Peachtree International Triathlon -- Constant Rinse Cycle

It was raining non-stop in central Georgia on Friday, Friday night and Saturday morning.  This made for very miserable racing conditions.  I made peace with myself about the weather; it is out of my hands.  My boyfriend and I drove down to Peachtree City Friday evening and stayed over night.  Race started at 7AM and transition closed at 6:45AM, so that made for a very morning.

Got up and it was raining -- surprise surprise.  We get to the park around 5:45.  This is usually enough time to pick up my packet, get body marked, set up transition and chill until the start.  The body marking line was so freakin' long, which is highly unusual.  It was probably close to 1/4 mile long.  Rain is still coming down.  We've been hearing thunder and seeing lightning here and there for over an hour.  One of the race workers came down the line and announced that the swim had been cancelled due to the storms; it was being turned into a biathlon.

The transition area is a big grassy mud hole.  Lucky for me, my little spot was more grass than mud.  One thing I like about this race is that everyone has an assigned transition spot based on race number.  You are also told which way to point your bike, this is based on your race number as well.

I noticed LOTS of people leaving.  The start was moved to 7:15AM.  As that time came closer, even MORE people packed up and left.  I heard someone say it was because they had never ridden in the rain before and were scared to "give it a go" that day.  I'll get more into this topic on a later post.

I originally wanted to finish the tri in 3 hours, if possible; so I had to change my goal.  My new goal was 2:30:00.  I was really bummed about the swim being cancelled; it felt like that was my "rite of passage" within the triathlon world.  I was trying to break out from sprint races into the olympic/international world.  That swim is astronomically so much longer than a sprint race.  The bike and run are nearly doubled, but not the swim.  I felt that was my barrier in doing long course races in the future, but alas -- I had to settle for a biathlon instead.  I figured I could still learn some valuable information from the experience.



They did a time trial start (like they would have done for the swim): 2 riders every 5 seconds. Otherwise releasing 600+ racers would have been chaos -- it was supposed to be 1000 people, but some never showed up and a few hundred left because they didn't want to ride in the rain. I was number 405, so it was a while before I got to go.
Because I didn't swim, my body wasn't warmed up for the bike. Same with everyone else. We all started cold. So the beginning was a little stiff for me. I used the first 10 minutes to warm-up and laughed at people who tried to blow right by me within the first 3 miles. I saw most of them again at about mile 10; they were toast. Ha ha ha.
I had to modify my hydration/nutrition plan because of the voided swim. Looking back, I would have done a couple things slightly different. The hills around my house were definitely WAY harder than anything on that course.

The rain was relentless. I had a Cannondale rain jacket on, but it got soaked through. However, it did help a lot for my mental state. While the air temp wasn't cold (66*), then rain itself was. My legs didn't care, but my arms and torso get cold so easily, so I would have defeated myself if I didn't have that jacket. The rain did make it difficult to see things to avoid in the road and I couldn't take turns as fast/hard as I usually do. I saw a few people cross that threshold and fell/slid across the road in turns.

Two huge bowling balls starting growing in the back of my shoulders on the back half of the ride. I tried to charge up hills, but towards the end, my legs would collapse and I'd fall back in my seat. Then 5 seconds later, I'd try again. Cycling is my weakest sport at the moment and it showed.

On the way back to the transition area, we had a no-pass zone behind the courthouse where there were some nasty speed bumps. Most of us went between them. One guy wasn't paying attention and endoed down into a gully where there was a deep creek; poor guy.

It was wet and nasty, but I did it without spilling my guts all over the pavement. Lol.

If I had to do this over again, I would have brought a second pair of socks to run in. Not because the ones I wore gave me blisters or anything. More like because I had to put my soaking wet socks into nice dry sneakers. Instant puddles for my toes. Lol. Oh well. Something to remember for next time.

No jelly legs again! YES! The last 2 years I've struggled with really bad jelly legs and I have not had this problem at all this year in training or races. Score!

BTW, I have not run more than 5 miles since early 2009 (used to run 8 miles on trails regularly in 2007-early 2009); so I have no idea what my normal 10K time would be. Needless to say, I am pleased with my time on this.

On Thursday, I told Doc about my plan to run 9 min and walk 1 min for the 10K. He asked where the aide stations were (beginning, 1.5, 3, 3.5, 5ish) and said, "Just walk through the water stations. You'll be fine." So I went with his plan. Worked rather well. Although, it was more of a running-walk than anything. As usual, mile 2 and mile 4 were my hardest to push through. Always happens for every run! Very annoying.
The run course was on Peachtree City's famous golf cart paths. For those of you who don't realize it, they aren't like little roads. The terrain and style is more like trails in the woods, but they're paved instead of dirt. Constant ups and downs, twists, dodge a tree, etc. Very scenic. The path we used went alongside the back end of the lake; the water was about a foot away from the edge of the lake -- much closer than years past due to the excessive amount of rain this year.

