Geoff: Nice race yesterday. 32:05 has got to be a PR, no?
It's nice to see that Bill Borla is still running 6:44 miles at the age of 71. Wow.
Wish I could have been there healthy this year. Maybe next.
8.15.2011
8.14.2011
Wishing the rain would stop
I was hoping to do another long ride today, but the rain has killed those plans.
Yesterday, I biked into New Haven--it's about a 15-mile ride--and stopped off at the farmer's market in Wooster Square for some apples and a sunflower. The sunflower was for a colleague's 9-year old daughter, who is in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy. Unfortunately, the sunflower died in my backpack and never made it to the poor girl.
Later in the day, Jessica and I bounced around the local trails. I did a bit of running, which felt pretty good. After dinner, we walked down to the beach and reminisced about the good training we did last winter.
Tomorrow, I am hoping to hear from Dr. Boyer about my MRI. If it looks ok to him, then I think I will start prolotherapy soon. Boyer recommends 3 prolotherapy sessions, once every three weeks. Insurance doesn't pay, so I'll be looking at a $600 bill. At this point, whatever.
I can always count on good music like this to pick me up. We're looking forward to seeing these guys at Mountain Park in Holyoke, Mass. on Sept. 25th.
Yesterday, I biked into New Haven--it's about a 15-mile ride--and stopped off at the farmer's market in Wooster Square for some apples and a sunflower. The sunflower was for a colleague's 9-year old daughter, who is in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy. Unfortunately, the sunflower died in my backpack and never made it to the poor girl.
Later in the day, Jessica and I bounced around the local trails. I did a bit of running, which felt pretty good. After dinner, we walked down to the beach and reminisced about the good training we did last winter.
Tomorrow, I am hoping to hear from Dr. Boyer about my MRI. If it looks ok to him, then I think I will start prolotherapy soon. Boyer recommends 3 prolotherapy sessions, once every three weeks. Insurance doesn't pay, so I'll be looking at a $600 bill. At this point, whatever.
I can always count on good music like this to pick me up. We're looking forward to seeing these guys at Mountain Park in Holyoke, Mass. on Sept. 25th.
8.10.2011
Did I Mention that I'm Pumped to Have Finally Learned of the Injury to my Right Leg?
4 othopedist visits (2 different doctors at 2 different clinics), 1 MRI, 5 PT visits, 11 chiropractor visits, 1 osteopath visit and thousands of $$$ later, I finally know what is causing the pain in my right knee. It's my meniscus and/or the little coronary ligaments that attach the meniscus to the leg. I'm amped.
However, I was stunned to learn that my hamstring tendons look perfect on ultrasound (no inflammation/fluid, scarring...no tendinosis!). Everyone was tellling me, hamstring, hamstring, hamstring. It's hamstring tendinitis. It's hamstring tendinosis. It takes 100 years to heal. Blah blah blah. But you can't challenge a stubborn, arrogant doctor.
All along, I have been saying that I had a gut feeling that it wasn't hamstring related (cite: Rant).
However, I was stunned to learn that my hamstring tendons look perfect on ultrasound (no inflammation/fluid, scarring...no tendinosis!). Everyone was tellling me, hamstring, hamstring, hamstring. It's hamstring tendinitis. It's hamstring tendinosis. It takes 100 years to heal. Blah blah blah. But you can't challenge a stubborn, arrogant doctor.
All along, I have been saying that I had a gut feeling that it wasn't hamstring related (cite: Rant).
It Never Ends
I had a visit with Dr. Boyer this morning. He checked me out and then wheeled in the ultrasound machine. On ultrasound, my hamstring tendons looked perfect (i.e., no tendinosis), but I might have a medial mensicus tear and/or tearing of the coronary ligaments that attach the mensicus to the leg. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my MRI, so now I've gotta have it mailed to him. Depending on what he sees on the MRI, I have three options: 1) prolotherapy on coronary ligaments; 2) PT to strengthen up joint; or 3) get another MRI. If the therapy doesn't work and a second MRI is negative, then I'll have to get the knee scoped. But what I really hope happens is that my knee/leg contines to get better or that they'll just scope my knee and fix the tear. I don't want to do anymore therapy.
I ran for 20 consecutive minutes last night in the pouring rain. I had some very minor pain/achiness to start and then it subsided. I guess it still feels off, too. At least the cycling isn't too painful.
I ran for 20 consecutive minutes last night in the pouring rain. I had some very minor pain/achiness to start and then it subsided. I guess it still feels off, too. At least the cycling isn't too painful.
7.29.2011
PRP Injection
When I see the folks at Valley, this is an option, depending on what they see on ultrasound:
I don't yet know how I feel about this particular therapy, because it hasn't been explained to me in any kind of detail, but I'd be willing to give it a shot if it doesn't break the bank and heals the tendinosis.
