Getting Back

It has been a really long road to recovery. A trail of doctors behind I finally found a solution with an orthopedic surgeon. My lower two vertebrae were kind of smashed together and the disc was uncomfortable, which caused it to secrete a fluid which was chemically reacting with the nerves in that area. It was most likely the jarring motion of running that caused the release. There is an extreme amount of inflammation which will heal on its own. To help it I received two epidural steroid injections in my lower back to bring the inflammation down. I have been able to run for the past eight days. I had my first pain free run last Thursday, just in time to race the draft-legal race at Collegiate Nationals on the next day. I missed the big group but had a great time and finished 29th. Despite not running for three months I managed to pass 12 guys on the run and still contribute a little to our team score. As a men's team we finished 28th, our best ever by 14 spots. We are bringing back all six guys that raced this year so we are expecting great things for 2014. We did the math and if I had been healthy we probably would have been around 18th or 19th. I think next year there is no excuse to not be in the top 15, but everyone wants to be top 10. That's the goal and we are going to work for it. Just over two more weeks to get ready for TexasMan where I plan to race the sprint. At that race I will be representing a new team. I accepted an offer to join Team Cambridge. It is hard to leave Team Ironhead, but I plan to stay in contact with the team, I will just be wearing red and gray now. Looking forward to salvaging 2013!

Injured

I successfully completed two months of fantastic training, especially on the bike. My cycling was faster in January than it had ever been when I was in tip-top shape. Then on January 4th I had a sudden sharp pain throughout my left leg while on my long run. I have been pretty much on the shelf since then. Running has been a no go and cycling has been limited and painful. The one thing I can do is swim, and I am unable to do that all the way as I am still building up from my layoff there. It has been a long 49 days since then. During that time I have visited a doctor, two massage therapists, and a chiropractor (and consulted a second). What I have learned is that I most likely have piriformis syndrome. That means that a tiny muscle in my butt is pressing on my sciatic nerve and causing extreme pain when I run or do similar motions. I am going to a physical therapist on Monday morning. Hopefully he will be able to get me on the road to recovery. If not, then I am not sure what I will do with myself. The doctor told me that this usually clears up in 2-6 weeks with physical therapy, meaning that I won't really be recovered until the day of the first race of the year. My racing season is really up in the air right now as the time off has put me in a difficult position in terms of being ready for my pro qualifying races in May. There has been one positive note in recent weeks. My swimming is coming back very well. I managed to PR in the 800 last week. It was only by two seconds, but after a month off due to injury and my slow buildup, that was a great surprise. Hopefully there will be good news soon!