I checked my watch whenever I saw a mile marker sign, but there were only 4 of them. Here were my times that I saw: 1 - 8:16, 2 - 16:40, 3 - 24:08, 4 - 35:55 (WTF?), and finish 52:39.

When we got back to the main road, there was .25 miles left. I had been behind a chick for a while who was obviously fighting quad cramps, but always managed to stay just ahead of me. I didn't really feel like I had anything left in me, but I somehow sped up and passed her (she said, "You make me look like I'm walking!") and I heard her slow to a walk behind me. Didn't mean to demoralize her -- just wanted to pass her. I gave it all I had for the final 50 yards.

My whole body started breaking down the last 1.5 miles or so. Lower back. Psoas. Chest pains. The whole bit. My lower back was fried all day yesterday as a result; even after a hot salt bath, heat packs, Aleve, and a nap, I couldn't walk at all Saturday.

So I finished in 2:27:00.  Now I want to see if I can get my 10K under 50 minutes.  My bike is what sucks the most.  I haven't really made any progress on this sport in the last couple of years.  I need to raise my average mph from 16.2 to 17.  To reach my goal of finishing a race of this distance in 3 hours, I figure I need to shave at least 7 minutes off my bike/run time.  I have 5 weeks to do this.  We'll see what happens.

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!



Not my best performance, but definitely happy to be done



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.



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



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...



 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...  ;)



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...  ;)

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.  :)

More info on fascia

I randomly came across an article on fascia injuries.  It has a list at the end of things to do to keep the fascia working properly.  Yeah... #6 is the one I'm dealing with now.  Boo.  17 years in the making!  Woo!  So does that mean it'll take another 17 years to fix.  Oh good god.  Lol.  I'm sorry, but #8....   When you've been dealing with an injury like mine for so many years (and I'm only 30!  That means more than half my life I've been dealing with extreme pain)...  Patience is not going to be given easily.

Holy hell

I ate like absolute crap last weekend.  Last week I did pretty good overall, but I did crap this weekend.  Pain was pretty bad on Sunday and Monday I was in bad shape too, but I still went swimming and did some weight training.  While in the pool, I decided to try and keep up with the guy in the lane next to me for my last set of 100.  Oh I kept up (score!), but my shoulder paid the price (BOO!).  It was so searing, burning, stabbing...  When I finished, I held onto the side of the pool with my "good" arm and literally bit the deck for a few minutes to keep from screaming.

Tuesday I went for a short run between work and seeing Doc.  I wanted to do a trail run, but the rain came a bit early.  I didn't enjoy the idea of a mud run, so I just stuck to the paved trail.  I made it a sprint workout of sorts.  Felt great when I was done.  Just what I needed.  Shoulder held up fine too (yay!).  Still hurting pretty bad from the swim, but that mind-splitting pain didn't return.

Afterwards, I saw Doc and told him about my run on Saturday.  He was super excited!  But then I told him about the pain on Sunday, Monday's swim, etc.  Kind of a bummer, but he was excited to hear that the running didn't agitate the pain any further.  He asked me how the alkaline food thing was going and I told him I was trying, but I ate crap (and drank crap) all weekend.  Then it dawned on me.  Pain came back with a vengeance after eating junk food for nearly 2 days.  Oops.  Lol.

So since Monday morning, I've been back on this alkaline food thing. I've been drinking a lot more water in the last 2 or 3 weeks than I used to.  I remembered my swim coach (who has been following an alkaline diet for years) always had a slice of lemon (or two!) in his water bottle.  I looked it up and read that it helps make the water more alkaline.  Not to mention that lemon is one of the most alkaline forming foods.  So today, I'm giving it go.  I'm not a fan of lemon water, so I started with a small slice.  Lol.  :)

I have discovered the joy of butternut squash today.  In the deli section at Publix, they had a cup of butternut squash and apple soup.  I ate it for lunch today and was very surprised.  So glad I grabbed it instead of the chili!  I remembered Doc mentioning it a week or so ago too, so I looked up recipes for the stuff.  I found an easy enough recipe for roasted butternut squash.  I'm glad I read the reviews and saw that the cooking time was incorrect.  I'm going to give it a go this evening.

Doc also mentioned quinoa as a good alternative to rice and grains.  I also found out that quinoa can be prepared in a rice cooker.  Score!  So that's what I'm making this evening for dinner.  Boyfriend may or may not like it.  He was pleasantly surprised with the spaghetti squash I made last week.  Maybe he'll tolerate butternut squash too.  Lol.

Doc did a number on me yesterday though.  My left shoulder is tender where he had to hold a couple of spots and now that little spot next to my left shoulder blade is really hurting.  He said he's going to do fascia work on Friday.  Hopefully, I won't seize this time.  :)  I'm debating on taking the motorcycle to work (and Doc's office) Friday.  Doc might kill me though.  I'll think on it... 

No more numb hands!

