The Running Thread - 2016

I finally got the results of my MRI. Apparently the doctor usually has the patient call for results but he told me he would call me, so he was waiting for me to call and I was waiting for him to call. Well, it turns out I have a moderate tear on my peroneal tendon. He initially left me a voicemail after I had spoken to his assistant asking for the results. His quote was, "Your ankle is pretty beat up". I called him back and we talked for a few. I have an appointment on Monday to go over the results in detail and come up with a plan but he basically told me it has to be fixed with surgery. I may try to talk him into letting me run my upcoming races, as my two kids are looking forward to the 7/3 race. Either way, I am done running til Monday at least. I will stick to my bike for now.

Needless to say I am a little bummed. I may miss all my races this year. This makes my 210 lb goal seem so far away. I am questioning ever running a full marathon again. I would do Dopey and try to do Boston but others might be out. I didn't injure myself at all, as in twist an ankle or something. I did this while running the WDW marathon this year and I took it easy for that race, how did this happen? The doctor says the tendon just wore down. He made it sound like it will happen again so pushing myself hard marathon after marathon may not be the best idea.

I have been grouchy since finding out and trying to figure out how to get my exercise in. I was thinking swimming but that requires working the foot and ankle too. I am concerned if I go a long period of time without exercising that I will fall back into my hold habits.

That's all I have for now because otherwise I will just be rambling as I try to figure this out!!!

Coming out of lurking again to say how sorry I am for your bad news! I currently am not running either because my flat feet caused my ankle to hurt and now I am waiting for proper running inserts. I am luckier than you since I have the ok to restart running once I have proper inserts. But I also got PT to work on my foot and that has been quite an eye opener to me! I have such bad posture and one side of my leg is far weaker than the other so that creates all kind of wrong effects on my whole body. My feet problems literally start with my shoulders! While currently it sounds like running might not happen for you right now, I am sure you will find other ways to exercise. And maybe it is worth it to look into PT as well to get an assessment of why your tendon was under so much stress and what you can do to protect it so that running becomes a possibility again once you are fully healed!

Good luck!
 
@Waiting2goback I'm so sorry to hear the bad news. I agree with everyone though, you should really be careful that you don't make it worse. I understand the desire to run with your kids though, so please be careful. I know you will still make your goals. You can do this.
 
Bib and packet picked up for my half tomorrow! The weather forecast is still hot hot hot, but it sounds like the course is going to be prepared. They've got 10 water/Gatorade stations and 6 misting stations plus ice chips at 3 stations and wet towels at another. I'm nervous, but hoping the early morning conditions are not too extreme, and I'm just going to go really slow. Wish me luck! And I'll be sure to report back (although probably not tomorrow since I'm busy the rest of the day after).

On another note, the forecast for Sunday would be ideal for a race. Lower humidity and a high of 66 degrees. In the words of the race directors, we're getting thrown a curve ball with a one day heat wave!
 
View attachment 174529

I can't let excuses get in my way so this one is fitting for me today. I have to figure out a way!

I'll echo the other folks' encouraging words. Be as patient and intentional as you can be. :)

Besides, our runDistinies are forever linked because I'm holding open a spot for you at the marathon until you are ready. (That's like a word that combines runDisney and destiny? You see what I did there? Sorry that was a Ryno joke...)
 


My heart goes out to you. You are too determined of a person to let this setback set you back. So I wish you the best in finding that new perfect fit for you.

Thank you!

I'm so sorry. While I don't know that much about your particular injury, I wouldn't "try to talk him into" letting you run. I would suggest asking him if you can walk, maybe. You don't want to risk making it worse or damaging yourself in a way that can take you longer to recover.

I know what you mean and I shouldn't have said it that way. I will ask him if I can run them and if things will be worse for recovery and future running if I do more damage. If he says its going to be the same recovery even if the tendon snaps then I might risk it. I will just wait and see what he says.

Oh man, so sorry to hear this. I hope you're able to still do the upcoming races, but more than anything I hope the surgery helps and strengthens the ankle, allowing you to do future races! Just remember that there is far more to running than the marathon...if your body won't allow you to run a marathon then set your sights on being the best half marathoner, or 10K runner, or 5K runner that you can be!

