The Fun of Injuries

This is an ultrasound of my hip. Can’t you tell? Because I certainly can’t.

I haven’t posted much over the past few weeks, mainly because I’ve been injured and not able to do much in the way of training and I’ve been fairly frustrated about the whole situation. After steadily training for years, with short periods of time off for vacations or brief illnesses, having to step back for weeks and then months is really frustrating.

But I’m doing my best to be smart about it. I’m not running through pain. In fact, right now, I’m not running at all, as anyone who follows me on Strava has figured out. I’m biking and swimming, but skipping workouts when I’m more achy than I would like.

More importantly, I’m seeing some professionals about it. I’ve been to Physical Therapy. I saw a orthopedic doctor, who did an MRI (which didn’t tell us anything) and sent me to get x-rays and an MRI. I’m seeing a different orthopedic doctor this week (mainly because I wasn’t pleased by the first guy’s bedside manner, plus he can’t see me again to discuss the x-rays and MRI until the second week of February). The first step is to figure out what’s going on, then go from there.

Until I have a diagnosis, I’m not going to discuss grand details of my symptoms here. Based on what the doctor, my PT, and my massage therapist have said, I am pretty sure it’s one of two things. Neither of them is all that bad (I’m not dying or anything), and neither should require surgery. And I should be totally healed by the 2019 racing season. But that’s a year away.  I just don’t want the entire internet diagnosing me.  (Because let’s be honest, if you ask the internet, you have cancer or Lupus.  And this is neither of those things.)

This year, well I’m just not sure yet. I’m holding out hope. If nothing else, a lot of local races offer Aquabike options, so if I can’t run, I can still race. My 70.3? Who knows. I did buy the insurance, so I’m eligible for a refund. And I have so many friends racing that it’s likely I will still head down to cheer and volunteer. I’m trying to not focus on any of that just yet though. May is still pretty far away, and it’s possible I’ll be back in racing shape again – maybe not the fastest I’ve ever been, but able to complete the race.

The one thing I’m going to try to do is to not let this get me down.  It’s a huge bummer and I’m so incredibly disappointed.  But I’m not the first to be injured, I won’t be the last, and this is likely to not be the only injury I deal with.  So here’s to trying to stay positive.

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