It's a very slow process - two steps forward, one step back - but I'm inching in the right direction. - Rob Reiner

December 15, 2011

If I Were a Race Horse I Would Have Been Put Down by Now

“If I were a race horse I would have been put down by now”, I texted my friend Coy of First in Philly.  If you know much about race horses, this is a sad but true statement.  Unfortunately when they become injured or can’t perform well anymore many times they are put to rest.  If they are lucky they find a nice home and someone to take care of them.  But, if they were habitually injured they’d be glue for sure!


Soapy Horse (stolen from my friend Coy's FB page). Thanks Coy!


I feel like an injured race horse.  Luckily for me no one is trying to put me out of my misery.  Maybe they should….not literally….but sometimes I wonder if it’s time to hang up the racing dreams.  But I really just can’t imagine doing that at all.  Plus I have delusions of living out the Dreamer story (injured race horse returns to former glory).  I can see the headlines now, "Habitually injured runner and triathlete Michael Weatherly breaks world record", or something like that!

My body drives me crazy. It literally revolts against me.  I get over one injury only to have a new one creep up out of nowhere.  Every time I make forward strides, something strikes and pushes me back again, but I keep moving forward.  I don’t stop.  I just try something else.

As most of you know I’ve been battling a hip injury for the last several months, but I’ve been a woman on a mission.  I have been going to ART (active release technique) therapy 1 to 2 times a week for two months, I have been eating better and losing weight, I have been stretching daily, I have been working out my core daily and I have seen HUGE improvements.  After my 22 miler, my left hip was a little sore, but it’s kind of worked itself out over the last few days.  Things have been going great…….

Then……out of the blue……LITERALLY.  I am walking across my bathroom floor when all of a sudden I have the most awful, burning, painful, cramping feeling in my right arch/heel.  OUCH!  Maybe it’s just a cramp………nope, still there an hour later, and another hour later, and the next morning.  When I wake up Wednesday morning I can’t put any weight on that foot.  It feels like someone sliced it open, pulled out the nerve and poured acid inside.  So many of you are automatically thinking plantar fascitis right?  That’s the same thing I thought when I had this two years ago.  Turned out to be Tarsal Tunnel syndrome; it’s just like carpal tunnel, but it’s in your foot.  You have a nerve that runs from you ankle into your heel which can get pretty inflamed.  When this developed the last time I had 3 cortisone injections in my foot (not fun) which didn’t help at all.  I ended up in a boot for 6 weeks and in tennis shoes and orthotics only for several months after that.  It finally healed and hasn’t given me any problems, until now! 

Seriously????  It’s 3 weeks til Disney.  I will say this came on much more suddenly than last time, so I’m hoping it’s just some kind of weird flare up that will go away as quickly as it came on.  And even as I’m writing this post, it has already improved some.  But, I took action right away.  I iced it immediately, took some ibuprofen, massaged it on the tennis ball and have been stretching my foot and calf every few hours for the last few days.  Tonight I go see my ART Dr. to see what he can do for me.

I do not want this to be another Hyvee Triathlon where 1 week from the event I get sidelined.  I can’t mentally deal with that.

Rest assured however, that I will be running the Disney Marathon.  Some way, somehow, it will happen!  Thanks alot for all of the great comments on my last post about my 22 miler by the way.  They are seriously so encouraging!

I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to work so hard only to be habitually injured.  I feel like a whiner and a complainer and that’s totally not my style.  I ask myself all the time, am I just not tough enough???  Are these just minor things that other people just deal with, or am I just “special” in that I’m constantly developing some ridiculous new pain and injury.  My ART Doc and I are trying to get to the bottom of this mystery.


OK, on a positive note.  I lost another 1.4 pounds at Weight Watchers and reached my goal weight this week!  (well I came within 2 pounds of my goal weight, which is all that is required by Weight Watchers to get back to Lifetime status).  This means I get reimbursed for the 10 remaining weeks of our At Work Series!  Woot!  Money in the Bank!  That’s a total of 12.2 pounds overall!

21 comments:

  1. Ohhh no!! My mom dealt with Tarsal Tunnel for years and I know it was very painful. (She eventually got surgery to fix it and is much better now)

    You poor thing. I am sending good foot healing vibes your way. Make Jim rub your foot all night and talk nice to it. :)

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  2. Oh wow, that sucks! I really hope it heals up fast and you feel great for Disney! Congrats on the weight loss!

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  3. That sucks. Hopefully you're right and it's just a flare up. (Stop flaring, stupid foot!)

    You'll get through this. (And nobody will put you down.)

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  4. Ugh. So sorry. That sounds so frustrating!! Thinking good thoughts of healing for you!!

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  5. It is very unfair that when we are trying to do healthy things our bodies betray us. I am feeling your pain. Heal heel soon!

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  6. I'm so sorry to hear this, but I'm glad you're being really proactive in healing. So frustrating and I hope your body realizes you're taking the easy way out! Your hubby's comment cracks me up! :)

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  7. ok this sucks...big time
    but you are doing what needs to be done and hopefully this will get better fast. there is still time. congrats on the weight loss that is great!

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  8. ah and Jim...must be Bill's distant cousin or something...:)

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  9. Keeping my fingers crossed the heal thing goes away!

    Congrats on the weight loss!

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  10. I totally "get" where you are coming from, Michael and no, I don't think anyone thinks you are a whiner. Not at all. I will pray that your heel heals up *very* quickly! Don't give up yet!

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  11. I am habitually injured as well.
    I couldn't run for three months before my first half Ironman because of my ankle.

    I will get better, then my clumsy arse will fall down the stairs. Or fall off my bike.

    I tear my foot open at the pool....

    It comes down to me being clumsy I think :)

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  12. Jim, lol!!

    I hope it gets better, I had a strnge heal injury that mysterious showed and mysteriously went away, keep doing any kind of recovery techiques you know. Hoping you get better soon

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  13. Ugh! So frustrating. Keep in mind though that as you start to taper, all kinds of random things will start to ache. It's all mental. You WILL get through this race. I'm going to try to be somewhere on the sidelines in the last mile for the full so I'll keep a look out of you to cheer you in! :)

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  14. Way to go getting back to your goal at WW!!!!
    Sorry about the pain, thinking good thoughts for you!!

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  15. HAHAHA! I just read Jim's comment. That's hilarious!! Funny you mention that movie Dreamer, part of it was filmed on the farm where we live! They wouldn't let us near the actors tho :(

    You're gonna get better. You're gonna run Disney and you will defeat the foot and hip..and shoulder. You're a tough cookie, tougher than I am. To keep going when you're body is revolting. Chin up Michael! You got this!

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  16. :( So so so sorry to hear this Michael. You completely inspire me with your always positive attitude and willingness to continue fighting. Seriously I look up to you in so many ways. I will definitely be thinking about you and praying for the best.

    Congrats on the weight loss. So amazing especially this time of year. Very very proud of you!

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  17. I hear ya about the injuries. They always come around at the most inopportune times too. I got an injury in 2009 that took me out of running. I wasn't even going to try again, but my wife encouraged me to give it another shot. I am glad I did, but I must admit that I am more careful now.

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  18. Michael, you are tough, you have passion, and you will persevere! You always have such a positive attitude, and I know that all of these things will help you get to Disney.

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  19. That SUCKS! Hopefully your doc will have some insight and encouragement.

    Your weight loss, however....that's awesome! And over the holidays too. Great job!

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  20. oh no!!! :( i hope it straightens up with some rest, at least 3-weeks is a reasonable time for a taper?

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  21. Hang in there Michael! We're all rooting for you! You've got this, girl!!!!!!!

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