Swimming is worth a shot, it is a great workout and you can get away without using the feet and ankles...all they generally do is point back, the kick should come from the leg (hip) itself. You can even use a pull buoy if it helps make the ankles and feet feel better and that eliminates the need to kick entirely.

You seem so determined to meet your goals that I can't imagine this diagnosis will keep you down too long...you will find a way to reach 210 even if running isn't part of the equation. We are here as a group to cheer you on along the way and encourage and support you however we can! I believe in you.

Thanks Mike. I have had time to process this all, because I wasn't expecting it to be torn, he was doing the MRI just to rule it out. So it caught me off guard. I am analyzer, I think everything through, many times. I can't make any definite plans until I know when I can schedule the surgery and what the recovery looks like. But, I want to thank you for the things you said. I spent the first 40 years of my life around negative people who told me I wouldn't amount to much so to read someone say they believe in me, when they haven't met me, means a lot. I appreciate it!!!

I know there is more to running than marathons. But all 5 of my bucket list races were marathons. I really wanted to run them all. I hope I get to someday.


I'm so sorry :( FWIW I partially tore one of my peroneal tendons some 30+ years ago - I was told to stay off of it and let it heal... and I didn't. I continued to dance on it (ballerina) until I literally couldn't anymore. IDK if they simply didn't do surgery back then, or if they opted not to because I was so young, or what, but not resting it has had long-lasting consequences. It did eventually heal on its own, but I have a lot of scar tissue there, and scar tissue isn't as flexible as tendon tissue, so it's an ongoing, chronic issue. A runner friend of mine had surgical repair of her torn peroneal about a year ago and came back better than ever. So please don't think this means an end to your running! Just a short break. I think swimming might depend on where the tear is - I know when mine is acting up, the kicking against resistance in the pool is bad for it. But aqua running - IF I tape that ankle up well and keep my foot flexed - is a great workout.

PrincessV, you were one of the people who always encouraged me when I first began running back on the 2014 ToT thread. Why am I not surprised you had something to say this time too. It's always appreciated! How long was your friend's recovery? It's killing me not having any idea how long I might be out. :rolleyes1

Coming out of lurking again to say how sorry I am for your bad news! I currently am not running either because my flat feet caused my ankle to hurt and now I am waiting for proper running inserts. I am luckier than you since I have the ok to restart running once I have proper inserts. But I also got PT to work on my foot and that has been quite an eye opener to me! I have such bad posture and one side of my leg is far weaker than the other so that creates all kind of wrong effects on my whole body. My feet problems literally start with my shoulders! While currently it sounds like running might not happen for you right now, I am sure you will find other ways to exercise. And maybe it is worth it to look into PT as well to get an assessment of why your tendon was under so much stress and what you can do to protect it so that running becomes a possibility again once you are fully healed!

Good luck!

Thank you and feel free to stay out of lurker status. I am sure PT will be part of the recovery so I will gather as much info as I can. It's interesting, I was thinking if I could go back to the PT I went to for my shoulder surgeries and I remembered one of my appointments. I was sitting on a table having some treatment. There was a lady next to me on the next table. She was there for a running injury. These were my couch potato days. She was there because she injured herself running in the winter and slipping on ice. I told her she was crazy and I would never be caught dead running. That was just 4 years ago. How things have changed. I hope you get for inserts and get back on the road soon.


@Waiting2goback I'm so sorry to hear the bad news. I agree with everyone though, you should really be careful that you don't make it worse. I understand the desire to run with your kids though, so please be careful. I know you will still make your goals. You can do this.

Thank you. I now know I will be fine. I could write a novel about why I know that but it would bore you all. Thanks for the encouragement though, it helps and is much appreciated.

Bib and packet picked up for my half tomorrow! The weather forecast is still hot hot hot, but it sounds like the course is going to be prepared. They've got 10 water/Gatorade stations and 6 misting stations plus ice chips at 3 stations and wet towels at another. I'm nervous, but hoping the early morning conditions are not too extreme, and I'm just going to go really slow. Wish me luck! And I'll be sure to report back (although probably not tomorrow since I'm busy the rest of the day after).

On another note, the forecast for Sunday would be ideal for a race. Lower humidity and a high of 66 degrees. In the words of the race directors, we're getting thrown a curve ball with a one day heat wave!

