Well the worst is over



Setting up in Transition -- Listening to Tunes


Well...  At least that's I'm choosing to believe!

Doc helped a ton on Thursday, but he's still rather frustrated.  He said he was going to Dallas over the weekend and asked if he could relay my case to the other doctors.  I said sure he can share anything he'd like.  He's hoping that a fresh perspective might lead somewhere.

Saturday was my first race of the season.  I wasn't sure what I could expect.  I HOPED for a 13:30 swim and to finish the race in 90 minutes.  I guess I hoped too much.

As I went to go get my race packet, an official made an announcement that the water was 68 degrees to wetsuits were legal.  I yelled "BRILLIANT!  That sounds like a swell time!"  He laughed at me as I walked by.  Then I got to thinking:  Dude!  That's freakin' COLD!  After I picked up my stuff, I had to pee REAL bad.  A lady in the restroom made a comment that "68 degrees isn't that bad.  It's actually a perfect wetsuit temperature."  SHE WAS ON CRACK!  Lol.  No one else I encountered said the same.  The consensus seemed to be that everyone was dreading the swim.  Myself included.

I got my wetsuit on and went to the beach to go warm-up for about 10 minutes.  It felt like I was climbing into an ice bath.  Ugh!  Wetsuits don't block that kind of cold.  Lol.  I went to put my face in the water and the breath got knocked out of me.  Not to mention the cold factor just shocked the hell out of me.  I couldn't keep my face in the water.  I kept trying over and over and over again.  Just couldn't do it.  When they started the national anthem, prayer, etc I got out to go line up.  My bf wrapped me in a big towel and tried to convince me that I'd be acclimated by the time I got to the first buoy.  I hoped he was right.

And that never happened.  Once again, I couldn't keep my face in the water.  AND I started getting the burps.  Can't get any air.  Burping.  Frigid water.  Oh yeah!  And my goggles flooded 5 times!  It was great.

I did a series of backstroke & breaststroke then an attempt at freestyle.  I could never find the rhythm in my freestyle like I always do normally.  Somehow I did mange to pass some people, but not many.  I just wanted out of there so bad.  The third time I tried to use freestyle, my left shoulder twinged a lot.  Fantastic!  What a great start to a miserable day!

I finally made it out of the water.  I had to put on a long sleeve jersey since it was pretty chilly out and I was soaking wet.  Took me a while and broke my concentration a bit.  I got it on and hopped on the bike.  Since I haven't trained much on the bike this year, I knew it'd kind of suck.  Lol.  My shoulder didn't allow me to get comfortable, but that was ok.  I just wanted to get through it with a similar time as last September (which I did!).

I got off the bike, tore off the jersey, squished my feet into my Mizuno Wave Inspire 8 shoes and took off like a bat out of hell.  Within the first few steps, I noticed my lower back had flared up.  The pain was at about a 9.5.  So I went through my usual steps to try and relieve it while on the go.  None of it worked.  It was just shot.  A half mile had gone by and I noticed that while the pain was still there, it didn't get worse.  So I made a pact with myself that if the pain got worse -- quit, pack up , and go to a hospital.  If it stayed where it was -- even though it was excruciating -- keep going.  So I did.

So I kept going with tears pouring down my face. I just wanted it to be over. I figured -- the faster I ran, the sooner it would be over. I got to the 1 Mile marker and glanced at my watch. 7 minutes had passed. Holy shit!

As usual, between mile 1 and 2 is where I struggle the most. This happens on any run, but especially during a tri. Didn't help that between mile 1 and 2 are long steep-ass hills. My legs felt like anchors from an oil tanker. I never stopped pumping my knees. I actually had to convince other runners to keep going. I got within sight of the turnaround cone and I started yelling at a guy I was passing, "Dude! The turn around is right there! Pick your ass up and run!" He did. I think he used me to pace off of until the finish too.

As soon as I got around that cone, the anchors fell off. I FLEW back down the road, gravel road and small trail leading back to the park. As soon as I could see the final stretch leading to the finish line, I just gave it all I had. I spotted a chick a ways ahead (turned out she was 43 -- at first I thought her leg said 34) and I said, "I'm passing you..." And I did about 4 seconds before I crossed the finish line.

My lower back was pissed as hell, but I was so happy I was done.

Want to know something even cooler?  I was 14 seconds off my PR for a 5K!  My best 5K time was in March 2011 (Ashley 5K Run in Powder Springs, GA) at 24:25. I just did a 5K run after a nasty-ass swim and crappy bike in 24:39 -- with severe pains! Lol. I guess that could be considered a silver lining...






