teresa for hanging in there with me and my injuries and a HUGE thanks to Dr. Brian Perry who took my pain seriously and kept at it until we found out what was going on. Jogging without pain is a new experience--one that I could definitely get used to!

Here's to an athletic 2010!!

My New Toy...

...I mean training tool :)

Can't wait to give this bad boy a try!! This is a Garmin Forerunner 310xt Mutli-Sport Training Device with Heart Rate Monitor.

Chronic Compartment Syndrome

So, it's official. I have Chronic Compartment Syndrome (CCS). Here's the Reader's Digest version (and as an aside, did you know that Reader's Digest just filed for bankruptcy...I guess old people aren't reading magazines anymore!): Your leg muscles have 4 compartments. Those compartments are surrounded by connective tissue called fascia. When you exercise, your muscles swell. Normally, the fascia is sufficient in size to accommodate this swelling and all is good. With compartment syndrome, the fascia cannot support the swelling and pressure builds up...causing lots of pain.

My case seems like a pretty text-book example of CCS, which makes it a bit frustrating that it too so long to diagnose.

Basically, within about 5 minutes of doing any repetitive, jarring active (like running or playing basketball), my shins start to hurt like crazy. The pain is pretty intense, though I tried to just work through it, but it just seemed to get worse and less bearable. And with that type of pain, the mind just screams to stop since something is definitely not "right."

I first had this issue when I was a teenager playing basketball. I would hurt like crazy during long drills and especially during games. During games I would rest during half-time and then would feel quite a bit better and have less pain during the second half (now I know that the pressure was able to go down during half-time). I'd hurt by the end of the game, but withing half an hour or so, the pain would be gone and I would be on my post-game high and not think much about it. Plus I was a teenager and as we all know, teenagers can be pretty stupid.

After high school I basically didn't do anything that caused this kind of pain. I did play basketball some, but just pick-up games in the neighborhood. So my guess is that the intensity was lower and the pressure didn't have a chance to build up so much.

Fast forward to 2006 when I decided that I wanted to do a triathlon. Running hurt, but I really just assumed that it was because I was new to running and overweight, etc. I didn't do a lot of run training because it hurt so much and ended up walking during most of the "run" portions of my two triathlons. In December 2006, I ran a 5k and was nearly in tears by the end. My shins hurt so much that I could hardly walk by the end. But, the pain stopped shortly after the race. I decided to see my doctor, so went to a doctor recommended by my primary care doctor. He was supposedly a sports medicine doctor who treated a lot of athletes from SU. He thought that I had a stress injury to the shin, caused by over training and lack of calcium. He told me to take extra calcium, rest for a couple of months, and then start back slowly. It sounded reasonable, so I took extra calcium and didn't run.

In fact, I really didn't run for about 2 years. I figured if a couple of months rest was good, a couple of years would be better :)

But, when I started trying to run, the pain came right back. Thankfully my running coach referred me to a real sports medicine doctor (Thanks Teresa!!) and I started working with him to figure out what was going on. This was around Feb. 2009. The first thing he did was send me for an MRI. It really didn't show anything. So we tried a bunch of things: massage, acupuncture, injections, really smelly Chinese plasters, long ice baths, etc. Nothing worked. Then while he was at a conference, it hit him, Compartment Syndrome. He sent me to a physical therapist to make sure that it wasn't may gait or something. The PT also thought CCS. So, off to a specialist I went.

The specialist is conservative in her diagnosis of CCS and wants to rule out every other possibility before doing the pressure test because the test is expensive and painful. I had already had an MRI, so that was done. She sent me for nerve studies and also an xray of my low back. Nerve studies were negative, but I have a degenerative disc at L5S1 in my low back, so she wanted to rule that out as the cause. She did give me the option of going ahead with the pressure test right then. In retrospect I wish that I would have, since I would probably be into my recovery right now. But, she really didn't recommend getting the test at that point, yada yada yada.