Stay hydrated and have fun. It may slow you down but coming out safe and healthy is more important than speed.


I'll echo the other folks' encouraging words. Be as patient and intentional as you can be. :)

Besides, our runDistinies are forever linked because I'm holding open a spot for you at the marathon until you are ready. (That's like a word that combines runDisney and destiny? You see what I did there? Sorry that was a Ryno joke...)

I saw what you did there, yes. And I appreciate the support. I have come to some conclusions though. You can have my spot for 2017 if you want it. If you really don't want to go then still hold it for me. :teeth::teeth::teeth:

I have been on the fence about this race for some time. I LOVE Disney. It's my love of Disney that keeps bringing me back to wanting to do the race. But, I have been a little sick of all of Disney's nickle and diming lately. And while I am new to runDisney I have even seen the quality drop just since I began. Even though it means no Disney trip for me until January 2018 I have decided to go on a Disney hiatus until Dopey. I emailed runDisney with a question about a month before marathon registeration opened. I never heard back. I was texting someone tonight that is connected to runDisney (can't share the name as it would impact their career if Disney ever found out) who said the quality is dropping, they are cutting corners, and they only care about money. I was advised to stay away until the quality returns because there is more value for the money in other experiences.

I'm not bashing Disney, I still love it. I am just going to save my money and have a really nice trip for Dopey in 2018 and possibly make a run at my C2C and make my first trip to DL that year as well.

While I can't make any definite plans right now I am going to focus on raising the money to do Boston next year. It was #1 on my bucket list and I should put the effort into it. I also figure that will keep me from falling back into my old habits like I was worried about. My son just asked me this morning if he was going to need another surgery. I tried to tell him not to worry about it right now as it is a couple years away if it does happen but he said, "I wanna know". I told him he will need another one and he started crying. How could I not run it and raise this money. How could I let him down? I can't. So, if I am not out of commission to long I will do it.

Come Monday morning I will have more answers and I'll know what I can and can't do. I woke up this morning to ride my bike but my ankle was hurting just laying in bed so I held off. It actually hurts more to ride my bike than to run. I might put my brace on and ride tomorrow and just try not to stand up hills as that's when it hurts.

OK, I am tired and falling asleep as I type. Thank you all and have a great night.
 
Bib and packet picked up for my half tomorrow! The weather forecast is still hot hot hot, but it sounds like the course is going to be prepared. They've got 10 water/Gatorade stations and 6 misting stations plus ice chips at 3 stations and wet towels at another. I'm nervous, but hoping the early morning conditions are not too extreme, and I'm just going to go really slow. Wish me luck! And I'll be sure to report back (although probably not tomorrow since I'm busy the rest of the day after).

On another note, the forecast for Sunday would be ideal for a race. Lower humidity and a high of 66 degrees. In the words of the race directors, we're getting thrown a curve ball with a one day heat wave!

Good luck tomorrow and have fun!
 


I know what you mean and I shouldn't have said it that way. I will ask him if I can run them and if things will be worse for recovery and future running if I do more damage. If he says its going to be the same recovery even if the tendon snaps then I might risk it. I will just wait and see what he says.

It's good that you're going to listen to him. I hate to say it, but a lot of runners don't. I actually walked a race last weekend, because I wasn't ready to run it yet. I had a blast!
 
La Grange Rocks 5k Recap

So, before my 5k race tonight, I thought the run gods were against me. Last night my son came down with a fever and threw up, so I was worried that it might quickly spread throughout the household like those things often do. Then, today, we had the first day of a two day heat wave, so it got up to about 93° late in the afternoon and was still sunny and 90° at race start at 7:00pm tonight.

In the end, though, the run gods were actually with me. It was a bit of a struggle in the heat (my heart rate is proof of this), but since it was only 3.1 miles, I was still able to keep pace, and the heat seemed to affect others more than me, so I was passing people left and right for pretty much the entire race. I think a lot of folks stayed away because of the heat. This small, local race usually gets about 500-600 participants, but we only had 392 today.

I ended up with a new post-40 PR of 21:21, so 6:52 average pace. I am VERY, VERY happy with this!! Also, it seemed that all the really fast runners didn't participate, so I ended up 9th/392 overall and 2nd in my age group.

