Category: Running

  • Doctor Frustration

    Warning: The following constitutes generalizations with a sample size of “not very big”.

    Medical Doctors, it seems, don’t really want to look at me as a whole anymore. They want to look at “the problem” and fix it. Or try. Or prescribe medication until it fixes itself. I am not interested in that; I need a long-term approach to a persistent problem; this seems to be an alien thought to the specialists I’ve been seeing.

    Some background: I’ve had two back surgeries, one in 1991 when I was 17 and one in 2001 when I was 27. Both were discectomies, removing bulging discs that were pressing agains my spinal cord and causing debilitating pain. Since then, I’ve had chronic issues with my back, but not associated with the spine per se. The issues have to do with my frequent overstressing of back muscles which then put me on the sidelines for two weeks to a month.

    Additional background: Last July I pulled my calf and this caused me to defer training for the Marine Corps Marathon. It wasn’t for about two months that the calf was healed enough to let me run. Now, after training for the Georgia Marathon, I pull the very same calf muscle ((medial gastrocnemius, if you care)) and am now fed up. With both issues.

    I’ve been a mostly self-coached athlete since taking up running and triathlon. I make efforts to do the things you’re supposed to do in my position: train your core, work on stabilization, improve hip flexibility and strength. Things are obviously not working. So, it’s time to seek some professional help.

    Enter the doctors. They seem convinced of several things:

    • I don’t know what’s wrong with me
    • It’s “my back” or “my discs” ((the first doctor I saw said, “your discs are hurting.” This after I explained my relative familiarity with lumbar anatomy and the several conditions I’ve personally experienced. Kthxbye))
    • It’s something that can be treated through injections
    • It’s something they need to refer to a spinal surgeon

    Finally I gave up and said, “Just give me a referral to a physical therapist who specializes in athletes and sports medicine.” The second doctor seemed convinced that all of my issues were due to overtraining, which I suppose is possible, but there’s no way he could know that from a five minute talk with me and a very brief discussion of my training.

    Thusly, I’m a bit frustrated with the medical community right now. When I made the appointments, I tried to tell the people involved what it was I was looking for (long-term plan and approach) and almost universally I got blank silence on the phone. They seemed to be taken aback that I wanted to vet the doctor I was making an appointment with before showing up. Doesn’t anyone do that nowadays? When I picked my primary care physician, I called the group he is a part of and told the receptionist that I didn’t want to see a doctor who didn’t run at least once a week. I wanted a physician who I could trust at least had an inkling of my habits and conditions.

    Unfortunately, when I started looking around for someone to help treat my calf and my back, I discovered that “sports medicine” around here ((at least within my insurance plan)) does not mean backs. It means arms, legs, elbows, knees, etc. Also, I’ve discovered ((again, within the doctors on my insurance plan)) that “sports medicine” and “non-operative” seem to be mutually exclusive. The doctors have seemed a bit huffy when the very first thing I’ve said is that I don’t want surgery or medication. The guy I saw yesterday said, “I can recommend a non-operative back specialist in our group. He only does injections.” What part of non-operative means “injections”?

    I’ve tried to explain, up front, exactly what I want, and why I want it. I want non-operative, long-term care to take care of muscle imbalances and strains that are affecting my running. I’ve also tried to explain that I do indeed know a little bit about this stuff and that, no, it’s not my discs acting up ((Probably. I obviously can’t guarantee it)) because I know what that feels like, and it’s distinctive ((Truly. There’s nothing quite like leg pain or sensations due to inflammation around my lumbar region. Plus, if my lower back hurts, and it hurts because of a pulled muscle and not lumbar issues, then when someone palpates that muscle and I yell, it’s obvious where the problem lies)). I’m also an experienced athlete with an unfortunate amount of knowledge with these particular injuries. Lastly, it’s my body and I have an investment in knowing what’s going on with it. What I don’t know, and the reason I’m seeing doctors, is how to fix it. Or if not “fix” at least “reduce”, “mitigate”, or “avoid”.

