So it turns out I'm injured

I haven't written since I last said I was dreading the 18-miler two Saturdays ago.  Well, I made it through but for the last half of the run (9 miles if you don't feel like doing the math), the backs of my legs, especially the left one, were killing me.  Every time we had to stop at a traffic light or got to a water stop, I would try and stretch them out and they'd be fine for a couple of minutes but then they'd tighten up again.  At one point I thought I'd have to drop out but thankfully, I was able to gut it out.  However, afterwards I could barely walk. 

Fortunately, there were some people there from LIddy Health Works (they are in West Hollywood and they are fantastic) and they worked with me and showed me some new stretches to do and recommended that I come in for an appointment to stretch out my incredibly stiff hamstrings. 

I went in and Gino worked with me and he couldn't believe how tight my legs were.  Basically he said if I kept running like that, it was a disaster waiting to happen.  The good thing was my knees and the surrounding ligaments and cartilage were in great shape structurally  but the tightness in my legs had to be addressed.  We worked on some stretches and I made an appointment to come back again.

I stretched a lot during the week and did the 10-miler this past Saturday.  Everything went well until the last mile when my left leg stiffened up again.  I had to stop twice and stretch it out in order to finish the run.  I went back to Gino on Monday and it turns out that in addition to being incredibly tight, I also had a pulled hamstring.  Fortunately, as running injuries go, a pulled hamstring is just about the best case scenario.  He did some electronic stimulation on my leg and then treated it with ultrasound and man, what a difference!  He said I probably wouldn't notice the difference that day but in the morning I'd feel so much better.  Well, I felt the difference immediately.  He also stressed how much I needed to stretch every day (which I have been doing religiously).  I took the next morning off from running (he told me not to run until I woke up without any pain) but this morning I went out for what I thought would be a nice slow 3-mile run and ending up knocking almost two minutes off my best time.  I stretched before and after the run.  I did stiffen up a little after the run but stretched it out and it feels so much better.  I'm going back on Friday for another treatment just to be on the safe side before doing another 10-mile run this Saturday.

I am so relieved because I really was getting worried that I wasn't going to be able to finish this journey.  So thank you Liddy Healthworks for taking such good care of me.  And they're all Italians from back east (bonus!) so they're really cool people to be around.  Plus, a pulled hamstring - it almost makes me sound like an athlete.

One other note:  during the 18-mile run we had a musical theatre contest between all the pace groups to keep our minds occupied during the run.  I am happy to announce that our group tied for first.  Most people don't know this about me but I am a huge muscial theatre queen.  I got some seriously odd looks from the people in my pace group with all the answers I was busting out.  I think that's what really got me through the run.  God I wish I could sing.

Anyway, here's a picture at the finish line of the 10-miler.

This Saturday we're not having a group run so I'm going to be doing 10-miles on my own.  Then next week, it's 20 miles.  God help us.

As always, please visit my AIDS Marathon Home Page and donate if you haven't already.  I'm up to $7,546.19 so thank you for the incredible support.

Till next time.

Bart