15 years ago I was a young, know-it-all engineer for Yamaha
Waverunner division and thought I could pull off a fancy trick on one while
playing in the surf off of St Augustine, FL. I stuck the trick, then stuck my
knee into the deck of the Waverunner. It swelled up, turned purple, and hurt
like hell. Within a few weeks I was having arthroscopic surgery for a torn
meniscus (that cartilage between the joint that lets those bones move on a
cushiony bed). The surgery did the trick, and so began my affinity for cycling
which was recommended as rehab post-surgery (I thought it was a gay sport when
the suggestion was made).
It’s funny that ever since then I’ve been blessed without
injuries. Sure, I’ve complained about a pain here and there, but I’ve never
really been sidelined before. When I started taking triathlon seriously I gave
myself a rule that if I ever felt any pain in a race or training I would just
stop. I’ve never run through any sort of pain that I thought could cause
injury, and I think that’s been a big reason why I stay off the disabled list.
I suppose, for all of us though, it’s just a matter of time
til something breaks down. And an Ironman every year is probably a good way to
accelerate that.
So it seems all these years, evidently, my meniscus has been
wearing down some more. And sometime after Ironman Florida last November I
began to feel a slight pain behind my right knee particularly the day after a
run. I backed off the running – besides, Kona was months away at that time so
it wasn’t like it was a big deal. In June, I had it looked at and sure enough
the meniscus was a bit frayed. Another round of arthroscopic surgery is probably what I need, but this is hardly the time. A cortisone shot would probably do the
trick though, at least until after Kona, and if not I could always get another one
before the race. So I did, and it was instantly better.
Training went well through July and most of August until a
couple weekends ago I was on a short run after a 115 mile bike ride and darn it
if that pain in the back of the knee didn’t come back. I immediately stopped
and went home to ice it, hoping that it was a minor flare up. But it came back
the very next day on my long run stopping me dead in my tracks. The injection
had worn off way sooner than I had hoped. I’ve been struggling ever since to
even complete the shortest of the runs on my training plan. I've been spending more nights with Tiger Balm and an ice pack on me then I wish. Even the cats ask for a blanket when they lay anywhere near my lap while I chill with my leg in the air.
I’m not eligible for another cortisone shot for 4 more
weeks. I have an appointment with the doctor on Sept 9 and will explore
alternatives to get me to that point, but I’m likely out of commission on run
training. I’ll try again on the treadmill this weekend if I think the lesser
impact it gives will be enough to let me get some mileage, and if not it looks
like the elliptical and deep water running will have to be my alternatives. I’m
also looking into therapeutic options such as A.R.T., glyceryl trinitrite
patches, synvisc, voodoo and any other witch doctor shit that might be out
there.
If I get the second cortisone shot and it works, I’ll be 3
weeks out from race day which is essentially my taper period. So I will have no
way to prepare myself for the marathon with the kind of run mileage I feel I
need but at least that would (hopefully) mean no knee pain during the
race…….which would be really convenient so I can concentrate on the pain from
the heat and humidity, the soreness in my legs and back, and whatever other
pains creep in during the long day that an Ironman is on the
body.
All of this has affected my outlook going into the last 7
weeks of training adversely. I’m no longer as gung-ho to show up as lean and
mean as I can once I get to Kona, and I’ve let myself have a few “free” nights
to enjoy a little wine or a gin and tonic or two or nine or four rather than hit the sack and give up
the fun in the evenings for better training in the mornings. I’m preparing
myself for the fact that the Kona marathon may be a bit of a stroll for me
rather than a race, and that’s okay. Cuz if you’re gonna go for a 26.2 mile
stroll, I suppose along the coast of Hawaii is probably a darn good place to do
so.
Thanks for reading, folks!
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