By the way.... I would like to apologize if I come off snippy. I am frustrated and crabby today. I know I should be thankful I am running at all. And I was....until it hit me that it's not good enough. I have been working my ass off and it's not good enough. Not good enough to race what I want to race, not good enough to not be a fat ass.....UGH...I have been working SO HARD on the spin bike and with strength training. These past 3 weeks I have worked harder at the gym and put more hours into exercising than I have in MONTHS AND MONTHS. Which is probably part of my problem....I had stopped crosstraining once my ITBS went away for good last May/June. I threw myself into HM training and just let everything else go. But I have really been working SO HARD to keep up fitness and strength to come back from this injury. But it's not enough. My spring race season is shot. Even if I complete all my races, I can't PR anything. I may still do my HMs (these decisions will be made down the line) but if I do, I will likely walk a good portion of them. And I have gotten so fat. I refused to weigh myself while I was in the boot because I didn't want to be depressed. I was obviously much MUCH less active than usual plus it was over the holidays and I was eating like there was no tomorrow.....but I was hoping I was doing better now that I am active again. NOPE. We started a Biggest Loser Competition at work today and today was the first weigh-in. I have gained A LOT of weight. I am so annoyed tonight. SORRY for the vent....I guess that is what this thread is for though so..... sorry I'm not sorry....lol. Seriously though.....if I have to DNS any more races I don't even know what I will do....

My spring race season is shot.

It may not appear it at the moment, but equally important is your spring running season.  You simply do not want to risk having another long stint on the bench.  Weight gain while off complicates matters, Daniels even has an adjustment table for that.

Returning to race weight is the easiest of your problems to take on because you have control over what you eat (or do not eat as it were), the running portion is the hardest because you do not know what put you on the bench in the first place.

It is okay to keep hope alive for your events but the focus should be on building your mileage base back up slowly and consistently, for it is our mileage base that defines us as runners.  Our base is what dictates what distances we can race and when, our desire to race a given distance usually just gets in the way of that.

This is not a suggestion by the way, just an opinion.  Follow your heart or your mind, whichever you prefer.

And for what it is worth, you did not come across as snippy.  Running injuries and everything that goes with them suck.  Period.

Yay yay yay! I know I'm a bit carried away here, but I actually left the house today on my own. I drove to the grocery store, did some shopping, and filled my cart up with all carbs. LOL. So nice to leave the house. Its been only 6 days. Feeling hopeful. Can't wait to start PT and get moving again.

Awesome news!!!  This must be the most rapid recovery in history ...

Kristin, you're doing fine. I'm impressed at all the work you're doing in the gym. The weight will come back off, and you'll be back running. I agree with LRB about running vs. racing. I'm rooting for you!

I'm discouraged and not doing a great job of doing things that will improve my situation. I had to cancel my MRI because my car wouldn't start and I haven't rescheduled and I haven't called to schedule PT, either. I also have only done the prep exercises my doc gave me once. And then I have the gall to feel whiny that my knee hurts and my running is pretty much nonexistent. I need a kick in the butt. Kick me! Kick me!

Kristin, you're doing fine. I'm impressed at all the work you're doing in the gym. The weight will come back off, and you'll be back running. I agree with LRB about running vs. racing. I'm rooting for you!

 

I'm discouraged and not doing a great job of doing things that will improve my situation. I had to cancel my MRI because my car wouldn't start and I haven't rescheduled and I haven't called to schedule PT, either. I also have only done the prep exercises my doc gave me once. And then I have the gall to feel whiny that my knee hurts and my running is pretty much nonexistent. I need a kick in the butt. Kick me! Kick me!

Kick, kick, kick. Speaking of MRI's. I had an MRI for something unrelated to this injury last month and it was $7500. Luckily I have insurance. It sucks that I have about a grand of medical bills now from that and this back thing, but it could always be worse. So glad I have insurance.

I've been contemplating the need for PT myself. I feel like its a waste of money when I know what they are going to do. Part of my rehab is to walk as much as I can. I will not complain. The strength and stretching is also important. I will probably suck it up and go, but I hope that it doesn't last more than a few weeks. My surgeon says its not required. I almost want to wait and pay the $200 for personal training instead. Thoughts?

Kristin - I do hear you about the frustration of losing the spring racing season.  When you live in the mid-Atlantic, there are two seasons, spring and fall with very little racing in between.  Having paid for the races adds to the frustration.  However, you are young, and there will be other springs.  If you are careful now, there will be a fall racing season.  And possibly, if you don't push too hard, you'll find some summer races that you can do while on vacation.  I know how hard it is to be patient, but if you don't injure yourself again, the races will come.  But if you do TMTS, you will injure yourself again.

As LRB said, losing the weight is the easy part.  I have found that quick weight gains usually translate to quick losses.

Just a quick note about orthotics: they need to be broken in, so to speak, before you start running in them.

Good point.  I wore mine for two weeks at work and home before running in them, and even then only ran short distances in them for three weeks before gradually increasing the mileage.

There are some smart people in this thread!