Tuesday, August 24, 2010

And on the 27th day, she ran

These are my running feet I love so much!

I caved. Peer pressure? No. Feeling left out? Somewhat, but that wasn't it. Sick of my body getting weaker and flabbier? Definitely, but that wasn't really why either.

27 days after my last run in SF, I ran 2 miles. It wasn't intentional, it just happened. You know, like when you've downed an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's in a matter of microseconds and when you're done, you can't even remember how that pint got in your grocery cart let alone how you consumed all 80 billion calories in one sitting - it just happened.

Saturday, I went to my Athletic Training class. Remember that class where Nazi Drill Sergeant likes to call out wicked torture exercises to us poor out-of-shape individuals, who somehow think this one class is going to magically change their bodies overnight and turn us into stellar athletes? Not that this is what I think mind you, but you know, for the others that are in this class that may think so. Nevertheless, yep, that's the class I was at.

Have I ever mentioned we run in that class? We do all sorts of speedwork drills, agility ladders and may favorite of all: run-as-fast-as-you-can-for-50-yards-til-you-wanna-puke-then-go-lift-those-way-too-heavy-pile-of-rocks-over-your-head-10-times-but-first-do-20-burpees-with-a-pushup. So yeah, before I even knew what I was doing, I was running. Opps.

But day 27 of no running and I'm at AT class and as I was doing these drills I was thinking of my heel the entire time. It didn't hurt and it wasn't "annoying" me. It usually never does until many miles into the run but it wasn't even bothering me. Sometimes it bothers me if I'm just standing there doing nothing. Or if I get out of bed and step on the floor. Or if it's a full moon. Or if there's an earthquake in China. Or....if I'm on the elliptical trainer, trying to be a good girl and not run on it. The pain is so random, I can't ever tell you when it's going to occur....except one thing I do know is if I have my running shoes on for any length of time - that's a sure fire way for it to start misbehaving. I can be standing there doing absolutely nothing and if I'm doing that nothing while wearing my running shoes for any prolonged period of time, the heel lets me know it ain't all too happy.

So after class, the one I almost died in, I guess I felt I hadn't endured enough abuse to the body as I didn't seen any miraculous changes to it (not that that is what I think, of course) so I went upstairs to try and get some cardio on that monotonous as all get out elliptical trainer. I actually have nothing against this machine, but we will never be besties, best I can tell. I can set that puppy to a resistance Hercules wouldn't even like and I just can't get my HR up on it. But whatever, I need me some cardio cuz that's what I'm lacking dearly in the past month. Weight training, no problem - I haul myself to all these weight training classes 3 times a week. Funny, a year ago I went kicking and screaming to do my weight training....now I eagerly wait for this BA weight lifting class I've been going to, which pretty much kicks my butt. I actually love it. But get me more than 2 days of any cardio over a half hour and it's like sheer torture. Hello?? There's something so wrong with this!!

Walking up the stairs, I spot "it" in all her glory - my beloved treadmill. I just walked over to it and before I knew it, I was running.

2 whole miles!

At a 10:20 pace (gasp!!!).

Whatever the pace, whatever the distance - holy crap, I was running one long, continuous run (long being relative here). My body felt like green jello all grossed out and out of place, not really sure it knew what to do. 27 days down. 27 is a lot of days. I think that's the most I've ever not run in about a billion years. My legs were stiff, my left hamstring was tight and my annoying glute pain was screaming (nothing's changed there. Glad to know my persistent aches and pains and tight muscle parts never went away!) but I just kept going - if you call 2 miles "going". After about a mile, things were starting to loosen up, as they usually do and by mile 2, I was feeling right at home. Ahhhhhh.

But I didn't want to tempt fate so I stopped at the grandiose mileage and got off. 2 miles. At a 10:20 pace. Sunday I woke up and puttered around the house way too long and missed my weight lifting class.... so what the hell, I put on my running shoes and I ran to the track by my house (.65 miles) and spewed out 5 laps around the track at a 8:22 pace and ran the .65 miles home, bringing my grand total for the month of August to 4.45.

Monday, my legs were sore. Sad, huh? I cannot believe how quickly you can lose your "stuff", which is what's been eating at me the most the past week....I visually started to notice how much muscle mass I'm losing and how grossly out of shape I'm becoming - despite the massive weight lifting (Ben and Jerry's will do that to you, apparently, no matter how much weight lifting you do). So Monday I popped on my basement treadmill and cranked out 2 more whopping miles to shake the stiffness out. It was slow, but oh how I've missed my treadmill!! August running log: 6.45. Whooaaaa, start the presses and alert the media!

