Update: Epidural Efficacy and Way Too Cool 50k Preview

Kilian in the pain cave

While making friends with pain is a cornerstone of endurance sports, I find myself in more of a love/hate relationship with it at the moment. Kilian Jornet (above) represents an echelon outside my potential. But when I conjure my conquests of fitness and stamina, the chasm between now and then stings. The epidural procedure has enabled me to resume training, but the comfort I know awaits me has resisted to manifest thus far. My back continues to feel vulnerable and sore after hard efforts. My hips and ass are fatigued from so much strength work. Fortunately, the sciatica has not returned. So I have that going for me.

I have run less than 70 miles for the year. Yet, I intend to toe the line tomorrow morning for my third Way Too Cool 50k. It is going to be sloppy. Rain should build all morning to a full blown storm by 3 pm, right around my expected finishing time. My 50k PR (5:23) came on this course in 2013. I am not chasing a PR this year. Getting my groove back and spending time on my feet are my two primary goals tomorrow. Having fun and practicing 100 miler pace (run/walk likely) are also on the agenda. I get to try the new Tailwind Green Tea Buzz drink mix, and then there is all that rain.

I have always loved running in the rain. Sure, it is hard to get out the door, but a good storm makes any outdoor activity feel, well, more Epic. Am I right? The 2012 CIM (Stormathon Redux) will always be one of my favorite accomplishments. However, with the slippery conditions, I will have to be very mindful of my footing. I cannot risk tweaking my already frail back. So, I'll slow it down. Maybe I'll even stop at 8 miles for a beer break at the Victory Sportdesign tent before tackling the back two thirds of the course. It worked pretty well while pacing at TRT, right?

Sad news from the Western States organization this week; Dr. Bob Lind, shotgun starter emeritus has passed at the age of 81. I am honored to have met him briefly at the Sports and Medicine conferences in Squaw Valley. The fact that my first two Western States runs were started by the blast of his shotgun further cement those two runs as the most important accomplishments of my running career. AJW has penned a poignant remembrance over at iRunFar. Please, do check it out.

The Six Thousand Dollar Man: The Epidural

We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. 

Better.

Stronger.

Faster.

The days following American Canyon 15k were bad. I continued twice weekly physical therapy sessions, and daily strength conditioning. My sore quads eventually recovered, but every run sent my back into spasms and the numbness in my foot returned. I gave into the discomfort and scheduled an epidural with my spine doctor. Fortunately, I was able to get an appointment within a few days.

I had been weighing the pros and cons of the spinal injection of cortisone for a couple weeks. As I kept hitting the dreadmill, and then needing four to five days to recover, it became apparent that I needed some relief in order to really begin training again. Any concerns about side effects were trumped by the discomfort. With races looming on the horizon, and no real mileage under my feet, I took the plunge.

Epidural needle

An epidural is an injection to the spine, usually using a needle about 4 inches long. An x-ray technician helps guide the surgeon to the desired location, and the entire procedure takes less than ten minutes. I showed up at Webster Surgical Center in Oakland at 10 o'clock on Friday morning. By 11:15 I was face down on the operating table, wondering when the anesthetic would kick in. Then I was in the recovery room. The clock said 11:25. Easy peasy. The local anesthetic made my back feel spectacular. I could hardly wait to go for a run.

X-ray assisted spinal injection

Later that afternoon, the local had worn off and the injection site was really sore. I had planned to take Twirly dancing in the city that night, but it was obviously a bad idea. I took it easy on Saturday, and went for a "test run" with Twirly this morning. So far, no real repercussions. My lower back is a little tight, but the discomfort I have been experiencing seems to be held at bay. With only two weeks to Way Too Cool 50k, I am curious if I can put in enough quality work in the next ten days to give it a shot. Either way, Twirly and I will be in Cool on March 5th.

