Now that the weather is getting better, I have restarted my Saturday bike rides. Starting at the Y in Pickens there is a 12 mile and 18 mile loop that I do multiple times until I get my planned mileage in. The pace is comfortable (Zone1/2) I usually start at 8 it it warm in the morning or closer 10 if it needs to warm up. You are welcome to join me for as many loops as you want. I usually keep a cooler in my truck as a refueling station for longer days. On my call weekends I my have too peel off and go into the hospital. I rode today and it was beautiful. I will be in Parris Island next weekend but will plan to ride the following weekend.

Once strawberry season ends, I'll be good to go for Saturday mornings...and if I get good news on Monday regarding my leg, I may be able to hit a few AM rides prior to strawberry season.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  The doc has me in a boot/aircast right now, but I'm still swimming and doing the deep water runs...I've been outside a few times the past few weeks for longer rides, but I've mostly rode the bike on my trainer since fall -  it may be gone as well if the news isn't good. 

Possibly a stress fracture, but more likely a stress reaction - the stage before a stress fracture.  Even with the best news, it will still 3-5 more weeks of only deep water running, then a slow and gradual process back to land.  Almost sure I will have to withdraw from the half iron in April. 

Anyway, I'm pretty sure the injury occured because I began doing a lot of running through Easley - on the sidewalks, etc.  Ryan started running track a few weeks ago, so it was easy for me to take him to track and then run through Easley while I waited on him. Up until then all my running was on the asphalt backroads around my house.  One of the primary causes of stress fractures is changing running surface, and thats what I did - not only that, I was in the training phase where I was increasing the intensity level as well.  I was putting in a lot of weekly miles at that point, and everything together was too much I think.

I will say this about deep water running.  Once I am able to begin land running again, I am going to continue to do deep water running at least 1-2 times a week.  Its a great workout and a great way to build some leg strength, as well as strengthen some muscles like hip flexors, glutes, etc.  It hasn't been as boring as I thought it would be.  I put my IPOD in a baggie and put it under a cap to keep the water off of it - that helps pass the time.  Plus, the key to maintaining run fitness is lots of intervals - so that helps pass the time kinda quickly as well.

So, anyway,  I will know tomorrow (Monday) what the news is. 

Good news from the MRI - no bone damage.  It showed a tear in my calf muscle, but I haven't hurt there at all - its about 4 inches above where I hurt.  Anyway, I still don't have an answer to the problem, but it is getting better.  I went today for some Graston/ART therapy and that seems to help - the therapist says that it appears to him to be just some really bad shin splints. 

First week went well. Haley held on for 30+ miles

Possibly a stress fracture, but more likely a stress reaction - the stage before a stress fracture.  Even with the best news, it will still 3-5 more weeks of only deep water running, then a slow and gradual process back to land.  Almost sure I will have to withdraw from the half iron in April. 

 

Anyway, I'm pretty sure the injury occured because I began doing a lot of running through Easley - on the sidewalks, etc.  Ryan started running track a few weeks ago, so it was easy for me to take him to track and then run through Easley while I waited on him. Up until then all my running was on the asphalt backroads around my house.  One of the primary causes of stress fractures is changing running surface, and thats what I did - not only that, I was in the training phase where I was increasing the intensity level as well.  I was putting in a lot of weekly miles at that point, and everything together was too much I think.

 

I will say this about deep water running.  Once I am able to begin land running again, I am going to continue to do deep water running at least 1-2 times a week.  Its a great workout and a great way to build some leg strength, as well as strengthen some muscles like hip flexors, glutes, etc.  It hasn't been as boring as I thought it would be.  I put my IPOD in a baggie and put it under a cap to keep the water off of it - that helps pass the time.  Plus, the key to maintaining run fitness is lots of intervals - so that helps pass the time kinda quickly as well.

 

So, anyway,  I will know tomorrow (Monday) what the news is. 

 Eric, i just saw this explanation for the first time and i think that is exactly what's going on with my left foot.  I switched from running on the treadmill all winter to doing long Saturday runs at Publix.  So the increased mileage plus the new surface probably affected my foot.  I was on mile 10 and i was jogging slowly and i felt the sharp pain near the front of my foot.  I stopped almost immediately.  the next day was the day we rode at donaldson center and then i jogged a couple miles and it didn't bother me.  The next day i tried to jog on the treadmill and after 2 miles the sharp pain returned.  So that's when i decided to stop running for a week.  i've been doing some biking and some elliptical, but not running.  I've been taking advil at night, icing it every now and then.  I'm hoping i caught it early enough to avoid any real injury.  I haven't run on it for 6 days now and it feels decent, but I'm concerned that if I run on it too soon I could mess up the progress.  I looked up plantar fasciitis and that seems to cause pain near the heel.  My pain was just to the inside of the ball of my foot, near the base of my 2nd / 3rd metatarsal.  I found a condition on the internet called metatarsalgia that seems to be a possibility:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metatarsalgia/DS00496

Anyone have any experience or advice?  Sorry for the long post!

P.S.  Eric, i've noticed that your pool jazzercise is helping your glutes.  keep it up. 

Haley, please post a picture of the bike you are considering.  When you get it, can I have my picture taken next to it?

Josh, are you saying that you did 10 miles around the parking lot of Publix or did you run a 10 miles route that started and ended there?

 

I haven't had a pain in that particular spot yet, but since I read about yours it will probably happen to me.

 

Sounds like you are doing all you can right now.

He did 10 miles IN the parking lot.  I got him beat though - before Ironman Florida, I had 'pes anserine bursitis' (that even sounds like something an old person gets), anyway, the doc told me I could keep running, but I should avoid hills...sooooo, I did several runs of 18-20 miles on the West End track.  I would start  by 3:30 or 4am so it would be dark the whole time therefore making it less boring - that was my logic anyway.  Its sad what we often resort to, huh?

Josh, not to scare you, but the area you speak of is an excellent spot for a stress fracture and some of the things you say kinda point in that direction...not that I'm a doctor...but I have stayed in a Holiday Inn Express.

You can go to 'letsrun.com' and 'slowtwitch.com' and do a search in their forums of metatarsal stress fracture and get lots of information about symptoms etc that other runners have posted.  Might help you if are experiencing the same symptoms and deciding on whether or not to visit the doc.

By the way, thanks for noticing my tight glutes...water aerobics with the old ladies is definately helping out.