    All of the above is my fault, however. From the very first moment I decided I need professional attention I’ve been tempted to just go to some of the sports physiologists that are associated with the triathlon club I’m a member of, or that hang around the Atlanta Track Club, etc. However, these professionals aren’t members of my insurance plan. I have no desire to spend money I don’t have to, so I would prefer to have the insurance pay the specialist I’m going to see. If I need to, though, I’ll bite the bullet and pay out of pocket.

    So, right now I’m not too keen on the medical profession. I understand why they’re geared up the way they are (no time to spend with patients, paid by the procedure, paid by the patient) but that doesn’t make me happy about it.

  • Georgia Marathon 2011 – DNF

    Today I ran the Georgia Marathon. Exactly 3.8 miles of it.

    Icing the Calf
    I managed to pull my calf again. I was at the water station at on Auburn avenue when the aching in the calf became a shooting, stabbing pain. I told Jenn to keep on without me and I’d catch the sag wagon back to the finish. Thus ended my third attempt to complete this marathon course.

    I am not as philosophical about this DNF ((Did Not Finish)) as I was about the Ironman. Although it’s true that I was badly trained for this race and questioning my ability to finish, I didn’t expect to be hobbling at mile four. I thought I might have to make a call at mile twenty! For crying out loud, I nearly beat a PR in a 10k three weeks ago. To pull a muscle this badly at mile four is profoundly depressing.

    Where to from here? Professional help and treatment. This is ridiculous and I can’t put up with it any more.

    At least I picked an appropriate backdrop for the end of my shitty race.
    Appropriate Backdrop for my Race

  • Georgia Marathon

    Tomorrow I run the Georgia Marathon. The course map is here (pdf) if you want to come cheer me on. You can figure I’ll cross the start line around 7:10 AM and be maintaining a 12:00 per mile pace (more on that in a second). So, if you happen to be at any location on the course, look for me. I’ll be wearing a blue shirt, red shorts, and a visor. Pretty much exactly this outfit ((Jennifer, also pictured here, although she’ll be wearing something else, will be running the half marathon tomorrow)).
    Peachtree Road Race 2008

    I’m predicting this race to be the most painful I’ve ever experienced.

    First, a little history: I have had great trouble completing training programs for marathons. This makes the 5th marathon I’ve trained for, but I’ve only completed one. I’ve trained for this very race three times, but have had to back out twice.

    The reasons why have been various. Injury. Laziness. Illness. They’ve all contributed. This year, I decided that despite my training being fubar ((Oh, and I haven’t been blogging much so I didn’t tell you that the 20 mile training run on that schedule was cut in half due to a calf pull and I haven’t run since. Tomorrow is going to be soooo much fun)), I was going to run the bloody race no matter what. Even if by “run” I mean, “slowly jog, then stagger, then walk” until I’m done.

    So I will line up tomorrow in my corral and set off on a pace that will not exceed 12:00 minutes per mile. I will husband and cherish and baby my strength so that I can try to get through this race without being a total wreck. I’m confident that I’ll finish. I’m not confident that I’ll be happy about it, at least, not in the miles leading up to the end.

    Wish me luck. Or come cheer me and my 17,999 closest friends on!

  • I Ran and I Didn't Die

    All evidence to the contrary.

    I finished my run

    19.0 miles in 3:49. Ugh. My pacing was poor and the last mile and a half were…painful.

    One month to the race.

    14:11 Edit: Apparently I was also salty, as shown by the cat.

    I went and checked my workout log. The last time I ran this far was for the Women’s Marathon in October of 2008. The farthest I’ve run since then was a 17.5 mile training run on the lead up to the Ironman. Go me!

  • Training for the Georgia Marathon

    I’ve got some catching up to do.

    And by catching up, I mean “I’ve got to train enough so I can finish the Georgia Marathon without feeling like I got run over by a truck.” At this stage, I’ve given up on being well enough trained to do well, now I just want to accomplish a better race than the Nike Women’s Marathon back in 2008.

