So, Where was I?

Oh yeah.... I was doing nothing.

So on Friday I went to the chiropractor and he did a few things on my back, my toes, and ankle and sent me on my way.

Sunday I was VERY excited to run. Since the sports medicine doctor told me to wait until I had my first chiropractor appointment, I did, and well, now it was time.

I did okay. I just went 4 miles. Nothing really was sore except my toe, which is dumb. OH, and I think I talked about this before but my right arm/wrist/hand gets stiff? Well, that was going on.

After the run, my legs were a little stiff but nothing major and nothing "hurt."

THANK GOD!!!!!

So, today's Tuesday and I went on a little run again. 4.73 miles. Everything felt pretty good with the exception of "the toe" and I made a point to stretch my arm, shake it out, etc... So, phew.

Now one thing I noticed is my Garmin was really starting to annoy me today. To the point where I took it off and tied it to the string of my shorts. Just it being on my arm was too much. I had to get it off. Has this happened to anyone?

I was also underhydrated today and I had forgot my water bottle when I left the house. I think that if I had it with me I would have gone further but I just wanted to get home and get something to drink... and that's where the 4.73 miles came from... "must get home to get water...."

Long story short the legs are feeling fine. The toe is a whole other story. I wish you could feel what is going on. It doesn't HURT, it just is so stiff and feels strained. It's like if you sit on your knees with your feet bent behind you and you stand up... that feeling in your feet. Does that make sense? I've been applying the gel the doctor gave me and I really can't tell if it's working or not.

My next run will be on Thursday. I might wake up early and go that morning since I have PT that day, too. Just to get it all over with and if I'm sore after my run they can work on me.

There are 32 days until the Rock n Roll. That's not a whole lot of runs to get in without risking injury. Wondering what everyones thoughts are of a reasonable goal to get to that will make me be in the mindset that I can do the entire 13? 8? Should I just do some runs with walks and go further? Not worry about the mileage but just run in terms of time? Or should I just see how everything goes up until the Expo and decide at midnight? ha!

...And today I'd like to give a shout out to my 10 year old son. It's his birthday today. So, we are heading for sushi for dinner!!!!

Back from camping... back to uh, nothing.

Hellooooo.. helloooo.. back from 8 days camping. Anyone miss me? No? Oh well, next time.

I had my follow up appointment with the sports medicine doctor yesterday to go over my foot xray/leg scan.

................. I got nothing.

My legs are 2mm difference which is not an issue.

There was no sign of any swelling or anything in my foot/toe area.

She reevaluated my ankle and said it was moving better (despite me doing nothing for it)...

And my pelvic/hip area is still off. I told her I couldnt get into the chiro that she specifically told me to make an appointment with until June 2nd so she gave me another name to at least get the hips worked on so we can get the ball rolling. So, I go see him Friday. HELLO. The original chiro had me waiting almost a month to see him and this one two days. Geeeeez.

She said she'd prefer I not run until I get adjusted because in her opinion that is what's causing the ankle/leg/knee issues and running wont help anything.

She gave me a prescription for a gel called Voltaren. It's prescribed for osteoarthritis and is obviously less invasive then stinking a needle in the top of my foot. So we'll give that a shot. I'll try it on my knee, too.

I'm wavering still on the rock n roll half. Obviously, I wont do it if I'm hurting. If the aches have subsided I have to decide if I want to do it just to do it or not. I don't know if I have it in me to go in it to finish it or not. If I'm able to work up to 7-8 miles in the next month I'll be where I was last year and it sort of makes me feel defeated if I'm not able to finish faster. It's just one of those things I have to fight with myself about and what I want out of this race. Time will only tell.

Sports Medicine Doc......

ooooooooooooooh boy.

I'm back from my appointment.

What she thinks I have going on is:

1. Leg discrepancy (which can only be determined with a scan)

2. Neuroma on the ball of my foot (determined by Xray)--treated by cortisone shot in foot.

.... so I'll be going in on Thursday to get the scans done. Then I go back to her on May 18 and she'll go over the scans with me.

3. Lack of flexibility in ankles which means when I run I probably go from heel to ball of foot and no in between which is probably causing all the shin/calf pain.

4. Pelvic something or other

.... Treatment plan to start 4-6 visits with a "specific" chiropractor and ONLY this chiropractor which I can't get in with until June 2nd.

She didn't say I couldn't run but obviously if it hurts I'm not going to. ha! So I'll still attempt it and well, if it hurts I wont do it. Guess the bike will have to be my friend for a while. Sigh.

At this point, I really don't know if I'll be doing the half marathon in June. I really don't. I don't know if riding my bike is going to give me the legs to run 13 miles. It's definitely not the same and I don't know how quickly they can fix me either.

So, I'm getting really bummed and I know there area always other halfs but it sucks knowing that the few months we have sunshine I can't even run in it. God, why do I even buy cute running clothes anymore. ha!

The new orthotics....

I hit the trail this afternoon. 4.26 miles in 39:42 minutes and as much as I'd love to say I was ache free, I wasn't. :(

The first mile or two I was feeling okay. Thinking I just had to work out the kinks but by the end I could feel the aches creeping up my leg. Boooooo. So, no magic in those new orthotics. We'll see how it goes on Monday. I'm bummed.

Once home I stretched some more then iced.... walking down the stairs just was an irritating ache. It wasn't like shin splints but that irritating IT band feeling but surrounding my knee and down the leg... which I am thinking might be tendon related. That is from all the reading I've been doing on anything that could possibly be wrong.

And my foot. Hmmm, well, that ache was still there, too. Boo. Lame.

I'm just wondering what the heck I'm not doing that is causing this. I'm starting to doubt my ability to do the Rock n Roll in June if I can't get any miles any but 4. Uuugh!