Running Repercussions

Marathon Must I love the Houston Marathon.

I've completed five in a row and hope to continue this streak annually. I'm not anywhere near fast nor am I out there to win, I just like the feeling of accomplishment. Okay and maybe I am OCD about it.....

But in order to continue running, I need to address what's morphed into an increasingly aching issue.

Reality is here. No more denying.

Yes, much like the 12 step program... I'm taking my first step: I'm admitting I have a problem.

Patella Pain

Note those black bands around my knees.

Those are what have gotten me through my years of long distance running.

Now I'm no doctor, but those bands keep my knee caps from moving around during my runs, thus preventing sharp shooting pains.

They get sore, they hurt. And on rare occasions, the pain is so overwhelming take, I am relegated to ending the run. The bands save the day.

So yesterday, I finally had a date with a sports medicine doctor to figure out why, after FIVE weeks, I STILL can't step foot on the track.

Picture not so perfect

According to the doctor, if you look at my knees, notice how my alignment is not so symmetrical. That causes the pain and swelling, I think.

This aerial view of the knee caps is apparently more telling My knee caps are pushing outward, and overuse has those balls (hee hee... I said balls...) misaligned.

Prognosis?

I have runner's knee, an inflammation in and around the patella spawned by overuse.

Solution?

Ice and physical therapy exercises. And lay off the running. And trust me I have. I have not put on my running shoes since marathon day.

Not that I have been training at all, but I have my first triathlon race on March 15th overseas (1.2k swim, 37 mile ride, 9 mile run), then I am committed to the local Longhorn half ironman on March 28th.

Rob plans to run the swim portion (he swam Division one in college) for the "Tagaman" race in Saipan... I'll do the bike, and then depending on my knees, I'll do the run. Or he might do it.

I know, Im stubborn, I should REALLY defer these races, but shit, it's a part of me.

You tri geeks out there know what I mean.

Training gives us purpose. And lately, I haven't been training. I can't run. Shit, I can hardly walk sometimes! Which worries me.....

Anyhoo... this knee thing is something new. Praytell it won't stick around, like my other bone and muscle issue

Back Bothers NOTE: This will be the ONLY time I BARE IT ALL on my blog. Meet my spine, and more specifically, my lower back. We go way back.... like NINE years.... and still counting. That's when a day of water skiing turned injurious. While on my skis, the boat operator took a sharp turn, causing me to snap my back forward and too quickly. I'm no Xray reader, but if you look at my L5 S1 (that's the lower vertebrate that connects to the sacrum), there is not only some slippage, but there is also a hairline fracture, which is apparently the culprit of my chronic pain Over the years, I've managed with the help of cortizone injections, medication (mmm...vicodin, celebrex, etc...) and physical therapy. That's the ONLY way I can get through a long distance run. This year, I'm going to take ANOTHER serious look at alternatives. The pain has never gone away. I mean, do I want to get injections forever? Do I want to pop a pain pill when it hurts? And on that note, doctors are so leary of prescribing the good stuff for fear of litigation, i'm not even getting vicodin anymore. Which of course, makes me anxious because without vicodin and or a steroid injection, there is NO way I can handle the pain associated with long runs. And that would be death to my running and triathlons. And that would suck. Cheers and happy training! "As long as one keeps coming searching, the answers come." Joan Baez