More wondering

My morning has started in the usual way, with just enough pain to make me open the Vicodin bottle. I’m trying to avoid using more than one a day. And last night, just as I got up from my chair to turn out the lights, I had some severe pain. Ouch! But I was able to get to sleep without too much trouble.

And as was lying in bed, I started wondering about the long term effects of pain. I know that I sometimes think that I just need to suck it up. Stop being a wimp. C’mon! How bad is it? Or…maybe it’s not real? Is it imaginary?

Pain. A terribly difficult thing to understand. It doesn’t show up on an x-ray and a thermometer doesn’t indicate its presence. Totally subjective. As is our response to someone else’s pain. I can smile and laugh while in pain. But you don’t know that. So we are tempted to show people that we really are in pain. Grimace! See? We’re not faking!

OK, the prognosis is for more of the same pain and even increasing until…I can get the Radio Frequency Lesioning injection. Then it’s a period of decreasing pain (two weeks?) and finally, hopefully, an absence of pain. For anywhere from 3 months to 3 years. Not the best solution, but it’s apparently the only one available at this time.

With the pain gone, perhaps I can get back to racewalking. Not competitively, just plain old walking fast. For now, I have enough medals and t-shirts to satisfy my ego. Except, I should go ahead and get the tattoos. 5 ‘walking man’ images to represent the 5 marathons I’ve completed. Permanent ego boosters.

Times Up

It’s time to regroup and time to re-think my options. I’ve been to see the neurosurgeon and the news wasn’t all that good. He could fix my current problem and give me some new ones in return. And he doesn’t want to. I’m too young. And possibly too active. Or I could be active if I didn’t hurt all of the time. He was a good doctor and very thorough. But he said that what he would have to do to me (surgically) would ‘put a world of hurt on you.’ And so he is recommending that I pursue the epidural steroid injections for now.

Okay; maybe racewalking is out. Forever. I’ve seen the x-rays and the MRI. It’s not a pretty picture. In fact, I might even try to scan in one of the latest x-rays where it’s all too apparent that the nerves are being pinched. The MRI takes a lot more interpretative skills.

And somehow, with his leading the way, the conversation came around to bicycles and he said that he recommends recumbent bikes for his patients with similar problems. Except, he told me that they all had horror stories of almost being run over by negligent motorists. I can only imagine. Especially as it seems that so many motorists have a problem seeing a normal sized bike and rider.

Of course I like the idea of a bike and a chance to be out and moving. Somewhere. Anywhere. But there are all sorts of logistical problems with one. For instance, where do you put it in your car? On your car? Behind your car? And would I have to change the focus of this blog to cycling?

Bodybuilding

And Racewalking- The Ultimate Aerobic Activity!

True story!

Race Walking

A Record?

Lots of videos...

Jared Tallent

of Australia finishes first in the Men's 20km Walk -

2008 Beijing Blogging

2008 Racewalking

2008

Pictures | NBC Olympics

Yes! My sport...or it was once upon a time.

Focus on Athletes -

Eder Sanchez

Amazing! His 10K personal best of 39 minutes is an alright time for my 5K's...

Impressive

outing for Si Tianfeng in Beijing – IAAF Race Walking Challenge Day 2

Complaints

What kind of day will I have? The pain was moderate to severe as I got up and moved around the house first thing this morning. Now it has settled down to just ‘moderate’ while I sit here in the study. I need to take some more pills as usual. There are times when I think I’m just being a wimp and I only need to be strong and just ignore the pain. How bad can it be? Suck it up! But then I realize that it really does hurt…a lot. And how long will it continue? Will surgery do anything for me? What will I be able to do after surgery? Is there still a marathon in my future? There has to be.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

"a common cause of back problems in adults over 55 years old."

Common? There's nothing common about it when it happens to you. Three weeks to go before I see the neurosurgeon on the 28th.

No Training Today...or tomorrow

My morning has not started as well as I hoped for. The pain was immediate and sharp, even before I rolled out of bed and tried to get on my feet gracefully. (Graceful? Not any more.) It’s now an hour later and the pain has abated somewhat because of the ibuprofen; a double dose. And I suppose the coffee has helped a little bit as well. Must give credit where credit is due. But…attitude adjustment is needed; I’m definitely depressed. As I was waiting in the car at the post office yesterday, I watched an elder exit his car slowly and then hobble into the building, his cane tap, tap, tapping. Is that me? It’s at times like this that the thought of my completing another marathon seems as unlikely as my visiting the moon.

It only hurts when I laugh

I’m sorry that this blog has degenerated into a health issue blog. I’m still hoping for a happy ending to all of this and a return to posting about my latest race and my training progress as I head for my sixth marathon.

