Heartland Series Training, Week 8 (Don't call it a comeback).

After having a not so good last week, I vowed that this week will be better.  Here is how it went down, as I returned back to some training!

Monday:  A trip to Body First and a deep tissue massage on my foot.  First of all, HOLY OUCH!  I went through all that had been going on, and Doug felt very optimistic.  He really feels like this a deep bone bruise, especially after going over every tendon and ligament in my foot.  He didn't do the tuning fork, but he said that there was NO way if I had a stress fracture that i would be able to tolerate any of the things he was doing.    I am going to hop on his bandwagon and hope.  I still haven't heard back from the Ortho referral, and am hoping maybe I don't need it.    I have decided to do a week's worth of anti inflammatories, and then see where we were at.

 After a mostly resting week, I was ready to get back to non weight bearing exercises at least.  Doug felt like that was a good plan.  He also felt like I would be able to run all of my upcoming races.  Post massage, I headed over to our campus rec center, and got my membership renewed for the pool, so I can try and get in as much as possible right now with my very full research schedule.  He wanted me to do a couple of days of just easing on the elliptical and in the pool with the possibility of some running later on this week.  He felt like we were on the downside of this injury, that it just needed time to heal.

Monday night I headed over to my friend's house to get on her elliptical.  It was pretty fancy smancy.  The only one i have ever used was at the gym and was pretty low tech.  I watched the Leftovers on my phone, while doing an easy 30 minute workout.  Since I had no clue where to be at for easy, I hung around 50-60 rpm.  I know I was dripping with sweat when I was done, but I was not out of breath.  I felt like I got a decent workout, and look forward to using this machine more as I get over this stupid foot thing.  While I seriously wanted to be in racing form for the St. Pat's race, at least I get a chance to run it period (well hopefully).

Tuesday:  Love and Logic class.  Well, this is our last class.  Unfortunately, I had been up all night monday night coughing, so resting at home was probably a better idea.  I decided to take cough drops and soldier on though, because I am not always very smart:)

Wednesday:  Oh boy. Not a good day.  Dr's office called and said radiologist saw something odd.  Wouldn't tell me what but said that Ortho referral wasn't made till Tuesday.  URGH.  I needed to get in sooner, especially if there is something wrong, and I am walking around and using the elliptical, and maybe  I need to be in a boot.  Called back and finally found out the results from radiologist.  Lucency on mid shaft of 5th metatarsal.  Most likely artifact, but could be non-displaced stress fracture.  BOO!  I am trying not to worry.  I am trying to lean towards artifact, but it is hard.  Ortho Dr. called right after and said they couldn't get me in till March 9th.  Super boo.  Lots of time to worry and freak out.  Did 40 minutes easy on the elliptical.  

Thursday:  Woke up with an ouchy foot, but in a totally different place.  Now whatever runs between my 4th and 5th toe  (tendon?)  is  super sore to the touch on the top of my foot.  WTH??  This is even with me still being on a double dose of aleve, and going off of aleve in another day, since it has been a full week now.  Panic.  Multiple calls and texts to runner friends.  Could it be the elliptical or just from the massage?  Didn't feel pain during the elliptical, but I didn't feel pain during running either.  Too many variables makes this scientist go crazy, because how do you determine what is causing the new pain?  Really hoping that the elliptical isn't going to be eliminated.  Getting to the pool four times a week is going to be tough.  Getting to the elliptical four days a week, when it is down the street from my house and available to me whenever my friend is home, is much easier.  Am thinking the elliptical is too weight bearing even though it is non impact?  Am wondering if my bike on the trainer with clip ins will be less harmful to my foot? 

 Did lots of upper body working out as my strength.  Did try plank even though it hurt last time I tried and no pain this time.  In fact it didn't bother me at all during my work out.  I didn't do any plyometrics at all.  Was kind of fun taking all of the moves my coach taught me and mixing and matching.

Friday:  Planned pool work out FINALLY.  I woke up to this.  

Bruises on the top and side of my foot.  WTH?  I have no clue what this means.  I hope it is just from my massage monday, but I have no clue. I am so tired trying to figure this out. I don't sleep at night, one, because I am use to running helping me be tired enough to sleep at night (I use to be a horrible insomniac) but two,  I stay up looking at research and popular press articles about meta tarsals and stress fractures as well as nerve issues in feet.  I wish I could fast forward till March 9th, so I could hopefully just get some answers.  I did get to the pool today and my old pool running buddies that i ran with last time I was injured were all there.  We caught up, and had a good time running in a square.  I told them I am on the every other year injury plan:) I learned that even though the deep well is set aside for water jogging at specific times, that no one uses the diving boards really, so I could come from 11:30-2:30, which fits into my schedule way better than just 11:30-12:30.  I also found sunday nights from 7-8 was a good time to come but that is going to effect my hubby's walking dead watching time, so may not be able to get away then (yes we need to join the rest of civilization and get a DVR).  I am determined to hit the pool the most, because pool running is SUCH a good work out.  While horribly boring, I found that one of my old agility students is water jogging now, and she is a talker, so she makes the time FLY by.  I am also contemplating buying a water proof ipod shuffle, but medical costs may come before I can afford that.  I am going to probably stay low on intensity for now in the pool until I get the green light from my ortho to increase intensity.  Today I did a full hour, which I did not intend on doing, but it just felt so good to be mimicking running that i honestly didn't want to stop.  

Saturday:  Well, the one good thing about not having a long run planned is you can take a day trip to KC to visit one of the biggest train shows around.  I will save this story for another post since this one is getting pretty long.  What I am super happy about and sharing is that my foot felt pretty good. This was day one of no anti inflammatories and I had little to no pain.  I hope that trend keeps up.

Sunday:  Planned long run in the pool run or bike ride on the trainer.  Well, I had to chose the bike ride on the trainer, although I wanted to hit the pool again.  Our schedule just didn't mesh well for hitting the pool, as we had promised Andrew that we would go see Zootopia today.  When we found it had an early showing at 11 am, we figured it was perfect for the kiddos to go early, so that maybe, just maybe, they might nap later and the crowds might be thinner.  Well, the nap thing never happened but the crowds were pretty low and very forgiving of my three year old occasionally talking or shaking his candy box
The movie ended up being very cute although a little on the long side for three year olds but enjoyable none the less.

Got my bike on the trainer and started trying to figure out what was going to get me through an hour of peddling, while staring at the wall.  I tried podcasts first, and that just wasn't doing it, even with my beloved Serial playing.  Honestly, I am not getting into this season like I was last year, so that may be a bust anyway.  I then tried a cycling class, and while I was really enjoying it and sweat was POURING off of me, my foot started protesting as I dialed up the resistance.  I finally  just had to find a gear that didn't irritate my foot and steadily pedal.  It wasn't the most fun but I continued to watch season 2 of the leftovers and I made it through. I did feel like I got a good work out without intensity.  I will admit, I was a little sore today from all the walking around yesterday, plus me working in the basement all afternoon after we got back.  Lesson learned, don't over do it.

I am going to try and not go crazy waiting this week.  I just want to get in and see what we are up against, good, bad or otherwise.  I think if I have a plan on how we can move forward, I will be so much more happy.  If you are pounding the pavement, pound some for me!!!!  Have a great week!