Week in Training - January 21 to January 27

Some weeks of training are awesome.  You get all the desired miles, hit every quality workout like a champ, overcome inclement weather and feel the way Galen Rupp looked this past weekend. This was not one of those weeks.  This was a week that started with a small, nagging twinge (a.k.a. "pain") and ended in a full blown case of "it hurts to walk".

Yeah, I'm officially injured.  On the "DL" as they say in baseball..........but without the fat paycheck.  Disabled List?  Is that really a thing among runners anyway?  Last I checked we didn't have benches to warm or teammates to pick up the slack and take one for the team.  Instead being an injured runner is a much lonelier affair.  Your fellow runners go on, build up more miles, get faster while you sit at home and contemplate the road to recovery.  Ok, maybe not all runners do that; but I do.

So here I sit, typing instead of running or cycling or skiing or snowshoeing or something.  Did I mention it hurts to walk?  Let's see how I got to this place.  Sunday, January 20 - my first speed workout of 2013.  5x 800m at 5:30 pace.  Felt great.  All is well; great way to end the week; feeling like the aforementioned Mr. Rupp (but looking like a guy who runs the mile about 90 seconds slower).

Monday, January 21 - Our President is waving to the assembled masses on his way to being sworn in for 4 more years and I'm out running 8 miles.  All is well until about 6 miles when I feel a tightening in my right butt-cheek.  Humm, that's interesting but not exactly painful.  It gets a little tighter those last 2 miles but doesn't blow-up in catastrophic fashion.  Perhaps I dodged a bullet?

....or not.  By mid afternoon this little twinge actually hurts for real but not in a bad way.  At the time I thought it was a minor strain and would heal-up so long as I didn't race or do intervals on it.  Since I was back on the core strength bandwagon after a holiday break, I went to The Dailey Method in the late afternoon.

Tuesday, January 22 - I woke up feeling pretty good with no real pain in the butt (cheek) but decided to play it safe and ride my bike (48 miles) instead of running just in case.  While still a bit sore, this didn't seem to make things worse so perhaps I was out of the woods.

Woodside, California

Wednesday, January 23 - Raining - nice!  Again, I opted for a flat, 45 mile road bike ride to give my butt another day to get with the program.  Nice strategy, but Mr. Gluteus Maximus decided my idea of an easy day was not so much.  About 25 miles into the ride I could feel a little muscle next to my tail bone getting tighter and tighter.  Over the last 5 miles it was actually hurting quite a bit - particularly when I'd get out of the saddle.  Shit.

This is where your salt comes from (look it up)

Thursday, January 24 - Yeah this thing hurts but core strength is good for you - right?  It's most definitely very low or even no impact so how's about I do another 1 hour Dailey Method workout?  It didn't hurt once I was warmed up and working out but later that day it was screaming and I knew something was really, REALLY wrong.  Time to heat, ice, pop some Advil, stretch gently and wait it out.  This shouldn't take long - right?

Friday, January 25 - No workouts.  My butt pain still hurts - a lot.  That first step on my right leg when getting up after sitting for a few hours hurts the most.

Saturday, January 26 - No workouts.  Still hurts.  Hurts to walk.  Double shit.

Sunday, January 27 - No workouts.  Pain.  Really?  Still?  WTF?  Need to get a doctors appointment first thing on Monday.  In the meantime I'll drink away my sorrows........with coffee.

(Mono)Chromatic Coffee is now where Barefoot Coffee once was in Cupertino

So that's where I am on this Monday.  Not training.  Taking Advil.  Gentle stretching.  Hot tub.  Ice, heat, ice, heat, etc.  Waiting for my Friday doctors appointment.  Waiting sucks the most.  What is it?  Dunno.  Sacral stress fracture?  Maybe.  Torn muscle?  Dunno but that feels more likely.  Stay tuned and in the meantime don't wait for me; go on; save yourselves; run some miles; I'll be just fine.......sitting here........at the computer.....not running.  :-)