Not my best performance, but definitely happy to be done

 So I looked at the results sheet and realized that if I had hit my target swim and had "normal" transition times, I would have placed 3rd in my age group.  DAMN!  That's ok I guess.  I have at least 2 more sprints this year.  Not to mention one of those is this same race in September.  Perfect time to kick ass!

That awkward moment when...  ;)



I was trying to get my shorts from being bunched.  I swear.



One step forward and yanked right back

It's been 2 weeks since I've seen Doc.  I was supposed to see him Monday of last week, but I was asked to do an interview for department head.  Probably not a good idea to say no...  Lol.  So I cancelled it.  I was kind of busy the rest of the week, so I opted to wait another week.  I figured, "I'm feeling decent.  I don't need to see him when the problem isn't as bad."  That was the wrong idea!  Lol.  2 days after my missed appointment, I started having severe pains again.  DAMMIT!

I took Friday-Sunday off.  Kind of by accident.  Friday was on purpose.  I originally planned on doing a Bike-Run on Saturday, but I decided to meet online friends at a local race they were doing.  Then I went out to lunch with a childhood friend that I hadn't seen in a while.  Then it was home to take a shower and pack up for my band's gig.  Nevermind then!  Sunday I had a ton of housework to do.  Was planning on riding with a friend to help with riding up hills.  Her chain broke.  Then after a few more passes, we opted to go to her "happy place" to go ride (the only flat stretch around town).  That got cut short because of a major emergency back home.  Oy vey!

Since last Wednesday, the pain has been worsening significantly.  Today is the worst so far.  Well each day has been in comparison the previous ones.  I see Doc tomorrow.  I'm taking a half day off from work to go see him.  I have a race on Saturday and now I'm doubting whether I'll physically be able to finish.  :(

Last week, I discovered I am physically capable of completing Saturday's 600M in close to 13 minutes.  This was originally my goal for September!  I thought like I could actually have a strong run too.  The bike I'm still worried about though.  I've barely been on the bike this year; so I was hoping my fitness would carry me through this one.

Now I feel like I have that Mac truck back on top of me.  Now mentally I feel like I'm slipping into despair.  Not cool.

Things were lining up so well for Saturday (except for the weather -- LOL).  Now I'm back to where I was mentally 3 months ago.

Yes I am whining...  I can do that if I want to...  ;)

Trying to do my part

Boston is a long ways from Atlanta.  I have never been there.  Always wanted to.  I don't personally know anyone IN Boston.  I knew of a few people on DailyMile that was running in the Boston Marathon this year.  I worried, but I figured they were probably ok (and they were).

It's funny how an event like the bombing in Boston touches so many people around the country (and the world!).  We take it personally.  We grieve even though we don't really have a connection to those who suffered.

Yesterday I wore blue and yellow to work since I have to be in professional attire.  I wore my favorite "Tri The Parks" race shirt to the Tuesday night group run.  Today, I'm wearing blue and yellow again for the hell of it.  I'll wear race shirts tomorrow and Friday since those are casual days at work.  I know the whole blue/yellow and race shirts were really for yesterday, but I thought I'd continue the gesture for the remainder of the week.

I took the black ribbon graphic from my earlier post and printed three copies of it.  It didn't print right, but since it took a lot of toner, I figured it was good enough.  I put one on each of my classroom doors and another on my podium.

It's not much, but a little something.  :)

Nutrition is so frustrating...

I haven't been as diligent on the whole Alkaline Diet thing the last couple of weeks.  I know!  BAD ME!  But I'm back on track this week.  Kind of.  Lol.

Before last week (my school went on Spring Break...  So did my diet), I was aiming for anywhere between 40-60% of the food I ate being from those alkaline lists.  I noticed something...  I wasn't getting enough grains or meat.  To be honest -- I wasn't craving meat, so I didn't eat it.  Not to mention that pretty much all meats are on the "acidic" list.  I know I haven't been getting enough protein.  I was also having problems with grains.  From what I keep reading, grains are a staple in an athlete's diet.  But most grains are "acidic."  So I haven't been sure how to find that balance.

