Ever since I got my first stress fracture, and especially now that I'm enduring my second stress fracture from running, the question remains -- How did this happen?
The obvious answers from a running standpoint are: -the case of the "toos" -- too much, too fast, too soon, and: -technique: heelstrike? midfoot strike? forefoot strike? -shoes?
The above can be explored in depth, but today I went for my DEXA bone density scan and a repeat MRI, and while the good news is that the MRI is showing good healing of my tibial stress fracture, I was kinda caught by surprise when the radiologist told me that
I HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS!!
(credit to marklansdown.com)
What? huh? osteoporosis? How can I, a 39-year old, MALE, non-alcoholic, nonsmoker, non-steroid-taking, relatively active, everyday-milk-drinking guy, have osteoporosis?
I don't know. As I sat there in the waiting room after my MRI, I googled (naturally) "causes of osteoporosis in young men," as would be the obvious thing to search in this case ... but
... as I was just skimming through the entries ...
... a more important question took over, and I searched:
"OSTEOPOROSIS RUNNING."
Yes. I could be reading about medical causes, including hormonal irregularities, like Cushing's and others, and possibly even cancer ... but, what is more important to me right now is: Can I run again?
I know that sounds silly to a nonrunner. (you might have cancer but you just want to find out if you can run again?) Running is that much of an addiction and it means that much to me.
Luckily I am finding some support that weight-bearing exercise is good for osteoporosis, but I am also finding articles warning to take caution with that. Studies have shown (at least in one article I read) that long distance running is no guarantee against osteoporosis, and even cited marathoner Bill Rodgers as an example, and that other exercise is as important to perform as well.
I just want to run again. Yes I still want to run the Goofy.
But yes I have to do this right.
I will make an appointment with my endocrinologist to figure out WHY I have osteoporosis.
In the meantime I'll take my milk, calcium, Vitamin D, and multivitamins with joy.
Well, I must admit I did create good for myself by putting my pride -- as well as my crutches -- aside for a day, and I brought my doctor-prescribed KNEE SCOOTER to work today:
For the last five weeks, I have been dragging my crutches to work, and hopped up, down, and all around at work. I do a lot of walking at work, and although it is undeniable that the knee scooter relieves a lot of stress on my good leg, not to mention my arms, armpits, shoulders, and hands from the crutches, I was resistant to using it at work.
I was stubborn.
Why? I've been through this before.
Six months ago, July 2012, we took a trip to WALT DISNEY WORLD. I was in the midst of my recovery from my first stress fracture, and by this point I had been on crutches for two months. No way am I going to trek around the parks on an electic scooter, I said. I was going to crutch around.
Well, I came to my senses and, needless to say, with the encouragement of my family and friends (and online forum advice as well), I made the right decision and rented an ECV, an electric scooter (thanks walkermobility.com).
(credit to http://mobility-scooters.findthebest.com)
I must say, that out of 20-30 trips that I have made to the World, this was easily in the top 5. Once the male, feeling-healthy, 30-something proud me got over the fact that I was injured, and stopped caring about the looks I was getting (or was it looks I *thought* I was getting), being on that electric scooter was so freeing. It was relaxing, I was relaxed, I got to enjoy the parks with my family without really slowing them down ... and if I was slow, well, hey, I finally got to really experience the parks, the atmosphere, and appreciate the little details.
I lived in the NOW.
And as a wonderful side effect, the physical rest that the scooter provided, as well as the spiritual and mental relaxation and positivity that was generated, actually helped me to heal. (It didn't hurt that I was at Walt Disney World, see my post on The Healing Power of Disney).
(credit to tradingphrases.com)
(I believe in Pixie Dust, so sue me).
So. I was resistant to using a scooter six months ago, but I got one, and realized it was a great decision. So why was I so stubborn now? Perhaps because I knew it would be at work, not vacation, and ... I don't know. Self-conscious? I can't rationalize it, because last week I was more comfortable bringing attention to myself on crutches ... but I also brought pain.
Today, on my knee scooter, I felt free. Again, once I got over the fact that people were looking at it (in amazement, perplexed perhaps, of why I was riding a "bike" to work?), well it was actually fun ... as fun as work can be anyway. Definitely a conversation piece, to be honest stopping for all the conversations about it negated the speed factor.
