Storing my running shoes

Hey guys! How are you all today?

I was doing homework until late last night, so I didn’t get a chance to post my “tonight’s dinner” post. Here is what I ate:

First I had some whole wheat pasta with broccoli covered in the pasta e ceci (tomatoes and chickpea) sauce that is slowly becoming my most favorite pasta sauce in the world. Topped with some parmesan cheese. On the side, a sautéed chicken breast that I marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, italian seasoning, garlic gold nuggets and a salt free pepper-garlic seasoning. We were originally planning on grilling the chicken but discovered as we started up the grill we were out of propane!

So I sautéed instead, but the chicken was a little too juicy for my taste!

Hip update

For anyone who hasn’t been reading this blog for a while, you may not know that I’m struggling with a hip injury with running right now. It happened last August during a 5K race and I’ve been in denial painfully stubborn about going to a doctor and getting a diagnosis. This has mostly been out of fear, because I have total white coat syndrome and hate the doctor. It’s also been the anxiety of not being able to run/workout and struggling with the emotional side of the injury. So I put it on the shelf for a while and dealt the best I could.

In January I decided, ‘hey I’m running a half marathon in October and I should probably heal my hip’. I started cross training and strength training consistently, which dramatically improved the pain I was experiencing with running. But I was still convinced I needed to run the Cowtown 10K. Which I did, and right after the race I put running on the side (even though I was still racing) and started physical therapy for my hip.

As of March when I started PT, I only experience pain when I run on an incline/decline and if I run more than 4-5 miles. And even then, it’s a dull sore ache and not a sharp intense pain. I’ve run 3 5K races since March.

I’ve known that this was most likely a muscle injury – which is why I just started physical therapy and didn’t go to a specialist first. I knew in physical therapy they would be able to strengthen those muscles and target the areas that I wasn’t able to target on my own. But physical therapy has been discouraging for me. My back and hip alignment have been off and trying to get those alignments back into place while working on hip flexibility and hip and core strength have left me not able to exercise at the intensity I would like.

I was explaining to a friend that I feel out of control at physical therapy because I have no idea how long it’s going to take or what exactly is wrong. I don’t do my exercises at home consistently because I feel really defeated by the entire process and by this injury.

She encouraged me to visit an orthopedist and determine the exact cause of my injury. She also lectured me (slightly, but in a nice way) about how important it is to know the cause of this injury so I can fix it now and so it doesn’t become reoccurring.

Well, this was hard news for me to hear and I spent roughly 3 days last week balling my eyes out about being injured, and the anxiety of seeing a new doctor, and the fear that I will never be able to run again. Also I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to continue exercising now and what about my half marathon I’ve already registered for in October?!

It was a rough few days and finally I put on my big girl pants and called an orthopedist and had my appointment this morning.

My official diagnosis is a strained iliacus tendon, which is a portion of the hip flexor muscles. Basically this is seriously inflamed and since I’m still running, I’m just re-inflaming the tendon and so it’s not healing.

(source)

So, I can’t run. For a long time. I am taking prescription anti-inflammatory drugs twice a day right now and I’m continuing physical therapy. The only exercise I’m allowed to do is strength training, biking and swimming. No elliptical. No step. No running. Oh and I guess I can walk as long as I have no pain.

I’m going to return in a month to the orthopedist and check my progress then. He originally said I’m looking at a 8-12 week recovery. He’ll slowly add back in the elliptical, then power walking then slow and small distance jogging at some point.

When I asked him about my half marathon in October, he was very troubled. He said it was really ambitious and he was more looking for me to be able to run a 5K in October, not really a half. However, he did say it may be possible that I would walk/jog it. The problem is he doesn’t want me to push too hard if I start feeling good and re-injure. Basically to heal this tendon we will have to introduce small SMALL amounts of running over time, not just “hey go run 5 miles tomorrow since you feel good today.”

So how do I feel about this? Well, I obviously feel sad. I also feel high right now due to these anti-inflammatories (whoaaa). But I also feel motivated to do my PT work religiously and to bike and start swimming and heal the shit out of my hip so I can do this half marathon. I’m an ambitious person and I want to check this goal off my list.

But I also feel like I’m letting people down (which I realize is ridiculous). I’m sure that once the races I’ve already signed up for come and I’m standing on the sidelines cheering my friends on, I’ll feel really emotional. I’ll just make sure to take my pill before that race to take the edge off

I never actually told him how fast I do run (which is slow slow slow), so I’m not sure he realizes that right now I’m really only jogging. I’m hoping that in a month we can talk again about this and he can give me some good news.

And trying to look at the positive, I’m probably going to buy a bike now and learn how to properly swim, so maybe a triathlon is in my future?

And for comedic relief, check out these pills I have to take. I’ve playfully nicknamed this bottle the “penis pump”, because baby has some girth. And the pills do make you feel good.

Why is this bottle so large and in charge?!

Comparison shot.

Dude, you make my head feel heavy.

I’ll be sharing more of the “road to recovery” with this injury. This is my first time being injured, so it’s a learning and emotional experience for me and hopefully all of you!

Now please make a joke about my penis pump pill bottle to make me feel better.

Oh, and Cary says hi.