I don't yet know how I feel about this particular therapy, because it hasn't been explained to me in any kind of detail, but I'd be willing to give it a shot if it doesn't break the bank and heals the tendinosis.
7.28.2011
The six-month mark of my injury is just around the corner, and I don't know that I'm any better for any of the various therapies that I've undergone since May 25th. Perhaps I've been kidding myself through recent posts about progress (and thanks for reading and understanding the ups and downs). No doubt, I've been encouraged off and on, but overall, I feel that I'm not even close to being healed.
I've logged thousands of miles over the course of the past decade and never have I been so frustrated with my running. This is even more frustrating than when I was trying to get to the bottom of the injury to my left foot from Spring 2005 to Fall 2007. At least, then, I could run some appreciable amount. Now, I can't do much of anything. I feel like a 70-year old man. When I'm out "running" for only a few minutes at a time, it feels so foreign, like I'm learning how to do it all over again. Something's just not right.
I've been seeing Gene Zeitler, a chiropractor out of Newtown, since June 13th. He has referred me to Paul Tortland, an osteopathic physician, out of Avon. Unfortunately, he is booked until October, so I will be seeing one of his colleagues on August 10th. It's my understanding that he will use diagnostic ultrasound to get a better idea of what's going on with my leg. And it's also my understanding that he may recommend and perform Prolotherapy, which is some kind of injection to promote healing of tendons and ligaments. Zeitler has told me, though, that Prolotherapy sessions run about $800 a pop, so that's out if my medical insurance doesn't cover it.
I've logged thousands of miles over the course of the past decade and never have I been so frustrated with my running. This is even more frustrating than when I was trying to get to the bottom of the injury to my left foot from Spring 2005 to Fall 2007. At least, then, I could run some appreciable amount. Now, I can't do much of anything. I feel like a 70-year old man. When I'm out "running" for only a few minutes at a time, it feels so foreign, like I'm learning how to do it all over again. Something's just not right.
I've been seeing Gene Zeitler, a chiropractor out of Newtown, since June 13th. He has referred me to Paul Tortland, an osteopathic physician, out of Avon. Unfortunately, he is booked until October, so I will be seeing one of his colleagues on August 10th. It's my understanding that he will use diagnostic ultrasound to get a better idea of what's going on with my leg. And it's also my understanding that he may recommend and perform Prolotherapy, which is some kind of injection to promote healing of tendons and ligaments. Zeitler has told me, though, that Prolotherapy sessions run about $800 a pop, so that's out if my medical insurance doesn't cover it.
7.25.2011
Chiro Decides to Change Approach After Watching Me Run in Parking Lot
The chiro decided to move away from the leg/knee and focus on my right hip, which, according to him, is not firing AT ALL and likely the cause of my leg injury. He was able to conclude this by watching me run and seeing that my right knee rotates inward excessively. This is a tell-tale sign of a weak hip.
He first had me run in shoes and then barefoot in the parking lot of the office. He didn't hold anything back when analyzing my stride. His criticisms were as follows: 1) my stride length is pathetic (but that if I work on it, I could be a lot faster); 2) my stride is too tense (i.e., I need to relax); 3) my stride looks like that of a marching soldier. He talked about the importance of running drills like high knees, etc., to get the heels kicking up to the butt.
He said that I need to strengthen my right hip by doing lunges and hopping on one foot while keeping the hips aligned. The only way to know whether the hips are aligned while doing these exercises, though, is to do them sans shirt in front of a full-length mirror. I guess this means that I need to invest in a full-length mirror. He also said that, eventually, he wants me to do a lot more multi-directional excercises, like running trails, to develop the hips (that whole group of muscles). I guess my days of running on cambered pavement are just about over, with which I'm fine. It just makes the mountains of Bozeman that much more appealing.
He first had me run in shoes and then barefoot in the parking lot of the office. He didn't hold anything back when analyzing my stride. His criticisms were as follows: 1) my stride length is pathetic (but that if I work on it, I could be a lot faster); 2) my stride is too tense (i.e., I need to relax); 3) my stride looks like that of a marching soldier. He talked about the importance of running drills like high knees, etc., to get the heels kicking up to the butt.
He said that I need to strengthen my right hip by doing lunges and hopping on one foot while keeping the hips aligned. The only way to know whether the hips are aligned while doing these exercises, though, is to do them sans shirt in front of a full-length mirror. I guess this means that I need to invest in a full-length mirror. He also said that, eventually, he wants me to do a lot more multi-directional excercises, like running trails, to develop the hips (that whole group of muscles). I guess my days of running on cambered pavement are just about over, with which I'm fine. It just makes the mountains of Bozeman that much more appealing.