Here's the scoop, however twisted it may be: I spend 27 days off my feet running, trying to get this dumb heel to cooperate and heal up. Nothing happened, best I can tell. I still had pain, intermittently, at the most sporadic moments, for no apparent reason at all. I'd be standing there watching the girls come in at the race last week and OUCH. Or I'd be on the elliptical trainer and nothing one day and screaming the next. So last week, before I went to the AT class which later drew me to the treadmill, I was speaking with the cross country coach at school and we both came to the conclusion that I did what I was suppose to do with zero progress whatsoever - whatever is wrong with the heel is not being mended by time off from running.

Which brings me to a small (haha, grab your coffee, this will be awhile) vent about insurance in this great country of ours. If you think there is nothing wrong with the health care in our country, I am here to tell you that you are dead wrong. I am a 47 year old female who has run the vast majority my life; eat protein smoothies with spinach and Chia Seeds daily; total exercise freak, even ran the Boston Marathon twice .... and I have been "denied" by what was to be my new insurance company on August 2nd. The denial is due to some stupid "female" procedure I had two years ago, which basically was done only because my doctor was a little freakoid about something that wasn't even bothering me ... and in the end it turned out to be nothing. Nothing!!! Now the insurance company isn't very happy about this little procedure and until I can go back and have another procedure to verify all is ok, then they will not insure me. And since I have no insurance, this little procedure (how many times are you allowed the word "procedure" in one paragraph??) is going to cost me several hundreds of dollars out of my own pocket. And even then, there's no guarantee they will insure me because honestly, all these claims people know is how to check "denied" if they see one thing that may possibly be off kilter . So I have 6 (SIX) calls to my doctor about the situation and I have yet to receive one phone call back from them. Tomorrow will be one week of endless phone calls with no progress whatsoever. Be grateful you are insured. I truly mean that!

Therefore, no, I have not have my heel looked at professionally cuz I've been denied by the government of this wonderful country. You may be 500 lbs and sit on your butt all day watching endless television, smoke a pack of cigarettes and eat an entire box of Ding Dongs for dinner and be insured. I cannot.

So I will run. A little. I will run until my heel screams not to and then I'll stop. I have no plans, I have no visions, I have no big races on the horizon. I'll just run and try to get back into decent shape (80 months???) and just do what I can do until somewhere, somehow, some way, I can become a real person in this society and have this heel officially diagnosed. I have totally given up trying to self-diagnose what it is - I have an excellent webMD degree but I have such contradicting symptoms that I can no longer even guess at what it is.

So this is the plan and I'm sticking with it: Continue my cross training; go to weight lifting class 3x/week; do Jamoosh's Hard Core Club 3x/week. And I will run. I did what I was suppose to do - I took some time off and nothing happened, so now I'm going to do what I know how to do better than most anything else in this entire screwed up health care system universe: run.

It may not be the smartest plan I've ever come up with, but I don't give a crap anymore. You gotta do what you gotta do to stay sane in this crazy world and this is what I feel I must do right now.

Game on. Let's run!!

48 comments:

ajh said...

I totally get your frustration. First with the heel - personally. Then with the health insurance - although I have been fortunate with that. I hope you can continue to run at least small amounts.

Andrew Opala said...

This seems like great news ... I forwarded your post to the white house ... they have a plan.

Good luck with weights and Jamoosh's thrilling thirteen (only I'm doing them 2x a week ... Plus Amanda's lunge challenge)

I hope your running distance and speeds increase!

Running and living said...

Grr, so frustrating! I would start running, too! I mean, if it were a stress fracture, the pain would be more predictable, there would be a discrete painful spot. Seems like you've got a plan figured out! Go Jill!

Velma said...

Argh - I can feel your frustration, and I am right with ya on the health care thing. I hope that the heel thing will go away quickly.

Casey said...

Ugh, what a bummer. Foot pain totally bites. :(

Jaime said...

I feel your frustration with a mystery injury. I hope you can continue to run pain-free.

I hope you can get in to see the doctor soon.

Tara said...

DON'T get me started on the healthcare system OR the insurance companies in the US; I will never stop. Just let me know if you want to go to plan B (you know, the one we cooked up in Breckenridge the other weekend.)
I'm glad that you are feeling better to run, but don't push it girlie! You gotta stay healthy! At least you are doing those dang bootcamp thingies at the gym (no, I will not go). And swimming with me (see you tomorrow?).
Anyway, hang in there, I just know things are going to work out for you sweetie, I mean how can they not? You're such a good person and you know.....that whole karma thing. I'm sending healing thoughts your way right now!
Ok, enough rambling; I'll talk to you soon. (and just so you know, I have NEVER eaten a pint of Ben and Jerrys and not remembered it; it's to be savored....)

Anonymous said...

ugh. that is SO frustrating! sending good and pain free vibes to you!

Teamarcia said...