Typical day for me:

Breakfast (6:30AM):
Freshly made smoothie (all alkaline foods & and I always include spinach)
Half a bagel -- toasted -- with peanut butter or almond butter
Glass of milk

Snack (sometimes!  10AM):
Banana

Lunch (2PM):
Salad (romaine, spinach, bell peppers, black olives, cucumbers, berries, carrots, broccoli, onions, sometimes cheese) with a vinigrette dressing
Hunk of cheese or small serving of cottage cheese
Piece of fresh fruit
Sometimes the other half of the bagel -- plain

Snack (4:30/5:00PM):
Random (Carrots, cheese, deli meat, chips & salsa, half a PBJ, smoothie, celery)

Dinner (late evening):
This is usually where my diet goes out the window.  My boyfriend is NOT fond of my new food choices.  Whenever I cook something that is more of what I need to be eating, he's not a fan ("It tastes...  Healthy....").  We almost always eat dinner together.  Although I am getting better at making good choices during this meal -- especially when we go out. 

Last week I saw Doc and he said he was concerned I wasn't getting enough protein.  He also told me that he pretty much only eats brown rice and quinoa as his "grains."  He is worried that my diet is still triggering the inflammation and pain in my back.  He urged me to try going gluten-free and dairy-free.  He said it was more about "substituting" rather than "avoiding."  He wanted me to start juicing vegetables 2x a day and drinking a protein drink.  He told me to get Vega powders as they are totally vegetable based.  He also urged me to shop around online because it is rather expensive.  He wasn't kidding.  Then he wanted me to be more diligent about taking my magnesium supplement, Natural Calm.  He also wants me to start taking probiotics; he believes the flora in my instestines may be shot because of all the dairy I eat.

Needless to say it's a long list.  It's rather overwhelming too.

Over the weekend I did some thinking.  I'll start with small things.  Here's what I've done so far:

• Swap out my bagel with a gluten-free Enligh Muffin (made from brown rice flour)
• Get back to eating more fresh produce
• Make a veggie juice at least once a day
• Keep smoothies
• Take the Natural Calm every other day

I bought some packets of the Vega shakes.  It has a....  Distinct flavor.  He suggested putting it in my juice.  Did it.  I'm not ready for that.  Not to mention I was burping the shake flavor all damn evening.  Blech.  So next time I'll put it in ice cold water, shake it super good, and only use one or two spoonfuls of it for a while.  I'm trusting that it's more of an acquired taste.

Overall, I'm MILES ahead where I was nutritionally.  Ever.  I'm hoping that it'll be a positive influence on my race performance.  It has to be.  My skin and hair look/feel better.  Body feels more energized and "cleaner" inside.

Baby steps...

Remembering Boston

Some people on this planet are just plain stupid.  They're shitheads.  Why bomb the Boston Marathon?!  Seriously?!  What did runners every do to anyone?  Oh sure -- there's the whole "They wanted to hit innocent civilians/create panic/etc."  But think about it...  A marathon?!

In the United States, we have been blessed that the number of terror attacks has been rather small.  Especially when compared to countries like Great Britain and Ireland.  This is the first I've heard of anywhere that has happened at a marathon.  What's next?  Peachtree Road Race in July?  Ironman World Championships in Kona?  Tour de France?  If anything, these events inspire people to become something better.  It motivates them to take their lives into their own hands.

Guess you could say that the bomber(s) were hoping to dampen that inspiration and motivation.  They are very sadly mistaken.

Runners, cyclists, triathletes, etc have a special camaraderie.  It's not really a secret club or brotherhood.  But we acknowledge that we are striving the same thing -- to push ourselves to the limit.  We support one another, motivate one another, pick each other up, drag each other out of bed....  You name it.

One thing I've noticed about triathletes is that the support and motivation is much more common (and bigger) among them than it is among runners.  But that's a soap box for another day.  :)

If the bomber(s) were hoping to dampen the runners' spirits, they did the opposite.  We have become stronger and closer because of it.

This morning, Big Peach Running Company (major running store(s) in the Atlanta area) did a mile run in memory of Boston at 7AM.  Run a mile in silence.  I wanted to go so bad, but I had to be at work.  I'll be at a group run out of the Marietta store this evening.  I'm sure it'll be a sad event, but together we're moving on.

Regardless of what the bomber(s) intentions were.  We (runners) are moving on -- together.

I hope those responsible will be caught.  I hope they get what's coming to them.

And I hope they find a "comfy" home in Hell.

Trigger Points

Yesterday was a good day.  Today is not so good.  I'm supposed to have band practice today.  I'm afraid to go, but I'm responsible for bringing the keyboard for our keys player.  I'm hoping that a quick swim right after work will help with the pain.

