Bulletproof or Bulletridden?

After my 11 week shin injury Coach and I agreed I would come back stronger and with a solid foundation. "bulletproof" as he put it.  Since Easter and my discovery of Ready to Run  I have been diligent ( as in missing 1 day since 3/30) in doing my 18-22 minute routine of mobility.  

The other part was getting strong- but this did not work out so well.  With 18-22 hours of training a week I + working both jobs I am wiped out, looking for naps and sore.  Since I have not been consistently in the weight room the intermittent times I go I end up more sore, tired and frustrated.   So I focused on mobility and core along with swim.bike run.

And it WAS working. yes WAS.  Minor set back after Vineman with a bruised forefoot (form .4 miles barefoot run on concrete) Caused some pain, few days off, compromised running but nothing major.

I was in the 4th position here when it went dark

2 week ago, getting ready for a 16 mile run, doing my "Ready to Run" mobility that includes a bit of yoga I fell.  It was  6am, 5 hours of restless sleep on a hot futon at a family rented beachouse in Oceanside, low on calories and probably dehydrated form the 7 hours of training the day before.  Tadsana (mountain pose with baby back bend) Awesome right?  Often when I do this I get a bit starry eyed and well on that day the starts turned to cool fireworks and next thing I know I am on the floor looking up.   My mother nearly passed out and came running over  asking what I was doing.  Well, not really sure I was trying to make sense of where I was and what happened.  All "good"  or so I thought,

Iced head- big lump but all in all I felt okay.  Well enough to knock out a 16 mile run. No signs of concussion just a headache and a really sore sacrum.  No bones hurt just the entire region.  It was manageable and I had another 1.5 weeks of solid training with minor issues and some pain - but tolerable.

Head pain gone in 72 hours.  The lower back/sacrum area was still tender- no place to touch just the region but seemed to be getting better until last Tue.

I had a long run on the books Wed and I was tired.  Coach and I  agreed on split run   90 min in AM and re- assess a possible pm run. Run was rough to start with some pain and tingling in my piriformis/sciatica but loosed up, went away and I felt pretty good. But  within minutes of finishing the run my piroformis/sciatica seized up and it was painful, really painful.    Triage begins... ART, epsom salt bath, rolling, chirtopractor, rolling, Dr Google -  "What is wrong with me" .

this is what my left side feels like 

Went to my regular Dr (vs all the out of pocket non insurance help) injuries are painful financially and physically  for xrays to make sure nothing was broken - all clear.

Running was out, swimming was okay and cycling okay.  Santa Barbara Tri was taken off the books.  Driving was not possible  (sitting hurts) The idea of 31/2 drive in pain, to swim an bike and possibly not run, was no going to happen.  

New plan....ride Sat ride but shortened we will see how it goes - it did not go well, ended early and with me on the floor with ice packs and that feeling that something was really wrong.  On a scale of 1-10 pain - it was a 9.   I was worried and in enough pain to head to urgent care.

Muscle spasm, pinched sciatica nerve and that was the cause....after a shot of some anti- inflammatory and prednisone I was feeling great.  ( of course the sick triathlete in me was thinking maybe I can knock out a run while I am doped up  - I did not)  I took a  2 + hour nap with a warm blanked in a nice room at hospital while the did xtrays, assesed, and finally released me.  Really all in all not too bad of an afternoon.

So it hurts when I sit, it hurts when I walk, it hurts when I swim unless i use a buoy and a band.  So.... with an Ironmnan in 4 weeks WTH!

Plan...

1- on a plane now to New Orleans for 4 days of work + 1 day in DC and home again- hoping with the miracle of Voodoo and Hurricane's this will ease up and go away. I have new routine of stretches and mobility to "help it"

2- If I can pull off next weekend training:long bike and long run- Tahoe is a go

3-  If I cannot pull off a long run, Tahoe is out.  I will not go into another Ironman injured- been there done that and it just does not pan out.   It is either a really long day for a medal I don't need or a DNF which I don't need)

4- If Tahoe is out, I will slice my wrists and join a knitting club.    I have a back up plan
Plan A:  Delete Ironman this year and do Silverman 70.3 in Oct and possibly Austin in Nov
Plan B: Ironman Fortaleza in Brazil 11/8 - I cannot even believe I am considering this-  but well I am that warped.   When I floated this to John ...hey wanna to go Brazil in November?  His excited reply was "no thanks"

SO who knows...... knitting is looking good right now !

2015 is NOT my year for Triathlon... will see how the next few weeks play out.