December and 2017 wrap-up

Happy New Year! It feels like -2 F outside (-19 C) so my husband and I decided to be super lame and stay in tonight. We'll probably go to bed at 12:01 a.m., which is fine by me. It'll be more likely that I'll get up early-ish and get stuff done tomorrow morning.

Anyway. I was a bit depressed that my year ended on a down note, but I did run the third-highest annual mileage in my life, run a weekend four-race challenge, run some fun 5Ks, and ride my bike outside. The first 10 months of 2017 weren't too shabby.

First, December:

I rode my bike 7 times on the trainer, lifted weights 5 times, swam once, and did yoga once. Not terrible considering I am dealing with a chondral fissure and still figuring out which workouts hurt and which workouts don't.

Now, 2017:

2017 running.

I ran 1,026.83 miles in 153 runs. The good news: It's an increase from last year. It's only the fourth time in my life I've broken 1,000 for the year. It's the only year I've done so without running a marathon or two. I ran eight 100+ mile months. The year included a quadruple race weekend of 30+ miles (part 1, part 2) and two fun 5Ks (Pure Detroit 5K, Detroit Free Press Marathon 5K).

2017 riding.

I rode my bike 53 times for 890 total miles, 458 road miles (14 outdoor rides). This is a slight decrease from last year, but more than twice as many road rides as I did in 2016. Plus, I signed up for Trainer Road this year and started getting into the FTP, cadence, and watts weeds. 53 rides is still an average of a ride a week, which I guess isn't too terrible. I didn't do any riding to kick off the year because I was focused on training for my quadruple running race weekend.

I lifted weights 53 times which is ONE LESS than last year. Wow! At least I'm consistent. Again, a once a week average isn't terrible.

I did yoga 28 times, which again is ONE LESS (!) than last year. This should be about double, but at least I am doing something.

2017 swimming (ugh).

I swam 7 times and just more than 1/10 of the yardage (meterage?) I did last year. This is what I'm most disappointed in. I focused on running for the first few months of the year, sure, but swimming anxiety got the best of me once or twice and then I just couldn't muster up the motivation to get to the pool. I enjoy swimming once I get to the pool, so it's just making the time and making myself go.

I only did pre-hab 6 times this year which more than likely contributed to the mess I'm in with my knee. I did go to a runners' workshop and learn a bunch of moves, and am starting physical therapy Tuesday. If I want to run again, I need to make this a priority for 2018.

Overall, I logged 300 sessions exactly. (I added them up an hour ago to find 299, so I did a yoga session. I needed it, anyway!) I did 341 last year; swimming was the difference, pretty much.

Still, my total time spent training was more than 308 hours for 2017. 308 hours! That's a part-time job! Of course I wish I had done more, but that is still nothing to sneeze at.

I don't know yet if I'm going to set concrete goals for 2018. Get back to running which probably includes pre-hab more, bike more, swim more, lift more, yoga more. What else is there?

I hope your 2018 is off to a great start!

Just keep swimming

I made it to the pool today. I have been dreading going for a few weeks now, but once I was there, it was so good to be back in the water again. I did 1,000 meters of drills and an easy 5 x 200 just to get a feel for the water. Of course I was slow. It's only the seventh (!) time I've been in the pool for 2017. Ugh.

I'm trying not to think about how far I've fallen from my decent swimming days, because I am happy to be back in the water. And I have a lot of room for improvement.

Sorry if you follow me here an on Instagram, but I'm going to repeat myself. This about sums up where I am and where I want to go:

_____________________________________________________________________

Today's swim.

Real Talk:

It’s been a rough couple of years. Not long ago I was placing in my age group in short course and completed a 70.3. I used to swim 3-4 times per week. Today was my seventh time in the pool this year.

It’s been a whirlwind of overuse injuries; mismanaged hypothyroidism-induced anxiety, depression, and weight gain; DNFs and DNSs; and now a fissure in my cartilage. I have wanted to just quit, all of it, more than once.

I don’t know if I will ever be the “athlete,” and I use the term loosely, that I was a few years ago. Right now I will be happy if I can rebuild at all. But I am going to keep trying.

Week in review Dec. 18-24: Back in the saddle, literally

I am just happy to be doing ANYTHING again.

