Hip Trouble Saturday

First, today's run:

The goal was to “recover” from Saturday’s Trail Mix and also to run easily, at the 9:30 pace I’d like to run in the upcoming marathon. That would get me to the finish in 4:09, with a comfortable 6-minute margin ahead of the 4:15 Boston-qualifying time. I think 4:09 - 4:15 may be a reasonable goal for my current level of fitness, even though I have no plan to run Boston again.

I succeeded with the run - no pains at all, and muscles feel relaxed with very little residual soreness from Saturday. I did not succeed quite as well with the pace - I ran a 4:00 marathon pace instead of 4:15. But with water stops and a few uphill walk breaks, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad pace in a marathon. Splits: 9:13, 13:34 (1.5 mi), total 22:47, pace 9:07. Breathing was mostly five footfalls per full breath, some four, never three, which suggests that it was a sustainable pace. Hope so.

This is “dex day,” because I took the weekly dexamethasone (steroid) cancer treatment last night. I still don’t know if dex helps or hurts endurance running, but I do know I’m happy to be taking it on Sunday night now instead of Friday, so that the weekend races can be dex-free. The dex effect is very noticeable on Monday (I’m hyper and temporarily diabetic!), less noticeable on Tuesday with poor sleep Tuesday night, then pretty normal the rest of the week. Pity those poor folks who used to take dex four days out of every eight; the doctors stopped prescribing that about a year ago when they figured out that the treatment killed almost as many people as the cancer did and that this treatment works almost as well at combating the cancer.

Hip Trouble:

Last Saturday, long after the pain-free Trail Mix race was over, I sat for a while in an uncomfortable position at a party. Standing up, I felt the sharp, stabbing pain in my right hip that I have experienced exactly three other times since early March. It is a real show-stopper - like an ice pick just at or below the joint. In the past I have thought that it was a bursa acting up, but now I’m not so sure - it seems farther inside. And it’s very tricky - some of the time during an incident I can walk normally, but then for no apparent reason the ice pick will stab and I’ll be stopped in my tracks. Sometimes I can even run a short bit, but then the same thing will happen, only worse. It will be slightly sensitive the next day and entirely gone in two, as it was today, so it’s obviously not a muscle or tendon injury. But in the meantime it prevents running and makes walking slow and difficult. In a marathon it might result in a DNF, depending on where in the marathon it happened. So far only one of the four instances occurred while running, and it did not happen during the 15-mile trail race, so I’m hopeful of finishing but concerned.

What’s common among the four instances? Three things come to mind: (1) In all cases, I was wearing running shoes with the custom orthotics in them; (2) In all cases except the run, I was wearing fairly tight jeans; and (3) In all cases but the run, the problem occurred when I was seated for at least 15 minutes and then got up and made an immediate turn to the left. So for now, until this is figured out, I will not wear old running shoes for casual use, I will not use the orthotics at all (they’re to prevent plantar fasciitis, a lesser problem), I will not wear those jeans, and I will try to remember to be very careful whenever I get out of a chair. As an extra measure: I will not sit with a wallet in my right hip pocket, especially when I drive a car with bucket seats.

And how can I take this problem to my wonderful internist, who can surely figure it out? I have to wait until the problem occurs and THEN try for a same-day appointment, because the pain will be gone by the next day. It may be a while before I can pull that off.

Longer run tomorrow, perhaps on the lovely Gateway Trail.



Yesterday's breakfast: Irish oatmeal with organic flame raisins and cranberries, blueberries, banana, Dove dark chocolate, organic walnuts, Don's fruit/berry/nut mix, fresh mango, nonfat organic milk, organic pomegranate juice.


Yesterday's lunch: Organic gluten-free brown rice pasta, organic carrots and beans, organic sweet potato with organic flame raisins, homemade pasta sauce, shredded asiago and parmesan cheeses.


Tonight's dinner: Organic chicken leg, homemade cheesy corn crackers (yum), organic sweet potato with onion, organic pomegranate juice.