But, in the meantime, I wait. And wait some more. I was contacted by the neurosurgeon, Dr. J. Mimbs, and I now have an appointment for a consultation. 5 weeks from now. OK, I give. I used to think that perhaps the scenarios in the movie Sicko were ‘enhanced’ just a little bit to add some flair to the movie. Not.

So it’s back to a steady diet of ibuprofen for me. But, I will also try some bicycle exercise and even some walking during the next 5 weeks. I have to do something, even if it hurts.

All New to Me

Now that I have the news and the morning Projections postings out of the way, I guess I can go back to writing all about me. My favorite subject. Or I could write a story to post on another blog; perhaps my Working blog? But first, all about me. The hip and foot pain returns every day. Gathering in intensity. Some days are better than others, but still the slide is downwards. I have asked for a referral to a neurosurgeon and now I am waiting for that office to call. I had no idea that modern medicine involved so much ‘waiting’. But, then again, I’ve had very little contact with modern medicine. Until now. I don’t think I like it.

I must now talk to a neurosurgeon as I have to explore all of my options. The cortisone injection worked for a week or so and then the slide began. And when I talked to the pain clinic last week, they recommended? two procedures; my choice – cortisone again, good for a week or? Or radiofrequency lesioning. That’s a heating of the nerve to form scar tissue which will block pain signals for up to 3 years. Up to. That’s the kicker. I want it gone forever. I want to do another marathon. Heck, I want to do a simple 5K! And what’s with this giving me all of these options? I want someone to tell me what’s best. I didn’t go to medical school. I’m not qualified to decide what’s best in all cases. And so I wander from doctor to doctor, looking for an answer.

Exercise?

I suppose it would be in order for me report how I am feeling these days after the cortisone injection. Better is the key word. Most of the plantar fasciitis pain is gone and I can say that the hip pain is better. Not gone, but bearable. There is some sharp pain when I first wake and stand up and I have been experiencing that for quite some time; I think it’s an elder thing anyway. The only real pain occurs at the end of the day, especially when I have been enjoying some pool time with the kids and overdo the exercise. I also think that’s to be expected and if I were smart I would just take it easy. For pain, I am still taking ibuprofen and acetaminophen but staying away from the Vicodin for now. I want to save that for the morning of the next scheduled injection. The pain relief drug they injected me with was insufficient for the task last time and I want to be better prepared.

Could it be that I am getting close to getting in some real exercise? I'm afraid to try any real walking; no training! But perhaps if someone helps me get the bicycle down, I could try that?

As Promised

After having that cortisone injection in my back yesterday, I’m feeling a little better this morning. The plantar fasciitis symptoms in my left foot are down to a pain level of 2 where they were at a 6 or 7 up to the time of the injection. That is so good! The right hip pains have moderated as well.

Isn’t that odd that arthritic compression around the nerves in the spinal column can cause pain of two different types and on opposite sides? Am I cured? Not yet. The cortisone was given to try and identify the nerve that was causing the problem. Another visit will be required to actually block the signal from that nerve. Despite the pain from the actual injection, I'm looking forward to it. But that's 2 weeks away at least.

In the meantime, my right hip feels 'fragile', as if I shouldn't strain it. So I will avoid the temptation to see just how far I could walk. There will be a marathon next year. But, to be on the safe side, I really need to get my 5 marathon tattoos done; I'll get the 6th one afterward.

Pain Updates

I’m back from my first trip to the pain clinic. What fun! What pain! (Is this what old age is all about?) Dr. Lal is quite young and obviously fit; he is a rock climber. I envy him. He also has quite a practice; he’s a very busy man. I joined half a dozen others that were being processed through the back room where the treatment table with a fluoroscope is located. Up on the table, a quick IV shot of pain meds; roll over onto your stomach and then a local anesthetic. Wait just a second and then the search for the offending nerve, using a much larger needle. JEEKERS! He found it…twice. Then it’s about 30 minutes before I could walk again. Now that I’m home, I’m waiting for a miracle. I’ve been told that it could take a few weeks. Grrr!

What was the absolute worst part? The fact that they put me into a wheelchair until I recovered enough to walk. I had this vision of myself being in such a chair forever. I didn’t like it. At heart I'm still a marathoner.

Darn it!

I’m still wondering about my future. Will I ever do another marathon? Should I get an opinion from a surgeon? Should I give up the acupuncture and go for pain relief by more traditional methods? Here’s my problem; I’ve defined who I am by what I do. I became an athlete, a racewalker. I did 5 full marathons and dozens of shorter races, ranging from 1 mile to half marathon distances. I trained for ¾ of each year and loved the thought that I was going to be a different kind of elder citizen. An active one that defied the conventional beliefs about elderhood. I wanted to be racing at the age of 90. But now…who am I? I have no identity. I’m just another old guy who’s in a lot of pain and walks slowly.