I went swimming Friday, Saturday and this morning.  I had some good workouts too.  One thing I noticed that was different swimming this weekend as to before Friday morning -- my hands didn't go numb in the pool!  In fact, I can raise both arms in the air and it takes a significantly longer time for them to numb.  It was rather instant and mostly in the left hand.  I had mentioned this to Doc on a couple of occasions.

So I went swimming this morning before my appointment to see Doc.  Due to a head-cold, I wasn't able to complete the full workout I had planned on, but I got some good yards in.  However, I didn't notice that I didn't have to massage my hand to regain feeling after each set.  When I saw Doc this afternoon, I told him about that.  He was very excited!  He seemed very relieved and said that it was a great thing.

I asked him what he meant by the "bubble" that he pushed on last Friday.  I'm trying to remember the order of what he said...  There was a tear in the muscle and fascia was poking through when it shouldn't be -- so he pushed it back into place.  Either that or there was a tear in the fascia and the muscle was poking through.  I had never heard of fascia, so I couldn't follow very well.  That and he was in a hurry to do soft tissue work on my neck.  Lol.

So I've been searching Google through a variety of phrases.  I found an easy to read site that explains what fascia is.  Looking at the diagram, I'm thinking Doc meant there was a tear in the muscle and the fascia was poking through.  But I am having trouble finding more information about it.  >:(  Is it a weird thing for it to occur?

Doc asked me how I fared over the weekend.  I told him besides overworking my lower back on Saturday, the only residual pain was in my neck.  It felt "bruised."  I thought it was straining my back on Saturday, but he said it's more likely related to my seized/spazzed episode on Friday.  Now that I think about it...  It does kind of feel like whiplash.  Kind of.

So now Doc is more aware of my situation regarding my lower back; and now he is more concerned.  Lol.  I told him Mom said the last time I had x-rays done was when I was 14 and she doesn't remember the doctor giving any specifics.  He wasn't surprised.  During treatment today, I had a sudden nasty pinch in my lower back.  He asked if I was ok; I told him that it was very normal for me, that it hurt, but that it would pass -- always does.  When he showed me a new exercise to try for my shoulders, I noticed that it involved putting a lot of pressure on the lower vertebrae.  I told him that I would try, but in past experience, those exercises usually aggravated my lower back pretty bad.

We kept chatting about it and I mentioned that I frequently hear a "grinding" noise in my back and neck.  I have been hearing it for years.  He asked why I hadn't done anything about it.  I told him that each time I have seen a doctor about it, I get put on 6 weeks of steroids and months of physical therapy that makes the pain worse.  I told him I pretty gave up on that route and just learned to live and deal with it on my own.

I don't expect him to fix everything that's wrong with me.  I only give the information when he asks or when it's relevant.  He has mentioned that I'm pretty bad off.  I probably shouldn't have waited until January to see him.  Probably should have given him a call when my buddy Shannon referred him last summer.  Oh well.  Too late now.

I do feel an overall difference though.  It has been 6 sessions and normally people see results in 6-8 sessions with him or the other doctors there.  He says I have a really long way to go though.  *sigh*

I guess it can't get much worse now...

So I saw Doc on Friday.  That was a memorable visit to say the least.  He said, "So last weekend, I learned and got certified in a new technique."  "Ok.  Cool."  "I believe you are the perfect candidate for this so we're going to scratch the old plan I had for you.  If that's ok with you."  I said whatever because I had a week of pure hell pain-wise.  Something had to give.

That new technique hurt just as much (sometimes more) than the Active Release Therapy did.  Can't really describe what he did, because it was such an odd sensation.  Sure did hit a lot of the most painful areas though.  Towards the end he began pressing (I guess) on my upper back, but not to adjust it -- although my back did pop/crack a couple of times.  I wasn't sure what he was doing; all I knew is it made me cough a lot and that whenever he released the pressure, a lot of the pain was gone. 

He said we were out of time and that he wanted to see me again very soon to continue, so I asked if Monday was too soon.  (I have Monday off from work, so it's easier to make the drive down there.)  He said that would be perfect.  He told hop up so that I could go to micro-current & ice therapy in the next room.  (He always ends with electric-stim or micro-current with heat or ice.)  I was still flat on my stomach, so I tried to move to sit up.  Couldn't move.  Very odd feeling.  I forced myself to move and a sudden wave of excruciating pain zapped through my upper back.  So I stayed face down on the table.  Doc said, "Come on.  Get up."  "Ummmm...  I can't.  Hold on."  I forced myself to roll to an angle and sit up.  I tried putting my hoodie back on and the pain came back.  Anytime I tried to contract the muscles he pushed on, the pain returned.  It also felt like it had turned to stone.  Couldn't budge that area at all.

He helped me to the next room and told the nurse to keep an eye on me during the micro-current w/ice treatment.  He told me that he would check on me at the end (which he normally doesn't do).  My back seized during the treatment and then the spasms started.  A different nurse disconnected me from the machine when the timer went off.  "Ok!  You're done!"  I laid there.  "I said you're done.  Let's go!"  I said, "I know.  I'm trying."  Every time I tried to push off with my arms, the spasms got worse and that wave returned.  Doc helped me get up and took me to another room.