Nine Wonderful Miles

St Croix Valley Runners:

What a pleasure to be running with the St Croix Valley Runners once again. I’ve missed that. Five miles in 41:30, pace 8:18. Good enough for today. I intended to run a little slower, but ended up in front with Doug and Al. 45 degrees with no wind, a rising sun, and good company. It doesn’t get much better than this. No problem with the plantar fasciitis; I did wear my orthotics of course.

Race for a Safe Place 5k:

This is a sweet little race in Stillwater hosted by the Stillwater Fitness Club to benefit the Tubman Family Alliance, which provides safe havens for women and children, and other services.

The race starts at an elementary school (read: no porta-potties needed) and winds through a sleepy neighborhood, then returns on a superb paved trail along a picturesque lake. There is even a wooden bridge, not to mention exquisite fall color. The sun was bright, and welcome in the 50-degree temperatures. Very low humidity - what a contrast with last weekend.

I ran 24:53, for a pace of 8:02, good enough for second place in 60-69, and satisfactory to me considering my current state of training and the earlier five miles today. Then I jogged back to bring in my sweeties, for a total of about 9 miles on the morning. There is a little pain in the right hamstring, that nagging problem, but not bad. Right now I’m still enjoying the runner’s high - aren’t endorphins wonderful?



Today's breakfast after the runs: Organic oatmeal, organic nonfat milk, organic plum, organic nectarine, organic grapes, roasted & salted cashews. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 7. The leaves on the picnic table are from a white oak and a red oak - can you tell which is which? Click the picture to enlarge it if you like.


Friday night's salad: Organic romaine, home-roasted organic filberts, blue cheese, organic nectarine, with a dash of olive oil and raspberry vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4.


Friday's lunch: Organic swiss chard with almonds and onions (probably more good stuff; I can't ask Sunshine right now because she's out doing a 20-miler!), cantaloupe, pineapple. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4.

Chicago: Marathon from Hades

After a record-high overnight low, the temperature was 75 degrees at the start, soaring to a record 88, with the dewpoint in the mid-sixties throughout, real-feel temperature above 90 much of the time. Race organizers cancelled the race at the 3:35 time mark, sending anyone not yet at the 18-mile point (our guess) back to the start/finish area. My sweeties got caught in that dragnet and were unable to finish the race, though they did get medals. Given the conditions, they have mixed feelings about it, as it might have been difficult to finish within the marathon time limit anyway.

I was ahead of the cutoff, at about mile 20.5 when we got the news. First we heard that the race had been cancelled, so we could stop running. No one did. Then we were instructed to walk to the next water stop and wait for busses to take us to the start/finish. No one believed that for a second - we kept running and walking. Finally we were told to keep going, but ordered to WALK to the finish. We heard that order over and over again as we walked and jogged the last few miles. Apparently the organizers were tired of sending out ambulances; one 35-year-old man actually died, and over 300 were sent to local hospitals.

MY good news is NO PLANTAR FASCIITIS PAIN. Holy smoke - 26 miles and no pain. I thought I felt it at mile 14, but it went away. YAY YAY! It’s a double yay day. I’m not (quite) silly enough to think it’s gone for good, but I’m extremely happy with my newest custom orthotics from Ron at the Brace Place at St Croix Orthopedics in Stillwater. He made them specifically for running, and today they ran. My time was quite unspectacular at 5:07:09, but I’m happy with it considering (1) the extreme conditions, (2) my lack of marathon training, and (3) the orders to walk the final four or five miles.

I got Illinois, my 15th state and 26th marathon. Uff-da. It's a masterpiece! More tomorrow, crash now.


Salad on the road:

Organic romaine, pickled beets, stuffed olives, organic walnuts, avocado, blue cheese, organic olive oil, raspberry vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4. In Tupperware :-)

Eight Miles and Ten Miles

Wednesday October 3:

Another “long” run, this time 10 miles, mostly on my favorite trail alongside the railroad tracks, made of deep, coarse sand and some gravel. No pain at all in the plantar-fasciitis foot during the run, though it aches just a little now as I write this. I’m applying ice, as a precaution, and later in the day will switch back to warmth. Time was 1:34:06, for a pace of 9:24. Good enough for this soft trail, this distance, and my iffy state of training. This was again the longest non-stop run since May, counting 23 miles already since Saturday, what a contrast with the recent past. Wahoo!

