Surgery

Well, this blog has turned into more of a injury blog than a training and racing blog. I got a surgical consult this morning and the neuro-surgeon wanted to move pretty quickly. He and my spine center doctor are concerned that if I don't act, I risk permanent nerve damage to the C5 nerve root. I was looking in the mirror and feeling my scapula and I already have noticeable atrophy in my shoulder. I was hopeful that with the absence of pain and some strength returning that I could escape surgery. My doctors agree that I still have nerve root impingement and all the healing that I have so far is the absence of inflammation. I'm very hopeful for a good recovery. I think I'm in good hands for the surgery. Being off work for a few weeks is something I'm looking at with some trepidation. Sitting around and watching TV sounds like a dream come true. I enjoy that kind of thing, but I'm not sure I'm going to enjoy being forced into it. I think I'll be back at training by the first of the year. I'm hoping that I've built enough of a base that I can get back the times and distances quickly. I'll miss the Turkey Trot, but I think I can be back at it in time for the Resolution Run 5k. I hope so.

Tests and off-season training

I get an EMG on Wednesday. After I saw the Spine Center specialist he said that my condition didn't indicate any need for epidural injections. I was happy to hear that. Unhappy to remain ignorant of my condition and what kind of recovery time I'm looking at. I expect a couple of things; a nerve entrapment caused by a lifetime of sports, or some nerve damage caused by some other weird problem. I've been getting better more rapidly after a few days of remaining at a plateau gaining back strength. I'm off medication for the most part including Tylenol and Advil. I still take some Tylenol PM at bed time.

I had intended to have a half marathon and the training that went with it to carry me into the off-season. Injury has precluded that. I also intended to be well into a strength program that would have me in better condition overall. Now, with the injury, it's just run and ride the trainer. I wish I could get out on the road and I also wish I could do a little single track riding. For the time being, it's 4 on Monday, 5 on Wednesday, and 3 on Friday. A return to 10k for a long run is surely in the near future. I ride the trainer on Tuesday and Thursday for an hour. Hopefully after diagnosis and treatment I can get back to strength training. If I can get back to swimming by February, I'll be on track to meet my goals. If not, I may have to skip a couple of races early in the season.

Results and referral

I got my MRI results the other day and with the help of a good friend who is a Radiology Tech, I was able to see some of the things that I read about in the report. I have a couple of bulging discs and narrowing in the channels where the nerve roots exit the spine. I got referred to The St. John's Spine Center. I was a little apprehensive about this based on the initial call. After a little research, I think this will be the best place for me to get treatment. I only hope they won't get their heads too wrapped around my discs and ignore what I think could be a peripheral nerve problem. Meanwhile, most of my pain has subsided. The numbness has reduced to about one square inch in the center of my deltoid. I can live with all this. The weakness is about intolerable to my mind. Working over my head is nearly impossible, I fatigue easily and I just can't do some stuff. I'll continue to train. My distances are going to change a little, and I'll still be stuck inside for cycling on the trainer. I was pretty lazy today. I'll get back on the horse tomorrow. I think I'll be doing M/W/F thing and 3,4,5 miles. I'll probably do the Turkey Trot, but I don't know if I'll make my goal of sub 24 minute finish time. All that is provided they don't sideline me after my Dr. appointment.

MRI Etc.

Well, I got my MRI the other day. No results yet. I'm heartened by the idea that I don't likely have a rotator cuff injury. At the same time, the unknown quantity of what kind of neurological problem I may have is bothering me some. I've talked to a couple of folks who seem to have had similar injuries. I'm hoping I can come out of this just needing a couple of cortisone injections and some therapy. I did get back to running. I decided to do what I could tolerate. I did three on the treadmill and that was no trouble at all. I ran an outdoor 10k on my regular route on Friday evening. I intended to do 12 miles today as a test for the half marathon. I woke up very sore this morning and decided it was the better part of valor to skip it, and move to an off-season mentality earlier than intended. The half marathon was a collateral goal for the year. I exceeded my intended goal way back in the summer. I think I've gotten the bug now. I can't hardly stand to skip a training session. I kind of felt like I wussed out by skipping the half marathon, but I really want to stay focused on multi-sport. If I triggered another neck episode like I had last time I would be kicking myself for doing something I'd been advised against.