He tried adjusting my back a bit, but nothing.  He tried massaging out the problem area, but nothing.  He got an "activator" and checked up my spine, found a bad spot, and tried to release that spot.  Helped a bit.  I just laid on the table shaking all over from the pain and the spasms.  He thought I was cold and asked if I wanted a blanket.  I told him I wasn't cold (which was true).  He told me he couldn't release me; I was in no shape to drive.  At one point, I think he figured out that I kind of wanted to be left alone.  He went to go work on his next client for a bit.

I don't know how long I was in that room alone.  But eventually the spasms calmed down and I was able to stretch and sit up a bit.  When he came back in, I was stretching and sitting up more normally.  So we talked for a few moments.  I told him that the pain, seizing, and spasms were frequent in my lower back (Has been happening since my injury in 2001), but that it was the first time it occurred in my upper back.  He looked pretty concerned when I gave him that information.  He said he wants x-rays soon.

He also said he felt responsible for what happened.  He said he felt a "bubble" and was trying to flatten it out.  He believed that my body just reacted to the correction, but he still felt bad.  Doc mentioned that the worst thing I could do that day is go home and lie in bed.  He also said something about making certain shakes that I've never heard of to flush the inflammation out and make my body more alkaline.  I told him I heard about that sort of thing, but didn't know what to do.  I always get confused when thinking about a nutrition plan, which is why I never bother with them.  He said he was a nutritionist as well so he'd help me out next week and walk me through it.

All I know is that 20 minutes after leaving the office I felt totally normal and all the pain I had during the week was gone.  In fact I felt better than I had in years.  My body obviously doesn't like change.  I went swimming a couple hours later and it was AMAZING.  I tried inline skating and felt great.  I taught a private lesson and went to bed tired, but relatively pain-free.

Yesterday, I went swimming (AWESOME!) and walked the dog.  However, after giving the dog a bath and some housework, that same pain returned to my lower back and then my neck started hurting pretty bad.  Obviously because of my actions that day.  It's still a little sore in my neck, but better.  I'm going to take it easy today.

I see Doc again tomorrow.  I'm rather excited to finally have some help in setting up a nutrition plan.  These doctor visits have become the highlight of my week for some reason.

Thought it was a good idea....

I went running on Saturday.  I figured a 20 minute jog wouldn't do any harm.  That was an AWFUL idea!  Lol.  About 8 minutes out I was jogging on along in my own little happy world and...

I nearly fell on my ass from the sudden mind-splitting pain in my shoulder.  It hit me hard and fast.  Only thing I can equate it to is watching Travis Pastrana using a dog shock collar in Nitro Circus 2.  (BTW, I've searched all over YouTube for a clip of that skit, and I cannot find it.  I think I may have the DVD at home; I'll see if I can grab it from that...)

Holy cow that hurt.  And then it all went downhill from there.  I was in pain for the rest of the weekend.  Monday I had Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE -- otherwise known as "Orchestra Festival) with my kids.  I was hurting bad before we left, during our performance, after, on the bus ride home, during a lesson that evening, and even when I was sleeping.  Pain spread from back right side of my neck -- both side of my neck -- base of my skull -- left shoulder -- right shoulder -- shoulder blades -- back.  It was like a waterfall.  The pain was at an all-time high.  This morning it really wasn't any better.  After teaching three classes, it's still really bad (descended from a 10 to 9). 

I see Doc on Friday.  I almost didn't come to work today.  I seriously considered it...  Too much work to try and make sub plans and stuff though.  It's about 5 hours of prep work just to take off 7 hours of work.  What's the sense in that?

Swimming last Saturday (before my running catastrophe) was AWESOME!  I did a little strength training and a long walk with Karma on Sunday even I was still hurting pretty bad.  I'm hoping to hit the pool again tomorrow and/or Thursday.

I did have an idea though...  OBVIOUSLY running is a very bad idea right now.  Lol.  And I'm not allowed to be cycling.  What about roller blading?  Almost no impact, but still uses most of the same muscles as running + cycling.  I used to do it all the freakin' time years ago, but then I dropped it for whatever reason.  I still have all of my gear.  I'm debating on trying it out Thursday after work or waiting until I see Doc on Friday to ask him.  Being limited to swimming and weights is killing me.  Lol.  I gotta do more!

This pain is SO annoying....  I'm over it.

Did you know?

So Doc told me that my right shoulder blade (scapula) is "waving" -- basically the point that should be flush against my back is sticking out behind me.  He also mentioned that my pectoral minor muscles are overly tight and shortened.  He said we need to stretch that muscle as much as possible.

