Training week 3

This week started out a little painful. For some reason I had this awful pain in my right foot, so what started out as a 6 mile run turned into a 3 mile run. That was Tuesday morning before work and since we were leaving for vacation that day after work I didn't worry too much about it.

So, Tuesday evening we all piled in the car and began out journey North from Florida to Massachusetts. That evening we only drove 5 hours and stopped in Brunswick, GA. The following morning we got on the road at 7:30 AM and finished the drive in Worcester, MA at around 1:00 AM.

After getting some sleep I was up and out the door for a run. I ran 7 miles which felt really good since we left the heat and humidity in Florida and was enjoying nice cool weather in Massachusetts. I followed that 7 mile run up with a nice hilly 5 mile run in Grafton, MA.

Saturday was a day off since we had a wedding to attend and it was the Fourth of July after all. On top of that both my little girls were in the wedding so that made for a really busy day of getting their hair and nails done and getting dressed and taking pictures and etc.....

We got in really late after the wedding so I slept in a bit. Around 11:00 AM I set out for a 15 mile run but only completed 13. I've gotten so used to running the flat land down in Florida. ll the hills up here are just wearing me out. I'm sure I could have found routes with less hills but I was pretty much going for convenience without having to drive anywhere. Anyway, I was happy that I completed the 13 miles and running hills this week will only help me so that is a plus. I finished the week with 28 miles which I suppose isn't too bad considering we are on vacation and all. Next week I'll have to consider it a cut-back week since I'll miss my long run due to driving home on that day. I guess I'll have to make up miles the following week.

Training week 2

OK, so I'm a little late in giving an update on week two but it was a very good week. I ran four time and capped the week off with a 13 mile run. So far everything has been going very well considering I'm still plagued by this persistent ankle pain. I started seeing a new Chiropractor / Neurologist. I've been running with him for some time now and finally decided to let him try and cure my pain. He is very thorough and works on breaking up scar tissue and retraining the brain to communicate properly with my foot and ankle. we'll see how it all works out. More updates to come.

Official Training has Started

Ok, this week kicked off the official start of my training. It was delayed a week but I have two very good excuses for that. First, I had been having some issues with my leg but most of that seems to have cleared up. I haven't had nearly the amount of pain I had in the past. Secondly, last week I was on vacation in London and spending some much needed quality time with my wife and kids. I did run last week but not enough to call it a training week.

So, this weeks total mileage was 24 miles. Since i have been having some issues I didn't want to start out with too much. I ran four days this week and will probably increase this later in the program or I may add in some quality cross training. Tuesday I did and easy 3 miles followed by a 6 miler on Thursday and a 4 miler on Friday. This morning was my long run which was 11 miles. This was a difficult run for me since the temperature was already 80 degrees at 5 AM with an 85% humidity. For those that have never experienced running in these conditions I can tell you that it is extremely difficult. Besides having your core temperature rise you must run much slower and drink much more than usual. Overall I will call this week a success and I'm ready to continue on my journey towards Chicago.

Pes Anserine (Goosefoot) Bursitis

I think I have done what the doctors have failed to do (at least for one problem). I think I have successfully diagnosed my self with PES Anserine Bursitis. This is commonly referred to as Goosefoot Bursitis because they say that where the three tendons of the hamstring connect to the tibia resembles a goosefoot. Anyway, with the help of the Internet and several hours of time I came across some great websites that detailed the exact pain I was feeling. I assume either the doctor did not diagnose me properly or didn't take the time to listen to me and perform the proper examination.

So, what is this Pes Anserine Bursitis you say?

Well, first of all bursitis is inflammation of the bursa caused by constant friction. The Pes Anserine Bursa is a small lubricating sac between the tibia and the hamstring tendons that attach to the tibia (see picture above). This bursa sac becomes inflamed causing pain or tenderness located about two to three inches below the joint on the inside of the knee.

What causes this problem?

This is basically an overuse injury of the hamstrings and is very common to athletes. Most commonly this affects distance runners. Surprise, surprise, I have an injury that affects me because of the very thing I love to do.

What is the treatment?

Basically, this is cured with non-surgical treatments. Usually the R.I.C.E. method is used. That is: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Also, improving flexibility of the hamstring is essential to the treatment and prevention of this condition.

