Hope To Run Again Before End Of The Year

Yeah, last night was my last Midnight.  Well at least until next month.  But  I always need a couple of days to adjust back to living like normal people, sleeping nights instead of days.  My workouts usually feel crappy during these days.  Got to bed around 9am and woke up at 2pm.  I could tell right away in the pool my energy was low.  About midway throught the swim workout I got a foot cramp.  Walked on the deck for about a minute  and it went away.  By the last 200 both feet and calves felt like they could cramp everytime I pushed of the wall when I made a turn.  Rode my bike again today.  Went a little further this time.  But the lack of sleep, wind, and 87 degree heat made it harder.  Went for 25 minute walk with the family in the evening.  Barely a limp nowadays.  Bone scan on the leg  tomorrow.  Nervous about that.

Swim - 1200 yards - 21:53 - mix of breast and free.  Swam 200yds before and after each aqua jog.

Aqua Jogging - 5x6:00 - with belt

Cycling - 12.4 miles - 45:30

Swam and rode my bike in the morning.  Wanted to beat the heat.  But it was still 84 at 11:45 when I headed out the house on my bike.  My lack of riding time is showing.  This is the third day in a row, and the legs felt tired.  But I have always enjoyed the bike, and may just take it a little easier tomorrow. 

Got my bone scan today.  After the scanner passed my head I could see the image on a screen as it moved along.  Outside of the normal bones only two things stood out to my untrained eye.  The first was a bright white spot where they injected the radioactive stuff.  And the second was a white spot at the midpoint of my left femur !  That is exactly where it has been hurting.  When the tech came in after the scan, she immediately said, "looks like something is going on in your left leg."  I am not sure why I was excited to see "something."  Maybe I am just glad it is something I can finally have diagnosed.  But now I am worried.  What if it somthing more serious than a stress fracture?  I go to the orthopedic Thursday, so hopefully it will not be too bad.

Swim - 1000 yards - 19:04 - continuous - mix of br & fr

15 minutes aqua jogging - with belt

Bike - 12.48 miles - 44:22

Swim, aqua jog, and bike today.  Swam 1000 yards continuous while alternating between freestyle and breaststoke every 100 yards.  Swam with much greater effort than I had in awhile.  Followed by 15 minutes of aqua jogging with the belt.  I noticed my stride length had shortened and got a bit choppy after about 10 minutes.  So I purposely stretched out my stride as far as I could.  Immediately I could feel the burn in my quads.  I was surprised how much harder this was.   I could never stretch my stride like that on land.  I kept this up for the final 5 minutes.  I will do this more often.  When I got on my bike it was 89 out.  When I finished it was 92.  My legs needed a little rest, so I took it easy.  Also I need to watch my fluid intake. I can tell I need to drink more than I have been in this hot weather.  Go to the doctor tomorrow.  Hopefully he will know what the "white spot" on my leg from the bone scan is.

Swim - 1000 yards - 17:52

Aqua Jog - 15 minutes - with belt

Bike - 10.20 miles - 37:27

Went to the pool for a quick swim.  Then had to hurry off to the doctor.  He confirmed the "white spot" on my bone scan was a stress fracture.  It is near the midpoint of the femur.  He wants to see me again in three weeks.  Then he said do no physical activity until then.  I thought he meant only running.  But he said no to aqua jogging, swimming, and cycling.  I could not believe this.  I do not think I will stop the swimming and aqua jogging though.  I may cycle a little less.  The pain has virtually gone away.  Only when I need to walk real fast do I feel it now.  And I have jogged or run for any reason in about 12 days.  His final words were a warning that a stress fracture could develop into a total fracture.  Like I said, I just cannot see swimming and aqua jogging doing that.  Not sure about the cycling though.

Swim

1000 yards free - 18:38

200 yards breast - 4:23

Well now that the shock of being told to do no physical exercise has set in, I have rethought my earlier reaction.  I have a choice.  No workouts for three weeks or a possible broken leg.  So I have decided to cut out the cycling and aqua jogging all together.  I will still swim, but with a very reduced effort.  I will swim so slow, it will look like I am floating.  I will just do this for longer periods of time.  I hope this is not a bad idea.  I also need to be careful when playing ball, tag, or other games with the kids in the yard.  As for work, I hope there are no foot pursuits.  Everybody expects me to at least give a good chase since I run all the time.

I am really bummed now.