What a wonderful, beautiful, solitary run, in the rising sun, on a trail with trees and fall color much of the way. As if to make my day, a train hooted and clattered by near the end of the run. The engineer waved. I love trains. Happy runner; the day is already a masterpiece.

Monday, October 1:

Excellent! Eight miles at the community center, four on the dreadmill and four on the steel, unforgiving indoor track. No pain in the left plantar-fasciitis heel. At all. I used my newest shoes (the ones I use for racing) with the brand-new orthotics from the Brace Place at St Croix Orthopaedics. All fine. Time was 1:11:02, for a pace of 8:52. That’s just dandy for my state of training. Longest continuous run since May.



This morning's recovery breakfast: Organic oatmeal, organic nonfat milk, organic nectarine, banana, organic plum, pistachios, kiwi, organic pomegranite juice. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 8. Picture taken on the sidewalk in the 9:00 am sun.


Last night's dinner: Organic snap peas, wild caught Alaska salmon with organic nonfat yogurt, crushed pistachios, spices. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 6.


Monday night's salad: Organic romaine, organic cashews, organic (hydroponic?) cucumbers, organic plum, blue cheese, raspberry vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 3.

Where Did the Plantar Fasciitis Go?

Five miles with the St Croix Valley runners, my buddies, no plantar-fasciitis pain. Yay again! Since I’m out of shape and running on pavement (contrary to doctor’s orders) I ran slowly and finished last, with about a 9:18 pace. S’ok for now. This was the first run with the SCV runners in about two months; it’s so good to be with them again.

Also, this was the first run in my BRAND NEW custom orthotics. I now have TWO pairs of custom orthotics, because the second podiatrist didn’t like the ones that the first podiatrist made. The new ones are softer in the heel, and lighter, specifically made for running. More about that in the next blog; I am now a fan of the Brace Place at St Croix Orthopaedics in Stillwater, MN. I was a little concerned about the softer heel, because the cushioned-heel orthotics that I have made myself or bought at Walgreens have not helped much. But so far so good; I’ll use these for running from now on unless there is trouble.

Back to the headline: Why IS the plantar fasciitis going away? Here are some possibilities:

• Two weeks ago, trail running, I felt pain on the side of the plantar-fasciitis heel rather than in the middle where it’s supposed to be. I was obliged to run two miles on that pain, because I had an appointment and time was short. It hurt a lot, but the pain died down in a couple of days and then disappeared. Perhaps I pulled something loose that allowed the foot to begin to heal more completely; or
• At about the same time, we began to eat mostly-vegetarian. Could that promote healing? Hmmm. Or,
• At about the same time we got serious about a gluten-free diet, along with the vegetarian diet. I have no knowledge that I am gluten-intolerant, none of the classic symptoms. I have the impression that the standard test would be skewed by the myeloma, but I do have a son who is gluten-intolerant. Can gluten interfere with healing? Or,
• I’ve made more effort in the past few weeks to keep the heel warm day and night, to promote healing; or,
• “Everyone” says that PF gets better eventually. It’s been five months, maybe it’s just time.

You be the judge.

Of course I do continue to wear the orthotics all day and the night brace all night, I do my stretches (sometimes), and I am not under the illusion that the PF is gone for good. I’m running a marathon soon, and that will likely bring it back. I hope not, but I'll run it or limp it anyway.



Breakfast: Organic oatmeal, organin nonfat milk, blueberries, banana, organic plum. Estimated Weight Watchers points = 4.


Lunch: Gluten-free raisin bread, kiwi, organic sunflower butter, organic peanut butter, black currant preserves. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 8.


Salad: Organic romaine, organic peach, organic strawberries, organic walnuts, raspberry vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher Points = 2.


Dinner: Organic rice, organic salad beans, water chestnuts, organic sweet potatoes, local rutabaga, organic catsup.