Off to PT I went. She sent me to the "best" PT and told him to give me 150%. He worked really aggressively on my back for a month with no change. So, not the back.

Finally I had my pressure test and sure enough, compartment syndrome. Good news is that we have a diagnosis. Bad news is that the treatment is surgery. At this point I am so ready to be "fixed" that I am excited about it :). I see the surgeon next week and will hopefully have the surgery soon after. Since I am not working, the timing works out pretty well for recovery, etc. So, let's just get this over with!!

Bummed and Shin Update

I just cancelled my registration for the Rock-n-Roll Marathon.  I have known for a long time that I wouldn't be able to do it because of my shins, but for some reason have put off officially canceling.  I am disappointed.  And the disappointment is generally directed at myself--but I know that it shouldn't be.  I cannot run with my shins this way.  It is just hard.  I want to do it darn it!

But...the good news is that we may have an answer for the shins--Chronic Compartment Syndrome.  Basically the muscles in the shins swell with exercise and the fascia that surrounds the compartment is too small to accommodate the swelling. So, the muscles push on nerves and cause lots of pain.  I went to a specialist and she wanted to rule over thing else out before doing the "official" test for compartment syndrome (since it is painful).  The ruling out has been done, so the only thing left is the painful testing.  I have the test on July 23rd.  I wish that I could have it earlier but the specialist is going to be out of the country serving as the team doctor for some summer games in Belgrade.  

The testing sounds pretty uncomfortable.  Needles are put in the shins to measure pressure.  The doctor tests at rest and then will have me run to make my shins hurt and test again. Sounds fun huh?  Apparently the test is painful, which is why the doctor likes to rule out everything before doing it.  She said that since she is so thorough in the ruling out procedure that she has only had 2 patients that were tested for compartment syndrome and did not have it.  So...changes are, I have compartment syndrome.

The good news is that it is treatable.  The bad news is that the treatment is surgery.  It seems like a relatively simple procedure, so at least that is good.  I assume that I will have the surgery as soon as I can after the diagnosis so that I can get on with training!  Whewww....frustrating!!

Lessons for Today

Lesson #1: If you are going to work out for 2 hours, eat more than a 90 calorie piece of toast for breakfast

Man, I wanted to sleep in this morning. But, I had a session with my trainer and if I missed it, I would still have to pay...so I got up at 5:30 a.m. The latest possible time I could get up and still make it to my 6:00 a.m. session (okay, so I was a little late). Ran around the house to find clothes for work and the gym (of course, I know that I COULD pack my bag the night before, but for some reason I can never actually seem to do this--I don't know. It was save me a lot of grief. Especially on those days when my attempt to get an entire outfit into my bag fail--and that happens more often that I would like to admit). I make a piece of toast (yummy cinnamon raisin kind) and run out the door.

The workout is good. I didn't whine that much and there wasn't too much eye rolling this morning :) All signs of success!

So, after an hour with Scott the trainer, I hop into my car and head out to the gym (Scott is training me at this little gym that doesn't have good cardio equipment). I get there and start my workout around 7:30--an hour on the elliptical. At first I am feeling good, rocking through the "hills" and watching random TV. Then, my legs decide that they just want to stop. This was probably around the 25 minute mark. I convinced myself that it was just because I was on a particularly big "hill", but no, that wasn't it. The little ones were hard too. I kept pushing, but noticed that I was slower and the time seemed to be dragging on and on and on. I thought that the last 15 minutes would never end. And then the cool down. And stretching. By the time I hit the shower it was nearing 9:00 a.m, so a good 3 hours since my 90 calorie piece of toast. Then it hit me...90 calories of fuel does not equal 2 hours of output. Duh!

That leads to lesson number 2: Recovery is imperative (especially if you fail lesson #1 above). After a typical gym workout I have a routine. Hit the locker room and chug about half a bottle of this drink mix that has a good mix of carbs and protein to help my body recover from what I just did to it. I shower, and then drink the rest. If I am doing long sessions of strength and cardio, I will sometimes drink something between them, to keep the body going. Well, today, I didn't even think about my recovery drink. I am blaming it on the effects of #1.

