Tuesday, April 30, 2013

One Glorious Day

April was a cruel month of running. It all fell apart again. I got two things fixed, but added a new problem.  I first realized that my left foot was rotated out to the side and throwing my whole stride off again. My exercises weren't fixing it, so  I went to get some M.A.T. (Muscle Activation Technique) work done on my foot and lower leg. That helped my leg get back as straight as it ever will (it never will be straight as the tibia is rotated).  That was two weeks ago.

Last week, I found a new chiropractor/therapist office in Woburn, Ma. that does a lot of cutting edge techniques and my insurance pays for it, so I went there on Wednesday. The therapist did a mix of techniques from some M.A.T. work to some Muscle Energy work to rotate my left hip back. She also did some karate chops to my heels and arches. I don't know what that was! I felt really good and perfectly balanced after the appointment. That night was my first track workout with the Gate City Striders in almost three years. Strangely enough, I think I miss running track workouts the most in the since my hip surgery and I was so excited to get out there and run. I had waited long enough.

I ran a two mile warm up with a friend and felt completely "normal" for a change. The workout was 6 X 800 meters and it was a beautiful evening for running. I wasn't sure which group to run with, but hoped I could keep up with the third group. I felt absolutely fantastic throughout the workout. I ran the 800 meters between 3:10 and 3:20 with the faster ones at the the end of the workout. I hung around in about fifth for the first three, but I finished 2nd in the final three behind some young kid. I ran hard, but not too hard. I felt that "inner pain" of pushing that I was missing, but was backing off enough, not to lose form. In other words, it was a great track workout for the shape I am in.

I felt like I was at about 95% balance and efficiency and I haven't been at that point since I don't know when. I had done 4 X 400 on my own on Sunday and I was off balance and my left leg was not working as well as my right. This workout was such an improvement after the morning therapy.

I even felt my hips in balance and my left leg rotate internally which allowed my big toe to get on the ground and there was a strength and fluidity in my stride that I have missed for years. That was as close to perfect running as I could be, so I was thinking that the morning appointment had worked out perfectly and I was back on the road to running.

There was only one glitch. After the fourth interval, I felt a tiny "electric" like twinge in my left glute medius or pirformis. My walk turned into a hobble for about 20 seconds; enough for someone to ask if I was OK. I walked it off, started gingerly on next interval and loosened right up after a short bit. Of course, my glute felt a bit shot after standing around after the workout, but I was so very pleased after a rough month of running.

The next day, I felt good and went for an afternoon run, but shut it down after 20 feet. The glute tightened right up. The next day, I hobbled through a 3 mile run, then tried a new pair of shoes the following day and made 3 again, but it was tightening up again on the run.

I took Sunday off and feeling good again, went to run 7 miles on Monday. Nope, the glute shut things down and I had to walk 3 miles home. Lucky it was a nice day. On the walk, I started remembering the feeling in my glute and stride and I believe the trigger point(s) in my glute have returned. The electric spasm I had on the track was exactly where my worst trigger point had been before.

Now I have to wait until Friday to get a trigger point injection. The last time I had one was in November and right after it I was at the point where I started building and enjoying my running again. Thursday, I see the new therapist for a second appointment, so it will be interesting to see what she thinks. hopefully I can run by the weekend.






Despite that one gloriously perfect day of running, this was a horrible month otherwise. Here are the miles.

April 1 - 7 (16 miles total)
April 8-14 (6 miles total)
April 15 - 21 (19 miles total)
April 22 - 27 (11 miles total)

Total miles January 97 miles
Total miles February 194 miles
Total miles March 139 miles
Total miles April 52 miles

498 miles for 2013

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