I don't blame you one bit for running...if it brings you pleasure at this point, why not?
Totally understand your frustration with all things medical/insurance related. I do believe you'll come back stronger than ever though cuz that's how you roll.

The Green Girl said...

I'm in the same boat. I tore the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) in my right wrist and I've been insurance-less for three years now.

Beth said...

I am happy to hear that you are back to running! That really sucks about your insurance, makes my blood boil a bit. Even with insurance, I have gone to 3 doctors about my knee pain and have been told 3 different things.....so I am taking one more week off and then I am going to start running again too! Good luck!

C2Iowa said...

I understand the whole insurance thing -- I have been uninsured for 2 years! I am healthy as horse and cannot afford any plan. My employer will offer me insurance, possibly, in October. We will see.

I thought that I was the only one who used "crap" that many times in a blog! lol

Sending good vibes your way. Run if you need and stop when you must. You know best. Godspeed and peace Jill.

AM! said...

I know... ez for me to say out in bloggy world, but...YOU deserve to get your foot looked at by a doctor w/xrays.

and you know I'm sending all the good vibes your way;)

DRog said...

Rrrrrrr- total drag with regard to the insurance. Great job on the Cross Training and Weight Training! not so good on the Ben and Jerry's! I have the same dilemma with B&J...

You have two treadmills? One up One down? Waz totally lol @ Nazi Drill Serg story...use your intuition and do what feels right (which you are doing it seems)

Be well!
-Derek

gary said...

you gotta try the Power Pretzel M&Ms. They will turn your injury around.

Jennifer said...

Insurance, health-care, please! What a joke! Happy to hear Jill that you got some running in. Having had two injuries that kept me off my feet for 6 weeks at a time last year I can feel your frustration. Yours sounds like it's chronic so promise you will take it slow! When I finally do get out your way someday, I want to be able to go running with you! Cheers!

Lindsay said...

well it sounds like those runs went decently? i so know what you mean about the jiggliness and the outofshape ness. it is SO nice to see how fast that endurance fades.... isn't it?

as for the healthcare. SO DUMB. there are so many rules - i have insurance and still feel like i have to jump through hoops to get something paid for. once they tried to deny paying any portion of a ROOT CANAL. yes, cause those are such unique situations. ugh. i'm all for a health care reform... but not in the sense that we pay for the people who are on welfare. just in the sense of make it something people can actually use/benefit from! anyway, i'm sure you realize everyone is on your side there.

oh also, as i checked my google reader this morning - there is another "run with jill" blog i follow. her post today just so happens to be on heel pain!

http://www.runwithjill.com/2010/08/25/got-heel-pain/

so, just thought i'd share :)

Mark said...

Wow, Jill. That's a bad deal about the health insurance, I sure hope you get that worked out.

Anonymous said...

Good job keeping up with the cross training and weight training. At least you haven't taken up knitting. TELL ME YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN UP KNITTING!

Suzy said...

Aw, Jill. Hang in there sweetie because insurance companies suck. You have great news: YOU RAN!!! Can I come to your class with the Nazi Drill Sargent? It sounds great.

Johann said...

I would have done the same. So you go and I’m positive you’ll be running long soon.

Christi said...

I am sorry about your insurance situation. That really sucks!

Good luck with your plan! I think you are doing the right thing by taking it slow. I know it is maddening because I am also right there with you. But we too shall overcome this!

Marlene said...

You ran! WOOHOO! I hope that heel of yours behaves itself. Sorry about the insurance issues - that's a load of crap!

Glenn Jones said...

Don't get me started about health insurance. It's not all it's cracked up to be. I own my own business, and I have insurance throug Blue Cross. For the tidy sum of $14,000 a year, I still have a $7,000 family deductible. About the only thing it's good for is if we were to have an emergency. Grrrrrrr.... I often just come out of pocket for the family medical needs.

Hope you're able to figure out what's going on with your heel!

Katie A. said...

I can't believe all that time off and it didn't do one bit of good! I'm glad to hear though, you're running. You are a runner, and when Jill doesn't run, Jill isn't Jill! I hope, NO I pray that they will get this insurance shit figured out for you!!! Such bogus!
Keep it up lady! The cross training, the AT camp, all that! And good luck with school starting! I want to hear all about it! ;)
xo
Katie

Emz said...

Love that you love your mill!!
Bummer on insurance. :(
You are awesome.
The miles will come!!

Happy Feet 26.2 said...

Well what's a girl to do???? The insurance situation is so ridiculous, a girl must run to remain sane. Be careful, take it slow, and have fun with it.

Jamie said...

the insurance issue sounds so incredibly frustrating. i hope you can get resolution soon!

congrats on being back and running though! I hope the heel continues to not give you any problems.

Anonymous said...