Elliptical Miles

One half mile on the treadmill, and the foot began to hurt, so I switched right away to the elliptical machine and burned 450 calories there. The machine said 3.8 miles in 32 minutes. Heart rate got up to 146, which is rather high but: (a) I’m a little out of shape; and (b) I was still digesting breakfast, which does make some difference. Good exercise, but I prefer running.

I had an appointment for my second pair of custom orthotics today. And I got a bill for $405 for the first pair today as well. Medicare covers the doctor visit, but not the orthotics. I suppose the second pair will cost a similar amount, but I hope they are a little more appropriate for running. Anyway OUCH!


No-hormone no-antibiotic beef roast with organic sweet potato, organic carrots, onions.

Estimated Weight Watcher Points = 5.

Another 5k!

Thursday, Aug 30:

Another great 5k run, no plantar-fasciitis pain at all, time 25:32, pace 8:14. That’s not bad! I’m happy - today is a masterpiece.

Ran in my little-used Brooks Glycerines, which I bought in May because they were supposedly more cushioned than my usual Brooks Burns. There’s an annoying clack in the right shoe - I sure hope that goes away. Why just one shoe? Sounded like a big rock in the tread - I’d better check that shoe. Otherwise they were just fine.

After buying the Glycerines I realized that the added cushioning was NOT in the heel where I thought I wanted it, but I’ve since learned that cushioning in the heel may not be the best thing for plantar fasciitis anyway. It may feel good at the moment, but arch support is more important to proper healing, say some podiatrists. My podiatrist didn’t even look at my shoes - he said that he was confident I had found good shoes after so many years of running. I did wear the orthotics in the Glycerines today. I wear ‘em ALL the time.

No pain in the foot, but I did feel a pain in the right hamstrings. I’ve had pain there before, but this felt different. Just logging it now in case it becomes an issue. Today I ran through it, and I hope it will gradually go away as my training increases.

My podiatrist prescribed two months of “hammock therapy.” Meaning no running and not much of anything else either (fat chance). But then he described how I could start a couple of weeks early, if ever so carefully, and I have done that. Tomorrow the TWO MONTHS ARE UP! But the build-carefully plan is working so well that I’m going to continue it. I’d love to run the Victory 10k on Monday, especially because it’s a Minnesota Grand Prix race, but I’ll do a 5k instead and won’t do anything to push the foot because I really don’t want to screw up this recovery. Besides, I’m really out of shape - a 10k would take me a week!

Wednesday, Aug 29:

Nice high-energy bike ride, 12 miles, time unknown, probably 50 minutes or so. Hilly enough to make it interesting. I prefer the downhills :-)



No-hormone no-antibiotic chicken breasts, organic canned beans & corn, fresh sweet onion, organic sweet potato, organic pluot. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4.

Three-Mile Run

Saturday, Aug 25:

Three miles today with the St Croix Valley Runners, running the first 1.5 miles of their course and the last 1.5 miles, with a half-mile walking shortcut in between. NO PAIN from the plantar fasciitis!

The podiatrist told me that it takes two months of “hammock therapy,” but then said I could run a little bit toward the end of the two months, increasing very gradually, and take 10 more days off if there is any pain. Meantime, I’m to use the orthotics all the time, including any running, and wear the night splint every night. The two months are up at the end of August, so only a week remains. Then I will continue to build the running slowly through September, including a walking marathon. Hopefully by October I’ll be ready to race again.

Wednesday, Aug 22:

I almost ran into a deer on my bike! Pedaling downhill as fast as I could go, I never saw the deer until it was right in front of me. Before I could hit the brakes it was gone, clippy-clop across the road. Never heard a deer run on pavement before, like a horse only softer. A car coming from the other way slowed too, the driver grinning at me as he coasted by.

34 miles at a pace of about 15 mph I think, though I only timed a portion of it on the rather flat Gateway Trail. This was almost my "long run" before the upcoming marathon, but I’d like to do a longer ride this week.



