Pain = Good

Usually when I arrive at PT, I have my choice of one or more of the many typical, simple PT tables, that look much like a medical exam table. But, today, those tables were all full. . . and there was one, newly arrived, fancy table to which D directed me.

This new table looked tantalizingly like a massage table. Unfortunately, it was not a massage table.

No hot stones. No aromatherapy. No CD playing wind chimes, whale songs, and native American chants. Oh, no.

In fact, it was a torture table. Apparently the variable height and other accoutrements made it just right for D's work tonight. It was not a good night to be on that table.

After rearranging my whacked out sacroilliac joint via some pretzel like postures complimented by D's manipulations, D generously applied his astonishingly strong thumbs to my already tender tensor fascia latae, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. This process hurt like a son of a bitch was uncomfortable. Over the course of perhaps 15 minutes, I am quite sure I swore at least a dozen times. My three natural childbirths lasted much longer, but I can't say they hurt much more. And, I got really cute babies out of those deals. Anyway, after quite some time, and some progress "releasing" my insanely tight muscles of deep inside my right hip and right ass cheek, D had to get a break from my bitching attend to other patients.

So that he could get away from my cursing I could control the intesity of the pressure, D next introduced me to a new torture device with which, oh joy, I can continue treatments at home! Every day! The deceptively innocent looking tennis ball is the latest bane of my existence. The daily objective is to sit on the floor somewhere with my innocent sunny, fuzzy, bouncy ball. . . and rest my ass right on that ball just in the most painful spot, then relax (snort) for however long it takes for the pain to subside. (Oh, excuse me, I mean, however long it takes for the muscle to "release"). . . Of course, I should readjust the angle and the weight to maximize the pain as needed. Pain = Good. (This is not something I am liking about being an athlete, this seemingly characteristic correlation between pain and benefit.)

You know, my ass used to be treated more kindly. My husband always rather liked it. But, no, now it is a source of pain. Damn ass. Dumb ass. Whatever.

So, why was I at the torture table today? Because I haven't been able to run more than a couple miles without pain since my half marathon 19 days ago. In fact, the last time I even tried to run was last Thursday, a full seven days ago, and after that failed run, I was so frustrated at the every-other-day fails at attempting to get in a decent run that I went on strike and haven't ran for 7 days. The frustration of getting out there, running a couple miles, and having my RIGHT (why right now!?) hip/thigh/knee go into hissy fits of pain was getting to me. Everything else felt great, my breathing  was good. . . but my knee to hip zone on the right side just goes into spasms. It seemed to be centered around my good-old-ass-cheek pain, but was also typical IT band zone. So, who knows what it really is. That's where I go to D for his genuis at figuring these things out.

So, anyway, today it was D's job to figure me out so I can get back on track. He did a lot of examining and tests, and determined that I have some asymetry in my pelvis. His pretzel work rearranged things (for now), but as the asymetry might be long standing, things might just go back out of whack right away. So, I have lots of at-home exercises to try to keep things in line and to rearrange them if they get out of whack again. I also have the lovely tennis ball work to release the insanely tight and inflamed muscles deep in the right half of my ass. (The asymetry presumably contributes to the muscle and nerve whackitronics, which is why we are trying to address both the asymetry and the muscle and nerve whackitronics.)

I sure am glad to have D around to figure out my body's mechanics, and I will be happy when I can get back to running coaching and not deep tissue release. I am not so panicked as I was the other times I couldn't run due to injury, because this time I have more faith that I'll be back at it soon enough.

This week's assignment: run again, some more, to see if there are IT band issues in addition to the identified ass issues.

Meanwhile, I am reassessing the wisdom of doing a full marathon in 2011. I'm thinking I'd just like to run 20-30 miles a week all summer pain free, having fun, being healthy. . . and then reassess in the fall. I kept telling myself that I'd decide about the marathon after my first good post-HM run, and since it's going on 3 weeks and I haven't had one yet, I'm starting to think maybe that's my sign that 2012 would be a better year for a marathon.

That's OK. If I wasn't training for my first full marathon, I could have time to do some speed work, and maybe a Spring triathlon. . . And maybe break 2 hours on my next half. . . There's always something fun to do. I just want to get back out there.

Saturday. I'm gonna run Saturday.

Or, maybe tomorrow evening if the weather is good.

Oh man, I want an hour on the roads with tunes in my ears and nothing to think about other than the pavement under my shoes. I'm missing it.