I'm baaaack
So if you haven't figured it out yet, I don't typically post entries if 1) I'm way too busy, 2) I'm not motiviated or 3) I'm injured. Why would I want to write about an injury when I can't do a darn thing about it but simply wait to see if it feels better?
Well, that's what has been going on in the last couple of weeks. After my hamstring injury two weeks ago yesterday, I had pretty much written the upcoming St. Anthony's triathlon off as a scratched race. For those of you know know me and my inner-competitive spirit, this was a crushing blow for me. Other than people at work, family, and a few close friends and teammates, I didn't really tell anyone. I didn't even tell my bike coach, Brian. Why? I don't know...probably because I was in denial. I feel the pain, I look like I'm in pain, but I just can't seem to accept the fact that I am injured.
With extensive ice treatments and prescribed Motrin, I babied my injury for a week while I moped around feeling sorry for myself. I confided with friends who run and who have suffered similar injuries. And though I didn't like what they had to say (wait it out and don't run), I had to do just that...wait. And I did.
After one week, my hamstring was probably feeling about 80-85% better. I was encouraged that it had improved that quickly, but I took my friends' advice and did nothing but rest. The second week, however, really tested my patience. How could I have improved so significantly in the first week, only to feel NO improvement throughout the entire second week? I didn't understand this at all.
On Monday (two days ago), I woke up to birds singing, the dawn breaking, and a cool breeze blowing through my window. It was the perfect weather to run, and I simply couldn't wait any longer. This venture was calling me back like a drug calling a recovering addict.
I'll take it easy, and just see how it feels, I thought to myself. I got my shoes on, started up the music on my iPod, and I made sure to stretch in every way I could think of before hitting the pavement.
As I started forward, I felt the muscle that had been giving me such grief. It was a dull pain, but it was tolerable. If it didn't get worse, I'd keep going.
Four miles later, I was back at my house. I stopped and stretched, half expecting for the muscle to seize up like it did two weeks earlier. But the dull sensation that I had felt when I started hadn't gotten worse. I'd have to wait for another 24 hours to see how the true final outcome would be.
To my surprise, I woke up the next morning feeling better than I had felt since the injury. Did the running jump-start that final healing process that I was so desparately looking for? I don't have a clue as to what the answer is, but I'm REALLY happy that this is the outcome. If I would have been money on it, I would have lost. I thought for sure I was a hopeless case stuck in the land of recovery for this race.
It's now Wednesday, 5 days before the race. I went to my final swim practice last night, and was thrilled that there was no sign of injury to my hamstring when I swam. An interesting thing happened right at the end of my practice, however. We were finishing up our swim with 10x25 yard sprints. With one more to go, I commented to the teammates in my lane that this was the last sprint before the race. I looked down to time my lap (as I had been doing with all of the other sprints), and at the top of my polar watch (where the date normally shows), words that I had never seen on this watch scrolled across. "MOVE YOUR BODY!"
I've had this watch for over a year, and I've NEVER seen that before. I looked on the internet and apparently this motivational feature isn't a feature on the type of watch I own...So I'm not sure what that was all about (an error? a sign?), but I'll take that advice, and run the best race I can on Sunday.
Well, that's what has been going on in the last couple of weeks. After my hamstring injury two weeks ago yesterday, I had pretty much written the upcoming St. Anthony's triathlon off as a scratched race. For those of you know know me and my inner-competitive spirit, this was a crushing blow for me. Other than people at work, family, and a few close friends and teammates, I didn't really tell anyone. I didn't even tell my bike coach, Brian. Why? I don't know...probably because I was in denial. I feel the pain, I look like I'm in pain, but I just can't seem to accept the fact that I am injured.
With extensive ice treatments and prescribed Motrin, I babied my injury for a week while I moped around feeling sorry for myself. I confided with friends who run and who have suffered similar injuries. And though I didn't like what they had to say (wait it out and don't run), I had to do just that...wait. And I did.
After one week, my hamstring was probably feeling about 80-85% better. I was encouraged that it had improved that quickly, but I took my friends' advice and did nothing but rest. The second week, however, really tested my patience. How could I have improved so significantly in the first week, only to feel NO improvement throughout the entire second week? I didn't understand this at all.
On Monday (two days ago), I woke up to birds singing, the dawn breaking, and a cool breeze blowing through my window. It was the perfect weather to run, and I simply couldn't wait any longer. This venture was calling me back like a drug calling a recovering addict.
I'll take it easy, and just see how it feels, I thought to myself. I got my shoes on, started up the music on my iPod, and I made sure to stretch in every way I could think of before hitting the pavement.
As I started forward, I felt the muscle that had been giving me such grief. It was a dull pain, but it was tolerable. If it didn't get worse, I'd keep going.
Four miles later, I was back at my house. I stopped and stretched, half expecting for the muscle to seize up like it did two weeks earlier. But the dull sensation that I had felt when I started hadn't gotten worse. I'd have to wait for another 24 hours to see how the true final outcome would be.
To my surprise, I woke up the next morning feeling better than I had felt since the injury. Did the running jump-start that final healing process that I was so desparately looking for? I don't have a clue as to what the answer is, but I'm REALLY happy that this is the outcome. If I would have been money on it, I would have lost. I thought for sure I was a hopeless case stuck in the land of recovery for this race.
It's now Wednesday, 5 days before the race. I went to my final swim practice last night, and was thrilled that there was no sign of injury to my hamstring when I swam. An interesting thing happened right at the end of my practice, however. We were finishing up our swim with 10x25 yard sprints. With one more to go, I commented to the teammates in my lane that this was the last sprint before the race. I looked down to time my lap (as I had been doing with all of the other sprints), and at the top of my polar watch (where the date normally shows), words that I had never seen on this watch scrolled across. "MOVE YOUR BODY!"
I've had this watch for over a year, and I've NEVER seen that before. I looked on the internet and apparently this motivational feature isn't a feature on the type of watch I own...So I'm not sure what that was all about (an error? a sign?), but I'll take that advice, and run the best race I can on Sunday.
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