@LSUlakes: for page 1...
10 - opusone - La Grange Rocks 5k (22:00 / 21:21) PR
 
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It's good that you're going to listen to him. I hate to say it, but a lot of runners don't. I actually walked a race last weekend, because I wasn't ready to run it yet. I had a blast!

You are absolutely right to say that a lot of runners don't listen to their doctor. I think it's important, though, to chime in that doctors don't always have the right answer. They are human with biases and the ability to make mistakes, along with a financial incentive to make the most conservative recommendation, lest they be sued for malpractice.

In my case, I had a knee injury back in 2009 that required surgery for meniscal cleanup. I thought all was going well through the surgery, PT and rehab and I was on track for a return to Ultimate frisbee (which precipitated the injury). At the last follow-up visit, the orthopedist/surgeon dropped on me that I should never play again and I shouldn't even walk up and down steps if they could be avoided, at all! I had been clear in my intention to return to activity throughout the process and to have that delivered at the eleventh hour in an "oh, by the way" manner was devastating.

I was overweight at the time and I'm sure that played into the diagnosis, but there were no caveats or "if you drop some weight, you could..." components to the message. It was devastating, my only outlet for activity and one of my primary joys in life was taken away. I responded with depression and a spiral into about 60-70 additional pounds. That's my fault for letting it happen, but the diagnosis certainly provided the catalyst for it.

Four years later, I decided that enough was enough, lost the weight through walking, got back to playing Ultimate, and now have run distances up through a marathon with my knees feeling healthier than they ever have. If I had just "listened to my doctor" I'd still be 150 pounds heavier and would missed out on some of the most important moments of my life.

This is not to imply that doctors should not be listened to. Rather, their advice needs to be taken in context and evaluated as one piece of the puzzle, not the only piece. Don't be afraid to get second opinions, ask "what if" questions, and be prepared to evaluate and take responsibility for yourself.
 
ICYMI, last night's NCAA T&F Championships Men's Final day was truly epic and arguably one of the most historic meets of all time.

A full replay is on WATCHESPN if you're interested (http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index#type/replay/sport/track+and+field/). Things to watch:

1500m - Start at 11:52; Ends at 16:13
200m - Starts at 1:33:00; Race at 1:34:20; Ends at 1:38:00
800m - Starts at 1:13:00; Race at 1:16:30; Ends at 1:20:00
5K - Starts at 1:50:34; Race at 1:51:00; Ends at 2:05:00

Incredible, just incredible! If you want a very short replay go here, but truly it doesn't do it justice:

http://www.ncaa.com/video/trackfiel...tdoor-track-and-field-championships-day-three

La Grange Rocks 5k Recap

So, before my 5k race tonight, I thought the run gods were against me. Last night my son came down with a fever and threw up, so I was worried that it might quickly spread throughout the household like those things often do. Then, today, we had the first day of a two day heat wave, so it got up to about 93° late in the afternoon and was still sunny and 90° at race start at 7:00pm tonight.

In the end, though, the race gods were actually with me. It was a bit of a struggle in the heat (my heart rate is proof of this), but since it was only 3.1 miles, I was still able to keep pace, and the heat seemed to affect others more than me, so I was passing people left and right for pretty much the entire race. I think a lot of folks stayed away because of the heat. This small, local race usually gets about 500-600 participants, but we only had 392 today.

I ended up with a new post-40 PR of 21:21, so 6:52 average pace. I am VERY, VERY happy with this!! Also, it seemed that all the really fast runners didn't participate, so I ended up 9th/392 overall and 2nd in my age group.

@LSUlakes: for page 1...
10 - opusone - La Grange Rocks 5k (22:00 / 21:21) PR

Incredible PR and placement! Major kudos! :cheer2:
 
Stay strong, @Waiting2goback . Dopey 2018 is on my list as well. Sometimes it seems so far away, yet it also feels like it's coming too soon when I think of how far I still have to go to get there. Thanks for your running quote posts. I find them inspiring. :sunny:
 
Good afternoon folks. Running plans did not go as I thought this weekend. DW and I had a rare date night without DD. We had dinner and then watch Now You See Me 2 at 10:20PM. Made it home around 1:30AM this morning, so that waking up at 5 to run before it got hot did not happen. I did get a few miles in the TM, but nothing to exciting. I think I am going to try to do something crazy this summer. I am going to try to PR @ the 5k distance before fall. I have a lot of work to do and would actually like to go much lower than the PR with a time around 19:00 in the 5k.


