There are certain things the human body was not built to do. Endurance sports probably fall into this category. Fifty-thousand years ago, when man needed to chase down a wildabeest for dinner, or outsprint a sabertooth on his way to the movies, it might have made a bit more sense. But the last few millennia of evolution have made this need for ultra-distance bipedal travel all but obsolete. And yes...I just wanted to find a way to use "bipedal" in this post.
Unfortunately, like any machine used for something other than its intended purpose, the body tends to break down over extended use. Like clockwork, the calendar rolls over to September each year, and my list of overuse injuries piles up faster than cars on the Beltway during rush hour.
The current grocery list is something like this:
-Biceps Femoris Tendonitis
-Partial Meniscus tear
-IT-band issues
-Sciatic nerve numbness/pain along the hamstring
-Piriformis syndrome
Unless you happen to have majored in Latin or medicine, most of this sounds like a category on Final Jeopardy. Ironically enough, I've spent so much time researching these issues, the symptoms, causes, and the rehabilitation methods on my own...that I literally know more than most of the doctors I've visited. At the risk of insulting the few doctors who are good at their craft, most of the physicians I've encountered are complete donkeys who immediately forgot what they learned in med-school as soon as that exam was over. The best solution would be to try and find an orthopedic doc who is also a runner, or a triathlete, and knows exactly what happens to the body because of personal experience. Of course, this is easier said then done, because doctors don't exactly advertise their hobbies in a phone book. So the seemingly endless rounds of visiting different offices, physical therapists, specialists leads to desperation. I know I have nearly 12 months until the race, but I need to start the training much sooner, and I can't train until my body is pain free. I'm not at the point of frustration yet, but it's getting close, and right now, I just want to be healthy.
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I love your blog especially this post. As someone who suffers from injuries as well I have had to do a fair amount of reflecting on what my limits are as a person before even thinking of my limits as an athlete. In the past 3 weeks I have been to more PT, Chiro, and Ortho visits then I have in the last 28 years and (as you know) have had my fair share of ups and downs.
I have come to a conclusion, a conclusion that some would call ridiculous. That is that I will finish this Ironman. If my injuries keep up or get worse I cannot promise it will be under 12 hours. But I will be out there limping in the dark until they pull me off that course.
What I think about when i am doing leg raises instead of 2 hour base rides(like I should be doing now)is the adrenaline of the day, the smell of a long tired exhale on a course that your not even halfway through, the feeling of checking in race day and how good that meal will taste with you guys after the race.
Let's keep our heads down, get bulletproof, and get ready for that day in November.
PS - Had to put that in writing. Open invite to everyone out there to get involved with our tuneup races and take a vaca to Panama City to watch your boys kick it.
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