No trail running happening on this blog...

I'm still recovering. After doing 'the splits' going down an embankment on April 23rd, I ran for a while until I couldn't anymore because of the pain. Now, I haven't run in 2 months. I've had X-rays, an MRI, and a few days ago, an MRI with an arthrogram (dye injected into the hip).

Although I had to take about 3 weeks off of all exercise (I was limping), I eventually started cycling, swimming, and hot yoga, since I could do all of those without pain. I'm still lifting weights twice a week. I've been cycling about 45 minutes to an hour 3-5 days a week, swimming once a week (well, if that's what you want to call it - I haven't swam in 30+ years) and trying to walk 2+ miles once or twice a week. Until about a week and a half ago, my walks have been painful. I am now able to walk pain-free, which is great!

Getting ready to leave the house. My new bike skirt. :)

After seeing the Sports Medicine doc at TOI, I was sent to physical therapy for 3 weeks. Exercises and stretches, mostly for strengthening of my adductor/abductors/hips. I am pretty sure I pulled my adductor muscle, and that has finally been fixed. The physical therapist suggested that I try a minute of light jogging, since I was now walking pain-free. It hurt, so I stopped. After seeing my doctor again about that fact, I was sent for an MRI with an arthrogram on Friday. She suspected a labral tear.

I got the results yesterday and it was negative for a labral tear. It indicated a few other things, which I don't quite understand, so I will talk to her this week for the next course of action. It will most likely be a cortisone shot. We'll see. I've become pretty patient these days...





Today, Dallas and I rode our bikes to DMAFB (Air Force base), swam for 30 minutes in the indoor lap pool, and rode back home.

Waiting to get on the AFB. I'm officially a military dependent now.

Riding on base with a view of the Catalina mountains.

Pool feels good in this heat.

Pink everything. Pink clothes, pink swimsuit, pink goggles.

I rode 20 miles!!!!!!!

My longest bike ride ever. I am working on lengthening my weekend bike ride and if things progress along, I might do the 40 mile option of El Tour de Tucson in November. Not sure when I'll get running again, but when I do, it will be a slow progression.

So, for now, I'm enjoying the cycling, trying to learn how to swim again, will probably do Kettelbell/TRX classes with Dallas in August, and hopefully, start hiking with some hills soon.

I did crew Dallas, Mike, Tom, and Jeremy on a 50 miler last weekend. They ran through the Catalina mountains in the middle of the night to celebrate Dallas' 50th birthday.

Proud of these boys! Almost 16 hours and over 11,000 feet of elevation gain

This year has been hard with the loss of my Mom, the loss of Cracker, and the loss of running. But, I married my best friend Dallas, my job is going fairly well (except I'm working a LOT), my health is really good (other than the injury), and I am surrounded by more friends than I have time to spend with.

It felt really good to do a 2+ hour block of exercise today with Dallas. I have really missed running with him and this was awesome.

I don't see myself becoming a triathlete anytime soon, but I am going to Ladies' Night at TriSports at the end of August! Should be fun. I'll probably be going mountain bike riding with my friend Ross in a few weeks for the first time.

I am blessed! I know I will be back to running before long - I just need to be patient and let things heal.

No news is good news and some not so good news...

I haven't posted in a while - there has been a lot going on!

Dallas and I got married on May 22nd on Mt. Lemmon, followed by a 4 mile trail run with friends. For that reason, we had our wedding reception a week later at our friend Gene and Jane's house, which is beautiful.

We had a lovely cake from Nadine's, which had our signature 'trail heart' on the top, made out of sugar 'rocks'.

Yum. We shared a monstrous corner piece.



The rock heart in Sabino Basin. That is the ring in the middle.

Our wedding reception was a joyous time, just like our wedding. Dallas always makes me laugh. Dallas picked out this beautiful dress for me.

He said more beautiful words to me before we cut the cake.

We had about 65 friends come. We are truly blessed.

A week after the reception (2 weeks from my last run), I decided to go forward with my plans to run the Meet Me Downtown 5k, which is part of the Gabe Zimmerman Triple Crown. I have been dealing with some painful issues since my trail 'splits' on Easter Sunday, April 23rd, so I decided to take a few weeks off to see how things felt.

