NAIRNruns

Had my examination with Dr. Petron at University Orthopaedics.  X-rays didn't show anything (which is common), but all evidence points to possible stress fracture in the femural neck.  Walking with crutches for now (until I can walk pain-free).

MRI scheduled for Thursday morning (11/13).  Crossing fingers.

Had my MRI and follow-up visit with Dr. Petron.  MRI was horrible.  I found out I was a little more claustrophobic than I believed I was.  If it hadn't been for a great MRI technician who made the process as comfortable as is possible, I might have lost it.

When Dr. Petron reviewed the MRI, he discovered that I do not have a stress fracture (great news), but instead...I have a stress reaction, which is a pre-stress fracture condition.  It seems I caught this just in time...or at least, the pain stopped me from continuing my running to the point of a stress fracture.  We also discovered that the stress reaction is not all the way into the femoral neck (where the ball of the hip connects), but is at the upper end of the femur...just below the neck.

A stress reaction is still considered a serious overuse injury, but the healing/recovery time should be much less than if I had a fracture.  Dr. Petron has prescribed crutches for about a week (or until no pain when I walk), and then no impact activities for 3-4 weeks.  After that, I can begin a running/walking program and more gradually work up to running anything close to the mileage I was running pre-injury (30-35 mpw).

I had a lot of family praying for me, and I feel like prayers have been answered.  It could have been much worse. 

My leg felt great today.  I probably shouldn't have done it, but I decided to do a 2.5 mile walk.  It's definitely not as satisfying as running...but it sure felt good to get out on the road and walk without pain.  It has been 2 weeks since I last ran.  I can tell I'm getting better.

Still nursing my stress reaction.  It has been 3 weeks since I last ran.  I'm extremely restless and anxious to get back on the road.  The pain in my upper femur is almost completely gone when walking, and I can actually hop on my left leg again with minimal pain...whereas I had no strength a couple of weeks ago, and the pain wouldn't allow much weight on that leg.

I will likely try to begin running/walking later this week...or at the beginning of next week.  I hope to set up my 'gait analysis' at the University of Utah Orthopaedic clinic next week.

I couldn't stand it anymore...so I went to the REC with Jacob.  I took it very easy...1 mile warm-up walk, then did 2 miles alternating between 1/2 mile easy runs @10 minute per mile pace and 1/2 mile walks.  Total of 3 miles.  Felt just a little weakness in my left femur, but not much pain.  When I was finished...I was still walking pain free.

It felt good to run again...even for just a little bit.

First time on the road since I was diagnosed with my stress reaction.  It felt great.  I only ran 2 miles, and my pace was quite slow (10:45/mile) as I was trying hard to minimize the impacts of my steps.  After nearly 4 weeks without running, I was pleased that my cardio and aerobic conditioning seemed to be pretty good.  Of course, I was barely jogging...but I didn't get winded, and my muscles didn't feel fatigued.  I felt like I could have gone another 5 miles...but I need to be super cautious right now.

After the run, my leg felt pretty good.  Still no pain.

I felt good all day after running yesterday.  I was going to skip a day, but about 11:00 pm, I couldn't sit still anymore and I decided to go for another easy run.  I was just going to do 2 miles again, but I guess my body was in auto-pilot and ran one of my regular routes before I even realized what I was doing.

I ran another slow pace...doing 3.5 miles at 10:44/mile.  Again, I felt good when I was running...and after I finished.  I also felt like I could have kept running several more miles.  It feels good to know that I didn't lose too much conditioning during the few weeks I wasn't running.

Still pain free both during and after running.

Ran during my lunchtime at work (around 3:00 am).  It was quite cold, so I ran in sweats and gloves, and worked up a pretty good sweat by the time I was done.

I ran 3.00 miles...again at a slow pace (10:33/mile).  It felt good, and I'm fighting the urge to run longer distances.

Warmed up with a .5 mile walk...then ran 3 miles at an easy pace (approx. 10:15/mile).  I felt good.  No hip pain.  My cardio and aerobic conditioning felt good.  I didn't get winded or cramps.  After the 3 miles, I cooled down with another .5 mile walk.

Overall, it was the first time I have run completely pain-free since my stress reaction.  I hope I'm back to 100%.  I guess we'll see.  

1/4 mile warm-up walk...then a 3 mile run at an easy 9:44 min/mile pace...followed by a 1/2 mile cool-down walk.  My hip/femur still feels good.  No pain.  Still hesitant to run anything longer than 3 miles yet...and maybe my body needs to stay around 3 miles for a couple of weeks to prepare my muscles and bones for longer distances.  I'm feeling a little apprehensive because I absolutely don't want a recurring injury that takes me off the streets for another 4-5 weeks.

I think I need to sign up for a 5 or 10k...and get on a structured training plan for those runs. 

1/4 mile warm-up walk....followed by another 3-mile run...with a 3/4 mile cool-down walk.  My pace was a little better today.  Still easy...but 9:38/mile.  I'm feeling stronger...and still no pain in my hip/femur.  I should probably take a recovery day tomorrow.

Feeling more confident each day I run with no pain.  I'm anxious to get back up to 30-35 miles a week.