Ayerd{dot}com :: Triathlon

I'm bummed. And, a little pissed.

This (happy) Monday marked 6 weeks since I was diagnosed with a stress fracture of my right tibia. I've not run in 7 weeks since it took a week for me to get an appointment to see the doctor (which is not too shabby, really).

Walking around for the last 2-3 weeks has been pain free. No problems on stairs. The whole body felt pretty good. I have put on about 5 lbs since I stopped running.

With the follow up appointment this afternoon I decided to take ye olde leg out for a jog. I thought it would be migthy dumb of me to walk into the doctor's office saying I felt fine and then have the leg collapse or something the first time I went out. Out the door at 6:00 AM for a 20-minute out-and-back along the recently repaired D&R Canal.

The run itself felt pretty good. Leg didn't hurt. My hamstrings have lost more strength than I realized or expected. Lung power felt okay, but I was clearly a little more winded than I'd like to be. Not pain per-say in the lower leg after 2-miles. Felt more like a classic shin splint than anything else. All discomfort went away within 15 mins of ending the run and while there wasn't pain, I was aware than the musles in that lower leg had been used.

Confidence was high.

The appointment didn't go as well as I would have liked. Doctor asked me how it was going. I told him about my run and the resulting discomfort after the run and that while it didn't hurt, it didn't feel like the left (injury free) leg.

He then proceeded to feel up my leg and jam his thumb into inside shin about 6-8 inches above the ankle. "Does this hurt? You're making a face." Well, yea, it hurts. If you did that to the other leg, it would hurt too.

He thinks the stress fracture may not have healed. Wants me to get an MRI and continue to not run until we have a chance to look at the films. &^%$#!!!

Personally, I do not think this is a stress fracture. It feels like a muscle injury. What really pisses me off is that if I'm going to be able to complete the Goofy Challange in 13 weeks I need to get out there on the road. With about a weeks time between now and when I can schedule a MRI... and when they have an open slot at the MRI machine... and a trip to China some time around the 23rd... it could be well into November until I get a chance to see the MD and find out what is actually wrong. Never mind how long it takes to actually heal the injury.

This is bringing me down. I think as long as the pain doesn't rise above what I had this morning, I'm going to try and slip in a 30-minute run everyday in addition to spinning and swimming. How unwise does that seem?

Ya, now is the time on Sprockets when we run.

Actually, I've been running in 20-minute spurts for the last week. Then, last Thursday I got the results from my MRI and the report stated, "no evidence of a stress fracture or soft tissue injury."

This is a Good Thing.

Today I went out for a slow paced, 60-minute run. It went very well. Covered just over 6.5 miles! (imagine this run, but only go half way). Hell yea. And, it felt good. No leg pain. A little winded, but that was expected.

I'm very, very stoked.

I've got 10 weeks to get into "fighting" shape... or at least good enough shape to get me through the Goofy Challenge. I'm not looking for land speed records, just a relaxing run with friends and the Loving Wife™.

I've even gone a little nutz and have been thinking about IM-Ken-sucky (/me makes dueling banjos sounds.) even though I've been saying I wouldn't be doing an IM next year. It's hard to a pass up an inaugural event when you have a chance. I've also been to Louisville and it wasn't that bad... time will tell on this one.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes on getting better. The good vibes helped get me moving!