7.20.2011
Back in Connecticut After a Week in the Mountains of Montana (and Wyoming)
I have nothing meaningful to report other than that I'm still injured and now seemingly puttering around Stony Creek and Guilford Town Green for a pathetic 6 minutes at a time. I don't know that I'd go as far as to call this progress, but it is nice to be moving on my two feet with purpose again.
Also, we're back from Montana, where we spent a week in various locations (Missoula, Bozeman, and Cooke City). We ventured into various National Parks and Forests (the Forests are so much nicer than the Parks, in my opinion) and took 3,762 pictures (i.e., a lot but likely not that many), all of which can be seen on Facebook. It'd be well worth your time to take a peak.
Highlights of trip:
1. Being in bear country (knowing that Grizzlies are lurking out there somewhere is pretty thrilling); the folks of Cooke City (pop. 133) were rather alarmist about the Grizzlies (perhaps because of the recent Grizzly-related deaths so close to home...)
2. Bozeman
3. Several mile and vertical feet hike (pain-free) in Gallatin National Forest; iced in the creek at the top
4. Swimming the crystal clear waters from the pebble beaches of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park
5. Beartooth Pass
6. Yellowstone National Park (not really a highlight, but feel need to mention; not at all what it's cracked up to be; touristy); lots of Buffalo, Mule Deer, Black Bears, etc.; not too exciting
Also, we're back from Montana, where we spent a week in various locations (Missoula, Bozeman, and Cooke City). We ventured into various National Parks and Forests (the Forests are so much nicer than the Parks, in my opinion) and took 3,762 pictures (i.e., a lot but likely not that many), all of which can be seen on Facebook. It'd be well worth your time to take a peak.
Highlights of trip:
1. Being in bear country (knowing that Grizzlies are lurking out there somewhere is pretty thrilling); the folks of Cooke City (pop. 133) were rather alarmist about the Grizzlies (perhaps because of the recent Grizzly-related deaths so close to home...)
2. Bozeman
3. Several mile and vertical feet hike (pain-free) in Gallatin National Forest; iced in the creek at the top
4. Swimming the crystal clear waters from the pebble beaches of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park
5. Beartooth Pass
6. Yellowstone National Park (not really a highlight, but feel need to mention; not at all what it's cracked up to be; touristy); lots of Buffalo, Mule Deer, Black Bears, etc.; not too exciting
7.06.2011
Update on injury
Zeitler cleared me to start doing some running again (well, walk-running for 10 minutes at a time) after I reported to him today that over the past 4 or 5 days I've been feeling some improvement in my injury. It took 6 visits over about 3 weeks for the treatments to start bearing fruit (today was my 7th visit). I guess that's pretty good considering that it takes 8 to 16 weeks to turnover the damaged tissue and, in worst case scenarios, 8 to 16 MONTHS to return back to running from tendinosis. He also has emphasized that, in some cases, tendinosis is career-ending...especially of the high hamstring (which I don't have). However, I'm not worried that this might be the case here, though. Anyway, all of this makes me pretty happy and hopeful that I'll be back in action in relatively short order. In the meantime, I'll continue to bike, water run, etc.
6.22.2011
-Riding the Wind-: Geoff Roes Video
-Riding the Wind-: Geoff Roes Video: "Joel Wolpert has produced another video clip on a top ultrarunner--this time Geoff Roes --that does a fantastic job of portraying the subje..."
6.14.2011
ART
I saw a fellow by the name of Gene Zeitler yesterday. He's out of Newtown, so it's quite a hike, but I think he's the one that's going to fix my leg. When I arrived at his offices, I knew I was in the right place as it was crawling with Lance Armstrong lookalikes. The guy works on athletes. Period.
After he took a thorough history and thoroughly examined me, he said that I have tendinosis of the semimembranosus tendon, right where it attaches at the head of the tibia. He used some Active Release Techniques (ART) on me yesterday. He will incorporate more and other therapies at future visits.
Tendinosis is a condition of a tendon that didn't heal properly. This is why it's chronic and degenerative. The body thinks that the tendon is healed. My very basic understanding is that the aim of the therapies that I will be receiving is to re-injure/-damage the tendon so that it can heal properly.
Check out his site here: http://web.me.com/gzeitler/Site_2/Home.html
After he took a thorough history and thoroughly examined me, he said that I have tendinosis of the semimembranosus tendon, right where it attaches at the head of the tibia. He used some Active Release Techniques (ART) on me yesterday. He will incorporate more and other therapies at future visits.
Tendinosis is a condition of a tendon that didn't heal properly. This is why it's chronic and degenerative. The body thinks that the tendon is healed. My very basic understanding is that the aim of the therapies that I will be receiving is to re-injure/-damage the tendon so that it can heal properly.
Check out his site here: http://web.me.com/gzeitler/Site_2/Home.html
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