OK, it’s just a moment or two of pessimism. I will get over it.

What's happening...revised

Update: I now have a very much revised diagnosis for that hip pain and so my marathon plans are changing. After three weeks of physical therapy with only minor improvement, I went back to the doctor and asked for another evaluation. An MRI revealed that I had arthritic deterioration of the lumbar and sacral vertebrae at L4, L5 and S1. All of which was narrowing the channel, the foramen, where the sacral nerve is located. My original thought that the pain was caused by my recent training activity was all wrong. The pain was caused by an activity that happened 40+ years ago, when I was a ‘sheetrocker’. All of those 4’x12’ sheets of drywall that I used to lift have come back to haunt me.

I can’t undo the past. Apparently, I’m stuck with just a few options; surgery or pain management. For the moment, I’ve decided that pain management is the route I want to take while I explore the surgery options. Apparently, there are all sorts of surgical methods to fix this. (Radiculopathy) But it’s hard to think clearly about them when you’re in pain. In the meantime, while I wait for an appointment with the pain doctor, I’m taking acetaminophen and Vicodin, neither one of which does much for the pain.

Back to the subject of marathons; this year’s marathon is not going to happen for me. I’m sad about it, but I’m trying hard to visualize myself in Portland next year. It can happen.

Here's what's happening...

OK, I have been to the doctor and he agrees with my self diagnosis; I have Piriformis Syndrome. Now I have to see the physical therapist and I'm hoping that will be soon. Very soon. I went directly from the doctors office to the therapists and got the papers to fill out. Now I have to wait for a phone call this morning. I can't begin to tell you how much this hurts and how badly I want to be rid of it!

It's all very frustrating, but if I can obtain a fairly rapid 'cure', I'm still on for the Portland Marathon. It's been just a little over two weeks since I gave up training and if I can get back onto the path in a another two weeks, I think I will be good to go for a late September marathon.

The good news from the doctor was the fact that I had lowered my cholesterol levels dramatically. Exercise and oatmeal. It's the "Secret".

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Oh, no!

I’m going to be out and walking again this morning. I’m on a roll now and I have a new spreadsheet to help me keep track of my progress. I wish I didn’t need to be motivated by Excel; it would be great if it just came naturally. If I would wake up in the morning and really want to get out in the cold and do 10 miles! But… that doesn’t happen; I actually limp; moaning and groaning, feeling the pain and hoping that it’s raining too hard to go out. Or too foggy. Or too sunny.

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Now that's fast!

I have finished a good 5.75 mile practice session in the park and I did it in 78 minutes; a 13.56 minute/mile average. Not the fastest, but certainly good enough for early training. And I did it without a lot of the pain that I’ve been experiencing lately. I have self diagnosed the problem as piriformis syndrome. “Some physicians believe that piriformis syndrome is the name given to hip/buttock pain that cannot be otherwise diagnosed.” Well, that’s sufficiently vague! And it sounds like I need a second or third opinion.

My problem with these kinds of sports injuries is the fact that most doctors (And physical therapists) have little or no knowledge of the dynamics of racewalking. It’s not running. And it’s not walking.

I did find a good racewalking site for exercise and stretching instruction and stretching is something that I usually skip, I better not. Also on the site are the results of the Olympic trials last month. That’s a 50K race and the winner did it in 4 hours and 13 minutes. Equivalent miles; 50K = 31.06856 miles. Or 8.14 minute/miles for the entire 31 miles!

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Train!

My plans for the day include the usual walk/run in the park. I must keep training if I want to be able to do the Portland marathon once again. But I am not going to be as rigid as I once was about the ‘racewalking only’ training. Right now, the mix of walking and running is working for me and I’ll take whatever successes I can. It all adds up to more endurance and better health.

But after this marathon; what then? Right now I’m used to the fact that I will be doing the race by myself and it’s simply the goal of doing 6 marathons in my life that keeps me at it. Maybe I shouldn’t worry about it and just see what happens.

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No Utterz

Not today... Oh, I did go walking and got in 4 miles. All for the good, of course. But, it wasn't the fastest and I even 'walked' for a portion of the time. I'm still dealing with aches and pains so it made sense to take it easy this morning. I do have a fairly long training time for this next marathon; perhaps I should look up the actual date for the Portland marathon? I'd hate to miss it!

I'm really looking forward to the spring and summer months of training as that is where I will be able to shed some weight. And although I won't share my current weight...I can tell you that my BP and pulse are back in the 'Good' range.