Merry Christmas, happy Boxing Day, a joyous whatever you celebrate. I had a nice, relaxing Christmas Eve, and spent time on the bike, wrapping presents, and watching A Christmas Story (again).

Then, Christmas Day was spent running around like a maniac hither and yon, picking up my brother-in-law from the airport, dropping off the dogs at my parents, working around six other people in my in-laws' kitchen to cook brunch, drinking mimosas, watching A Muppet Christmas Carol (again), heading to my parents' for a relaxing few hours, Skypeing with my sister, and driving home on a sheet of ice. So, you know, the usual.

I took Christmas Day off from any workouts and had another lazy day to mark my first day of vacation, but overall I didn't have a bad showing last week.

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for about 31 trainer "miles" in 3 hours. I am just happy to do be doing ANYTHING that doesn't hurt my knee, so I am taking it pretty easy and building my fitness and leg strength back up.

Weights: Twice, one barre class and one solo heavy/bodyweight session, for about 2:10 total. Barre is working for me because the tiny movements don't aggravate anything, and I can modify the larger movements. (Believe me, it still burns.) And I can do things like static squat holds for my solo sessions instead of actual squats.

Walk: I am totally counting a 20-minute warmup walk on the treadmill before my weights session. It was part of a workout, so it counts! (haha)

Total: Six sessions in 5 hours, 30 minutes. Not bad considering I could barely walk a month ago.

I hope to get in training sessions most days this week, even if they're not very intense. Even if I can't run yet, I will feel more like myself if I'm working up a sweat.

Week in review Dec. 11-17: One workout is better than nothing, I guess

Hello! I'm late checking in for last week, but it's been a busy few days getting ready for Christmas. I wrapped up work and am now on my second day of vacation. I finished season 2 of The Crown, got my hair done, slept in today... you know, typical work break stuff.

After my followup with my orthopedist last Thursday, where we learned I likely have a fissure in my articular cartilage and not a torn meniscus, he cleared me to do anything that doesn't hurt, pound, or bend my knee more than 90 degrees or so. I figured barre would be a good choice since it uses mostly tiny movements and doesn't bend my knee too deeply. I headed to a class Saturday morning.

Verdict: success! I only had to modify a few moves, nothing hurt, and I got a great workout (and was reminded how out of shape my glutes and core are!). I've already been back once this week, partly because of the first success and party because I still have a few classes to use up before they expire in a couple weeks, haha.

It felt really good to log a workout again.

One hour of training last week may not seem like much, but I feel like I'm on my way to getting back in shape. Now, if only I can force myself to get to the pool. Haha.

Better news than expected at the orthopedist today

I rocked the paper shorts (and Christmas socks) again.

I had my orthopedist follow up today. I was expecting him to tell me I had a meniscus tear and I needed surgery. The good news: I don't and I don't! Yay!

The bad news, from the radiologist's report: "Patellofemoral joint: Abnormality of lateral patellar facet. There is moderate subarticular marrow edema in inferolateral patella. There is probably a small overlying deep chondral fissure or defect."

Apparently, it means something called "chondral fissure."

What does that mean? My doctor explained to me that the first part is swelling (duh) and the second part means there's a crack or a tear or something in my knee cartilage. I don't know why that means sometimes I get pain in the back of the joint or suddenly can't bear weight, but he confirmed that it all goes together. When Googling "chondral fissure" I discovered symptoms are often very similar to that of meniscus tears.

So the bad news is that unlike a tear that can be repaired or a bone break that will heal, cartilage doesn't regenerate. So for now, my best bet is physical therapy to get everything strong and to make sure my patella and bones are tracking correctly, both of which will relieve stress on the joint. My doctor commented again on how tight my IT bands and hamstrings are, so I likely have some flexibility work in my future, too.

If that doesn't work, we can look into treatments such as having chicken cartilage injected into my knee (I didn't know this was a thing!!!), taking fat from elsewhere in my body and putting it in my knee (I could be OK with this), or stem cell treatments, but that is way down the line. He offered me a   cortisone shot but I didn't think that was necessary.

I can bike and swim (more bad news, haha) and do anything that doesn't hurt and doesn't bend my knee more than 90-ish degrees or pound my knee. So, that means running is off the table for a bit longer. But honestly, I can't imagine running feeling good right now, so I'll continue to hold off and let everything calm down.

We'll see what happens after I start PT. Hopefully I will be back on my feet, literally, again soon.

