“A determined soul will do more with a rusty monkey wrench than a loafer will accomplish with all the tools in a machine shop.”

-Robert Hughes

I may be injured, but I am not yet defeated!!!!

First, (and most important!) thank you everyone for your comments and words of encouragement! I truly appreciate all the support!!!!!

I did go to see the sports guru chiropractor on Monday, and I’m pretty sure I’M IN LOVE WITH HIM!  (He had me at “Do you do crossfit?”).  Don’t worry, Adam knows, and he’s ok with it. Truthfully, I would have given this man my first born to take that pain away!!!!

But seriously, he actually listened to what I had to say and then spent time explaining how we were going to fix it. That’s right- he said it’s fixable, AND I should be back to 100% within 6 weeks (no promises, but I’ll take it).  After a quick exam- where he pointed out just how much range of motion I had lost compared to my noninjured side (thanks Ortho for not even checking… you totally suck btw)- he had me use a heating pad and hooked me up to some electric-stim (yippy my fav! not really, but it wasn’t that bad).  

Then he came back and busted up all the scar tissue around my shoulder so I could move.  He warned me several times that it would be really unconfortable, BUT IT FELT AMAZING!!!  It was INSTANT RELIEF!  Maybe not 100% relief, but it was a billion times better than when I walked in.  He popped almost ever knot in my neck and shoulder, and there were definitely a lot of snap-crackle-pop noises going on.  He pointed out that my  “muscles are crunchy” (from all the scar tissue) and that “crunchy” is not a “normal” state for muscles.  I told him he was LIKE A FOAM ROLLER FOR MY SHOULDER (which was obviously the utmost compliment coming from a runner with IT band issues). He just laughed at me and said “sort of.”  He was so personable and down to earth…. gushing… I know.

THEN he said the three most beautiful words I’ve ever heard from  a man: “You can run.”  So now I have clearance for running and the elliptical. He thought it might actually help maintain the movement I’ve regained.  Plus, he thought there was still a chance I could do the Tough Mudder!  He said start easy “Don’t go crazy and run like 5 miles. Start with a half mile and see how you feel.”   I had to fight to keep quiet, but in my head I was thinking “5 miles is an EASY RUN. Half a mile is BARELY EVEN A WARM UP.  What a tease!”.  I did just under 2 miles at an easy pace when I got home and figured that was a fair compromise.  My shoulder felt fine, so I was pretty excited.  I racked up the rest of my mileage on the bike and then got a ride home from the gym.

Since then I have been destroying the bike at the gym (21 miles on Friday!) and doing some light running and cardio on the elliptical and stair climber.  The more time I spend on the bike, the more I’ve been convincing myself that I can totally get over my fear of cycling and learn to swim.  G-Dawg and Adam have graciously offered to help coach me and teach me the ropes.  They both want to do an Iron Man next year, and I think I may just set that as my next goal.  Of course, I have lots to do in the meantime…. like learning how to swim and cycle… haha

Oh and get my shoulder fixed up…and survive Pike’s Peak… and the Ultra Beast. Looks like I have my work cut out for me!  I’ve never been one to do anything half assed though, so of course I’d set my sights on training for the ultimate triathlon instead of a sprint to ease in! lol

I’m sure this all probably sounds a little crazy coming from someone recovering from an injury; however, am I am not that type of person who believes in limiting myself.  I have already spent too much of my life restricted by what doctors and other people said I couldn’t or shouldn’t do.  I spent over 5 years with a man who tried (rather unsuccessfully in the end) to control my life, and there IS NO WAY anyone is going to put any limits or restrictions on me now!  I am a driven, goal oriented person.  If I am not challenging myself, then I simply don’t feel like I’m living.  Pushing myself is when I’m most authentic and HAPPY.  IT is what makes me feel like I am THRIVING. So if I decide that I am going to run a marathon, up a mountain, or through 26.2 miles of obstacles- you can bet it’s going to take nothing short of an act of God to keep me from that goal. Period. 🙂

Related articles

• Revenge of the Shoulder Blade… (runningthriver.wordpress.com)
• I Just Did Something Crazy… (runningthriver.wordpress.com)
• My Non-training Update (runningthriver.wordpress.com)
• Frustration is a Four Letter Word (runningthriver.wordpress.com)
• My First Tough Mudder (danvega.org)