129/64 59

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A Smart Move

I decided to go ahead and race this morning and I was at the registration table early. I paid my money and got a shirt and a number; then it was back to the car to put the shirt away for another day. OK, I’m ready and have about 45 minutes to burn before the start.

I noted that there seemed to be less of a crowd than in years past and I suppose the threat of a storm has kept the fair weather racers away and that was fine with me.

After doing lots of stretches and sprints to warm up, I was ready for the race to begin, but as usual, it was about 10 minutes after 9 before the pistol was fired. And this time I kept my focus on me and not on the others surrounding me as we left the schoolyard and headed onto the course. I was racing for myself and not competing against anyone. Good move, as pretty soon I was all by myself. Runners ahead of me and slow walkers behind.

Although I brought my GPS unit with me, I didn’t bother looking at it, preferring to enjoy the rhythm of my own race. And pretty soon I was past the half way mark and heading home. It was about then that I felt I might be slowing some, so I decided to move the pace up a little. It’s really hard to estimate your performance when you’re all by yourself.

Finally I saw the entrance to the school parking lot and so I gave it a little boost and walked across the finish line in an estimated 39:44. I was fairly certain that I was the first walker across, but who knows? There might have been someone I missed seeing.

After a bottle of water and a banana, I sat down in the auditorium to await the official results and was quite happy to find out that they would announce the walking events first. Sure enough, I was winner (for the third year in a row) and added a medal and plaque to my stash. And while they were handing me the goodies, I tried to read the official time on the clipboard and it looked like 39:33, which would be even better. The paper will have the official results tomorrow. Either way, it was under 13 minute miles and I like that!

Let's see...last year's time was...37:20 and the year before that was 37:49. Ya know, if I had had some competition today, I would have done as well or better than last year...I know it!

Almond Blossom

I haven't seen the weather forecast yet, but I'm still planning on racing in the Durham Almond Blossom 5K this morning. I've been debating daily, and with this decision to go, I have either won or lost the debate...the results will tell me.

My hip wasn't bothering me as much as usual last night, so I'm optimistic about the day. And my granddaughter Meghan will be there to run. OK! And who knows, I may surprise myself with a decent time.

(The weather? Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain in the morning...then rain in the afternoon. Highs 48 to 53. Southeast winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts increasing to 40 to 50 mph by late in the afternoon.)

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No walking today

Life interferes with fitness every once in awhile. So I have to take the day off and do some shopping, plus a few other chores. But, I will be out in the park on Saturday AM to make up for the loss of Thursday.

Should I check my blood pressure? 133/76 Pulse is 52. Weight? Still a secret.

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Memories

I must get out and get some more exercise this morning. I must not let my mind overrule my good intentions. My Clip is charged and loaded with music, so I won’t be bored while training. And the pain is going away quickly. A few more weeks and I will be pain free. I just wish I wouldn’t let myself get into this shape. And then have to start all over again, as I am. But, thank goodness for muscle memory. It helps a lot!

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Off and Walking

Oh! That hurts! Getting around the Bidwell Park course wasn't so easy on the second day of my renewed exercise regimen. I got in a 5K walk at a fairly slow pace; maybe 14.25 minute miles? But...I was walking and that's the good part.

The park looked pretty good, considering the number of trees that were damaged by the January storms. And the creek was full and roaring!

Yes, I will be back again today. I've taken my ibuprofen and I'm ready for another 3 or 4 miles.

Walk and run

No, I haven't forgotten to train. I'm just lax in posting the results here.

I was out for a 3 mile walk on Tuesday, but forgot my GPS unit, so I just went fast and called it good. Then I took Wednesday off to get some chores done. I went out for 4 miles this morning and although I was keeping track for about 3/4 of the way, I decided to take the softer dirt route and ran across a PAR course. OK, so I stopped and used some of the equipment and got in a little bit of upper body exercise. I would exercise and then run to the next station. I may make this a regular walk/run/exercise for a few days a week.

And the reason I took the dirt path was because I had seen Lin Jensen (Chico's other racewalker) running on it just ahead of me. Running? I didn't know Lin ran at all...

Don't know why

I seem to have forgotten to post here recently. I haven't stopped walking... in fact I did a good 2 miler yesterday; getting in the two miles in 25:40 minutes. That's 12:50 minute miles and pretty good for me. And despite my 'inner voice' saying, 'It's cold. Wouldn't you rather do something else?' I am going out for another practice this morning. Really!