But in any case, the most significant part of the day was when I stepped into my car to go home. (After maneuvering the scooter somehow into my trunk, balancing precariously on one foot).
I sat in my driver's seat -- sat, not slumped -- and felt good. Not tired. Not physically tired anyway. Mind you today was a busy day at work, but I still had energy left at the end of the day.
I swallowed my pride, brushed my stubbornness and ego aside, and got something in return -- comfort, energy, efficiency, power. And no pain!
How can I translate this to life? No, that's too broad, philosophical, and profound ... how can I translate this to running?
Simply stated, Olympian (and official runDisney consultant) Jeff Galloway promotes walk breaks during running. Basically in any run-walk ratio, e.g. 4 min run, 1 min walk ratio, or 1:1, or whatever. The idea is that these short walk breaks will help you recover during running, reduce injury, and let you finish strong.
There is a lot of controversy (at least online) about Jeff Galloway's method, whether it even helps your time, or perhaps just breaks your running rhythm, and there is even some animosity among some runners towards the so-called Gallowalkers, who in some peoples' minds can not say they "ran" a marathon if they took walk breaks. Cheating, perhaps?
My view was this -- I would never look down on anyone who took walk breaks, heck, you can walk an entire marathon and in my opinion if you finished it within the specified time then yes you can say you completed a marathon. "Ran" a marathon? Not really. The thing is, part of me would not be satisfied if I personally took walk breaks. That was the thrill I got from running, from the runs, from the distance accomplished ... that feeling after a good long run and thinking, "wow, I RAN that entire distance without stopping!" That's what kept me going.
But maybe I should swallow my pride when it comes to running.
When (not IF, WHEN) I get back to running ... perhaps I should incorporate walk breaks into my running. Perhaps after a run with walk breaks I will feel just as I did when I used my electric scooter in July and when I used my knee scooter today -- perhaps I will have more energy, more comfort, more effiency, more power, less pain.
Something for me to think about.
I want to run an official half marathon, and official full marathon, and the Goofy Challenge. And yes I'll admit it, I want the medals.
But I want to earn them. I want to feel proud of them. Proud of myself.
And that's what I will work on. I must brush aside my pride and ego, or maybe even expand my ego, and really get to a point where I'm comfortable in saying, "yes, I walked part of this race, and yes I am proud I finished it."
If I'm being honest, at this exact second I'm not there yet. My goal is to RUN the Goofy challenge, nonstop.
I'm sitting down next to my pneumo-boot, crutches, cane, and scooter are downstairs, I'm injured yet again (second stress fracture), but I am going to run the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge next year.
"Really?"
from active.com:
If you think that a marathon is just a walk in the park, put your endurance to the test and compete in Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge! A 39.3-mile adventure held over two days, participants will run the Half Marathon on Saturday, followed by the Marathon on Sunday. If you finish both races within the pacing requirements, you will be awarded the coveted Goofy medal in addition to your Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse finisher medals.
Much has been written and said about inspiration, quotes from historical and spiritual books abound, from poetry, from speeches, from films. I won't even try to pretend to come up with something more moving, or ground breaking, or motivating, than what is already out there ... but this: out of all the quotes, and self-help and motivational advice out there, I believe the best, and the best said, was said by Walt Disney himself:
If you can dream it, you can do it.
-Walt Disney
(credit to www.fanpop.com for this pic)
It is perfect, and can't be said any better.
Today is the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. The Half Marathon is finishing up as I type. I was supposed to be there at the World this weekend, and I was to run my first marathon tomorrow, the Walt Disney World Marathon. Well, things happen, and I know my injuries is just a way for me to get better. This obstacle will be something I will overcome, to propel me to something greater. I will run the Goofy next year, and it will be great.
I do not consider myself particularly religious, and at this time I do not mean to take this into a spiritual direction, but something interesting, the random affirmation for today from Louise Hay is,
"I allow myself to think big dreams." Nice. Goes perfectly with Walt Disney above.
And, for those of you with a New Age slant, a random affirmation that caught my eye right now is, "Whatever I can imagine, the Universe can deliver." Again. What Walt Disney said above.
