That's what I needed. A little inspiration to write my first post. I received a call this morning from my buddy Brian Lawlor who wanted to let me know he was on his way to Augusta, GA to swim, bike and run the Half-Ironman 70.3. He has already done a full Ironman (left) and a bunch of other events, including the Arizona Rock and Roll Marathon which we ran together back in 2005. With the weather reports from Georgia, it seems it would be swim, swim and swim. Maybe the waters have receded enough now that you can actually bike and run. For me, however, it's been none of the above. My 25 years of having a 40 pound camera on my shoulder, slumping at an edit station and generally bad posture has finally, for the time being, taken away my absolute favorite hobby and passion. My physical therapist and orthopedic surgeon have told me I will run again, but it will take some work. The day after I ran the Bolder Boulder in Colorado back on Memorial Day 2009, the symptoms began. My back was really tight and knotted up. The sharp pain in the center of my back on my spine was so acute, I thought I was going to throw up. Over a course of weeks, the headaches came on along with tingling in my face, left hand and left foot. After seeing a few different doctors, I eventually got an MRI and was diagnosed with thoracic kyphosis and a herniated disc in my cervical spine, causing a mild stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal. My PT, Gary, believes that the kyphosis, or irregular curvature of my thoracic spine is the primary source of the problem. The biomechanic goal: to increase my extension, straighten up the thoracic spine, reduce the stenosis, improve the posture and strengthen the back. My personal goal: to once again feel the thrill of being alone at 6am, seven miles away from home at the top of Palos Verdes looking back at the Pacific Ocean, Malaga Cove and the lights of the South Bay... knowing I have seven easy running miles to get back home. Another marathon awaits, along with the half Ironman and then the Ironman. Someday. So I wish the other Brian good luck this weekend. Have a great event Bri... and hopefully it won't be long before I can join you out there again. Until then, it's a lot of PT, boring elliptical, keeping up with my son Jack... and chasing an elusive gutter-gnawing destructive squirrel that is tearing up my house.
Friday, September 25, 2009
That's what friends are for
That's what I needed. A little inspiration to write my first post. I received a call this morning from my buddy Brian Lawlor who wanted to let me know he was on his way to Augusta, GA to swim, bike and run the Half-Ironman 70.3. He has already done a full Ironman (left) and a bunch of other events, including the Arizona Rock and Roll Marathon which we ran together back in 2005. With the weather reports from Georgia, it seems it would be swim, swim and swim. Maybe the waters have receded enough now that you can actually bike and run. For me, however, it's been none of the above. My 25 years of having a 40 pound camera on my shoulder, slumping at an edit station and generally bad posture has finally, for the time being, taken away my absolute favorite hobby and passion. My physical therapist and orthopedic surgeon have told me I will run again, but it will take some work. The day after I ran the Bolder Boulder in Colorado back on Memorial Day 2009, the symptoms began. My back was really tight and knotted up. The sharp pain in the center of my back on my spine was so acute, I thought I was going to throw up. Over a course of weeks, the headaches came on along with tingling in my face, left hand and left foot. After seeing a few different doctors, I eventually got an MRI and was diagnosed with thoracic kyphosis and a herniated disc in my cervical spine, causing a mild stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal. My PT, Gary, believes that the kyphosis, or irregular curvature of my thoracic spine is the primary source of the problem. The biomechanic goal: to increase my extension, straighten up the thoracic spine, reduce the stenosis, improve the posture and strengthen the back. My personal goal: to once again feel the thrill of being alone at 6am, seven miles away from home at the top of Palos Verdes looking back at the Pacific Ocean, Malaga Cove and the lights of the South Bay... knowing I have seven easy running miles to get back home. Another marathon awaits, along with the half Ironman and then the Ironman. Someday. So I wish the other Brian good luck this weekend. Have a great event Bri... and hopefully it won't be long before I can join you out there again. Until then, it's a lot of PT, boring elliptical, keeping up with my son Jack... and chasing an elusive gutter-gnawing destructive squirrel that is tearing up my house.
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Holy cow....sorry to hear that. Hopefully the PT does its job and you can run again soon.
ReplyDeleteSteve
Hang in there... it may be a long road to a full recovery, but you are already on your way! I thought about you this morning when I forced my lazy ass out of bed at dawn to walk/run in a charity 5k for the first time in about 8 years. So thanks for the reminder not to take possibilities for granted. I was glad to finish my turtle pace of 43 minutes and 42 seconds. It also reminded me about the time you and Tom nearly killed me at UF in the Moonlight Madness "Fun" Run when you wouldn't let me stop. Didn't think I would make it to the finish line, but I did, and so will you : ) Laura
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you check out abcmiracles.com and find a doc that can correct you? if you have questions you can email me at kiwidrdan@gmail.com You've been given a diagnosis, but that doesn't tell you how to correct it. You are wasting your time with PT. It will only be a temporary fix...
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