How I Spent My Summer Vacation: the Final Post

The final post? Where are the others?

Confession: the other posts of How I Spent My Summer Vacation have yet to be posted. They include excitement ranging from the Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon to the USATF Junior Olympic Track meet in Sacramento. All good stuff, and way overdue, but last things first.

Last Friday, I went in for a lower lumbar MRI, without contrast (which I have no idea what it means, but it sounds cool). The problem was/is, my butt. Around early July, I began to notice a nagging pain in the ass (not other people, actually in my glute). Being an experienced runner, I self diagnosed Piriformis Syndrome, an ailment to which I have been subjected on several occasions in my running career. Being a veteran, I opted for self-healing and began the injury evasion dance. Restaurant chairs were bad, but airplane sitting was the worst and I will confess that after a flight to San Diego ten days ago, I could BARELY walk off the plane. 

After missing the San Francisco Marathon as well as my 50K debut in Squamish, British Columbia (mucho dinero down the drain), it was time for some professional intervention. It was time for the incredible Dr. Carly May. Carly has cured me through an earlier Piriformis episode, Plantar Fasciitis, Popliteal inflammation, Hamstring problems, and most any other running related injury you can imagine. Three visits, several rope flex tortures, countless dry needles, and a lot of cracking later, Piriformis left the list of causes of my never-ending pain. 

What was left? What could be causing my extreme pain and discomfort, especially after sitting for any period of time? She decided maybe, just maybe, a herniated disc. SO, the MRI. Results: after significant trauma surrounding the noisy MRI tube and my mild claustrophobic moment, it was found that all I have is "very mild degenerative changes of the lumbar spine without significant spinal canal stenosis or nerve impingement."

My reaction? That's nothing. If this is all my spine has going on after almost 65 years on the planet, 50 years of running, and nearly 110,000 miles pounding the planet's surface, then BRING IT ON (I owe it all to good feet)!

So what is wrong? Well, I have to tell you that we're not sure. BUT, it's getting better. I have begun a vigorous routine of deep water running, the elliptical, my strength and core workouts, along with some targeted stretching and I'm feeling pretty darned good. Lost in the treatment was the discovery that my worst pain came after sitting, as previously mentioned, for long time periods EXCEPT when the sitting happened in my car. Huh, my car, a sports car that sits me back and drives my knees up. SOOOO, now I have my little rolled pad that I can tuck under my knees when I am desk or table bound. So far it is testing well, as the researchers might say. Today, I sat for 25 minutes and no pain.

Running? It's coming. With less than ten weeks until the New York Marathon, there is no time to be wasted. By the end of the week, I hope to hit the soft trails and we will see where it goes from there. 

Like every tight distance runner, I vow to stretch, lift and do all those exciting things to take care of my body, hopefully preventing a relapse (or some other injury). Vow, a funny word meaning promise. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, I am looking to a future being back at what I love.

Run on.