I must say I am in pretty good spirits about the whole thing. I have been on crutches or cane now for about 5 out of the last 7-8 months. Pretty frustrating, especially when I set the Goofy as my personal goal. Frustrating when all I want to do is be physically active and run. There are a lot of motivational articles and speech, etc, about "getting up in the morning and taking the first step for the run," and "finding a reason to run," and "not stopping," etc. I'm frustrated because I'm already motivated, I already want to run, and I have my own reasons, and I don't want to stop ... but I can't right now because of my injuries.
When I do get down, there are a couple of videos that pick me up:
This is about Roger Wright, who lost over 100 pounds and trained for the Boston Marathon in less than 10 months, for his health and for charity. Very inspiring:
Roger Wright's website is called Running for my Existence, and he is raising money for his niece and charity for cystic fibrosis.
The above video is a must-see.
The next is about Derek Redmond, you may remember from the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The video and music may be too much for some, but what happened is still inspiring, whether you are religious or not.
Ok, ok, I'm not sure I really wanted to go this way, the emotional, sentimental, inspiring, motivational, positive-thinking type of discussion ... but hey, isn't that what Disney and running are both about? And aren't we in the middle of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend?
Good Luck runners! I will join you next year. And yes, I really will. Last week my family and I started to plan a trip to Walt Disney World January 2014, specifically for the Marathon Weekend (January 10, 11, 12). My sister and her running family are going, and my parents are already looking into booking a Disney Vacation Club Grand Villa at Old Key West. And -- via a deferral form from this year, I registered for the 2014 Walt Disney World Goofy Race and a Half Challenge.
Not just a dream. This is real.
This is my goal, see this sticker?:
The next time I post this sticker will be EXACTLY ONE YEAR from today, when I complete the Goofy Challenge on January 12, 2014.
I may be injured, and sidelined from running, but one thing I can certainly do to keep my spirits up is plan a vacation. I vacationed injured last year, we went on The Disney Magic 2 night NYC Cruise, and also to Walt Disney World (see my WDW beer tour here) ... both times I brought my crutch, and I even rented a scooter for the WDW trip. No matter, they were AWESOME trips.
But I don't plan on being injured for our upcoming trip ... the countdown is on ... for our 5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise on the Disney Wonder:
I love cruises. To be honest, my family and I only discovered cruising a couple of years ago, when we first went on a 3-night Bahamian Cruise on the Disney Dream. We had been going to Walt Disney World every year, for, I don't know, over 20 years. That was our pasttime. And we still love Walt Disney World, no doubt about it.
But a cruise. Wow. just, a perfect vacation.
So I'm really excited about this upcoming cruise. It will be our first time on the Disney Wonder, one of Disney Cruise Line's original 2 ships, and our first time in the Western Caribbean. Here's just a preview of our planned itinerary:
1. arrive in Miami
2. Cruise Day 1 -- embarkation day!
3. Cruise Day 2 -- Day at Sea, Palo Brunch
4. Cruise Day 3 -- Cozumel, Mexico -- Mayan Ruins and Explore Mexico Excursion
5. Cruise Day 4 -- Day at Sea
6. Cruise Day 5 -- Castaway Cay (hopefully I'll be healthy enough for the Castaway Cay 5K (see my review)
7. Debarkation Day, Miami day
8. leave Miami
In contrast to a Walt Disney World vacation, where I am obsessive compulsive about planning every little detail, including every meal, touring plans, and the like ... what I love about cruising is how much down time there is. In the 7-8 days of our vacation above, the only "extra" things I planned so far is one Palo Brunch, and one excursion. The rest of the time will be vacation in the true sense of the word -- eat? sure. explore? sure. relax? whatever? absolutely.
One new thing we will be trying on this cruise will be Palo. Palo is the adult upscale restaurant on the Disney ships. It has a pretty reasonable premium of only $20 per adult. We may go for the famous Palo Dinner, which always gets rave reviews, but we're not sure we want to miss any other dinners, especially since this will be our first time on the Wonder. We are, however, opting for the equally famous Palo Brunch:
This will also be our first time in Cozumel, Mexico. (It may be my 4th time in Mexico I think, but first in Cozumel.) There are at least 20 different shore excursions offered through Disney in Cozumel, from Dolphin Encounters to tours and the like. I only had two criteria: 1) no beach (since we would be spending a day at Castaway Cay) and 2) needed to include the Mayan ruins. There were a couple of Mayan ruin choices, so I picked one:
So, we'll see how it goes. One brunch planned, one excursion planned, the rest ... well, we will REST!
