In terms of commitments or event schedules, I am now officially in the off-season.  Having an off-season makes me feel semi-pro.  I encourage all other weekend warriors to define an off-season as well.  Now that I am not committed to completing some big event, I felt it was safe yesterday to visit my doctor to review some of my long standing irritations.  Key among my maladies are plantar fasciitis and a very sore stomach.

I know that my left foot over pronates and also understand I was wearing the wrong shoes, as well as wore them for too long.  The intent of seeing my doctor for this is to not stop training while recovering.  I was hoping she would prescribe some treatment or refer me to a specialist.  I also know that considering I’ve been running with this pain for nearly a year, there might be other issues.  And I have to also assume it’s possible I have misdiagnosed myself.  I don’t believe I have though because I have had this twice in the past.  Once in college.  A new pair of shoes remedied the problem.  And again a little less than 10 years ago.  I had gotten into decent shape and had to stop running for the fasciitis to heal.  Subsequently I lost my fitness along with all my training discipline.  I don’t want that to happen again.

My doctor suggested I might also have a bone spur and that the best thing to do would be to see a Podiatrist.  She referred me to a specialist here in Longmont.  This is what I was hoping she would do.  And believe it or not, at 49 years of age, this will be the first time I’ve ever been referred to a specialist.  I don’t go to see the doctor much.  Visiting the doctor is a sure fire way to be told you’re aging.  As long as no one points this out to me, I feel as young as ever.  I sort of recognize I’m aging, but it’s almost an out-of-body experience because quite frankly my maturity level hasn’t progressed much beyond college.  Just ask anyone at last weekend’s Halloween party where I was dancing in a cage with another guy and generally acting like a frat boy.  I set my appointment with the podiatrist up for Halloween next Monday.  I’ll blog the results.

I injured my stomach a full year ago in the Denver Marathon.  I was running along fine until the final three miles wherein my stomach just melted.  It didn’t cramp exactly but became very sore and weak at the lowest point of my abdomen.  I was fairly certain this wasn’t a hernia or groin injury because it didn’t match all those symptoms.  She confirmed that and suggested it is very likely some pulled tendons – a rectus abdominus tear just above the symphysis pubis.  For this she referred me to the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine for an orthopedic specialist to confirm her prognosis and provide treatment.  I didn’t know organs like the stomach had tendons.  I’d always associated tendons with standard muscles.  But again, I was hoping for a referral so that I could continue training.  My fear, and why I didn’t go see her earlier, was to be told to stop training altogether.  She did suggest cross training – biking and swimming.  I don’t have a bike.  And considering there’s a half foot of snow outside, I think the biking season is over.  And I’ve always been negatively buoyant making me suck ass at swimming.  Although, given the expansion that has occurred in my middle over the years, perhaps I’ve gained some float.  Expect future blogs on my treatments and possible evolution to new sports.