In a conversation with someone, the term "myofascial pain syndrome" came up.  I didn't know what that was; being the nerd that I am, I looked it up.  There are plenty of websites that provide information.  The information from page to page seems to be rather consistent too, which is good.

My favorite article is the one from the Cleveland Clinic.  Bascially, it refers to the concept of "trigger points" within the muscles/fascia.  When touched, not only are they very painful, they send pain signals to other areas of the body.

Doc mentioned trigger points a while back, but I didn't think anything of it.  I found a website that has many detailed diagrams documenting various trigger points.  Certain diagrams caught my attention.

The one on scalene trigger points seemed to explain a shit-ton.  All of the areas marked with an "X" are spots that Doc treats regularly with ART (Active Release Technique), Graston, and fascial manipulation.  The levator scapulae and the various trapezius diagrams (Doc told me that the muscle was HUGE, but I didn't quite get it until I saw the drawings) are spot on too.  One of the trapezius diagrams also explains my head aches!  And another one precisely pinpoints two major knots in my back.

Human anatomy is very peculiar. 

It's been a rough few days

Last Thursday, I woke up in an unbelievable amount of pain.  Mostly in my neck region.  During the day at work the left side of my jaw and my left ear were unbearable.  I made the decision shortly before leaving work that I needed to stay home Friday.  I made arrangements and created sub plans.  The pain spread to my upper back and then slowly to my lower back.

Friday I stayed home from work.  However, I'm the type that can't sit still to save my life.  Even though I was in agony, I did a few chores, made some amazing muffins, and then laid down with a heating pad on my upper back.  After 25 minutes on the heating pad, I tried to sit up and my lower flared up real bad.  Couldn't get up.  I couldn't roll to the side, press with my elbows, rotate the body around, swing my legs to one side or another --nothing.  This happens quite frequently actually.  The only way to get to stop is to sleep and pray that it's gone when I wake up.  Unfortunately, I needed to take a shower and go to my doctor appointment.  So that option was gone.

I can't really remember how I got up.  I do remember the screaming and yelling I did...

I somehow made it to the doctor's office.  I was in real bad shape.  I gave Doc an overview of what was going on.  He worked on my neck and shoulders while I was flat on my back.  Then he asked me to roll over.  Couldn't move.  Damn...  He had to assist me.  He worked on my low back a tad, but time was up.  When I finally managed to stand up, lightning bolts of pain went through my right hip to my spine.  So I had to hobble to the therapy room, using the wall for support.  After finishing the electric stimulation and ice, I couldn't sit myself up.  The nurse told me to take all the time I needed.  I'm not sure, but I think I laid there, face down, for about 10-15 minutes.  Another nurse came in asking if I had been unhooked from the machine yet.  I said yes so she left.  I guess she went to go get Doc because he was standing there next to my table when I managed to roll to my side.

A lot of questions, lots of comments, lots of "what now" moments.  He gave me a cold pack to use in the car for the drive home.  I eventually made it to my car and started driving home.  I had to take a 15 minute break halfway home, but I made home safely.

Friday night SUCKED.  Saturday, my entire torso felt like I got hit by a mac truck.  I went for a swim.  I got relief while I was in the water, but the pain came back when I got back on dry land.  Boo.  I tried some weight training.  Didn't help.  Saturday night I was awful shape.  It just kept spiralling out of control.

Sunday wasn't any better to be honest.  Monday wasn't either.  I went to work on sheer will power.  I saw Doc Monday afternoon.  He targeted my lower back to try and see what was going on.  After he was done, he told me to swim that evening.

Last night's swim went really well.  The water really helps with mental relief from the pain.  Too bad the pain returns when I hop out of the pool...  Went to bed hurting real bad.  Woke up this morning feeling better.  My lower back is SUPER tender and very tired.  Such a relief.

My shoulders, upper back and neck still hurt a lot, but I can manage it right now.  I'm just so relieved that lower back shit calmed down.  It staying so constant and sustained at a super high threshold was unusual.  Usually I sleep it off.  It just never stopped.

Looks like I'm getting x-rays next week.  Maybe and MRI.  Doc doesn't seem to think it's totally muscle related.  I know it isn't.  My lower spine HURTS -- Bones hurt.  Those zaps of pain I was getting from one bone to another bone.  Not in the muscles like in my neck and shoulders.  Totally different type of sensation.  Hard to explain.

For right now, I'll call today a good day.  :)