Back to work

I've been running garbage miles for the last handful of weeks, and seen Dr Hancock for about 3 weeks now. He's done graston, ART, and recommended a series of self-PT exercises.

All of this added up, and I'm gradually feeling less like complete crap. I'm not 100% yet, but there has definitely been improvement. If I actually take Motrin, I do feel 100%. Obviously, I don't want to survive that way.

I had a really great test this past weekend, where I skied for three days at Mont Tremblant. After only a few runs, I realized I didn't hold back on the skiing. Lots of moguls, trough runs, and a ton of core work. The key is that I survived; I'm feeling probably even a little better than before the weekend.

OK, so now what? The Boston Marathon is in about a month from now. I am over weight (~150ish lbs). I still feel out of shape. But for some reason, I still don't want to say no. The question has entered my mind with a bunch of "IF/THEN" scenarios.

• IF I can bump my running up towards 40 miles this week and not feel like total crap,
• THEN I will try to bump my miles up towards 50 miles next week.
  
• IF I can survive the bump to 50 next week,
• THEN I will try to run into the 50s the following week.
  
• IF I survive running into the 50's after those two weeks,
• THEN I will try to run into the 50's a third.
  
• IF all of this happens and I keep a relatively strict diet for the month,
• THEN I'm sure I'll shave at least 5 lbs of excess garbage weight.
  
• IF I can feel good after that... or no worse than I feel at the moment,
• THEN I will jog the Boston Marathon and have a blast doing at least part of it.
  
• ELSEIF any of this doesn't come together,
• THEN I just continue with maintenance miles and completely forget the above plan.

It wouldn't be fast and it might hurt a little, but it could be possible for me to run Boston. And I actually think I might be able to run a 3:10. The likely hood of this happening though is still slim and I fully accept that. Regardless, it's time to get back into control of my life. The holiday's are over.

Osteitis Pubis, and knowing is half the battle!

Forget taking time off. I'm running. And I actually feel a little better doing light mileage than doing nothing at all. I think the inactivity was needed to try to heal at first, but at this point it's no longer helping the healing process. I'm also doing strengthening with each run.

Mind you, I haven't been doing a ton of miles. It's only 3 weeks. Week 1: 8mi, Week 2: 15mi, Week 3: 22mi. I think I'll keep it mid-20s for a little while, just to see how things go. I'm still horribly out of shape, but at least the runs are now less painful than initially.

On the flip side, I'm now on to my 3rd doctor. At the suggestion of a couple teammates, I'm seeing Dr. Darren Hancock. He's at Chicago Sports and Chiro. Basically, he's a chiropractor, acupuncturist, PT, sports med doctor, jack of all trades. He comes highly recommended, works with a lot of high end athletes including pros and via the USOTC.

I also have a little better understanding of my injury. It may not necessarily be sports hernia aka Athletic Pubalgia. It appears to be more along the lines of Osteitis Pubis, which is an extreme inflammation of the pubic symphysis and bone. A basic description can be found here or here.

My right adductor has been the cause of all this, and it remains balled up or somewhat strained. Hancock is doing Graston. Like the dry needling, it is targeting adductor and the inguinal ligament. Ideally, if those can chill out then the symphysis can calm down. Anti-inflammatories help a lot. I haven't received any injections (yet). I'll give it a week before I start banging on that door.

All in all, it still feels like someone kicked me right in my pubic bone (not my junk... in the joint itself). But at least I know what that means now.... and as a wise man once said, "Knowing is half the battle."