Before I whinge, let me update things over the last week or so.Today, my new gadget arrived by post from the UK. It's a sort-of watch thing, which measures, amongst other things, air temperature, pressure and wind speed (has a tiny little anemometer which one can raise, and it measures wind velocity). It also tells the time, incises blisters, cures tendinitis, and changes the toilet roll in the loo when it's finished!!!!! I am so excited about it, and wore it today on the way down to the post office - the thing is, my new toy is bright yellow, and does attract the odd stare from the ignorant. On the MdS, I'll be a fountain of information, of that I am sure. Of course, with all this electronic gadgetry I wear, I'll probably be exhausted by the first check point. Ah, but on the long stretch (75 km), which involves a night run, I'll also be an illuminating example of athleticism and altruism as I glow in the dark, showing folk, for hundreds of kilometres around me, the way to the final bivouac. The funny thing about this instrument (called a WindPro) is, though, that I ordered it from the UK, only to find, that it is made right here in Switzerland!!!!!!! If only I had known, I could have saved a huge amount on postage and customs duty!!!!
With Kurt down in Carona for a week, I've been busy running the business on my own, and also going to gym most days. I've created new workout programmes for myself, based mainly on core fitness, and involving more stamina workouts, than actual bodybuilding as such. I read a wise article recently pertaining to gym for runners, and the motto is basically 3 sets of 20 reps per exercise, and if you can't do 20, then the weight is too high. I'm really feeling the results after three weeks of diligent training - gone are my ideas of being a middle-aged (I HATE that term) Arnold Schwarzenegger, and am now more interested in becoming mean like a Marine, or lean and lanky like a légionnaire. Do NOT mention the term "fantasy world"!!!! Big grin.
I took by mountain bike in to the bike shop near us today to have a good service. Spring is most definitely in the air, and, if I can't run, then I will cycle as soon as it's warm enough (which could be this weekend, when the temperature is expected to reach 15 to 17°C here in Chur!!!!). As soon as I can, I shall buy myself some new mountain boots, and start hiking in the mountains above Chur a lot more. All these alternatives to running, when all I want to do is RUN!!!!!
I've been diligently taking my Ecofénac tablets each night before bed. I must say, they do reduce the discomfort of the Iliopsoas Tendinitis, but it is also a very strong med which can have horrible side-effects on the kidneys and stomach. Fortunately, I have had no adverse effects as yet, but I've been swallowing the pills for well over a month now, and I have decided it's time to stop. I have a new box of my happy pills for emergencies, but I shall now quit them. This morning was the first morning after a med-free night, and, whilst I could feel the tenderness in my upper leg, it was not unbearable, which is a good sign.
Just before lunch today, I had my second appointment with my new sports doctor, Dr. Ehrler. I really like this guy, and feel confident in going to him. He had asked me to bring my running shoes along so he could check them (shows he knows what running is all about), and confirmed, that I have an excellent pair of shoes (Nike, of course), which suit my feet and running form perfectly.
Since last week's little chat, he has received the DVD of the images from the MRI I had done of my torso and legs just after Christmas. He showed me on the screen what it's all about. It is a lot worse than just tendinitis of the Iliopsoas insertion point on the lesser trochanter of the femur bone. That, with time, will heal, and will hopefully give me no more trouble (a lot of my current workouts at gym are aimed at strengthening that entire region so, that by the time I get back to running, I will have a strong muscle base to support my running). The bigger problem is, that I have the initial stages of arthrosis (as opposed to arthritis) in the "hip-joint". It's evident mostly in the right leg, but there are traces of it in the left as well. Now, the big question, which no one can answer, is: when did it start? Was it caused by my running, or was it there before, and the MRI due to the tendinitis brought it to light? It's impossible to answer this question. The fact is, that I do have arthrosis, albeit in the incipient stages. How fast, and how far, it develops, is anyone's guess. The pain I am experiencing in my right leg (and also, less intensively, in my left one), is obviously from both ailments, and (maybe it's just my mind convincing me of it) I am now able to separate the two sources of discomfort in my leg.
The big question he posed to me today is, if I ever will be able to run again. This scared the hell out of me. The worst-case scenario is, that the arthrosis develops, resulting in the necessity of a future hip-replacement. If this happens, then I can forget the Marathon des Sables. Whilst I rest from running, thanks to the neighbouring tendinitis, the stress on the arthrotic region will also be lessened. The big test will come once the tendinitis is cured, and I can, theoterically, run again. The arthrosis is situated both on the head of the femur, and on the "hip bone" just above it. It's a very small area at the moment, but it is most definitely there - I'd rather it weren't there. Running, of course, produces an enormous amount of stress and pressure on this very region, and only time will tell, if my skeletal ailment will withstand the brunt of rapid forward perambulation. (This is becoming more melodramatic than one of those US TV sitcoms - maybe I should write this in play form, and submit it to one of those ridiculous networks that churn out all that televisual garbage!!!!!!).
I forgot to ask the good doctor today if the two maladies are connected - i.e., could the arthrosis have caused the tendinitis, or are they mutually exclusive? I shall find out next time I see him.
The next step? He's now going to consult with an orthopaedic surgeon, and discuss the possibility of an arthroscopy. This involves the insertion of one of those "tool boxes" on the end of a cable, which is surgically inserted into the recalcitrant region, and the gunge can be cleaned up - if this would be a permanent solution, is also not certain, but, damnit, I'm happy to give it a try. In case I haven't mentioned, I want to RUN!!!!!!! The doc will contact me as soon as he hears anything. In the meantime, I sent an e-mail to him this afternoon, asking him, if I can have a copy of the MRI DVD - that stuff fascinates me, and I would love to have intimate pictures of my own body, albeit only from the nether regions thereof!!!!!!
So, that's where I am, now. The waiting continues, and the running is on hold. I have cancelled my participation on the marathons for which I had registered - for Paris, I lose the money, but I had insurances for Zürich and Bern, and Dr. Hasler has given me a medical certificate as proof of my inability to run - I don't get the money back, but my participation on both, for 2009, is guaranteed (presuming I still have my own hip by then!!!!!).
I'm not a happy bunny (I hate that expression - I got it from the book of a chappy who ran the MdS last year, and it's stuck) at the moment. I'm having a rest day from gym today (don't want to cause any more tendons to react to stress - gosh, they're a bunch of wallies), and will spend a couple of hours in my wellness complex at Bener Park (where I have a subscription), getting used to the heat, so I'll be ready for the MdS (no, there is no other subject in my mind!!!!!!!).
Despite the current somewhat despondent vein, I shall not give up hope of running the MdS in 2010. It's too great a goal, and too intense a passion, for something like arthrosis to render untenable. I've been given the worst-case scenario, but this doesn't have to be. My doctor has just pointed out the possibilities, and, as he stressed, this is not necessarily the way my situation will inevitably go. The possible arthroscopy could be successful. There are many factors and many possibilities. I guess it's the unknown that is causing my melancholy right now. I know, if the worst comes to the worst, I can still ride my mountain bike, hike in the mountains, swim, and be healthy - but, somehow, these all seem so insignificant when compared to my running and the MdS. I do have the inner strength to cope with the worst-case scenario (at least, I hope I do), but I'd rather not have to do so.
This is long-winded, but putting down my thoughts on the laptop screen somehow helps me put it all into focus and organise my feelings. It's not as though I have been diagnosed with cancer or heart problems; yet, given my world, it's as devastating as if I had been. It's all relative. I may be chronologically 51 years old, but I feel 31 - now if only my body would react accordingly!!!!!!
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