Doctors orders

Yesterday I walked 6.01 miles in about 1:27, or a 14:38 pace. No, it's not running, and a far cry from my running pace ...

but I was happy because the pace was below the time limit for the Long Branch Half Marathon! When I saw my final pace I was thrilled that I would be able to complete the half marathon, set to be 3 weeks away.

I did not want to miss another race due to injury, and I've already sucked up my pride and am content in walking it and bot running, as painful as that is.

But today I spoke to my orthopedist, who says it's fine for me to walk in general, and perhaps even get back to running by the fall ...

But in regards to walking the half marathon in 3 weeks? No.

Not cleared.

I'm kinda bummed, because I want to prove to myself and others that I can do it, because I know I can.

Plus so many of us are going down for the Walt Disney World marathon weekend in january, and I want to at least walk it.

But for right now, baby steps again.
No Long Branch Half Marathon for now.

But I know it's for the best. I do not want to get injured again.

Doctor's orders.

A Lesson in Ego

Three weeks from tomorrow is the Long Branch Half Marathon.  Over the past year, because of injuries, I've missed race after race, including the Spring Lake Five, the Belmar Five Mile Run, the Atlantic City Half Marathon, the Walt Disney World Half Marathon, and the Allstate 13.1 Marathon (whew!).

I've recovered well enough now that I'm on track with my training to actually do the Long Branch Half Marathon.  But, by "do" I mean "walk."

Walk.

If I am to complete the Long Branch Half Marathon in one piece, and injury-free, I will have to walk all 13.1 miles of it.  Not run a single step.

I should be ecstatic that at this point I'm walking and that I'm no longer a slave to my crutches, and my boot, and my cane, and my scooter.

But it kills me to have to walk.  I'm scheduled for a 6 mile "brisk walk" tomorrow.  When I was running, I never wanted to walk.  If I would ever walk during a run, I was not satisfied.  My goal was to run races ... all the way through, without walking.

If I am to be honest with myself, then I must say I never wanted to be "that guy" who walked during the race, or had to stop to walk.

But now I am that guy.

I'm selfish, I know.

I just don't want to look funny.  There has to be a fine line between power walking and that race-walking we see in the Olympics right?

The Long Branch Half Marathon has a time limit (chip time) of 3 hours and 15 minutes, which would be 15 minutes / mile.  The slowest pace group is 3 hrs, which is at a 13.44 pace.  That's my goal, I figure I can speed walk and try to keep up with the pace group.

I don't know.

First world problems!

yup ... i'm fortunate enough to be suffering from a couple of first world problems : post-cruise depression and depression from not being able to run yet.

yes, there are worse things in life, I know. spoiled and selfish perhaps?

It's the truth. I can't help it.

I walked 8.1 miles today. Straight; stopping only to tale a couple gulps of water and to go to the bathroom. It took me over 2 hours, but I did it. I should be elated ... A couple of weeks ago I was limping, a couple of months ago I was on crutches, and wearing a boot, on a scooter. For eight months I was injured, out of commission, unable to put full weight on my right hip, then my left ankle.

And today I walked! Far! And ... I should be happy.

But I'm just frustrated.

I want to run.

I see others running past me ... I see posts on Facebook, everyone seems to be running now ... Half marathon here, 5k there ... Training for the Goofy ... training for the Dopey (more on these Walt Disney World marathon challenges later...)

And last year I was running, and was able to run ... far ... half marathon ... Training for full and Goofy.

And now? I'm just walking. I know, I should be thankful. I should just swallow my pride and rejoice that not only am I "back to normal" and able to walk ... but that I'm still fit enough to walk 8.1 miles?

But selfish me. Now i've decided to train for the Long Branch Half Marathon, 4 weeks away. But I will walk.

Swallow my pride and walk. I was doing everything in my power not to run today, I know I could ... But I don't want to get injured again.

I finished the 8.1 mile walk today. No sense of major accomplishment. No runner's high. No satisfaction.

Still wish I could run. It's the truth. I can't help it. That's just how I feel.

wish...

i guess i can elaborate more later ... but i've been getting spurts of anger, sadness, and frustration the past couple of days about not being able to run. I had to skip the Allstate 13.1 marathon this past saturday of course ... and now people are talking about the Goofy for 2014, and training for it ... as registration is coming up. and of course the weather is getting njcer out now. wish i could run again.

Semi-Cleared

I had previously gotten clearance for some light exercise from my orthopedic podiatrist -- upper body workouts ok while sitting, then ok to stand with weights in one month ... that was almost a month ago. As per treadmill, elliptical, and bike, I would have to check with my endocrinologist.

So yesterday I spoke with my endocrinologist, and basically he said -- ok to do upper body workouts, just watch out for back pain.  Still not cleared for elliptical, treadmill, or bike yet, not until 4-6 months after starting Forteo.  I started Forteo February 22, so that would take me to early April.

I'll be conservative.  I just don't want to get injured again.
As I've been going through this recovery, I have been moving and changing my goals ... I was going to run the Allstate 13.1 Marathon in New York City at the end of this month ... then I decided that I would walk it ... now I don't want to do either, because I don't want to get hurt again.

