Time to kick some booty!!!

Race day came, I was so nervous. I didnt want to hurt myself worse, I didnt want to run like crap and most of all, I didnt want to mess with my head anymore then this injury already had. But, I did it... I raced. For my team. Got on that start line, and really raced. I ran smart and went out conservative, started moving up (which was a complete surprise to me)... As I was picking people off, I stated to regain a sense of ownership over my ability to compete. My coach said that I ran the whole race with this shoked look on my face... I guess thats the only word I can use to describe my feelings is shock.. udder shock. Its been so long since I put on a team uniform and ran for others. It felt so good to get out there and know that I had a whole team there racing with me. I ran for them, they deserved to get recognition for their hard work this season.

Well, the end result of my race was a suprising second place finish on my team and 18th over all in the conference. I ran about a minute off my PR and was uderly shocked. I realized that I am an athlete with potential, that I can run smart and that coaching really helped me as a runner...  I ran a time that I was trying to beat all through my experience at Lane, without training.... I am out of shape. Maybe not as out of shape as I thought, but no where near where I could be. Its really a great feeling to know that I helped my team, we placed 4th and I am so proud of all the girls who poured their guts out on that course.

Great job Argos! These girls are tough.Many of them PR'd or were seconds away; they ran stellar races with one goal in mind.. RUN FOR EACHOTHER. It was a good day. I am so proud to be an Argo.

So far, ive done two easy runs and a fartlik.. one was painless, but the other two hurt in funny ways. In my fartlik, the easy hurt way worse then the hard and on my easy runs, I was fine until I ran a hill, after the hill.... I started to tighten up again. Its just a tight feeling right now, not a stabbing pain. So, I guess thats an improvment. The trainer gives me stem and ultrasound and heat before I run and then ice massage after. Im doing everything I can.... I just have to suck it up at this point.

This isnt my first experience with a wierd injury. Sophemore year at Lane CC, I had to run at conference also, "just for points" with an injury that put me out for two months following that endevour. So, I guess Im preparing myself for about three weeks of pain here until I run my first colege XC race in about two years. I think I can do it, I know I can race.. I swore I would never do this to myself again, but I have to and I can. Coach and I talked today and yep, here I go again!

Its just pain, I can deal with pain... Hopefull they are right about this one.. Hopefully I dont come out the other side a cripple. Im trusting them here.. Its just pain.. I can deal with pain. Time to get positive, trust my coaches and prepare for a race. Oh man I love to race!!!!

Its an amazing thing injury. It has a way of just sending a person into a disheartened coma. Well, about a month ago... I stared feeling a pain in my butt, not uncommon for me or many other runners. Its always been there, sometimes it flares up, I thought nothing of it and kept running. About a week into my genious plan, I started to feel a numb sensation in my right leg (conveinently during a mile repeat workout) and got a bit worried. I thought to myself, well... If I cant feel it, then Im not gonna worry about it. Boy was I wrong! The numbness spread down my leg into my calf and my lower back began to spasm more with every run. I had all of these thoughts running through my head, "what was my family going to say if I cant run", "Is my coach going to be dissapointed in me", "I came all the way over to this freaking place and now I cant run!", "Am I a weenie, should I just try?", "what would Ross tell me to do?".. with all these thoughts , I knew I couldnt just drug myself, I had over drugged myself before and wasnt about to get back into that pattern, so I decided not to drug myself and run through the pain for another workout... WRONG CHOICE! My next step was the Chiropractor, he adjusted my SI and I had some temporary releif, so my coach had my 'tempo' the race, BAD IDEA! I finished it, but hit the deck as soon as I crossed the line, hid behind a bush and cried. Yep, I cried. At that point, I knew I had to take some time off, cross train and give myself a chance to muster up a season out of this.

So, for three weeks, I did that. I cross trained my butt off! Did a bunch of new stablizing exercises, 20 min of abs and back each day, lifted and made some progress. Those three painless weeks were great and for the first time, I felt like I was getting fit cross training. I'd never worked so hard alone. So, I started back slow, ran a couple easy runs and felt good. Planned on on continueing that pattern. Then, coach decided to put me in a "modified workout", 2000m time trial and 1x1 mile, 1x 800m. I was supposed to try for two x one mile after the trial. But after my first mile repeat, I was in AGONY again. My back was spasming and pain was shooting up my back and down the back of my leg.. But, I sucked it up... there was no coach around to see me cry, so I composed my blubbering self.. Got on the line, thinking they saw me running, if they thought I shouldnt do it, they'll say something.. After the first five steps, I was down. Coach yelled back to sit this one out.. So I did that, with tears streaming down my face, not due to the pain, but I just knew I was in for a long journey back to full strength. My next intervul was supposed to be a mile, but I only ran 800 meters. 8oo meters of HELL! After that intervul, I couldnt even cool down back to school. I was so disheartened, so sad, so pissed off.

That was last wednesday... I saw the trainer and he is worried about my Gate, my pelvis is rotated a little more on my right side,and I have virtually no flexibility in my Piriformous and glutes... the doctor has ordered xrays and thinks I may have a herniated disk. I saw the Physical Therapist yesterday, he said that my SI joint is out and did some energy work on it and my glutes. I feel really sore today and have orders to cross train only! My mind keeps racing back to one comment made by coach.."We need you for conference".  I know that I need to be careful, but I only have one more cross season after this, one. This was my chance to shine and this dick of a monkey has jumped on me and wont let up! I'd be up for any advice you runnerspacers have...

Before you read on and decide that the following is either gospel or garbage, let me suggest that it's neither. I'm addressing a medical issue, but I'm just a high school track coach with degrees in English and Physical Education. I have no medical training, but I have watched enough athletes fade mysteriously from super-fitness to super-misery that I started researching the possible causes.

More than anything else my questions led to the same answer: Iron. Too often we've attributed declining performances among high school athletes (especially girls) to structural changes relating to puberty or injuries resulting from overtraining. It's my belief-and I'm not alone here-that a great many of those cases are caused directly from iron depletion and could be remedied with proper nutrition and supplementation. ................

For the full story visit:

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/hs/coachscorner/20051215.html