Here's to hope. And drugs. And more hope ;)

SYOTT

Race Report: 2016 American Canyon 15k

I threw caution to the wind, and decided to toe the line at the American Canyon 15k on February 6th. Race Director Harlan Reymont was kind enough to comp my entry. After a couple of treadmill workouts in the days before the race, I figured I should put my best foot forward, followed by the other one. At least until I returned to Auburn Dam Overlook Park. I have participated in this race every year since 2012, when it fell on my 40th birthday. As my first trail race, it will always be a special event for me. My annual birthday recognition would be incomplete if I missed it. Of course, if I had been 100%, I would have been racing Jed Smith 50k as my first PUSATF Ultra Grand Prix event for 2016. I'm glad I ran AC15k instead.

Harlan has made some improvements to the beginning/end of the lollipop course, adding miles of single track on the descent to No Hands Bridge. I had never been on this old railroad grade trail, and it was nice to not know exactly where we were or what was coming next. I kept up with friends Torrey and Clare on the descent, running a bit above my comfort zone. Once we got down to river level and rejoined the Western States trail I backed off, feeling my quads burning from the hammering descent. I grazed at the aid station and teased Julie about the additional mileage she had to run. "Haha, I get to go back now!" I joked.

I took it easy on the return, enjoying the much more runnable grade provided by the new course. I played with my pace/heart rate a little bit, and stopped to enjoy the views of the river and old coffer dam abutments. I finished in 1:40, about 15 minutes off my PR from 2012. The winners finished in 1:24, I think... At least my time will stand on the Ultrasignup top ten (9th) for another year.

I was happy that I could pull 15k out of my ass off the couch. Unfortunately, in the days that followed, my sore quads gave way to a sore back. Turns out the sciatica finally took up residence in the L5-S1 area from which it originates. Returning from injury is a bitch, no doubt about it. Baby steps, relentless forward progress, determined daily strength conditioning, positive attitude... It all makes sense in my head, but the stamina and endurance I have enjoyed in the past seems so foreign to me now. I never want to take fitness for granted again!

Wait, What? But...

In the first week of December, the wheels came off. After running only 25 miles a week for all of November, I was beginning to ramp up my mileage. Jed Smith 50k was ten weeks away, and I was excited to put in a few solid training blocks in preparation for my 2016 racing season. On Saturday, December 5th, at the Western States lottery, I could tell something was amiss. My right foot was numb, and if I stood for too long, excruciating cramps would radiate down my right leg from my piriformis. I scrapped the 16 miler on my schedule and made an appointment with my A.R.T. chiropractor. Whenever I received tissue-work in the effected areas, my foot would go from numb to tingling...

After three treatments, I hared my first course for the Cougar hash house harriers. We began and ended at Fieldwork Brewing Company (where I can be found most afternoons). I loosened up as I ran, despite having to bend over and mark the pavement every half a block or so. By the time I had finished the 5 mile run, I could tell my back and leg were fatigued. The next two days were horrific. I could not stand for more than 30 seconds, and walking was not much better. Only sitting provided relief. Whatever was going on, it wasn't getting better. I had a couple more A.R.T. sessions before reaching out to Ann and other resources for advice.

Disc extrusion at L-5/S-1

I began seeing Physical Therapist Marty Mattox at Ultrahealth in San Francisco. She gave me some strengthening exercises to do and told me to stay positive. I would run again. Fast forward past a vacation confounded by a family medical emergency over the holidays, and the symptoms persisted into the new year. Marty advised me to visit my doctor and begin making arrangements to get an MRI to determine the source of the nerve impingement. I was able to fast track the process, and by mid-January I had my answer: extruded disc at L-5/S-1. The good news is that I don't need surgery. The bad news is that running is probably not the best thing I can do for myself right now.

Horizontal and vertical view of my extruding disc

That said, I am hopeful that with continued cross training and strengthening I will be able to gradually introduce running to my plan. Jed Smith is off the table. Twirly and I will be volunteering at American Canyon 15k/25k/50k on February 6th, as there is no way I should be running 5k, much less 15k at this point. I am hoping to attempt Way Too Cool 50k in March and Gorge Waterfalls 50k in April. If I am unable to run Miwok in May, I don't see how I could get into shape for Angeles Crest 100 in August. So, Miwok has become my "A" race for the year. It will provide me with a WS100 qualifier if I can get through it. I'll look at AC100 after Miwok.