Maybe I can still walk the Long Branch Marathon in May ... but even then, I want to be sure I'll be alright.

My Race Box

(credit to collider.com)

I held the needle right up to my skin -- and hesitated.  There's always that moment of uncertainty right before something happens.  What will it feel like?  Will it hurt?  Will it be quick?  I've always looked away when getting a shot, or getting blood drawn, but this time I had no choice.  With syringe in hand, I was about to inject myself --

With Forteo (teriparitide), part of my now daily regimen.

That was a week ago.  This morning, sleepy eyed, I injected myself with no hesitation at all, and sure, I felt a pinch, but by now it didn't feel like anything.

But let me back up.

A week ago I woke up in some pain.  No, I didn't get an injection yet.  And no, it wasn't from my running injuries, my left pes anserine bursitis, my right femoral neck stress reaction, my left distal tibial stress fracture .. those are either healed or healing.  It was my right arm.  My biceps were stiff, and in pain, and I couldn't straighten my arm.  Obviously it was from working out the day before, my first "backs and bi's" weight training in a long time.  It felt sore the night before, but the next morning, just wow. Ouch.

Funny how things in life are supposed to get better when you sleep on it, whether it's a decision you have to make, whether it's an untoward situation you are in, you know, "it'll be better in the morning."  But really.  How many times have you woken up in the middle of the night with that wicked sore throat, or that itchy bug bite that damn you just want to cut out with a knife.

I put some Icy-Hot on my biceps and both actively and passively stretched it out, extended it ... afraid that it would pop.  Felt pain for sure, then when I went back to bed to sleep in a bit it just went back bent the way it was before.  Oh well.

It did get better throughout the day, carrying a shopping basket filled with goodies helped out as therapy. :)

Anyway, I saw my endocrinologist for another appointment that day, as a follow up after those labs which he ordered.  Some notes:

Diagnosis: idiopathic hypercalciuria

Great, I'm spilling out some calcium in my urine.  Could be a lot worse.  The other labs seemed to be ok, so he even said "it's good it's not mastocytoma."  Um, well thank god for that!

So, treatment wise:
"Easy," he said -- Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5mg, a diuretic that retains calcium.
Also, since he wants me to build up bone first -- Forteo, basically a pulse dose of parathyroid hormone that would stimulate bone growth.  Great.  Except that it's a DAILY INJECTION! Well, he had a sample there and gave me the first dose right there in the office.  Not too bad.  And looking back now a week later it's not so bad doing it myself every day.
And others -- Calcium 500mg/day and Vitamin D 2000IU/day.  Based on the supplements I have at home I'm doing 600 + 1800 for now.  There is a concern for kidney stones with the Vitamin D given my history, so we'll see.

Other advice for me: drink water so I don't get hypotensive.

I asked about diet restrictions. NONE! he said.  Well, that certainly made me happy.  He said I was drinking milk everyday anyway.  But I'll still be careful.  There's a lot of literature and guidelines regarding a diet for hypercalciuria.  Lots of restrictions theoretically though, like caffeine and alcohol (great, just when I discovered the heaven that is pressed pot coffee and just started getting into fine craft beers.)

I saw my orthopedic podiatrist a couple of days later, and told him that I still felt weak in my left foot.  I was doing my Theraband exercises as often as I could, but I still couldn't lift up on my tiptoes on my left foot without assistance.  There's a little bit of pain on the top of the foot, and moreso when I plantarflex on resistance (like the ground with my weight), but getting a touch better.

He said it could take a month for that to recover, since I just wasn't using it when I was nonweightbearing, but to see him in a couple of weeks if it wasn't getting better, and then he would MRI scan it to see if it was a stress fracture in the foot.  What? Are you kidding me?  But he said it would be ok based on the location.  He said maybe using a stiff dress shoe would help it.

Today, a week later, I feel pretty good.  I'm walking around with a little limp, but it's not bad at all.  Still hurts if I toe off on the left.  I'm walking around basically just by picking up my heels of the ground instead of pushing off ... Chi-Walking if you will ...

Then.

Something hit me all of a sudden as I was going through the files in my closet, getting my finances and taxes together and everything.  I cam across a box.  A box of some running stuff.  I started this blog as a running blog, and was going to focus on running, and training, specifically for the Goofy Challenge.  But because of my injuries my focus has been more on, well, my recovery and healing.

When I started running seriously a little over a year ago, I would put race bibs and whatnot into a box. I figured I loved running and racing so much I could collect a bunch of these bibs, and medals, etc, and just keep them in the box.  My first year old son saw my box one time, and asked me what it was.  "I don't know," I said, "it's my ... race box." He started cross country running as his after school activity last spring, and although we wanted to hang his medals in his room, wouldn't you know it -- he started putting his medals into my race box as well.  I don't believe I have opened it since my injuries.

Well, the other day, I came across the box, and saw that he had drawn a picture and labelled it, without me knowing, and it brought it all back as to what the whole point of all of this was.

Yes.  This is our race box; and we will continue to fill it.

(Disclaimer: as always anywhere on this site, information here is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional and is not a substitute for your own medical professional's clinical judgment and treatment, and does not intend to pertain to any particular individual's own health situation.)