Thought of the Day

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mohandas Gandhi

Progress...

Went through trigger point injections yesterday to relax the piriformis and let it heal. Not exactly the most comfortable therapy I've ever had, but it wasn't as bad as I thought either. Ran a couple miles pain free once numbed up and the doctor determined we hit on the source of the problems. Will now incorporate more stretches and strengthening exercises into my daily routine. I'm definitely glad to not have a stress fracture though and can now begin getting back on the trails!

Thought of the Day

If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. Either way, there is no benefit in worrying whatsoever. - Dalai Lama

Update

Results are back from the MRI and, thankfully, they show no signs of a stress fracture. There is potentially a minor tear of the cartiledge. The thought now is to go after the piriformis by injecting it into paralysis and then running on it to analyze the level of discomfort. If the discomfort is gone, that is the main issue and we'll hopefully have reduced the spasm via injection to allow it to begin healing. PT should then stretch and strengthen it to avoid a recurrence. Testing on Tuesday. Until then, no trail or road running and plyo is definitely out. Could be worse... At least I can cycle and swim!

Piriformis Stretches

So, I was laying in the MRI tube yesterday wondering about various stretches to help rid me of piriformis syndrome (if in fact I do not have a femural stress fracture) when it dawned on me that I had yet to check online. A quick Google search revealed a YouTube link to a guy demonstrating the exact stretches I was looking for. While I would likely have found these in my various books, it was awesome to find a quick video demonstration. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFtUgS69rPk. I've done these both yesterday and today and am seeing some great results in reduction of both pain and tightness. Although this should never serve as a substitute for an examination by a medical professional, a little self-help can go a long way to assist in recovery.

Thought of the Day

Make every attempt to give 100% at all times in whatever it is you are doing. Don't cheat yourself or others by doing less. You might be tired and think "I'll make up for it tomorrow and give 120%", but the problem here is that 100% is the most anyone can do. Therefore, you can never play catch-up and overcome the deficit. Put it all on the line everyday and nobody can ever say you didn't give your best effort.

Thought of the Day

"There is a definite relationship between cause and effect: those actions not committed will never produce an effect. However, those actions once committed will never lose their potentiality."
- Dalai Lama

Catching Up

A monthly synopsis of what's been going on in my absence:
- Dec. '08: Successfully ran the Death Valley Marathon. Parted from my hydration plan and had to push fuel & fluids much more than anticipated late in the race. Good learning experience and really a great time! Met Tammy Massie (http://tammymassie.blogspot.com/), Tim Englund, Lisa Bliss (http://lisabliss.blogspot.com/), David Clark, Yi Shun Lai, and several other really nice people that were great to meet and fun to run with. I'll definitely go back to Death Valley, though maybe for a different race...
- Jan. '09: Made it through the holidays just fine. Lots of snow and sub-zero temps, but I ran fine. YakTrax are my new friend.
- Feb. '09: Wife gave birth to our first child, a baby boy - Morgan! Everyone is doing great! I caught some strange upper respiratory influenza that had me quarrantined for a week while the powedered inhaler did its thing. My suspicion, looking back, is that this might have been the infamous H1N1 flu though I'm not certain. We had family in town regularly over Feb./March to celebrate and help out. Thanks!
- March/April '09: Spending time at home adjusting to being a new dad. Way cool! Increasing my mileage and back in the swing of the running season. Registered for the Marine Corps. Marathon in DC this October. Started experiencing tightness in right leg (hip to knee). Uh oh...
- Present: Doctor's visit and x-rays yesterday. Benched from running until MRI is performed to rule out femoral stress fracture (which is unlikely). Hoping it's just a seized piriformis/IT band issue that will relax with PT. Will keep boosting my cardio with cycling and swimming until I'm cleared to hit the trails again.

Well, that brings things up to speed. Have a great week!

Thought of the Day

"Our state of mind plays a major role in our day-to-day experiences as well as our physical and mental well-being. If a person has a calm and stable mind, this influences his or her attitude and behavior in relation to others. In other words, if someone remains in a peaceful and tranquil state of mind, external surroundings can cause them only a limited disturbance." - Dalai Lama