I did a quick search on pectoralis minor and found this image:

Then I saw text underneath.  It mentioned that the pectoralis minor "draws the scapula forward and down."  Huh.  Who knew?  It is attached to the front of the body.  I'm guessing that my overly tight pectoral minor muscle is causing my scapula to "wave."  Interesting.  :)

Never ending cramp

Over the course of the week, I started having pretty bad pains at the base of my skull.  It almost felt as though my skull was trying to merge with the top of my neck.  I kept putting cold packs on it.  I got tired of taking Aleve, even though it did help deter headaches that seemed to ensue.  Shoulders still feel like there is a never ending cramp, but I have noticed that the toughness when I touch those areas is a little less.

I saw Doc Friday afternoon.  His first question was, "How did you feel last weekend?"  The next one was, "Did you hate me? ... "Good."  Odd man.  Lol.

He asked me if I had any new pains.  I told him about the problem at the base of my skull.  He expected it, which it good I guess in that it wasn't some abnormal thing.  He told me that the muscles in my back tightened (that we pissed off with the ESWT) and those muscles are connected to the base of my skull.  Makes a lot of sense to me really.  Maybe not to other people, but I do get it.  So he massaged it and stretched out the area along with my shoulders.  He asked how my "Wall Angels" we're coming along.  I said they were fine, but getting a little easy.  He told me to add soup cans or something to each hand and do them that way.  I told him I had ankle weights, but he was worried that it would be too much at this point.  We don't want to read re-damage my shoulders.

He decided to try some acupuncture (from what I understand, it's chiropractic acupuncture).  Since I was rather squeamish about the needles, he decided to only put four in and see how I took it.  At first, it was a tad.....unnerving.  The last needle stung pretty bad, so he had to try another spot.  Because I was rather sensitive, he didn't go for the electric stimulation like he wanted.  Afterwards, I was more comfortable with it.  He mentioned that he would rather put more in on various areas; he said to think about it and decide next week.  I think I am ok with the idea.  Especially since I don't see the needles, I am all right with it.  My boyfriend is a big skeptic, but I'm in so much pain, that I'm rather desperate.

Doc did tell me to get a foam roller.  He was surprised when I told that I didn't have one already.  I told him that I knew about them, but didn't know what to do with them.  He showed me some uses for my back (since I have never ending pain there), shoulder blades, shoulders, and neck.  He also added some stretching to use with the roller.  He said it could help speed up the healing process.  I hear runners and cyclists love foam rollers, but I didn't quite get it.  I figure my boyfriend could some use out of it after playing tennis and football.

I see Doc again next week as usual now.  For now, I like how he is trying to solve the issue; unlike the PCP and sports medicine doctors I've seen that just prescribe steroids and physical therapy to manage the pain.  So far, my experience with chiropractors has been positive.  I think it helps to find the right doc too.  Thanks to my buddy for recommending him!

Imagine that...

The treatments my chiropractor has been doing are actually working.  I have significantly less pain in my neck and shoulders now than I have at any point in the last 5 years.

After chatting with my boyfriend, I've started wondering something...  Are the issues in my shoulder and neck connected to the tightness and stiffness problems in my hands (primarily my left) when I play my bass?

During the last 5 years or so, I've noticed that my left hand just doesn't move as fluidly and nimbly as it used to before then.

That article I posted before mentioned that pain in the neck is usually sent as pain elsewhere.  Maybe what I've been thinking was carpal tunnel syndrome is actually directly linked to the issues in my left shoulder.  They started about the same time.

Or am I over thinking it?

Maybe these doctor visits will help me in more than just quality of life & triathlon training/performance; perhaps it'll finally open the doors for me to be able to do auditions and performances pain-free and issue-free.

Ehh...  I'm babbling.  But still...

A Pain in the Neck

I've always suffered from chronic back pain since I was an adolescent.  I complained at first, but the doctors said there wasn't much they could do, so I learned to live with it.  I have gotten real good at ignoring it.  On a normal day my pain is at about a 6 (on a scale of 1 - 10).  I get flare-ups, and they suck.  Then the pain is usually at about an 8 or 9.  Sometimes it gets really bad, like after I go cycling, running, and then give the dog a bath; that pain is a 10.  I'm out of commission for a good while.  I've stopped taking pain killers years ago mainly because I started developing a tolerance for them (not good...).  Hot salt baths, heating pads, stretching, and avoidance is usually my treatments.  Those that know me realize that when I say, "Man...  My back hurts," that it is pretty severe.

Over the last few years, I've gotten semi-regular headaches that many times cause nausea and light sensitivity.  I always figured it stemmed from my eyes and/or glasses.  I've also started having severe pains (8 or 9) in my left shoulder and all of my neck.  When that area begins to hurt, a throbbing/aching pain begins between my shoulder blades (7 or 8).  Last summer I was in tears quite frequently.  My boyfriend said that pain in the shoulders and neck were a regular thing for cyclists and to just get used to it.  I would back off on the amount of activity and eventually the pain would die down to about a 5 or 6.

I started running regularly earlier this month and those severe pains returned.  I refuse to live with this any longer.  I figured something was wrong.  So I took a friend's advice and called 1st Choice Healthcare to set up an appointment to see a sports chiropractor.  My friend recommended a doctor there.  I had my first appointment last Monday.