Week in non-review Dec. 4-10: Another knee update (because nothing else is happening)

Rub it in, why don't cha, Daily Mile.

I don’t have any good news to report. I had a decent easy spin and weights session a week ago Saturday, but my knee hasn’t felt any better. It still pinches when I walk, I can feel it catching when I extend my leg all the way, and sometimes it decides it doesn’t want to bear any weight. I have been super careful not to bend it much more than 90 degrees for almost the last month, when it started causing me real pain and discomfort.

I hurt it again on Tuesday (caught my foot and I felt something catch and pull in the knee joint) and I could barely walk on Wednesday, so I took that as a sign that I need to keep with the resting and doing nothing. I would go to the pool but 1. Ugh and 2. I am not sure I could walk all the way to the gym from my car and/or the train stop. On the plus side I am almost done with my big crochet Christmas project and caught up on Stranger Things 2.

I did have my MRI on Saturday and it was an experience. I called the hospital closest to my office for convenience, but their earliest opening was a Saturday, which made it even more convenient! (And I didn’t mind driving past my office on a Saturday since I combined the trip with Christmas shopping with my mom.) After getting checked in and filling out all the forms, I changed into comfy scrubs and was led into the MRI room. I was a bit nervous when I saw the big tube, but I was going in feet first and the other end was open, anyway.

I had to lie still for about 20-25 minutes, which is a lot harder than it sounds. My arms were falling asleep by the end. They played Pandora for me on these spiffy headphones, but that wasn’t enough to drown out the loud magnetic noises. I was surprised how LOUD it was! Lots of wub-wub-wub noises in different frequencies. It was painless except for my leg being a little tight by the end from not moving. The staff was super nice and I got my CD of images and was on my way shortly afterward.

I’ve looked at the images, but I have no idea what any of them mean. I can see my ligaments and bones, and my leg muscles look pretty good if I do say so myself. I was furiously Google image searching “torn meniscus MRI” and comparing it to my own images, and there is a shadow that KIND OF looks like it could be a tear, but I have no idea. The radiologist’s report should be on its way to my orthopedist and we’ll discuss that and the images at my follow up this Thursday.

I realize that logically, things are actually moving pretty speedily for me but I WANT ANSWERS NOW. I want to know what is going on. I want to know when I can expect to stop feeling pain and start running again. I feel like my life is on hold and I want to know how long this will last. I want to move and sweat and feel like myself again.

What does this mean? Indeed.

Santa Claus came early!

First, the bad news: My knee isn't doing so hot. I was in a meeting the other day and went to uncross my feet, but instead my ankle caught on something and my leg pulled while my ankle stayed still. I felt something pull in my knee and it hurt so fricking bad. I am proud of myself for not screaming an obscenity, since I was on a conference call (haha). I could barely walk yesterday, but it is feeling better today.

The good news: Santa came early! I can't use it for much right now, but Santa brought me a new Garmin 35. I wanted something not too complicated and with a long-ish battery, and not necessarily a triathlon watch since I already have a bike computer and a swim watch.

Lime green, of course! I love the little workout guy for cardio.

I have been playing with it and am impressed with how intuitive it is. Of course, it's my fourth Garmin computer, so I should know by know what I'm doing. I am sad to retire the 305, but it has served me well for something like 8 years. It's time.

I did wear my new Garmin to bed these last two nights just to see what it would tell me. The first night was about what I expected, although I know I woke up at least twice, which it didn't register. I guess I'm a calm waker-upper? The second night was hilarious once I looked at the results:

6:45 of sleep, OK; 10:27, only in my wildest dreams.

I would KILL to get 10.5 hours of sleep but sadly, that is not what happened. I assure you I did not go to bed at 7:11 pm. My watch was charging happily on the kitchen counter during that time. Also, I just now noticed that I woke up both days at 5:38 am, 22 minutes before my alarm. Interesting! Most days, I wake up a few minutes before my alarm anyway.

My MRI is scheduled for Saturday and my followup appointment for a week from today, so hopefully I will have some answers soon. Also hopefully, I'll be able to use my Garmin as it was intended soon.

Week in review Nov. 27-Dec. 3: I actually logged three workouts this week!

At least it's something.