Organic oatmeal, organic skim milk, luscious blueberries, organic strawberries, organic plum. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4.


Organic romaine, avocado, organic nectarine, blue cheese, raspberry balsamic vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 3.


Potroast including no-hormone no-antibiotic lamb, Jim's potatoes (one red, one white), organic zucchini, organic carrots, organic sweet potato, vidalia onions, garlic, fresh rosemary, turmeric, cumin, ground fennel seed, organic catsup. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 7.

Baby Steps

One mile! I ran a mile yesterday, on a rubbery high-school track, in my orthotics. No pain at all. I shuffled rather slowly, probably ten or eleven minutes, but it felt wonderful! The podiatrist had said that I could try a short run today, ten days after receiving the new orthotics, but to stop immediately if there was any pain and then, if so, wait another ten days. TEN DAYS! But if no pain I can run every other day, building back up very carefully. Easy, easy does it. Tuesday another run, maybe only a mile again.

I got back from a rather hasty three-day trip to Tennessee just today, so I haven’t written to this log in a while. Previous training that I should mention:

Monday, July 30, we three drove to Afton State Park where Sunshine and Sweet Pea ran the hills and I rode my bike for 90 minutes. My first comprehensive visit to this park, it’s excellent for runners who want to run trails and hills. Some trails are open to bikes, but not a lot.

Tuesday, July 31, I rode a 21-mile route that included some gravelly trails and plenty of hills, clocking a speed of about 14 mph. As always. But I’m satisfied with that for now. One day I’ll borrow a road bike and see what I can do on the flat. Except there really is no flat around here, not for more than a mile or two at a time.

Yesterday, after the run, we three went to the nearest park and biked for ninety minutes. That felt good too, riding a fairly tough route and clocking about 13.6 mph for 18.6 miles. Lots of hilly asphalt bike trails, caution at intersections, and plenty of flat but rough trail along the RR track. I can’t decide whether I like roads or trails better. Completely different, of course, each with its own challenges and rewards. Maybe I’ll never decide.


Breakfast:

Organic oatmeal, organic fat-free milk, organic strawberries, blueberries, fresh mango, Dove dark chocolate. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4.

Lunch:

Hormone-free antibiotic-free pork chop (small), broccoli with organic lemon juice, fresh mango, watermelon. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4.

Dinner (a different day):

No-antibiotic no-hormone pork chop, organic grapes, organic Ranier cherry, sweet potato pie (organic sweet potato, organic pumpkin, organic eggs, local honey, molasses, organic skim milk, pecans). Estimated Weight Watcher points = 8.

Broken Spoke

Friday Bike Ride:

Nice ride on the trail along the railroad tracks going through Lake Woebegone, if a bit rough, but about halfway through the ride I discovered a broken spoke on the rear wheel. Turns out that my happy little bike actually NEEDS all of its spokes, and the rear wheel bent just enough to rub against the rear sprocket a little bit on each revolution, and probably on the brake pad as well. The bend became progressively worse as the ride went along, as did the rubbing of the tire, and I was happy to get back home after 52 minutes.

Also it turns out that I don’t know much about my bike. I bought a spoke and some cone wrenches, removed the rear wheel with no problem, but couldn’t figure out how to remove the Shimano hub. Another trip to the Gateway Cycle Shop and the mechanic there showed me how to replace the spoke; there is a special tool for removing that hub. It looked quite easy when he did it! They're out of that tool at the moment, but I'll buy one when they come in because do need to be able to replace spokes.

Saturday (today):

Rode to Northland Tennis Courts where the St Croix Valley Runners gather before and after their 5-mile run, then rode the grass trails in the park north of the county maintenance shed, buzzed the runners a few times, stopped to chat after their run, then rode home. Probably about 22 miles in all, a very enjoyable ride. On the long legs I apparently had average speed of about 14 mph. It seems that’s the best I can do with this bike right now. Some minor pain under the right kneecap in the second half of the ride. I guess that’s just going to be with me for a while. It goes away after a day off from riding, if not sooner.