Turns out the cause of my agony stems from my profession and passion of playing the double bass.  :(  This makes me very sad.  Doc says that the scalene muscles in my neck (primarily my left side, but my right is all screwed up too) have intertwined themselves with all of the muscles in my shoulder.  Supposedly it's created a big rubber band ball.  Nice visual huh?  I had never heard of scalene muscles.

He said that problems in this area also trigger pain points beside the shoulder blade.  Imagine that.  I had that problem.  I found an interesting article about that very thing.  So Doc says my case is pretty bad.  I'm supposed to go twice a week for treatment until it starts to settle, then I go once a week.  I did manage to go twice this week, but I'll have to go once a week for the next couple because of work obligations.

I went again on Friday.  I was stupid sore for Monday - Wednesday.  On Friday, he "grated" my shoulders and neck, then used ESWT which pulverized my muscles.  One particular nerve on my right side was really pissed; it kept sending lightening bolts of pain behind my shoulder blade.  :(  Then he stretched and tried to push muscles back in place.  He says he felt a difference.  All I know is that my shoulders and neck have been ultra-weak and sore since.  Last night I had problems holding my head up on my own.

These scalene muscles have also pulled at least one vertebrae out of place -- C2 I think.  I can feel it protruding just behind my left jaw.  He said he doesn't want to adjust it for a little while -- at least until he feels that the screwed up muscles don't pull it right back out again.  He believes that is the source of my headaches.

Needless to say, I haven't run in a week and it has been really hard not to.  I bet I could at least try...  He said I could do all the swimming and strength training I wanted!  Bad part is my work schedule won't allow me to swim until Feb 12.  :(  So frustrating.  I hate strength training...

*sigh*  So...  I'm rather frustrated and I feel broken.

Lesson here is:  Don't ignore severe pain.  Don't accept severe pain as "normal."  If you live in the Atlanta area, I highly recommend giving 1st Choice Healthcare a call.

A week on hold

So I had two weeks of steady running.  Yay!

I figured I'd be hard pressed to get running or swimming in this week due to my work schedule.  I have to do some after school rehearsals with my orchestra to help prepare for Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE).  I have 4 weeks to prepare for said performance (BOOOOO!), but the band has until the end of March?!  DOUBLE BOOO!!  But I won't vent on that...  Lol.

I don't like running after dark for safety concerns.  I am female (and an attractive one from I'm told) and running alone in the dark hasn't always been kind to me.  Where I used to live, I had issues with dudes following me in a car and badgering me.  So I started carrying a nasty looking pocket knife that I'd flip open without looking at them.  That usually sent them on their way until a new guy would give it a go.  Sometimes I would also carry a fanny pack that had a built in holster for a handgun.  I own a Glock 22 and I would conceal-carry it in the pack while I walked the dog after dark for our safety.  I witnessed drug deals, had creep-i-zoids follow me on foot, etc.  I had to protect myself and I didn't really enjoy that.  Why can't people leave me alone?!  Lol.

I moved almost 2 years ago to a really nice neighborhood in a great area of town.  I probably could go running after dark (wearing proper reflectors, lights, etc) without being bothered too much, but I'd rather not.  When I drive around the area (on my motorcycle or in the car), I notice that there aren't any females running in the early morning or after sunset; pretty much only males do that.  The gals seem to run during the daylight hours (there are plenty of walkers and runners around where I live).

So... That being said -- since I was getting home after dark everyday due to work, I opted not to run and give myself a week off.  I'd run on Friday-Monday (MLK Day is this weekend).  Then on Thursday, my usual chronic spinal pain flared up and went out of control.

It's kind of a long story, but I am 30 years old and have a crippled back.  I've lived with back pain since I was about 13 years old and there isn't much anyone could do about it.  I had a severe back injury in Nov 2001 that has crippled it.  I am supposed to be restricted on what I am able to do.  I keep pushing the limits of what my body can supposedly handle.  I refuse to live my life with such limitations.

I have learned to live with the pain.  On a normal day, my pain is about a 6 or 7 (scale of 1-10).  When I get these flare-ups, it goes to about a 9 or 10.  So when I mention to anyone "Man...  My back hurts," it ain't no slight twinge, ache, throb, etc.  It's devastating pain that leaves me lieing on a bed with a heating pad (because I refuse to take pain killers anymore) for a couple of days.

Thursday I had a flare-up.  Now it's also spread to my neck and left shoulder.  It awful.  It's killing me.  A week ago I made an appointment with a sports chiropractor for MLK Day.  Perfect timing.  I have never gone to any chiropractors in the past.  I needed a referral to get it covered by insurance and no PCP would ever give me a referral.  They just insisted on putting me on steroids and physical therapy (neither of which EVER worked).

Needless to say, I didn't run or swim like I planned yesterday.  :(  Too much pain and agony.  I'm taking some webinars this afternoon at SimpleK12.  The pain has died down to about an 8 for now.  If it stays like this, I'll try running later this afternoon after my last webinar.