Although I have knee pain, locking, clicking, catching, etc. my orthopedist thinks it’s just an inflamed IT band and moderate workouts would be OK for now. So I hopped on the bike for an easy half-hour spin and lifted some weights Saturday.

It went OK. My knee was never in any pain but there was definitely twinge-y sensations in areas that haven’t hurt before, so I kept it super easy. I was able to do most of my upper body work without any modifications, and instead of squats and lunges I did weighted holds. Don’t worry, my quads and hamstrings still felt the burn.

I also got in a mini yoga session earlier in the week. These three “workouts” are the most activity I’ve done in a month.

It was:

Bike: One half-hour super easy spin on the trainer.

Weights: One heavy/body weight routine, modified so I could bend my knees as little as possible, for about an hour and 10 minutes.

Yoga: One 15-minute mini session.

Total: Three sessions in just less than 2 hours.

I mean, I’ve got to start somewhere. I’m not going to do any running until at least after my MRI, scheduled for Saturday. Whether something is torn or weak, I’m going to have a lot of rehab work to do, and I want to know what I’m dealing with before I start stressing my knee again. Until then, I’m keeping it easy and non-impact.

I forgot to do a November review because there was nothing to review

Well, almost nothing.

I got three decent workouts in early in the month and on that last run, I had searing knee pain that came on suddenly at mile 6. A week later I suddenly couldn't bend or put weight on my knee. So I haven't run since.

As a result, my November review is very brief:

Runs: Twice, once on the treadmill and once on the road, for 12.75 total miles.

Bikes: Once on the trainer for an hour.

Yoga: Two solo sessions for 35 minutes total.

And that's it.

After an appointment with an orthopedist I have an MRI scheduled for this Saturday. I really don't think I should run, or do anything too strenuous, until I know more about what I'm dealing with. So these reviews will continue to be few and far between, at least for a while.

Tales from the orthopedist's office

Rockin' the paper shorts at the orthopedist's office.

Well, I had my orthopedist appointment yesterday. I left frustrated and angry but now with a bit of time between me and the appointment, I can say rationally that we’re on the way to solving the mystery. Hopefully.

I had a bit of a reality check as I was sitting in the waiting room feeling sorry for myself. Someone got wheeled out of the exam area with both legs stabilized in a wheelchair, and someone else was straight-up gurneyed right through the waiting area into the exam area by ambulance staff. I realize everyone is on their own journey and someone else’s suffering doesn’t minimize mine, but it did remind me that if I am walking, even if I am limping, to the orthopedist on my own power, I am in comparatively great shape.

I came prepared with lists of my left knee’s history (years of tennis, chondromalacia diagnosis years ago, etc.) and two pages of the log I have been keeping for the last few weeks of all the pain, popping, catching, sudden inability to bear weight, etc. that has been going on. After some x-rays, the doctor took a minute to go over my list and then bent and twisted my right knee this way and that. He assured me he would be more gentle with my left, and he was. He said my ligaments felt fine (I didn’t think I would still be walking around with an ACL or MCL tear), my x-rays looked fine, and both IT bands were really tight.

Then he dropped the bomb. “Your IT band is probably just inflamed.” Record scratch – what????? Why am I having pain at the front of my knee and inside my knee for my fricking IT band? “Sometimes it presents that way.” I literally just stared at him for five full seconds, I was so blown away. He actually stopped writing on whatever he was writing and stared back at me. “It could be a stress fracture. We could schedule an MRI to rule it out.” All I could muster was an “OK.”

I was initially angry because I felt I wasn’t being taken seriously, like he was just blowing me off and invalidating how this has been affecting my life. But logically, after some reflection, I know that doctors have to eliminate the easy stuff first, and an inflamed IT band sure would be a comparatively easy fix. What ticked me off, though, is that on my discharge slip when he recommended the MRI he wrote something about a possible torn meniscus. So he KNOWS that could be a problem but he didn't even say it to me?!? Was he trying to protect my feelings or something?!? That rubbed me the wrong way.

I am trying to focus on the important thing, that we will hopefully soon have answers, whether I need ibuprofen or surgery or something in between. But I'm not going to lie: I will be SO ANGRY if for the last six weeks I have been hobbled by something that could have been taken care of with a handful of over-the-counter pain relievers. Not to mention all the money and fitness I have lost. But I'm trying not to think about it until my next round of tests next weekend. Stay tuned.