Probably one of the best experiences of your life.


QOTD: I was just thinking of this very question last night. I almost sent a message to suggest it myself. I also wanted to do the "you could have any 5 people to dinner dead or alive" question too. Not running related but still cool. Anyway, for me it would be Walt. There were no rules about the person having to be a runner so he would be an easy choice. I would love to run through WDW or DL with him for a few hours just to get his feelings about the parks, how the company runs now, and life in general. If I had to pick a running person it would be Meb. Although he could probably run on his knees and still be faster than me. But everything I have heard about his is that he is a really nice guy.


I finally got the results of my MRI. Apparently the doctor usually has the patient call for results but he told me he would call me, so he was waiting for me to call and I was waiting for him to call. Well, it turns out I have a moderate tear on my peroneal tendon. He initially left me a voicemail after I had spoken to his assistant asking for the results. His quote was, "Your ankle is pretty beat up". I called him back and we talked for a few. I have an appointment on Monday to go over the results in detail and come up with a plan but he basically told me it has to be fixed with surgery. I may try to talk him into letting me run my upcoming races, as my two kids are looking forward to the 7/3 race. Either way, I am done running til Monday at least. I will stick to my bike for now.

Needless to say I am a little bummed. I may miss all my races this year. This makes my 210 lb goal seem so far away. I am questioning ever running a full marathon again. I would do Dopey and try to do Boston but others might be out. I didn't injure myself at all, as in twist an ankle or something. I did this while running the WDW marathon this year and I took it easy for that race, how did this happen? The doctor says the tendon just wore down. He made it sound like it will happen again so pushing myself hard marathon after marathon may not be the best idea.

I have been grouchy since finding out and trying to figure out how to get my exercise in. I was thinking swimming but that requires working the foot and ankle too. I am concerned if I go a long period of time without exercising that I will fall back into my hold habits.

That's all I have for now because otherwise I will just be rambling as I try to figure this out!!!

I am very sorry to hear this news. I hope things work out and you are able to get back to doing what you like soon.

THIS!!!!!!

(I broke my lurker status to post this. Geaux Tigers! )

Glad you decided to post and have been reading along. Hope you continue to post in the thread! Speaking of the Tigers, big game tonight at the Box. GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!

10 - opusone - La Grange Rocks 5k (22:00 / 21:21) PR

Congrats on the PR! I haven't gone sub 22 in a while and I'm 32. I may give it a shot for my 4th of July race, just not sure which race that might be yet.
 
Kona 10-miler Recap:

So today had both successes and challenges. I went into the race with hopes of running fast, maybe POT fast as my next three races are all trail runs and will not be conducive to getting a desired POT. My next race after that is past the deadline. I will need to find a half in late September to get a POT. Or I could go with the time I used last year as it will still be valid for the 2017 WDW Weekend; is that cool to do?

Anyway, it was so hot! Not a cloud in the sky, no shade anywhere the sun blazing on you hot. The race was supposed to have an early morning start. The room for packet pick-up (all the bibs were in this room) was locked and the race organisers could not get a hold of the person who was supposed to open the space... Lots of stress! The races got pushed back by about a half hour and the half hour made a difference as it got hot fast. I also went out too fast, and then fell victim to the heat and had to struggle to the finish. My times were more than a minute slower than I had hoped but I did manage a 9th place finish in my age group and a 107 place finish overall (out of about 750 I think). I think the heat was getting to a lot of people. We ran through a lot of neighborhoods and people were standing on the lawns and spraying the runners with water as we went by. I loved them for it! I need to work on dealing with heat. This seems to be a real issue for me. I hate it but I think I need to start scheduling some mid-day runs and sweat it out!

So in conclusion it was hot, very hot. I love all the people who stood on their lawns and used me as target practice with their lawn hoses; I will refer to them as race angels and would like to put them in my will! I get a PR out of the race as it is my first time running a 10 mile race and the time was sucky enough that I think I am pretty much guaranteed a PR the next time I run that distance! Cool medal though, tropical island themed; they even had a steel drum band playing at the finish.