    I ran an 8 mile long run on Sunday, and I’m bumping up my mileage by 3 miles each week between now and March 20th. I’ve got a taper built in and one rest week in there. What I’m looking at is this, for long runs:

    1. 8 (last weekend)
    2. 11
    3. 15
    4. 19
    5. 8
    6. 20
    7. 6
    8. Marathon

    NEVER train like this, unless you’re already at the stage where you can handle the mileage. This is such a horrible race training schedule, I find it painful to write down. Nevertheless, it’s what I’ve got, given the fact that I lost three weeks to a back injury. Damn you back!

    Yes, I’m taking steps to avoid these in the future. Besides, I need to be strong this year, we’ve got two marathons planned in October.

  • Running without Ego

    I have a philosophy that I try to embue in the people around me who are also participating in endurance sports. It is symbolized by the phrase, “Run Without Ego.”

    What it means is that you should be running/biking/swimming/rowing/whatevering for you, and not for anyone else. The converse to that is that it’s about you, and not anyone else. This is important for several reasons:

    • If you’re only competing with yourself, you don’t have to worry about anyone else’s goals and/or abilities. I recall the situation of a friend (Hi Mike!) who decided, more or less randomly, to run a 10k. He turned in something like 1 hour, with no training. Grrrr… However, I retreated to my philosophy wherein it’s more important that I congratulate him for his ability to do that, rather than be envious or angry that he could beat my 10k time (of that moment) without having put in the effort I had.
    • When I’m training, and doing something like a run-walk program, there is a temptation to modify the speed—or convert the walk to a run—if someone else is watching. The evil thought goes through your head, “That girl/guy is a runner. And (s)he’s watching2. I’d better pick it up so I don’t look like a doofus.” No, no, no. It’s always important to stick with your training program and not give in to those fears. Run for yourself, and not for what other people think.
    • Mental health during competitive sports, in my opinion, means concentrating on yourself and not so much the other person.

    When racing, I am competitive with the people around me, but only in the sense that a person may be ahead of me, or coming up from behind me, and I want to keep my ranking as high as I can. Using other people as Rabbits in a race is an excellent motivator. However, my philosophy of Running without Ego lets me use those people not as race competitors, but as mental incentives. Honestly, Running without Ego doesn’t get much of a test during races for me because, as I’ll never be near the top of a race, it doesn’t matter so much who is around me. Only in triathlons, where a person’s age group is written on their calf, will I have any idea if the person I’m competing against is someone who’s name may be near mine in the age group rankings. I just try to turn in my best time and one of these days, I may place in the top three of my age group.

    This philosophical outlook gets tested occasionally. For example, today I ran across a posting entitled How to Hack a Marathon if you aren’t a Runner1.

    A few years ago I ran the San Francisco marathon without training and finished it in 4 hours and 28 minutes.

    Instantly, a rage blazed up within me, consuming all coherent thought. How dare this person do that! I’ve trained for three marathons (completing only one) and I just barely broke 5 hours, and it sucked! [mental screaming ensued]3

    But, then I backed off and thought about it and grudgingly thought, “good for him.” If he can put down his pen and then go run a marathon, more power to him. Maybe he should train some and then he’ll run a marathon really damn fast but in the grand scheme of things, it’s about him and not me.

    I keep this attitude, especially when I’m encouraging new runners who are having difficulties and/or referring to themselves as “slow”. You’re only as slow as your pace. Your fast pace may be my slow pace, but that doesn’t make you slow. It makes you going your own fast pace. If you work at it, that pace may improve. Or it may not, depending on factors that might be beyond your control. The important thing is to be competitive with yourself and not with anyone else.


    1: Although by my definition, you are a runner if you sign up for a marathon.

    2: Possibly, “…and she’s hot!”

    3: Actually, the real reason this angered me wasn’t because of the article itself. If you click through, you’ll see that the attitude of the post was, “hey, we thought why the hell not, so we did.” BUT! The article had been linked from Lifehacker&mdas;hwho will receive NO linkbait from me on this one—with the title of (basically) “Go out and run a marathon without training. Here’s how!” Personally, I find that irresponsible because they’re asking people to injure themselves if they try. Sure, some people will manage, but others could have serious problems.