Feeling Fine

Very good! I thought I would take it easy this morning and when I started off I found it easier than usual to get get right past that 'why am I doing this?' stage and within a few minutes, I was actually enjoying myself. I took a look at the GPS unit and I was clocking 4.7 mph and that's fairly fast. I did the first 1.5 miles in 20 minutes, giving me 13.33 minute/miles. The final 3 miles (total) was done in 41 minutes, or 13.66 minute miles. And I felt fine!

The weight still isn't mentionable...but it's coming off.

6 hours later...BP138/68 Pulse 67

Briefly

I haven’t mentioned the past few days in the park. I better get it on record before I forget. Monday, I was ready and able for a faster walk and I was hoping for something in the 12.5 minute/mile range. So I went out and did my best? This ended up being a 13.10 minute/mile average for 2 miles. Disappointing, yes, but still in the ballpark of reasonable times. Yesterday was a rainy day, but not so bad that I couldn’t go walking. It was still warm, in the low 50’s and so the little bit of rain was not noticed. I did a 3.29 mile walk in 43.40 minutes. A 13.22 average. Not any improvement at all. But I can take some comfort in the fact that I did the first half in 21 minutes. Now that’s an average of 12.4 minute miles.

Yes, I'm going out again this morning...

Photo Op

A very nice day in the park. Although it was cold, maybe 28°, I was dressed for it and I really wasn’t going to go very fast this morning. The goal was simply to get in some miles. I even brought Laurae’s camera so that I could take a photo if the opportunity came along.

After a mile or two I settled into a pace that was close to 14.5 minutes per miles, a good one for cardio. And I took pictures.

After about 5 miles, I could feel some pain in both my right knee and the left heel; my trouble spots. So I slowed down and walked back in, 6.3 miles total and I maintained an average of 15 minutes per miles, including the Kodak moments.

And the BP was good this morning! I took it twice to be certain. 102/63 with a pulse of 63

3.29

Not the fastest 3.29 miles. I feel like I'm in a rut. I did it in 45 minutes, or 13.68 minutes/mile.

I will admit that I felt fine going out and my race walking style was quite smooth. Just like it's supposed to be. But the speed isn't there and it's frustrating. But, hey! It's all about cardio...right?


BP 133/57 Pulse 68

A little bit better

Another successful day in the park. I decided to see if I could get in a fast two miles and I set out with that as a goal. No, it wasn’t the fastest; not in that fierce wind, but it was faster than yesterday. I ended up with a 13.06 minute/mile average for the two miles. I still have the cough and the persistent pain in my right knee and my left heel. (That's my excuse and sticking with it!) Though they seem to go away while I’m actually exercising and only return after I’ve been sitting for awhile.

BP is 130/61 Pulse is 58

Not Yet

I’m back from a good walk, a fast walk. Since the sun was out and the temperatures weren’t too bad, I tried for a better time than yesterday. But first… I should tell you that I’m not to be trusted. Before I even left the house, I was making excuses; ‘Well, I walked pretty fast yesterday, maybe fast enough that I could stay home today and get some stuff done around here.’ No. Stop that! And get in the car right now! I did.

The first mile went by at a 13.5 minute/mile pace and I finished up at the 2 mile marker with a 27.5 time for the first half. I decided to see if I could get my body moving on the way back and did some 100 yard jogs every now and then. I ended up with a 24.5 minute time for the second half. That’s 12.25 minute/miles and it felt pretty good. 4.68 miles total

At the finish line I was greeted by the famed sportscaster, Otto G. Grimley who was eager to interview me.

Otto: Welcome, sports fans to the 382^nd running of the S.W. Dunn 6 point Something K Invitational Race. Here with us is S.W. himself. How are you feeling Steve?

S.W.: Oh. Wow…Hi, Otto. Well, (hack, hack,) I guess I’m OK. Now. Like, how’d I do?

Otto: Well, Steve, according to our official timers, it looks like an average of 13.25 minute/miles for the 4.68 miles. That’s far off your best time of 11.13 recorded during the 123^rd running of this classic race. What was giving you a problem today, Steve?

S.W.: Oh, man! It was like, well it was…ya know? It was like I had this real bad pain in my right knee and then (hack, hack) like I have this bad cough. Ya know? And you knew about my left heel, right?

Otto: Well, it certainly looked like you were struggling out there today, Steve. Tell us, will you be ready for the 383^rd running of this fabulous race, which is scheduled for this coming Thursday?

S.W.: Man. I don’t know…(hack, hack) I was like really suffering today. But, ya know, I’ll be like giving it my best shot on Thursday. Say…is that a camera?

Otto: Yes, that’s our television cameras.

S.W.: Cool! Hi honey! (waves)

BP 124/64 Pulse57

I'm not putting the weight in here till it drops below 210