Hey Tim. Agreed on all points with Leslie. you are playing with fire. I have had back issues and done exercises and shots (one set ) but never heavy pain meds. Running with them is risky at best. The elliptical is not all bad... just sayjng...
I think this crowd needs group therapy...
Marathon Maniac #957
Duct tape, I think we need some duct tape.....
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
MM #6177
... and more cow bell....
Tim, here's some {{{ }}} for you. You've gotten a lot of good advice, some more cautionary than others. Please take heart. We're here for you, but you have to be the one who first helps yourself. Continuing to run (away) is not the answer.
who says life doesn't have a soundtrack?
Marathon Maniac #3309
I'm just not a person who can live life too carefully - being too safe. As a matter of fact....people who live life "too" carefully or safe drives me nuts....I'm not a worry wart and I know I will be fine...........
I miss RA, and wish I could share and contrbute - just can't.
I may not of articulated myself well enough with my post. With my back problems, there is nothing that can be done other than pain managment...I have already jumped through all the hoops trying to find a permanent solution with my personal Doctor and other back Doctors. Exercises / stretching and such only makes things worse, and the injections only last so long, and a person can only have a certain amount of these. The only thing left for me is major surgery, which I'm NOT going to have done anytime soon (or at all), and my Doctors totally agree with this.
The only thing I am guilty of is prolly taking to many pain meds lately, other than that I will most certainly keep up my active lifestyle. Without my running and such - heck - I may be 100 times worse right now. Running didn't cause my problem (proven) so I will continue to do what I love.
I'm not only taking my pain meds just for my back, but for my mouth too. I've had a few bone grafts done in my mouth, after a had 2 teeth knocked out after having a door slammed into my mouth, with someone trying to get into my Apartment very late one night....ouch, bloody mess.
I am currently bidding on Ebay for a registration to a FULL Iron man Tri this fall (my first) - I'm racing a 160 mile bike race in July - Going to take up long distance open water swimming starting this coming Weds at our Muncie reservoir (work up to a 10K swim race) - race the Muncie Iron man 70.3 1/2 Iron man in July - and as many cycling and sprint Triathlons I can squeeze in, plus keep up my Marathon and ultra training...
Other than that...I'm a lazy bum :-)
-------- Suppose we all have read this, and I guess I feel this way --------
Sorry, but I just can't live life the way others do - or they want me to.......just gotta be me (I'm a strong guy - but a very passionate and Loving one too....the latter got me in trouble - HR to the end)
Okay, I'm off on a run................to this http://www.barefootrunners.org/chapter/indiana-chapter/international-barefoot-runners-day - Tet's kinda event, and it's only a short 2 mile run for home at Westside Park.
Oh..........24.2 miles yesterday - 8:11 ave pace - warm and humid......didn't have the desired pace in me. Back hurt before - not during - hurt after
Good luck...........catching me with the duct tape :-)
Tim
Running has given me the courage to start, the determination to keep trying, and the childlike spirit to have fun along the way - Run often and run long, but never outrun your Joy of running!
MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
Tim - glad you enjoyed the first national barefoot running day.
Maybe you can shed the shoes again in the last miles of your IM as my son did in one of ours.
.
In the meantime, there's nothing wrong with setting aside your competitive urges in upcoming events for the sake of maximizing your IM success. For example, instead of racing next week's marathon with Sloboy, get up early and put in five or six hours of cycling ending up at the start as near to start time as possible. Just be sure to hydrate lots more than you think you need to while doing the early morning riding. Then junk your competitive impulses and start in the marathon nice and slowly maybe even at the back of the pack, gradually increasing to a comfortable MP in light of the cycling you've just finished. I'll bechatchya you'll be passing wasted runners like flies in the last 10K just like occasional other IM'ers who save it for the last too. In fact, if it's a fall one (IMF?), you could do a couple of similar big bricks gradually measuring your running cababilities without taking unncessary risks that could ruin your IM, . . and you too.
So maybe just do any more marathons for training, experimenting, etc. and NOT FOR COMPETITION.
I've run a lot of miles but 26.2 that I will never forget were the first IM ones in 1987.
I hope in 2035 you''ll be able to think the same too..
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...holy carp...what a ride !!!!!
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...holy carp...what a ride !!!!!
An Ironman is worth it but not a measly marathon.
back off.
good luck.
"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)