Walk--not run, Get Me The Rack, 5k!

I usually thing of things to write about when I'm driving, or doing something else that means I can't write down what I'm thinking about.  By the time I get to paper and a writing utensil, I have forgotten what I was thinking ;-)  I hope I'm not the only one who does this!

This last week I was (still) bemoaning that I cannot run.  Someone asked me a few months ago if I've tried running. I said no, quickly, but the reality was that yes, I did try once after the accident.  My treadmill goes has three instant speed buttons of 3mph, 5mph, and 7mph.  I bumped it from 3mph to 5mph for about as long as it takes to say "NOPE", and went back to 3mph. My whole back was so sore from that 'try' that it just became more simple to say "I can't run" since 11/17/16 car accident.

Earlier this week my doc's office called to tell me the results of the MRI I had on Friday of last week. My wrist has water on it.  I wonder why it can't be aspirated. My knee was aspirated about a decade ago when I ripped my ACL and meniscus. My doc just racks everything up to my autoimmune disease.  (sigh)  It'd be even nice if insurance companies let you pick a physician based on their lifestyle. Such as, I'd like a doctor who is food/health conscious, and runs/exercises, and would look outside the box at investigating things.

The results of the wrist said I had water on it, and apparently it'll just go away in time.  The low back showed some issues and my PCP's nurse relayed that I could do injections or try traction.  Let yourself see how you'd react to those two options and being made to make a decision with that information.  I asked what type of injections, 'corticosteroid'.  Oh, so Prednisone?  She replied with yes, probably. Hmmm, well, I HATE Prednisone.

I asked what traction was about.  The nurse told me "weights on your waist".  Hmm, well that one doesn't sound as scary as Prednisone, let's go with traction.  The nurse replied, yeah not everyone wants a needle in their back.  My thought: Why would an injection/RX be anyone's first choice of recovery?  Medicine is good, but seriously, let's try some non-pharmaceutical things first!

This last time for PT, traction was "added".  (i.e. I did traction, plus the stim, but no Gym to see how I feel).   Traction is putting on a corset/waist belt system, laying on a table, having the belt system attached to a machine that slowly and gradually pulls your lower body from your upper body. Essentially, "traction" is the modern day mid-evil times RACK.  It actually didn't hurt. It felt good and I could only tell I was being moved because the Athleta pants slipped on the table as it moved under me.

rogues-cuthbert-simpson-on-the-rack-antique-print-1845-71236-p
(found via search for "The Rack")

Afterwards I felt good. Still had some pain, but I felt like I could hop and skip.  The pain came back about five hours later, but not as strongly until later that night.

There's a 5K this weekend that I've been debating on entering, so I decided I better get my butt back on the treadmill to walk a full 5k and see how I'm going to do with it.  I decided my time was doable and wouldn't keep the volunteers at the race finish extra long.  In addition, after I had two miles done, I decided to try to run.  BIG mistake.  I bumped up the treadmill to 5mph and immediate pain shot horizontally on the low back and up the back as well. I went back to walking.

Then the race was postponed from Saturday to Sunday. . . . due to strong winds forecast. By strong winds, we're talking wind gusts up to 50mph.  Some people were upset because they had Sunday commitments, but most were happy that:

1. The race director is looking out for racers and volunteers;  and 

2. That "Iowa Nice" extends to parks being flexible with something like a race.  

I cannot imagine a race on city streets being postponed one day. However, since this race takes place in a state park, and no one had the park reserved for Sunday, then the race can still go on!

I entered this 5K for Sunday, as well as one at the end of the month.   I have mixed feelings for having to walk it, but happy to get out in the beautiful Spring and get enjoy the day.  

Last year when I did the Marine Corps Marathon in October, someone asked me why I just didn't postpone it until the following year, and get a better time, since it'd be seven months after my acral lentiginous melanoma/ "toe cancer".  I said because I got into the race for this year and I was going to do it, and I had to get something BIG moved in order to be able to do the race, and would have to get permission to move that again in the following year.  I am now ecstatic that I ran the Marine Corps Marathon last year.  It was my slowest, marathon ever, out of five, but I did it.

In that fashion, I'm getting out there and doing this 5K.  It will be my slowest, longest 5K ever, but I am going to do it.  (I did walk this race with a friend a couple years ago, so it'll be the second 5k I've walked since 2009 when I started running).  

Now, should I do a costume, or just dress as a "walker" ;-)   It is a Foolish race to do, after all!