I rode my bike yesterday. It was a gloriously clear rocky mountain morning, I was out at sunrise with nary a soul in sight except the birdies, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. My stats were good enough for early in the season, and it was just a positive experience.
Today, however, I ran. In my first couple of steps, I felt yet another pain in the butt, but I ran anyway. I *only* ran slightly less than 4 miles... four hilly, moutainous, high-altitude miles (yes, I am looking for sympathy). By the time I left church later on this morning, my butt was killing me... like I could hardly walk. I am thinking of taking a month off of running and trying to recouperate from everything, and TRY with all my might to enjoy my swimming and biking workouts.
So, here is the long tale (tail??) of woe about my backside. I live outside of Denver, CO. You may recall that we got a ridiculous amount of snow last winter. The first storm dropped 3 feet of snow within 24 or so hours. I was outside on December 20, during the first storm, shoveling my driveway. My driveway is on a bit of a hill (as is everything around here), and as I was walking the newly shoveled bit, my feet slipped out from under me, and I landed with all my considerable weight on my tailbone - to concrete, with a wee layer of ice for cushioning. As I lay on my driveway, I realized that it wouldn't matter if I had broken bones, or even a life threatening emergency - there was no getting in or out of my neighborhood due to waist high snow everywhere. After a while, I got up and hobbled back into my house and prayed nothing was broken.
I was convinced I had a broken tailbone until I was telling a friend that I was sure of it because it really hurt when I ran my 6 miles that morning.... my friend burst out laughing at what an absurd idea that is. I realized he was right. I didn't have a broken tailbone, only a bruised tailbone. Soon, it was feeling OK, but I think I was running in a very compromised position due to pain and soon I had other pains. I thought perhaps I had ischial bursitis, but then the pain moved what seemed to be my femur... I decided for a day or two that I had a stress fracture of the neck of my right femur. But then I realized that I would be in excruciating pain, not the nagging, aching pain I was in.
The "bottom" line here is that I have had a pain in the butt in one way or another since December 20, 2006. And I am so stubborn, I have not seen a physician to actually diagnose what the problem is, because, as you can see, I am practically a physician myself with all these various diagnoses! For a time, I failed to go see my doc because I didn't want to be told to forget about the half-marathon - but that is now two weeks ago.
So, here is my plan... I will take 2 weeks to a month off of running and see how my body feels. I will eventually have to start again to train for the Tri for the Cure on August 5, but I still have plenty of time.
Whatcha think? And thanks to anyone who has read this long long thing...
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8 comments:
Even a week off from running can help heal a lot of aches and pains, so it is worth a try.
Seeing a doctor could be helpful also, but I'm so impatient with waiting rooms that I never take that advice.
When I've had pains, I've tried to get in to see a PT that is an athlete. I really don't trust a doctor or a PT that is not an athlete to give advice. The hard thing is finding such a person. I have one person right now that I go to. And if she says don't run, I don't run. And she usually gives me some alternate exercises/stretches that help with whatever the problem is. So, my suggestion...can you find such a person, if so go see them? If not, I'd say, lay off running for a week at a time and see how it goes. You can stay fit with the bike and swimming.
I think if you aren't going to go to a doctor then resting is the best thing to do. It's so hard to wait it out though but I hope you can do it! We will all be here cheering for you!
I agree with Lisa, if you aren't going to go see a Dr, then rest!
I think two weeks should be plenty for anything short of a fracture. If you keep cycling and swimming, you will be able to maintain your fitness, although you will still loose some running fitness. If two weeks of non-running doesn't fix it, then you will need to see a doctor.
'Tis better to have a pain in the ass, than to be one.
Heh.
Rest works miracles ... although, if you can find a sports medicine specialist it might be worth a visit.
so, you haven't gotten to a Dr yet?
I say give it two weeks and if your still having issues I would think about seeing a doctor. Hang in there!
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