Living my life around this sometimes unpredictable pain is ridiculous.  I have high hopes that Doc can help like my cyclist friend says he can.

Shinsplints suck!

And they do.

I was so much pain by the end of my workday yesterday.  I tried to stay off my feet, but it is so difficult.  I have to be moving around.  My students will even tell you that I fidget a lot too.  Lol.  But yes....  Shinsplints suck.

So yesterday, out of curiosity, I went to http://www.webmd.com/ to plug in my ailments and see what it came up with.  100% match with shinsplints.  Ha.  Dave was right.  Lol.  The website had a pretty informative article on shinsplints.

I'm trying to avoid depending on pain killers to dull the pain.  I have a high tolerance for pain, so sometimes I don't always realize how much it hurts until it is unbearable.  I mentioned to Dave that the article said to put on a neoprene sleeve for support and warmth.  He then said to use one of his Dura-Aid sleeves on my shins.  I had used a couple of his when I injured my elbow, but they were elbow sleeves.  Now....  I am a tiny person and I have very small calves.  His shin sleeves fell to the ground like stretched out socks.  So I put the elbow sleeve on my lower leg and it fits great.  He gave me another sleeve for the other leg.  They're basically compression  bandages of sorts.  He sells them in his Amazon & eBay stores.

I slipped those things on and it was INSTANT comfort!  I've been wearing them all day at work and I have NO pain.  Some discomfort when I flex my shin muscles, but nothing excruciating.  Good lord these things are awesome.  I totally recommend using compression sleeves on your calves/shins if you have shinsplints.

And this leads Dave and I to something else.  In all my running magazine and books, I always see ads and pictures of people wearing compression socks.  At the race last weekend, there were a number of people wearing them as well.  They range in price from $30 - $70 so I figured they were overpriced socks.  Lol.  But after wearing these compression sleeves, I wonder if they do something similar.  Dave says I should wear these Dura-Aid things while running, but I can already tell that they'd get itchy and hot.  They don't "breathe" all that well.  I may go to Big Peach Running and buy a pair of compression socks to try out.  Might be worth looking into.....

One thing the article did mention is that swimming is an excellent cross-training for runners with shinsplints.  Bad news is that it isn't unusual for shinsplints to take 3-6 months to heal.  This is unacceptable.  I must heal faster than that.

My First Duathlon

I completed my first duathlon!  Yay!

I participated in the Cartersville Duathlon.  It consisted of a Run/Bike/Run: 5K - 17 miles - 5K.

About a month ago I spent a Sunday seeing if this were doable for me.  I ran 2.3 miles, cycled 8 miles, and ran 2 miles.  Then I did some weight training.  I felt great!  I figured that I could finish this event.  So I set a new goal: Complete said race in 2 hours.

Did I finish?  Yes.  Did I meet my goal?  Close enough!  I finished in 2:01:32.  I could have made the first transition a little faster, but other than that I could not have put more effort into it and still finish.  I finished the first 5K in 26:16 (not bad...) and the second 5K in 26:50.  I was actually prouder of the second time because I was fighting all sorts of issues during that second run.  It all started in the bike part.

When I read that a course has rolling hills, I think of tame hills where the downhills help propel you up the uphill.  You can see the end of the ascent and the descent is gradual but noticeable.  That's the image I have in my head.  Yeah....  Those weren't "rolling hills" yesterday.  I'm not sure what I'd call them though.  There weren't any steep climbs (like up near Lake Lanier - oy).  The ascents lasted anywhere from .5 mile - 2 miles.  Most of the time you couldn't see where the uphills ended (which is demoralizing).  The grade of the ascent would increase slightly as you kept climbing (once again - demoralizing).  The uphills were a bitch.  Pardon the lingo.

Enough about the uphills for the moment....  Now the downhills were a different story.  When you have a long-ass climb, you would expect something similar for a descent.  Nope.  Not yesterday.  The downhills were very tame, gradual and very short.  Boooooo!  There was some flat areas which was nice.  But I really could have gone for some more descents.  At one point in the race (around mile..... 13 maybe?), I had been climbing for at least a mile and noticed that the flaggers were telling us to make a very tight right turn.  It was an exit off of a major highway that clover-leafed around a very steep decline and immediately turned left at the bottom.  So we had to brake around this super tight loop on a long-awaited descent and turn left at the bottom.  Bummer.  Here's the bigger bummer: We had another hill climb immediately after we turned left.  Boooo!  Lol.  Very demoralizing.

There were good points to the bike-leg of the race.  At mile 11, there was an unbelievable view.  To the right of the road was a farm that looked as though it came out of a painting.  It was the perfect looking farm.  Called "Three Bears Farm."  I couldn't stop staring.  Thankfully the view lasted for quite a while.  Of course the "lovely" smell of farm came right after I passed the entrance.  Ha.  Definitely a farm.  Actually that was the best of the bike course....