Friend Doug was quite helpful with advice this morning after his run. He’s been an avid biker, even owns a bike stand for servicing bikes. He actually has two sets of wheels for his mountain bike, one for trail riding and another with smoother tires for road biking. The road tires are quieter, and can be inflated to a higher pressure for less road resistance. It’s still a heavy bike, of course, compared with a real road bike. He also mentioned that the most important place to reduce weight on the bike is the tires. I have to think about why that would be. I weighed my bike today after the ride: 37 pounds. Professional road bikes can weigh 20 pounds less! Does that really matter at all on the flat? Of course it matters on hills - it’s as if I weigh 20 pounds more than I do.

Oh man - I don’t want to get sucked into biking. I really do enjoy it though. One of the joys of running is the chance to see lots of countryside that I wouldn’t bother to drive past, but a bike can double that. On the other hand, a runner who keeps his eyes open and head clear isn’t at much risk of serious injury except from external forces like cars, but a biker can get into a lot of trouble all by himself. So far so good for me, but I’ve had some close calls, nearly tumbling into ditches and the like, and I've taken one tumble while trying to jump a low curb. As with all of life, experience will help as long as it doesn’t produce overconfidence.

Running:

The new custom orthotics (previous post) feel just fine. I wore them for almost six hours today, but during most of that time I was riding my bike or sitting, watching the Tour de France. I don’t know if that counts toward “break-in” time or not.


Yesterday was a very good day for eating:

Breakfast:

Organic oatmeal, organic skim milk, mango, blueberries, organic strawberries, Brazil nuts. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 5. This is a normal breakfast during fruit & berry season.

Lunch:

No-hormone no-antibiotic pork loin roasted in peanut sauce (organic coconut milk, organic chunky peanut butter, ancho chili powder, organic lime, coriander), organic plum, kiwi, mango. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 7. Magnificent lunch by Sunshine; she exceeded herself. LOVE that peanut sauce, which was supposed to have creamy peanut butter according to the recipe, but is much better with chunky.

Dinner:

Roasted free-range local chicken with vidalia onion, corn/spud dish with Jim's potatoes and onion, organic plum, and "pie" of organic pumpkin, a little honey and molasses, and pecans. The pie is not so sweet as to be dessert; it's a vegetable. :-) Estimated Weight Watcher points = 9.

Custom Orthotics

The custom orthotics arrived today. I had imagined something a bit harder, stiffer, but these are a lot like the over-the-counter orthotics that I already have, except they have more support in the arch. And the support feels like it is more in the middle of the arch, not so much in the inside as I had expected.

Of course I still can't run, because I'm waiting for the plantar fasciitis to heal, but these feel like I certainly could run in them. They weigh six ounces total, three ounces per foot, so they do add to the weight of running shoes, but not an unacceptable amount. When I can run, I will certainly run in them. Except for races, perhaps, eventually.

The podiatrist (if a doctor is called "doc", what is a podiatrist called?) said I could try a little bit of running in ten days after the orthotics' "break-in" period. I think break-in means time for my feet to become accustomed to the orthotics, not for the orthotics to become fitted to my feet. They are made of cushioned rubber and don't feel like they will change any.

Meanwhile I can use the orthotics for one hour today (done), two hours tomorrow, and so forth for ten days. That's August 5. I will try running a very short distance on August 5. Marking the calendar ... aw heck I won't forget that date!


Salad:

Organic romaine, avocado, Danish blue cheese, fresh mango, organic grape for color accent. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 3. Sunshine bought a crate of mangoes, so there will be lots more pictures with mango in them.

Salmon dinner:

Sweet Pea's wild caught Alaskan salmon dish with organic fat-free yogurt, dill, and paprika, plus organic beans, nasty corn chips, fresh mango. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 8.

Apricot oatmeal breakfast:

Organic oatmeal, organic fat-free milk, blueberries, organic apricot, Don's "gronch" consisting of dried sweetened cranberries, dried mango, dried, pineapple, and a few more things. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 5.

Salad:

Organic romaine, organic basil, fennel, mango, organic strawberries, blue cheese, strawberry vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 3.