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Week 125
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Greetings 50+ers. This'll be a long post as I've got a lot to relate....both good and bad.....and probably TMI, but I've always just laid it out there for better or worse to create a chronicle of an aging runner.
I managed to run 3 days (6.4 Sunday, 4.2 Wednesday, and 7 Saturday) all at easy-to-moderate paces for a total of about 17-18 miles. Sunday's run with the Wisconsin guys on the UW Arboretum trails was a blast, sorry I had to cut out early so that we could make our way back to Lexington. The long drive really stiffened me up, though, and Monday was spent trying to untie the knots that had developed in my quads, hammies, and core. The other two runs were pretty non-descript.
I've also obviously continued with my PT work that takes about 1/2-hour each day; wish the progress was a little swifter, but so it goes. I mentioned last week that he upped the PT again, but I'll cruise at this level for the next couple weeks, as I opted to skip the appointment for this coming week; truth is, I'm a little burned out on medical visits (more to be discussed below) and need a breather (there are only so many hours in a week.) In my last PT session, he also had me doing lunges (with a 5-lb ball that I'd rotate while outstretched side-to-side with each step.) I went about 16 steps out and 16 steps back twice; this left me completely sore and reminded me of how weak my adductors have become! At any rate, my daily PT schedule calls for:
1) "Triple threat": laying on my back with my feet on the balance ball, 10x legs straight, lift hips off ground, 10x hamstring curl, 10x with legs bent 90 degrees lift core. Repeat 3 times.
2) Elastic band work: wrap elastic band around table leg and around ankle. Then, with band slightly stretched, stand on the opposite leg and stretch the band away from the table leg support. 30x all four rotational orientations relative to the table and done for each leg.
3) Bird dog: on all fours, kick one leg back and opposite arm forward, but now I'm to hold this for 10s and repeat with other leg and arm and do this for 10 sets.
4) & 5) are stretches, one is for Piriformis and one is for trunk rotation, and I'm also to continue any of the previous stretches/exercises as needed.
My medical appointment from two Thursday's ago had really good news in that all the blood work came back excellent. My LDL number was well below the goal reference, and he said my HDL number was so good that it counted as a negative risk factor. The rest of my 20 or so numbers were "grossly normal" with only the urea nitrogen number ever so slightly high, that he said was likely just from mild dehydration at the time of the appointment. He suggested more water and less coffee throughout the day.
I had also asked that I have my feet looked at, and they referred me to a specialist in the UK Sports Medicine Clinic. I saw a podiatrist this past Monday and definitely learned some things. Firstly, I learned that I don't pronate at all and, if anything, I'm slightly bow-legged! I do roll inward, but that is not from a collapsing arch, I strike on the outside, but finish pushing off from the big toe. They tell me it is due to my foot structure (long, narrow, Morton's toe) and that I am OK to buy neutral shoes. Secondly, and you all may not recall, I have fretted about my feet for quite some time now, in particular about a suspected toe break from decades ago that may never have healed properly. Well, they took X-rays of my right foot, and sure enough I must have broken my second metatarsal and there is lots of added calcification in that area, that is responsible for the bulge that I see and feel. They told me that some pressure can be relieved from that joint with orthotics (discussed below). But the more disconcerting revelation to me is that I have osteoarthritis in the Big toe (Hallux), in particular the joint between the proximal and metarsal phalanges (the ball-joint) has only about 15-20 degrees of remaining motion and they say that it is just a matter of time before it will completely fuse---Hallux Rigidus. They assure me that I'll be able to continue running so long as the pain is not debilitating even after full fusion (which may even reduce the pain once it achieves full rigor.) However, at this point I will lose my ability to toe-off (not that I've ever had much), so my dreams of being a sprinter are pretty much over (OK, I never could sprint, so this is tongue-in-cheek.) During PT on Tuesday, they took casts of my feet, to create custom orthotics to address both these issues. Not sure if and when I will need them, but I figured I should get them while they're still 85% covered under my current insurance plan. Finally, the podiatrist referred me further to the Runner's clinic run by UK Sports Medicine. They'll do a complete analysis and identify areas where I can adjust my running.
http://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/Ortho/Services/runners-clinic/
That's my long and winding report. Lot's for me to absorb heading into this winter season of retooling. Hopefully, I'll have a clearer vision of the path I'm on coming into next spring, but it looks like I will definitely need to find some cross-training that works for me to maintain aerobic fitness....darn it!
@Spikez: Glad that you are progressing so well. I also echo your concerns and prayers to MikeF on his recovery from his medical procedure.
@KP: you would have had my permission to bow out, but to run and then make the final for the 1500 under these circumstances is remarkable. Best of luck in today's final.
Horst and MikeL had race misadventures of different kinds, but even these trials are races to build on, so props to you for toeing the line.
@Gretehund: Big taper week for NYCM! Best of luck to you! Really look forward to hearing how it all goes. Hope that the weather cooperates; I've heard that waiting out on Staton Island can be torturously long, so be prepared for that.
And finally, a shout out to coach Tom K. and my old HS for making it to state XC once again. They'll be hard-pressed to repeat as State Champs, but I think Olin Hacker has a good chance to reign supreme. He's broken about every course record he's run on this fall, but I think the national pundits don't really have an idea of how good he might be, so don't rank him....but that's another story.
As always, I look forward to hearing how it's going, and hope everyone is keeping a positive spirit while running or rehabbing! Any races to report?
All the best!