I think I "bonked."  I've never done so, but I think I did bonk.  Very unusual feeling.  Happened about mile 10.  It was right when I planned on using an energy gel so I went ahead and took it with some water.  Felt better a few minutes later.  The original plan to take another one at about mile 15 and I didn't.  That cost me later.

Remember those uphills I just bitched about?  Those came with a side-effect for me.  Because my feet are attached to the pedals, I was pulling up on the pedals as well as pushing down with the opposite foot.  While I haven't mastered this technique, I do find that it is my saving grace on hill-climbs.  So all the pulling on the pedals resulted in some severe pain in my shin by the end of the bike course.  Didn't think anything of it at the time.

So the second transition was quick-ish.  I kept running, never stopping to walk and plowed on ahead to the run course again.  I was so focused on pushing through the "jelly legs" that I ignored my feet and shins.  When my quads were still screaming but started functioning again, I noticed that my feet were pretty much numb.  This is from the chilly air from the bike course I figured because what I could feel in my lower extremities was cold.  Once I started getting feeling back in my feet I then noticed that I had an agonizing pain in my shins.  It felt like tennis balls were growing in the upper half of my shin.  Then I thought, "Are these shinsplints?"  I've never had them before so I didn't really know.  So I focused on getting my ankles to relax, which helped some.

All this happened within the first mile and a half.  Yay!  So while I'm managing the pain I realize I was passing a ton of people, most of whom passed me during the bike course.  So I pushed through the pain some more.  I wanted to walk sooooooooooooooo bad.  Then Uncle Bill flashed through my mind so I kept running.  About mile 2, I felt like total.... utter.... crap.  I felt absolutely awful.  Remember that energy gel I skipped?  Yeah...  Not doing that again -- ever.  There was an aid station right about the same time so I slowed down and took in some water.  Still felt like complete crap, but I figured I had one more mile to go.  What's one more mile when you've already gone 22.1 miles?  Lol.

At the entrance to the park, I dug super deep and tried to speed up.  I passed a few more people who cheered me on.  I could barely hear them.  I rounded the last corner and a volunteer said, "You can see the finish line!  Go!"  I realized that I couldn't see it.  I knew it was there, but I couldn't see it.  My vision was very blurred and spotty.  I stopped when there was a wall of people within my sight.  Lol.

So I finished and met my goal.  I put in 250% effort overall.  I made a couple of mistakes, but I see them as learning points (like don't skip out on an energy gel -- you'll pay for it later).  I also learned a few things about myself.  The biggest thing I am amazed at is....  Even when my body was screaming at me to quit and that it couldn't give me anymore, I kept at it -- kept going.  I had to dig deeper than I ever have to do it, but I pushed my body well beyond any limits I have ever reached.  I'm rather stunned actually.  It does prove to me that I can accomplish much more than I ever planned.

Dave says I have shinsplints.  They hurt....  A lot.  I get numbness in my left foot from time to time.  He says it's from the swelling.  Makes sense.  I figure I don't really need a doctor.  Dave's been helping me treat the shinsplints.  I have a swim lesson tomorrow with Bill.  This should prove interesting.

I have a lot of pain at the moment: hip flexors, butt, quads, hamstrings, calves, shinsplints, neck and shoulders.  But man.....  I feel like I just conquered Brasstown Bald.  :)

So it's been quite a few weeks since that jack*** knocked me over at the motocross track and got my arm injured. I still get a lot of people asking me if I'll ride dirt bikes again: HELL YEAH! I could let it get to me. I could be terrified of ever getting on a dirt bike again, but it's the total opposite. I'm pissed! All I want to do is get back out there, ride faster, and ride better. It's motivation for me. Dave is rather pleased with this.

His main worry is a valid one. Is my arm healed enough to get back on the bike? It's still tender, but is weaker than it used to be. However, I think it's worth trying! I'll take it easy and ride shorter sessions than before. He bought me all sorts of new armor to help with confidence. This was my first really bad crash after all. I might be a little shaken up when I get back on the bike.

People at work and other friends keep giving me lectures. When I showed up to work with my arm in a sling and a big bandage around it, "You've got to be careful! Don't you know you are a musician?!" Uh.... Yeah, I do. What do YOU do for fun?! Play with your kids? Sorry, but that's a necessity as a parent. Watch movies/tv all weekend? Very unproductive and how shallow! Browse the Internet? Get a reality check and return to real life. Do drugs? Don't get me started on that. Shopping? You'll never find happiness that way.

Get off my ass about how I should live my life. You don't need to approve. I have one mother and father already. I don't need another. Besides, while my parents don't always approve of everything I do, they have the decency to have faith in my ability to make the best decisions I can.

I love riding motorcycles: street and dirt. I know the risks. I accept the risks. What would life be without taking risks?!

Get off my butt.

To the jack*** who knocked me over and never apologized, I'll see you at the track again. One day, I'll be the one to take out your front wheel and make you eat dirt.