I am still excited about the coming year. In addition to over-coming this newest hurdle, I'll continue helping Victory Sportdesign in their pursuit of providing the perfect utility bag for outdoor adventures. A kick-starter campaign is in the works for this winter, introducing the new Grizzly model bag, which is my favorite of the line thus far. There will be tons of sweet incentives and rewards, so keep your eyes open for that. I will provide a link to the campaign once it gets off the ground, so stay tuned!

This injury isn't like the others. I cannot blame it on a trauma. And nerve pain is such a different animal than muscle or joint pain. It can be truly incapacitating. I was near tears at times. The depression that stems from my body betraying me in such a way is hard to confront. I have been distant to those who love me, and with the complications of familial medical issues, I feel as though I am operating in a haze. I am in a holding pattern, looking for some way to get back to training. Back to the theraputic effect of logging miles, nothing but the sound of my footfalls and my breath.

The trail ahead is dark but holds promise...

Miwok 100k

Miwok logo tat, by Torrey Dasman. Hoping to add some antelope in 2016.

The lottery Gods are smiling on me, as I failed to gain entry to Western States 100 (I want to volunteer at Michigan Bluff instead, get back on the outside) and I have gained entry into the 2016 Miwok 100k. I feel like the 2015 Miwok was my strongest race of the year, and I left some room for improvement. I'm looking forward to giving it another go next May. The final lottery for next year is for Way Too Cool 50k. Fingers crossed, see you on the trails.

Waterfall 50k. Check.

Lottery season is off to a great start! I gained entry into the Gorge Waterfalls 50k in April. That knocks American River 50 mile off the docket. Jed Smith 50k and Way Too Cool 50k (lotto willing) will constitute my winter warm up. Now I have to pick some other Ultra Grand Prix races to make up for skipping AR50. If I fail to get into my third consecutive States, I'll likely be wrapping up the season with Dick Collins and a quad dipsea.

Break is Over, Back to Work!

Kuani gets a facelift

After six weeks of boatyard work interrupted any semblance of consistency in my training, the idea of starting Ohlone 50k, much less UROC 100k, felt ridiculous. I took DNS's in both races. The bright side is in Kuani's fresh topsides, and my well-rested body. I have just under 40 weeks until Angeles Crest 100. I jumped in as a charter member in the "run club" at Mcmillan Running.  I hope some structured and focused training plans will help me get back in shape.

Ready to get back in the water!

To stay in shape, I plan to run the PUSATF Ultra Grand Prix in 2016. I enjoyed the challenge of staying consistently fit and healthy in the 2012 Gold Country Grand Prix, and stepping up to an ultra series fits well with my current goals. First up will be the Jed Smith 50k in February. I will miss the American Canyon race, but hope to return to that special event. A "road" 50k, Jed Smith will get me whipped back into shape by developing a speedy base. 

And I'll need a good base! Lottery season is upon us, and once again I have thrown my name in for States. Also on the list: Gorge Waterfalls 50k, Way Too Cool 50k and Miwok 100k (both Grand Prix races).

Grizzly sighted in Nevada County

Adding to the novelty of running again is my inclusion on the Victory Sportdesign ultra running team. I have long been a proponent of their vision and integrity. My duties have already begun, as I was enlisted to do some wear testing on the new Grizzly series backpack. The Grizzly has a lot of potential to help further organize the existing Victory bag lineup. It can hold two of the Bear II's stuffed full, or a combination of the smaller Coyote and Cougar bags. Victory's reputation for organizing your endeavors is evident in the interior. An adjustable divider unit and laptop sleeve provide a flexible, adapatable platform.  The design is not finalized yet, but I am excited to see this bag hit stores in 2016.