So ... I have the afternoon off today. Without going into detail into what I do for a living, any time off is golden. I worked all weekend through New Years Day and even through this morning Jan 2, 2013. Happy New Year. About 74 hours from Friday morning to this afternoon, Wednesday. Yes, some nights were included.
Anyway, I used to look forward to half days off ... because then I could RUN!! And run in the daylight. But with my friggin' injury, can't do much of that. I did see my podiatrist, who checked xrays and said that there were signs of healing of my left tibial stress fracture!! That's great, that really is. But more has to be done. I have to remain nonweightbearing for at least another 3 weeks. Ouch. Yes, I guess I'm a pro at crutches now, but that doesn't mean it isn't a pain. Can't carry anything, hard to open doors, can't move a few feet in between chairs to grab a pen or whatever. Big pain.
He is ordering another MRI and also a DEXA scan to check my bone density. See if all is normal. I want, and WILL, get better soon so I can back to running. Yes back to running. No matter what the naysayers think.
But for this afternoon, since I can't run in this cool crisp air and bright sunshine ... let me enjoy my other favorite activity ... beer tasting. Today we have:
STONE IPA. What a wonderful IPA. Stone has become one of my favorite breweries. My beer palate has come a long way from my Walt Disney World Beer Review; I really should go back to WDW and either re-review those beers ... no actually I'm sure I'll just choose others.
Well, I guess I'll take a nap. Nonweightbearing for another 3 weeks. have been on and off crutches for 9 months. Whatever.
I'm on my third week on crutches (for this time around anyway) ... since my second stress fracture was diagnosed right before Christmas.
Looking at a previous post of mine (see here, "cereal"), I remember I wasn't able to even prepare a bowl of cereal on crutches. That part hasn't really changed ... you would only know if you've been on crutches. BOTH of your hands are full, all the time, so you can't do anything ... can't carry a cup of coffee, glass of water, book, etc.
But this time around I feel like a pro. In the morning I get up, put my knee on my wheeled office chair, and scoot to the bathroom to get ready. I even figured out how to get in and out of the shower on my knees, on my hands, on my butt, from the chair, from the floor, whatever. I slide up and down the stairs like I was on a playground ... AND ... the big new development this time around is this --- a knee scooter!
I wasn't able to use one for the first injury, because it involved my hip, the right femoral neck. This time the injury involves my left tibia, so I scoot around the house on this thing. Not bad. It's bulkier and a bit heavier than I imagined in would be, and to this day I have not yet swallowed my pride to bring the thing to work. My excuse is that it's a pain to get up and down the three steps to my garage, fold it and put it in my trunk, and take it out and set it up ... all on one foot. All that is true. But the time it would potential save at work in terms of speed would be negated by the conversation, the questions, the explanations, the "wow that's cool," "wow look at you," "what is that thing?" etc. I'll stick to my clumsy crutches, at least people know what they are, they're used to seeing me on it, and damn I got skills on them now.
But onward!
I WILL be participating in the NYC 13.1 Half Marathon in March. Now, I did not yet say I was "running" it. And no, I won't be "crutching" it like others out to prove something ...
That's great if you want to do that, all the power to you. Just not my choice right now. I will heal and get back to walking. And I will WALK that half marathon if I have to. I can swallow my pride and do that. I can't wait.
I am in good spirits today.
Everytime someone (who's not my doctor) sees me injured again and tells me to stop running, the more excited I get about getting back into running.
things I heard today,
"this is a sign."
"God is telling you to find another sport."
"Stop exercising."
Now, many are well meaning too with concern about why I got injured again,
"Something is going on."
"Something's not right, you should not be getting another stress fracture."
Now, although I believe that my erratic training schedule plus my technique and form caused my stress fractures, I realize that I am NOT my own doctor.
I am taking this seriously; I am seeing an endocrinologist as well .. had some labs done last week: ionized calcium, parathyroid hormone, spep, and upeo.
So we'll see.
But I'm not worried. I am focused on healing properly and getting back in shape properly so that I can fulfill my goals.
It is mainly for me. But yes, proving naysayers wrong would be icing on the cake.