As soon as I started the race, I was in pain. Dallas ran the race with me and we finished in 26:05 (8:24 mpm pace), which was 9th in my age group (not bad for running injured). In retrospect, I should have probably stopped running a mere 1/8 mile into the race. Oh well. It definitely set me back a bit.

So...I haven't run since then. One month of no running. I've basically run 7 whole miles in the last 7 weeks. I miss it.

I've seen a sports chiropractor, my primary care doc, and finally got in the other day to a sports medicine doc at TOI. I had x-rays done, an MRI and I am taking Celebrex.

Initially, it was thought that I had a tight psoas muscle and possibly, a femoral neck stress fracture. Then, a torn adductor and pelvic avulsion were suspected. My sports medicine doc thinks that I likely strained my right adductor/quad/hamstring and associated tendons when I did the splits over 2 months ago and I might have a hip labral tear.

What the MRI reported was not good, though, and I'm not sure yet if it is related to the trail accident. It reported Femoral acetabular impingement syndrome and Herniated synovial pits in my right hip. My sports medicine doc has not seen the results yet, but in the meantime, I will be doing physical therapy twice a week and taking Celebrex.

She said no running for at least 3 weeks. I can exercise, but nothing that causes me pain. So, I am easy cycling (about 45 minutes at a time - 9+ miles), doing Bikram (hot) yoga, and I have started 'learning' how to swim. Yes, I can swim to save my life if you threw me in a pool, but my friend Shari is teaching me how to swim for exercise/cardio. Thank you Shari!!! It feels good to get some exercise.

Between all of these suspected and diagnosed problems, I have learned a lot about human anatomy. Bottom line is my hip socket is messed up. Could mean surgery, could get better with PT and Celebrex. I've also been doing Eucommia Bark, Krill Oil, and eating a lot of anti-inflammatory foods. I am doing whatever I can to help my body heal.

What's next? If I don't improve in 3 weeks, then I have to get a contrast scan to see what is going on in there. Once the sports medicine doc gets the results back from the MRI on Tuesday, she may change the plan, I don't know.

I took the Grand Canyon R2R2R off the upcoming list as well as JJ100.  If I get back to running by the end of the summer (pipe dream?), it will be a while before I build up my base and I am able to do long distances. Dallas signed up for JJ100, so I'll crew him and maybe pace him if I'm running by then.  I am going to CO in mid-September to run trails with some girlfriends; I sure hope I can run by then, too.

Lot of acceptance going on.

Other good news; Dallas and I are the new co-administrators (directors) for TTR!! Gene and Ross are stepping down after 17 years, and we will be overseeing the Tucson Trail Run Series for the foreseeable future (with their sage advice). Very exciting and humbling at the same time. What an honor to head up TTR for its 34th year.

Me in the news:
I was featured in some various articles over the last few months, which is cool. First, an article right before OP 50:

http://www.examiner.com/endurance-sports-in-tucson/ultrarunners-come-to-tucson-for-old-pueblo-50-mile-endurance-run

Then, I was featured in Tailwinds magazine in May - Emily did a great job on this article. Look on page 30:

http://issuu.com/tailwindsweb/docs/tw_may_june_2011

My friend Chase from TTR interviewed me for his new blog:

http://trailsofglory.blogspot.com/2011/06/profile-and-interview-with-renee.html

My blog will be pretty quiet for a while. Not sure what to expect about when I can run again, but when I have news, I will report it.  I am so thankful for all of the emails, FB comments and general love I have received related to my current injury/body problems. Mentally, they have all helped me tremendously.

I did finally invest in some bike shorts (and a bike skirt from Skirt Sports!) When I get the bike skirt, I'll post a pic. It is cute!! It is nice to have some cushioning when I ride.

Dallas and I went to my family reunion in Texas the 2nd weekend in June and he got to meet my humongous family. It was so good to see my family!!!  They all loved him, of course. He jumped in and helped the guys out with the annual catfish fry and really enjoyed himself.

No, I'm not from Texas, I'm from Lousiana - different relatives 'host' it each year. My cousin-in-law IMa (on the left) called us workout freaks.

Guess I'll end on that note. :)