Back in the Saddle

I've been injured since about November 7^th and have been consumed with that fact for almost two months now. I haven't really peeped a word to anyone but the GeekGrl and have mostly been staying to myself because first off, I haven't really been able to do anything active and secondly, really, who needs an injured athlete jonesing for a workout moping around during the holidays.

I guess what makes this whole ordeal so crummy is that after Javelina I was actually doing ok, just the usual stuff. I took a week off and thought I was recovering well. I went out with some friends for a run and part way through BANG! There goes something in my right hip and groin region. I was supposed to run 8 easy miles but instead decided to go for the full 16 miles that my friends were running and we were running at an 8:30 per mile pace. I was immediately pissed at myself for once again not knowing when to just back off.

Not wanting to take any chances and somewhere in my mind wanting to prove to the running gods that I could learn from my mistakes I simply decided to take a month off. What the hell, right? I could use a month after this season and I would still have time to start ramping up for next season even if I wouldn't hit my first race ready for a PR. I thought it was a great plan and was eagerly awaiting my first run with renewed energy. It would, in fact, be the first real off season I have taken in five years.

After a month of rest I headed out for a run with friends and came back with the same groin pain though was significantly less. I probably just went too far, 18 miles (stupid), so I took a week to let it heal and then went out for another 2.5 miles and had a crummy feeling run. I finally went to see my doc since it was obviously not healing very well on it's own but he was out so I saw his PA who said I would have to see a orthopedic surgeon to get a cortisone shot in the region where I may need one.

So, yesterday afternoon I went to see my new Sports Medicine orthopedic doc. He specializes in hips and is a marathoner so I figured I'd be in good hands. We started off with some x-rays and pretty much as expected there was nothing that could be seen but he did note that my bone structure was very well formed and quite solid. I got that same feedback with respect to my knees a couple years back when I had them MRId and way back when I was in the Marine Corps I had a Corpsman tell me after getting x-rays, “Dude, you have huge bones!”

Anyway, the doc said it was most likely a soft-tissue injury, possibly a torn labrum though I never had any snapping sensation in the hip so if that was the case it may have been minor. In any case he sent me home to run (Yea!) and told me to start off with low – slow miles beginning with about three and then add a mile a day every day or two until I work up to about a 15 mile run in about two weeks. If I have any pain he wants me to come back in for an MRI so he can see what may be going on with the soft tissue.

I immediately went home and strapped on my Vibram Five Fingers and went for a little three mile trail run and I felt really good. This morning I woke up and there was no pain just a little stiffness from not having run in several weeks. Today I'm going to head out for an easy 4 miles down on the Bosque trails, which are nice and soft and flat. I think I am finally ready to head into the new year and into my 2010 season starting off with the Egg Nog Jog on January 1^st.