Running OK

So the MRI came back clean as to meniscus issues, no tears and it looked to be in excellent shape and plenty of padding in there.   Also had no issues with ligaments.  It did reveal some roughness on the rear of the kneecap, which is the presumed cause of the knee pain.  He said that there were no hairline fractures of the kneecap, which is also a bonus.  He said that the MRI doesn’t really give a good look at how deep the roughness was, however.  He did say that there could also be roughness on the cartilage on the underside of the femur which could also be adding to the pain.  He said the only real treatment is to scope it and smooth it out.

However, he wants me to slowly get back into running to see if I can tolerate it and get more mileage before needing a scope.  So, he prescribed new shoes, low miles to get back in, and nothing too fast/long for a while.  He suggested keeping up with the cross-training, and getting on the bike to get more exercise without the strain on the knee.  He did say that when the pain returned, or became too much to bear, he would suggest a scope, but wants to put it off as long as possible which I think is a good plan of attack.

So, what now.  Who knows.  I’ll be looking for a new pair of cushioning/stability shoes.  Thinking of sticking with the Brooks Beast which have been the most supportive, but are just so stinking heavy.  Want to check out the new Pearl stability shoes.  Then back to baby mileage for a while and slowly build up the distance.  But bottom line is I’ll see you back on the road.

So this week was shot as far as exercise goes.  Woke up Saturday am with an itchy throat, which seemed to get worse overnight and by Monday I was ready to head to the Doc.  Went in and confirmed I had strep throat.  Got some antibiotics and some great gargle with numbing properties, similar to the stuff the Dentist sprays in your mouth to numb it before giving the big shots.  Good stuff.  Took all day off from work on Tuesday.  I’m feeling better, but still not 100%.  Was going to out (run, as in actually outside) this morning, but it was 38F and my throat was scratchy when I got up at 6am, so I went back to bed.  One more day won’t do anymore damage.

Went back to the Ortho yesterday, as I’m still having pain in the back of my knee.  He looked at it manipulated it and ordered an MRI.  Got off the phone with the MRI lab not long ago and am set to see them next Wed.  The Doc did say that since taking it easy for 3 weeks, especially with the anti-inflammatory, didn’t clear it up, something is wrong in the knee which only the MRI would be able to locate, absent getting in there with a scope, which is the next logical step if the MRI finds something.  But he did say to get back out and try running to see if the old pain returns in full (all the way up the inner thigh), or if it stays in the back of the knee.

We had a great trip to Austin, getting to see lots of family and friends.  Also ran a little race.

Race day was a little warmer than I was expecting.  It was mid to upper 40’s at the start, and warmed up throughout the race.  I was probably a little overdressed in tights and a long sleeve shirt, but don’t think I really overheated at any point.  I expected some low rollers for the start of the course, and knew there would be a couple of larger hills later on, but geez, they were killer.  I guess I really need to head out to east Norman for more hill training in the future.  My thighs are still burning today.  But I decided to push it and try to take down 1:45.00.

I was feeling pretty good for the first 6 miles, but there was little room to move about.  Running was pretty much shoulder to shoulder for the first 10 miles or so, where the 1/2 and full courses split.  But around mile 6, the leg started to get tight, not the same hammy feeling, but deeper in the hip and going down the front and inner thigh.  I had set the virtual training partner on the Forerunner for 1:45.00 and I was only about .3 mile behind at around halfway.  So I decided to keep pushing, knowing full well that around mile 8 we would hit non-stop rolling hills, with 2 big ones thrown in.  Around mile 10 my leg was really beginning to throb, and I was losing some of the push up hills, so I walked one decent hill, got some water and poweraide at the next rest stop and pushed on, slowly losing ground to the virtual trainer.  Around mile 11.5 was the worst of the hills, and I had been dreading the though of it for the whole race.  I’ve run it a couple of other times in the Cap. Metro 10K.  If you’re familiar with Austin, its where 15th Street crosses over Lamar and shoots skyward at a terrible angle.  After crossing over Lamar, I “slowed” to a walk and leaned into the grade. Finally crested and pushed down the hill on to the last mile and a half.

The stretch to the finish was great rounding 11th to Congress right in front of the Capital, and downhill.  Hoofed it the last .2 and sprinted for the finish.  Missed the 1:40.00, but did clock a PR with a chip time of 1:52:52 which jived with the Forerunner.

My leg was killing me and I hobbled off to grab a breakfast taco.  The nearby Taco Shack (my personal fave) was closed (stupid store hours of closed on Sundays), so I headed to my second choice of Taco Express.  I was shocked at the disappearance of the original building, and the monstrosity of a pharmacy next door.   But my fears were averted when I walked in and they had replicated the outdoor patio very well, and had done a good job on the interior.  But the tacos were delish.

Headed out to catch A&D on the course.  On the way, phoned Carrie to plan a meeting time.  Told her there was no way I was running w/ A&D as my leg was killing me.  It was painful to walk on it.  But went to the course to cheer.  Got to mile 23 and walked north on the course to around 22.5 to find a nice place to cheer.  Saw A&D come around the corner, and they were not smiling.  It had warmed up considerably.  Probably 70+F and no clouds in the sky.  This is not a good thing coming from OK where we haven’t seen 70’s in oh 3-4 months. I joined them thinking I’d turn off .5 mi on when we got to the car.  But D was getting nauseas and A was getting leg cramps.  So on we went.  Through campus D (a fellow OU alum) really thought about losing her lunch.  We pressed on though and they crested the final hill and took off down the finishing slope.  They finished with a great time of 4:37.41.

To recap: brutal course (but very scenic and lots of spectators), hot, good times, great support.  Highly recommend, as you can’t beat the limited entry, great support and awesome venue.  Just train on hills, a lot of them, and don’t expect a PR.