Having an in home PT has it's benefits. She has me on an exercise program to help strengthen where I'm weak. It's helping quite a bit. This lack of stability is what's causing most of my pain anyway. And with some kind of program, I at least feel like I'm being proactive in getting better. For the off season, I think I'll be running every other day, and doing the trainer on the opposite days. Hopefully by February/March I'll be able to swim again. My strategy is to 3-5-7, or 4-6-8 miles, and 1-1.5 hours on the trainer. I've been advised to stay off the road on my bike until I have more strength in my shoulder. Should I begin to wreck, I'm afraid I wouldn't have the proper strength in my shoulder to protect myself and keep it from more extensive injury. I'm not digging this injury business. Nope, not one bit.

Diagnosis and motivation

I got this video from USAT's facebook feed. I thought it was very moving. Being faced with injury that has sidelined me for a bit with so much uncertainty at this point I was inspired by these athletes.

I went to the Orthopedic Doctor yesterday. He's confident that I don't have a rotator cuff tear. He believes I have an impinged nerve root in my neck. If not at the neck then somewhere else that's causing my issue. I get a little stronger each day. I still have trouble sleeping all night long and I'm still taking meds for pain. I go for an MRI soon. After that, they'll know if I have an impinged nerve root in my neck.

The Doc gave me license to do whatever I could tolerate. I decided that I would run on the treadmill in case I had difficulty. It went very well actually. I was a little slower as one might expect after taking over a week off from training. I'll try six on Friday and if that goes well, twelve on Sunday. If twelve goes well, I'll go ahead and do the half marathon. All of this is obviously based on whether or not news from the MRI and subsequent visits to the Doc allow.

Shoulder Injury

Seriously bumming over this. I've been training diligently for this half marathon coming up in November. It's looking like I'll have to skip it. I also had all these plans for the off season and the following triathlon season. Well, the best laid plans and all that. I have developed a shoulder injury that has all the symptoms of a torn rotator cuff. It started with a muscle spasm in the scapular area. I've had these before and they usually go away with massage, Advil and time. This one just seemed to get worse. I'm hopeful that I'm just dealing with a nerve entrapment or something similar that doesn't mean shoulder surgery. Shoulder surgery is going to mean a setback of roughly 9 months to a year with surgery, rehab and then getting back in shape. I'm trying to be positive, and take things as they come. I see the Orthopedic doctor next Tuesday. I expect that will be followed by an MRI etc. Meanwhile, I have quite a bit of pain and difficulty sleeping.

1/2 M training & IM Branson thoughts

Switching to training for the half marathon has been a little different. I miss the variety of training for multi-sport events. Now I run five days a week, when before I was running three times a week. I have added a bike ride or two just because I can and I enjoy it. I need to hit the pool sometime in the coming weeks just to see if I can apply any of the lessons I learned at the swim clinic.

I pulled a real boneheaded move last week. I haven't given blood in some time because it would have meant a disruption in training and my race schedule. However, I decided that I could manage it with a couple of days rest. So, I gave. I decided AFTER I gave to research the recovery period. What I found out was much worse than I imagined. While my fluids would be back up in time for my eight mile weekly long run, my hemoglobin would take in the neighborhood of two-three weeks to get back to normal. Needless to say, my long run was a debacle. Average split was about a minute to a minute and a half slower than my last long run. I walked much more than I would have liked. Hydration is becoming an issue as well. I bought a fuel belt the other day so I don't have to worry about where to find a water stop anymore. I'm switching up my long run route too. I'll hit the Ozarks Greenways South Creek trail this Sunday.

I went down to Branson last Sunday to watch the athletes compete in the IM 70.3. I missed the swim, but managed to find a pretty good vantage point for the bike portion. I got to see all the leaders fly through. When the main pack came through I moved to the T2 are to see some of the run. The bike course is very challenging. I know because my last race of the season was the same route. Long and steep hills are de rigeur for this course. I knew several people that were doing the race. One friend got food poisoning and couldn't compete. Another finished, but got ill on the bike section. One acquaintance had reportedly killed on the swim and bike, only to bonk from dehydration on the run. My neighbor Dennis finished with a pretty fair time even though he tells me he walked some of the run. I salute all these folks for having the guts to train and enter this very grueling race. It's on my radar if they continue to have it. I'm reviewing training plans now. 2011? No. 2012? Maybe...