So, I am crashing right now as I type. I need a nap. But it is 10:00 a.m., so no naps for me. I get to work instead! Hopefully my post post-workout attempts at fuel will help and I will be somewhat awake before too long. If not, at least it's Friday!

My shins are annoying

The shin pain won't go away so I went to see a doctor that my coach recommended. We decided that I should get an MRI to rule out a stress fracture and too see if it can shed some light on what is happening with me. For now that means no running/walking, so this weekend I am swimming and spending some time on my bike. I am frustrated with my body, but trying to stay positive. I had the MRI this morning--it is hard to stay still for an hour!--and will hopefully get the results early next week and then we can decide on the route to go. I hope that it is something that can be fixed and not some funky thing causing my legs to be defective!

Track Workout

Track Workout tonight.  I am on a modified schedule because of my shins.  Let me just say, some of these people I run with are amazing!  I can't even tell you how many times I was lapped but you know, it didn't bother me tonight.  I was out there doing what I can given the situation and I know that it is going to improve.  I ended up doing part run, part walk and did a total of 3 miles.  I think that my shins hurt a little less than on Saturday's run, so that's something!  

You know, the crazy thing is that I enjoyed the workout tonight, even though I was hurting and on my modified schedule.  Now that is a good thing :)

I'm giving myself  a gold star for the day!

Marathon, marathon, marathon

I have a feeling that marathon is going to be the subject of a lot of my blog postings over the next 6 months. I thought about starting a separate, marathon-specific blog, but that is too much work.  I already have 2 blogs (this one and one that is more focused on CF), and I just don't want to add another one.  So...I guess I am breaking the cardinal rule of blogging by not having a defined and specific focus.  Except that this is all about me and the things that I like, including my creative pursuits and my marathon training!

So...I finished another book on marathon training today.  It was really good and funny. It is called The Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women by Dawn Dais.  I loved it.  Dais decided to run a marathon to raise money for stroke research in honor of her grandfather.  She documents the journey with much humor.  It is a good reminder to not take yourself too seriously!

I also found a training group/coach, which is going to be very helpful for me I think. I need the extra push and accountability.  

Then, I had dinner with my good friend Dana (who is training for her first Ironman in August).  We are so similar it is not even funny!  We even have the exact same gym bag, with the same plastic thingy that held the price tag hanging from the zipper after years :)  She is going to be one of my key cheerleaders during the process and I am going to do that for her as much as I can.  It is so important to have cheerleaders in life--and especially in training for events.  I left dinner with her feeling excited about the training.  

Marathon Training

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.--Lao-tzu.

I am not embarking on 1000 miles, but I am guessing that some time during the training it will feel like 1000 miles. I am getting ready to start my training. Right now I am in the pre-training stage and reading a bunch on running and marathons, looking into running programs, teams, and coaches, and letting the enormity of it sink in. My immediate goals are to start building my running "base" and setting up my training program. First steps.

PT Update

I went to my physical therapy re-evaluation today, hoping to be "graduated" from PT. Things are looking pretty good, but I still have relative weakness in my left anterior hip and also some reduced flexibility in that area. Everything else looks "rock solid" so that is the plus side. The down side is that I have to continue with PT for another month. It isn't too bad, but I would really love to be deemed "healed." I am itching to start training for something, but I am a bit scared to re-injure myself.

I am considering starting to play basketball again--but my schedule is a bit to crazy for that right now. I want to do at least one triathlon next year and there is a marathon on my big "List," so I want to start thinking about when I am going to plan that!

For right now, I must keep it simple and keep plugging along with the gym, boot camp, and working out with my trainer. I am taking a flip-turns swimming clinic this weekend too (the hope is that mastering the flip-turn again will help me find my swimming rhythm!).