So frustraing I am know! You are right about one thing the most though...I cannot believe how fast one loses fitness; I remember being shocked by that earlier this year.

You'll get back to you...time and patience :)

Amber said...

Congrats on running again! So exciting!

I definitely hear you on the insurance/health care frustrations. I pay out of pocket for my "health care," which is basically useless unless I'm going for a routine visit - which I don't do! If I go to the doctor it's for a major crisis situation! My husband gashed his arm open a few days ago, and since our "insurance" doesn't cover emergency visits, we super glued it together and hoped for the best. *sigh*

I hope you can get help with your heel. Injuries are no fun!

misszippy said...

Frustrating on so many counts--the insurance, the time off with no results, etc. But I have to say, I've had PF for a whole year now and somedays it's worse than others, but most of the time, I can and do run. So I can't blame you a bit! I hope it holds out for you.

Molly said...

I just read MissZippy's comment...and I'm in the same boat PF wise. I've dealt with it for 10 years now, and will probably do so forever, but whatever. Insurance drives me batty, and the sad thing is, it's only going to get worse. I like your game plan though, sending good vibes your way!!

Anne said...

I so understand the frustration. I just hope the foot gets better...
I must say, your insurance story makes me glad to be Canadian. Hugs ((()))

Abby said...

A run is a run is a run! Yay!

(And I'm really sorry about the insurance stuff. I'm not even going to begin to get involved in that conversation, because I could go on for paragraphs...)

Julie said...

You did it Jill! You got out and you ran:) I know that you are frustrated and bummed but just hang in there! I know that things will get better for you! Hugs and love:)

William Plock said...

I'm showing U2 concert at red rocks in my spin class today and was doing some research on red rocks and your blog popped up. Nice. I have one that could be called "bike with Bill"! Seems kind of similar in spirit, although you are much better at posting. I get lazy. Mine is coloradobikeaholics.blogspot.com. I'd be happy to add a link to my site if you like. I'm training for my full distance Ironman (arizona) and need more running, I want to go try Red Rocks soon. Have a good one! Bill Plock

Black Knight said...

The cross training is always a good solution when we cannot follow a perfect running plan. In Italy we have a different insurance system but I understand very well your frustration.

Ulyana said...

I'm so sorry about the insurance company problems... keep up the fight, you'll win!!!!!!! (hugs)

RunToTheFinish said...

oh my gosh this was too funny! I think all of us who have told ourselves I won't run find this happens..and it brings this bizarre joy!!

Sherri said...

Wow! I am super impressed that you made it 27 days without running. That would even be hard for me! Your a tough cookie! I am great at taking breaks...that is why I am always a novice! I'm stuck!!!
I am glad your back to running...and I hope that heel will leave you alone!=)

The Boring Runner said...

Uggggg. SOOOO frustrating about the insurance. You're doing the right thing with the cross training though. Keep it up!

LMC said...

Health insurance is a scam and a large part of the problem with our health policies in this country. You would have an easier time getting treatment in any other third world country. Anyway, sorry you are caught up in that insurance mess. I hope it works out somehow.
I totally get your frustration with not running and understand that you need a new plan. Go for it, but gently :)! I really hope it goes well for you!!! Take care!!

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner said...

Ok I am working backwards in comment catching up. Because I never know how long I will be able to use the computer and the stupid phone (unlike smartphone!) does not like to leave comments! aaaaaarrrrrrrrggggghhhhhh.

Okay now insurance. arrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh! it is a BIG reason why I still live in PA and Hubbs is in Va. I have GREAT fully paid insurance at my job.for the.whole.family!! Hubbs has yucky military when he is full time Army otherwise it's whatever or not! As I get older I worry more and more about the "what ifs" and health care. I don't want to let something go simply because I can't afford to have it taken care of early on. Ugh! I hope you can get the whole insurance thing worked out. major pain in the....(no, not heel) butt!

Nice mileage! ;-) Easy does it. Remember any run is better than no run.

Anne said...

I so understand your issues - and rant - with how insurance companies work in this country. Hope the heel continues to heal on its own.

T.C. said...

Ahhh, Ben and Jerry, my 2 boyfriends!! I've been there-empty container with no recollection of the past 5 minutes! It's so hard to know what to do and contradicting symptoms can be so frustrating. When my knee was acting up, I did what you did-rested a while then started back running short easy runs when I couldn't stand being idle anymore. Like Shellyrm said--any run is better than no run!

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner said...

I've got a secret. You need to stop by and say Hi!! ;-)

zbsports said...

Great post there, I like your post it is so interesting. Keep up the good post.

Marathonman101108 said...

Thanks for the wake-up call. It's been 30 days since I've run, but I'm heading to the trail to give it a go. Thanks... :-)