Hope everyone else racing this weekend was spared the heat and races went well!
 
I will need to find a half in late September to get a POT. Or I could go with the time I used last year as it will still be valid for the 2017 WDW Weekend; is that cool to do?

I don't see why not. It's certainly within the rules, as long as it was run in the window defined by runDisney. I've used the same race as PoT for all four of my rD events so far.
 
Did my first street run since I broke my foot last November. I forgot how much easier it is to run on streets vs. trails. Got in my best 10k time since my injury and feel great!

Way to go!

I think I am going to try to do something crazy this summer. I am going to try to PR @ the 5k distance before fall. I have a lot of work to do and would actually like to go much lower than the PR with a time around 19:00 in the 5k.

Wow, a 19:00 minute 5K is ambitious. That's a 6:07 min/mile. What training plan are you going to follow? I've got Jack Daniels book which has a few 5K plans based on weekly mileage. I'd be willing to share the details, just let me know. I'm interested because I also plan on following a 5K/10K plan next Spring.

Kona 10-miler Recap:

So today had both successes and challenges. I went into the race with hopes of running fast, maybe POT fast as my next three races are all trail runs and will not be conducive to getting a desired POT. My next race after that is past the deadline. I will need to find a half in late September to get a POT. Or I could go with the time I used last year as it will still be valid for the 2017 WDW Weekend; is that cool to do?

Anyway, it was so hot! Not a cloud in the sky, no shade anywhere the sun blazing on you hot. The race was supposed to have an early morning start. The room for packet pick-up (all the bibs were in this room) was locked and the race organisers could not get a hold of the person who was supposed to open the space... Lots of stress! The races got pushed back by about a half hour and the half hour made a difference as it got hot fast. I also went out too fast, and then fell victim to the heat and had to struggle to the finish. My times were more than a minute slower than I had hoped but I did manage a 9th place finish in my age group and a 107 place finish overall (out of about 750 I think). I think the heat was getting to a lot of people. We ran through a lot of neighborhoods and people were standing on the lawns and spraying the runners with water as we went by. I loved them for it! I need to work on dealing with heat. This seems to be a real issue for me. I hate it but I think I need to start scheduling some mid-day runs and sweat it out!

So in conclusion it was hot, very hot. I love all the people who stood on their lawns and used me as target practice with their lawn hoses; I will refer to them as race angels and would like to put them in my will! I get a PR out of the race as it is my first time running a 10 mile race and the time was sucky enough that I think I am pretty much guaranteed a PR the next time I run that distance! Cool medal though, tropical island themed; they even had a steel drum band playing at the finish.

Hope everyone else racing this weekend was spared the heat and races went well!

Congrats on the race! Bummer the conditions were so hot though. Did you use any pre-cooling strategies prior to the race? My recent research binge suggests it can improve heat adjusted times by 7-13%. Everyone reacts differently to the heat, but that's a pretty healthy improvement by implementing a few simple strategies. So nice the neighbors were spraying everyone. You could most definitely use your past POT if you're still happy with last year's corral placement.
 
I ran my Brian Diemer 5K this morning and as @Baloo in MI mentioned it was HOT here in Michigan today!! Hot, humid, and sunny is a trifecta that works against me for sure and with a 9:00am start it was already 80 degrees - if it had started at 8:00 it would have been cloudy. I didn't meet my goal, but I'm still happy with the effort. Official time is 28:20. The course is flat and is known in these parts for PR's - if only it was a little cooler. I could have used more sprinklers from residents, but was grateful for the few that did. A couple of neat things about the race: 1) they had 6 bands playing throughout the course and you could vote for your favorite at the finish 2) they had chocolate cake at the finish. :-)
 
So it has been a while since I have posted. I now haven't run since 8th May and I still have my chest infection. Antibiotics haven't shifted it and I had an x-ray today.
Been able to keep calm about the fact I haven't started training for the Disney Paris Half but beginning to panic now. Thinking that I am going to have 12 weeks max to train if I can shift my chest infection soon. What was going to be try and aim for a time, I think at maximum it is going to be just finish in the time limit.

I never thought I would be someone to say that I mis training and I want to be running again. So frustrating!
 

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