Snapped this pic earlier this morning after knocking out a few miles... and TBH I couldn`t even see myself being able to say/write those words a few weeks back... but here I am!
Woot woot! I`m pumped to announce I`ve been selected as an ambassador for @alteregorunning!
It`s like hitting the runner`s high before mile one. These folks are all about quality gear *and* the people who put in the miles wearing it. I highly recommend checking them out—just don’t blame me if you end up sprinting to their website faster than your last 5K!
Hi y`all ....wanted to share where I`ve been for the past 2 weeks.
Went to Scotland for a week. Got home. Got really sick. Got better.
I was still in recovery mode (no runs planned for another 4 days) but then somehow tweaked something in my lower back. The pain in the lower back became bad enough to land first on the bathroom floor in agony/tears and then in the ER at 2:30am. Had to go on some pretty strong Rx meds to get comfort. I`m not a fan of drugs, but it had to be done. I also went to the chiropractor that morning at 7am. X-rays show that I have lower vertebrae 11.14mm out of alignment along with compression and some degeneration in the area too.
As my goal with this account is to be transparent and share -- the good, bad, and ugly...I will say that during both being sick and the pain, my mind/brain went to a pretty dark place a few times. During the worst of it, I thought my running life might be over. I had pain-induced hallucinations, mumbling things to my wife as she drove to the ER... and recall saying "Don`t let them take my leg" as we got closer.
I`m not good at being sick. I`m probably even worse at being hurt. I`m not sure why my brain does this, but it just does. Maybe seeing a therapist at this point in my life could help?
Getting the Rx meds from the pharmacy did finally provide some relief, but my wife and kids were both scheduled to be out of town over the weekend. I put out the word to some friends and my F3 men`s group that I am a part of asking for help. They stepped up. Brought me food, walked our dog, got me my meds, and listened to me ramble. I`m not sure where I`d be right now without them.
So, where are things as of today? I`m happy to report that I`m off Rx meds and the discomfort is manageable with some OTC meds. I have a few more weeks of chiropractor visits, along with some PT.
Lastly, I also know that in the bigger picture, it`s all about perspective. In the long run, I`ll be just fine, whereas, during this same timeframe, the hurricane here in NC changed many people`s lives forever.
--- Sunrise taken in Edinburgh, Scotland. X-Ray taken in Cary, NC!
Snuck in one more run here in Scotland this morning.
It was quite the interesting route - from road to highway to mushy Scottish bog underfoot!
Also… as I found the route on Strava, I can say they my route is the safer choice as apparently the og route now has some locked gates in the way and would take you too close to airport property. Easy enough to make the adjustments and mozy on!