Change of Plans

I received entry into the Dicks Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews. 

So today, May 3, I was supposed to run my Epic Half and Half Half Marathon as my Virtual Pittsburgh Half Marathon (see here for the master plan: https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-half-and-half-virtual-half.html. And while I was still a bit disappointed that I would not be going to Pittsburgh and running the races live, I had done my best to change my expectations and make the weekend be something fun. And the Pittsburgh Marathon peeps had been pumping us up in emails and on socials, it was the best that it could be.

I had made my plans. I had done my training. I was ready to go. 

But then, my crap knee decided that it wasn't getting nearly enough attention so it decided to throw a tantrum of sorts. I've written about how bad my knees suck in the past. I'm a long-term sufferer of dodgy knees. The technical term for what my issues is actually Osteoarthritis, which I was diagnosed with about 15 years ago. Basically, I've got no cartilage left in my knees. I've done all kinds of things in the past to deal including various Kinesiology tape configurations, braces, and flat out denial. But about 2 weeks ago, something seemed seriously not right. My left knee would totally just kind of give out on me all together. And things were hurting, like a lot more than usual. I could barely run or bend or well, even stand great.

So, I made an appointment with an Ortho to get it checked out. Turns out, at least according to the doctor, your knee caps are supposed to be in the MIDDLE of your knee (see pic). Huh? Mine aren't, plus I've no real cartilage left so my knees are bone on bone. 

My Knee X-Ray

But this isn't a terribly new problem as that doesn't happen overnight so while this is a contributing factor to a lot of my pain, it's not what is causing my new issues. 

Doctor thinks there is a new tear to the meniscus on the left side which is causing the sudden weakness, knee failure and intense pain. It was too swollen to tell though so I was given a cortisone shot (OMG that hurts) under the knee cap on the left side. The surrounding tissue was so damaged he could barely get the shot in 😳.

But the real kicker is that I was benched from running the whole weekend, until Monday. Which means I had to miss my Pittsburgh Marathon Virtual Runs. I am super super disappointed about this turn of events, but there is a silver lining. Turns out, I have until May 15th to submit results, so I am hoping that if I am a good little patient and do my PT and keep icing and rest my knees a bit, then I will be in well enough shape to still do the Half and Half Half Marathon before the deadline. I really really really REALLY want to EARN that sweet bling. And my especially my sweet custom Steel City Knockaround Sunglasses (seriously, these things are SWEET!) 

So in the mean time, I've been taking some walks (allowed) and have done some upper body workouts that do not involve my knees in any way. I've been being a good girl, because while I am stubborn and can make some really terrible decisions (seriously, I'm amazing at getting involved into some crazy dumb situations), I know that if I don't play this right, I could lose even more running time, and I've got some Fall goals that I am not willing to compromise on.

So stay tuned. I may have to reduce my miles for a bit, and I may get a bit slower, but I am totally shooting for the long term. 

Just you wait. 

And be sure to check back before May 14th. Cause I'm doing this, even if I have to walk it!