Midwinter running, week of January 10-17

[rocknrollgirl]

Thought I'd drop in to say hi!

I'm running a little, tentatively training for a couple of things (end of March and end of May). I'm at decision time re: back surgery, and am thinking a lot about that at the moment. The recommendation is to fuse L5 and S1 and possibly also replace the disk between L4 and L5. I'm intermittently ready to have it and never going to have it, depending upon hormones, number of calories consumed the day before, angle of the sun, alignment of the planets...you get the idea.

I have a discogram (sounds like a singing telegram delivered by the Bee Gees) next week to help us understand the L4-L5 contribution to the overall pain level. The results of that should indicate whether replacement of that disk would really do anything. And then I need to make a decision about what I want to do overall. Scary stuff. I have a great complement of docs and other folks (my PT and all the medical assistants) at the University of Utah orthopaedic center. It's been a long haul.

Even if I choose not to have surgery, I'm thinking that both the March and May events are incredibly optimistic. But I've given myself permission to stop if it gets too bad. I loves me tylenol+diclofenac+tequila (and occasionally + neurontin) cocktails!

I was just thinking about you today while I was biking. I am sorry about your back. Is this a new injury of something that has been coming on?

[kacie tri-ing]

Good thoughts to you too yellow. You clearly have such a strong spirit!

[Grog]

My thoughts are with you Yellow. Sending you good decision-support vibes.

Just went for a gentle one with a friend, ran for an hour and almost 10K, and felt great.

It was the first sunny day in Vancouver since, I think, December 27th. I took it all in because tomorrow I have to go for my "real" long run and it's most likely going to be dumping rain. Oh well.

[OakLeaf]

Kacie and Urlea, wow, you gals are fast!

Two mile tempo run today. Or should I say almost two miles... I hadn't programmed a distance into my watch, and I had it displaying only pace and lap time, and by the time I got close to the end of what I'd planned, I was too oxygen-deprived for it to occur to me to push a button so I could see elapsed distance.

So actually, only 1.98 miles at 8:21/mile. I coulda kept the pace for those last ten seconds though, if I'd known.

And if I can do that in training with the humidity way up, maybe I can PR that 5K in two weeks. I'd kind of written it off considering my focus right now is on the marathon. But maybe-maybe.

[Jolt]

Didn't run today, but did a nice hike on the local mountain. A little under two hours for a 4.6 mile loop, and I could have kept going a lot longer but had some things to get done. Not too bad considering I haven't done that much hiking lately. One thing I have noticed since switching to minimal shoes for hiking is that I have very little if any soreness the next day. Before, I'd usually feel it in my quads for a couple of days after a long/steep hike. Tomorrow will be a run, hopefully before the icky weather starts.

[spindizzy]

Nice work Oak- that's a great tempo!

Yellow- you will make the right decision for you.

Did 8.6k today in 46:53 on a rolling course. 5:23/km pace. I'll take that. Was gorgeous out 0C. Perfect running weather.

[yellow]

You all are very thoughtful. Thanks for the kind words.

My docs know about my cocktails (I run my proposed sleep remedies past them before full implementation), although a mix of everything is really not all that common. Typically if I can't sleep I just take more neurontin. As it is I've been having liver and kidney function tests about every 3 months anyway since I've been on the diclofenac for over a year (and took a whole lot of ibuprofen for probably 5-6 years before that).

RnRG, this is a really old injury (as in about 30 years old) that blew in the fall of '08 and has gotten worse since then. The surgeon I am working with is a runner (has run several 100 mile events) and feels pretty confident that I'll be easy running again within a year, easy cycling within 6 months. I figure it'll be a year of a lot of walking and hiking. But no mountain biking for at least a year, probably

[Aggie_Ama]

Yellow I am so sorry about your back, my father has terrible back problems and has to have epidural pain management. When I had my recent root canals I was taking 3 ibuprofen and 4 tylenol per the endodontist. I couldn't stomach the devilish vicodin. I also went on a wine trail while taking all that. My endodontist was not exactly thrilled with my liver abuse that weekend but I felt good.

I slept today, just felt run down so I rested. And upgraded my computer to Windows 7, pretty sure there is no reason for the hype.