A pain in the ass

It's not the first time I've used this meme!! And it probably won't be the last...

I've had a tough week. Not only with this injury, this pain in my butt that has limited my running this week, but in general. I could choose to focus on the crap at work, which I wrote about earlier this week and in another post. But there isn't much I can do to change what's going on there, right? As my partner told me this week, head down and do your job. That's how I'm going to approach things this week. I could focus on my husband's dubious employment situation..he's been out of work for a few weeks and now his boss is throwing a few scraps his way, which affects unemployment compensation...sigh. But again, there's not a whole lot I can do about that either, right?

I could also focus on my injured son who, in addition to the MCL tear that he is currently rehabbing, broke his big toe on Friday. He was running late to gym, and had his shoes in his hands...I know, I know, he's 15...tripped up the stairs and fell, stubbing that toe in the process. I knew it was broken and of course he argued with me, but a trip to see my partner and an xray proved that mother does know best...now we're arguing because he's refusing to wear the boot. I don't blame him for not wanting to but last night he bumped the toe and almost cried in pain..I just shrugged my shoulders and walked away. I mean, really what do I know?

As if that were not enough, yesterday my husband couldn't get off the couch, complaining of back pain. Sounds like a herniated disc to me. My husband has put on some weight over the years, and I'm sure that having a large waist doesn't help the back at all....but what do I know?

Dealing with all that life ass pain would be bad enough, but not being able to run it off? Oh, hell no! I've been working the foam roller and the lacrosse ball furiously this week. Both of them were pleading for mercy. Seriously. I couldn't find my foam roller this morning. I think he was hiding behind the couch. At rest, my leg has been feeling pretty good. So yesterday, I made up my mind to try 4 miles at slower pace. I pulled out a new pair of my beloved Asics Gel Nimbus. It was hard to hold back, but I was rewarded with a full 4 miles, no stopping. No shin splints, and just a little nagging reminder in my glute that I needed to take it easy. I came home and rolled again. Rolled last night. And decided to go for 8 this morning. I ran slow, using short strides, and it was another joyful run...I smiled the whole way, except for the moment where I stepped in a hole and felt that leg pull. I gingerly continued on my run and shook it off. Whew!

This is one happy runner!

In the meantime, I did a little research on this butt pain. I've been calling it piriformis pain, but after watching this video by my new boyfriend Dr Jordan Metzl, I realized that I was mistaken! I've been treating myself correctly, but now I know the real cause for my pain. High hamstring tendonitis aka proximal hamstring strain. Dr Metzl explains the difference so well and so logically. As a medical professional, I can appreciate that. As a runner, I liked that he said I could keep running. He gets me. Even though he doesn't know me.

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So yes, I can run through this if I run slowly and shorten my stride. Which is what I've been doing! And continue strength training for my glutes. Which is what Becky has me doing!

Because it's all about that bass, right?

A couple of lessons were learned this week. You can teach an old runner new tricks. First, I need to stretch and foam roll regularly, not just when I'm hurting. I'm usually so good about this, but since the marathon, I've been slacking. Riding the wave, so to speak. Taking my success for granted, I guess. Another lesson learned is that I need to change my shoes at the first sign of pain. Actually, I should have changed them after the marathon. I felt so good, that I didn't see the need. And these were my "lucky" shoes, I ran that awesome marathon in them. Lots of good juju in those shoes, right? Yeah, lots of miles on them too. Doh!

Today, I feel so much better about running and life in general. All that crap that happened this past week...I have no control over any of that. But my running? I do have control over that...if I do some maintenance and not take it for granted. I need my running to help me cope with everything else life throws at me. I know this.

Ending a bad week on a positive note? Let's hope that I can carry that positivity into next week. Onward and upward! Head down and do the work.