  • Other Interesting Race Timing News

    I seem to make it a habit of examining race timings.

    However, in this case, no real analysis was needed: I think the ATC has messed up some timings from Saturday’s race.

    I clocked a 26:00 for that race, according to my watch. According to the official race results, I actually ran a 25:40!

    Usually I wouldn’t complain when the race results differ from my own measurement in the good direction, however twenty full seconds is an awful lot, and certainly not explained by measurement anomalies on my end. I could accept five seconds easy, having to do with when I pushed buttons as I crossed the timing mats but twenty is outside my willingness to believe.

    As a check, here are my mile splits:

    • Mile 1: 8:39
    • Mile 2: 8:15
    • Mile 3 (calculated, no split): 8:16
    • Mile 3.1: 0:50 (8:20 Pace)
    • Total: 26:00

    You’ll just have to trust me that those splits fit well with my level of effort.

    So, hmmm… I’ll be passing this along to the ATC, for their consideration.

  • Atlanta Track Club Peachtree City 5k/10k 2011 -and- Injury Update

    Racers Ahoy!

    I ran today with Keith and Jaime the Atlanta Track Club 5k/10k in Peachtree City (we all ran the 5k). I turned in a 26:00 according to my watch and both Keith and Jaime broke their previous PRs. Go us!

    This race is always fun, and in my experience now, always cold (n=3). It was about 28 degrees Fahrenheit at race start, so a bit chilly, but no real wind.

    Given my experience of one week ago, I took it a little easy during the race. I put in about 85% effort. Nicely (although not coincidentally) this activity did not bother my back strain in the slightest, aside from the drive to and from the race where I was sitting in the car.

    This tells me several things:

    • The strain was definitely the quadratus lumbarum because if it had been the multifidus or the erector spinae (or some combination of the above) I’d have been having more issues
    • It’s not my running muscles that need to be worked on in my abdominal strengthening work
    • The quadratus lumbarum is definitely not a running muscle

    I went to see a physician on Friday to start a professional treatment of my problem, but I have a whole post just for that. Look for it soon.

  • Injury – Frustration

    Backache
    Last night I attended/worked the Search for the Golden Sprocket, an event sponsored by The Extraordinary Contraptions. I arrived earlier than most of the band and discovered that the primary entrance to the venue was a slick ice death trap. Therefore, I shoveled.

    Now, I’m sitting on the couch, wondering when I’ll be able to run again. I have (again and again!) managed to pull muscles in my back that make me feel a lot older than I actually am. Hell, I’m wondering how many days it will be before I manage to walk about the house in a normal fashion. This leaves me very frustrated, because I’m in the middle of training for a marathon, and if you follow this blog you may be aware that the last marathon I trained for had to be deferred because of another injury.

    I’ll have to rejigger my training schedule based upon what I’m guessing my recovery date will be. I am going to finish this marathon, dammit, but I might change up the race schedule I have planned for the rest of the year. I’m thinking I may want to concentrate hard on one thing, strengthening my core, for the entire year. If that kept me from being a couch-ridden doofus, it would be worth giving up triathlon and serious racing for a year. Maybe I’ll go see a specialist (I wonder if my health plan would cover that?).

  • Marathon Training Continues

    With this week’s snowpocalypse, doing any sort of regularly scheduled training has been difficult. Running on the sidewalks has been impossible (or extremely ill-advised, see this image and this tweet of mine) and until yesterday it was also not advisable to trek out to the gym for indoor treadmill running (or swimming or weight lifting, or whatever).

    Thusly, this week put a bit of a bump in the training plan. Nevertheless, I’m out on Sunday morning for my next long run, all twelve miles of it. Then it’s back on schedule for progressing up to a marathon distance in time for the Georgia Marathon on March 20, 2011.

    I’ve also got planned the Atlanta Track Club Peachtree City 5k/10k for next weekend, January 22. That’s always a fun race and hopefully I’ll see lots of people I know.

    Race season is coming! I’ll be ready. Will you?