Anyway, like I said this condition exactly mirrors the type of pain I have and is in precisely the same location. That is why I believe I have self-diagnosed myself. There is a great write-up on this at: http://www.eorthopod.com/public/patient_education/9161/pes_anserine_bursitis_of_the_knee.html

This is where I got the majority of my information. Therfore, I would like to thank the Medical MultiMEDIA Group, LLC for making such great information available on the Internet.

No Problems Found

I made another visit to the orthopedic doctor this morning. This time to have my MRI reviewed. First the Physician Assistant came in and looked at the MRI and said everything looks good. Of course I had a few more questions about other aches and pains. She then has the x-ray tech take a picture of my leg from the knee down. The doctor then comes in and reviews the x-ray and MRI. Basically he says there is no evidence of any ligament or tendon damage and not signs of stress fractures. He says it is most likely a muscular strain and he sees no reason to stop running as long as the pain does not get any worse.

Here are the Radiologist findings and I quote.

"The bone marrow appears normal. The plantar fascia and musculature appear intact. The visualized major ligaments and tendons about the ankle appear intact without evidence of a tear. The ankle mortise appears symmetric. The subcutaneous tissues are unremarkable. The sinus tarsi appear intact. The retrocalcaneal and pre- achilles region/bursa appear intact, without evidence of inflammation.

IMPRESSION: UNREMARKABLE EXAM"

So there you have it. Nobody can figure out where the pain is coming from. So I did what any runner in my position would do. I went out for a 6 mile run. It was still a little painful but I guess I will just have to get used to it.

Fit2Run 4 Mile Race

There is a local store here called Fit2Run. As the name implies they are a running specialty store. Yesterday morning they put on their annual 4 mile race and of course I just had to run in it. It was held at Okeeheelee park, which is one of the many county parks here. The course was really nice staying mostly on the bike path and going around the lake. Anyway, I finished in 28:32 which gave me a pace of 7:08 per mile. Not a bad time but I would love to find a way to get faster. I am happy with the way I ran the race though. In the past I found that I would tend to go out too fast in the first mile and then fade as the race went on trying to just hang on and finish. I have learned to impose my self discipline and control my speed at the start. Yesterday I ran what I would call even splits but in actuality they are slightly negative splits. Here are my splits:

Mile 1: 7:11

Mile 2: 7:09

Mile 3: 7:05

Mile 4: 7:01

In addition to this, the race was a club challenge. See, I belong to a running club called The Wellington Runner's Club. There are several other clubs in the area but the biggest one is the Palm Beach Road Runner's. The race is scored based on your place within your age group. Three points for first, two points for second, and one point for third. The club with the most points gets the coveted trophy and of course bragging rights for the year. We scored 26 points which was not good enough for the win. Actually we weren't even close. The Palm Beach Road Runner's are a much larger club and they scored 61 points. I guess we'll have to endure the banter for another year.

My ankle has still been bothering me so I have considered taking some time off from running. Actually I have committed to taking at least this week off. However, I will need to go to the gym and cross train. I can't explain how hard it is to stop running. I love it so much that I am willing to run through pain rather than not run at all. I'll probably be going stir crazy this week. I hope I don't drive my family crazy this week.

MRI and Physical Therapy

I went back to the doctor the other day and as I suspected was ordered to have an MRI. Also, the doctor would like me to start physical therapy to work on balance board exercises and strengthening exercises for the peroneal tendons.

I started the physical therapy today. The PT did a thorough examination of my ankle. He measured range of motion and checked for swelling. He also checked the strength of the ankle. After that we worked on some specific exercises to strengthen the ankle. Next week we'll start on the balance board exercises.

The MRI is scheduled for tomorrow and then I have to return to the doctor to review the images. We'll see were it goes from there.

On another note I have been experiencing some pain from Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome. That's a fancy medical term for Shin Splints. This is not uncommon for me so nothing to worry about. I just need to make sure I do some icing and make sure I stretch the soleus muscle really good.

Anyway, I'll be running tomorrow and I have a 4 mile race on Saturday. If I feel good after that I'll go for my long run on Sunday.