I was pretty sore after my run on Monday. Actually I had pain shooting down the back of my hip all day Tuesday. Probably not a good thing.
I went to the PT yesterday all ready for a good word on getting back to running. My website address, 278toboston.com may need to be changed soon if I can’t move past this problem. My hip problem actually stems back about 12 years ago. I had such a bad problem, that I needed a handicap sticker to park my car. I had to have my kids push me in a wheelchair through Walmart. Not good. I still don’t think I’d be this bad off now if I hadn’t run trails a month ago. I had just run 9 days in a row and chose to run trails with TJ. I just couldn’t pass up the offer. I pounded those trails and haven’t been the same since.
Back to my PT appointment. It never happened. I got there and as soon as I walked in the door they said that with insurance it would cost me $200. Okay. I exaggerate. They said it would cost $187.87. They were nice and said I didn’t need to pay it right then; I could wait until my next appointment. I did appreciate that, but I don’t do debt or credit. If I don’t have the money, I don’t spend the money. Funny, but if they had called me to tell me the cost a week or so ago, I could have figured something out. They will call me in a couple of weeks to reschedule.
So I walked out, got into my car and headed home. I decided to walk my 3 mile route. It was a nice walk. My hip hurt through the first half and then felt better.
Where do I go from here. I don’t know. I imagine if I just stopped running for a few months or a year I would get back to the place where I could take it up again. Knowing me though, after a year, I would be laying on the bed and eating my Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and weighing 280 lbs.
So the conundrum. What should I do?
I guess I’ll keep running and walking and stretching and heating and icing. Heck, YouTube is cheaper than $187.87 and I can find plenty of good stretches on there.
I guess this will be another chapter in my future book. Maybe next year during NaNoWriMo. I think I’ll start out comparing mile 20 of my last marathon to my life at this moment. Sometimes all you can do is tell yourself to keep putting on foot in front of the other and not look back.
Hmmm. Might be an idea…
278 to Boston 
Well, friend, this isn’t exactly what I was hoping this blog was going to be about. I’m sorry things aren’t improving on the injury front. But sometimes these things happen. And as a runner, it happens to all of us. I hope that gives you some measure of comfort. You are not alone in how you feel!
The way I see it, from my non-medical POV, you have two options – shut it down completely for a month and see what happens OR stretch, heat, ice and push thru it. If you choose to push though, make sure you become an expert on SI joint pain first. You need to be able to determine what pain should be expected versus what pain is a warning sign that you need to stop what you are doing.
I have pushed thru many times. And I have done the shut down. Both ways, I survived and got back to running. You will too. Promise you that. And….I think you should record this journey. If anything, it will give you an outlet for your negative thoughts. But it could also turn into a great motivational story…..
Hang in there, Tom. You aren’t alone in this. Every runner who reads this will be able to identify with you in some form or fashion. We all want you to get better!
Thank you for all the encouragement. I will do my best to figure this all out. I don’t mind recording my journey in my blog, but sometimes I feel like it is getting too negative lately. I guess I may want to look back and read how I got through all this one day.
Anyway, Thank YOU again!!! I appreciate all your comments on my blog!!!
So sorry to hear this. I feel the exact same way about going to the other for my knee. It’s all well and good to tell someone to get the pain checked out but it costs money. Usually a lot of money. In my opinion after hearing this story I think u should be very proud to do what you did. And also in uninformed opinion I think you may be rushing things coming back from an injury and running again after a marathon. I know you have talked about how much you hate cross training but it may be worth finding something you enjoy and only running maybe 3 times a week until this improves. Don’t give up hope yet. It all just takes time.
Thanks!!! I really thought almost 2 months off of running would be enough. But I guess with a propensity for hip problems my whole life, I should have known better. It means a lot when you give me your encouragement about your injuries.
I just need to stay positive!!!
I think your last paragraph summed it up perfectly- no use in looking back. I don’t think you should change the name of your blog (I had the same dilemma after my last race, too). The pain will eventually pass and you’ll make it to the starting line at Boston. It might take a long time, but you can do it!
I might be 89 years old, but at least I’ll be there. Maybe we will make it the same year. 🙂 Thank you!!!
Ok, you need to realize that you will NEVER AGAIN be that man laying on the bed eating Reese’s pb cups and weighing 280. NEVER AGAIN. Regardless of your injury, you will not be going back to that man. That man is a lifetime ago, Tom. You shed him. You are fundamentally changed, and you are NEVER going back.
Whew! I feel better now. Moving on! Take the month off from running. No one is saying it’s easy. I had to stop all exercise (even strength training!) for six months when I had Plantar Fasciitis back in 2007. When I was a newbie runner back in 2002, I took a month off to save my IT band. It was the right move each time. Each time I came back stronger, mentally and physically.
You don’t have to stop working on your fitness. You just have to be creative. Use the internet, like you said, and make sure you know EVERYTHING about your SI problem and how you can work on it. Stretches, exercise, the whole shebang. Keep walking if it doesn’t aggravate it. Do easy body weight exercises to enhance your flexibility and strengthen other areas (can you do squats, lunges, core work without hurting it? All of these will help you be a better runner when you are ready to get back after it again.) We all know you will make it back!
And one more thing–my sister has severe SI pain from her ankylosing spondylitis, and she is getting her nerve endings in that area burned off tomorrow in an attempt to end the pain for 10-12 months until the nerves regenerate (I’ll be talking about it in my next post.) I have seen the pain caused by the SI joint, and it is terrible. I truly am praying for you, my friend!
Wow! I don’t know how to respond but to say thank you so much! Funny, I did eat a Reese’s today out of frustration, but no more, I promise! I think walking is fine for me and I do have a bike I should start using if I can find a helmet for my big head!
I look forward to hearing about your sister and how her procedure goes. I will be praying for her! Thank you for your prayers. They are more important now than you know!!!
Tom, I just want to echo what others are saying- hang in there!
Same echo from me 🙂 don’t give up your dream x
If it is within my power, I will keep pursuing my dream! Thank you!!
Thank you. I will. 🙂
You got this. Stay active, treat the injury like a baby and keep posting.
Will do! Thanks!!!
Tom, I think you’re spot on with your (excellent) analogy. It might be all you can do right now to put one foot in front of another, but you are keeping moving forward and by ‘mile 21’ you’ll be feeling better.
I’d like to echo everything else said by everyone, especially MaybeMarathon. Even through your blog we know you well enough to know that ‘278Tom’ doesn’t exist anymore and isn’t coming back, even IF you did take a year off running.
All the best and hope your appointment works out better next week!
Thanks a lot Bernie. It has been a difficult transition, but I guess that is all part of running.
Go in increments to unwind the muscle spasms, heal the injuries, and retrain the tissues. Exercise your breathing throughout to help you focus so you do not become hasty.
Here’s to a sound recovery sooner than later! Here’s to your next free-run.
Thank you!
Thanks for the help! That makes a lot of sense. I appreciate it.
I finally made it to my BQ and went through some injury issues as well. I did a lot of internet searching for a few different problems and found relief though some unconventional approaches. I am now going to Boston 2014 and have a more open mind to healing and prevention. Best of luck on your journey!
Congratulations!!! That is exciting and makes me hopeful that I’ll get there one day. Thanks!
Oh my heavens, I can feel your discouragement in this post and last and it brought tears to my eyes as I completely understand. Its so frustrating! I hope this difficult time has been overcome since and I am crossing everything that it has while I continue to catch up! 🙂
It is so great to hear from you! I am doing better. I hope you are too. It has been a long time and I have been wondering how you are doing. I know things have been rough lately. So much going on. I’m glad you are catching up. 🙂