Going With The Flow

Everyone was very happy to hear that you closed your run a lot faster than we did this morning! :-)

Awesome Andrea! And boy are you ever right: you definitely will be back before you know it. Fast running is in your blood. And great attitude to realize you will have various aches and pains as your body gets back in shape. Just admitting that alleviates a lot of stress when the temporary aches and pains invariably arise.

Yeah, pretty happy with my progress the last 5 weeks - 20, 25, 26, 29, 35. Each week with decreasing amounts of pain.

If only one of my co-workers had a camera, my celebration would far surpass Allie's airplane finish.

i agree with rachelle -- depends on how you run them.

you have been making good progress and you are well on your way to 40 miles this week. an easy run on the trails is probably less likely to set you back than a 5k, but that's not to say either of them will set you back.

running a 5k this weekend may be a good tune-up for an even better one next weekend. it also may be pushing it to conclude one of your highest mileage weeks of the year with a harder effort. i really don't know.

i would say just wake up tomorrow morning and do what your body wants to do. it's usually right.

if you don't end up coming, i'll have james cart home some pancakes for you.

this obviously showed up on the wrong day. there is a "graph view" bug.

anyway. happy new year.

Yeah, happy new year, full of love, money and health.

Andrea-that is a spectacular plan...thank you for sharing it! No doubt you will be able to do it!

I've been following your recovery/comeback (just haven't been a very good poster). I would really like to have a break through in my running and am trying to train the "right way". Hence I've been watching all the elites on the blog and modifying things to my level. I realize I am NO WHERE in the same ball park as you, but appreciate your honest posts about your workouts (I'll just keep modifying!!).

Good luck...keep posting!

I love the posts that randomly show up on January 1st :-)

my favorite blog bug.

Ummm weird...I swear I put it on the September 30!! :)

Very cool. Glad to see your blog is working again.

well done ... prayers for a healthy you

Those resolutions make me think you are sick of injuries... there seems to be a common theme.

Injuries are the WORST. Especially ones that last 6+ months!!

I'm so glad you are feeling better! I'm looking for a good Vit-D supplement. Knowing your scientific background, is there one you recommend?

I've heard that Vitamin D3 is more effective in the body and it is absorbed best with the largest meal of the day.

I like it!

mushrooms...lots of mushrooms :)

I love the goals, and agree with Jake!

off the subject....have you tried the cherry juice concentrate??? today I took some after my run since I was so sore from my crosstraining with weights and I was so comatose an hour later I needed an hour nap!! I usually just take it at night but haven't taken it in a while. The last time I took it during the day-- it relaxed me greatly. Just seeing how it affected you. Those cherries are powerful!!! ; D

I guess I was on the subject...: D. Vitamin d very important. I still have an insufficient level but better than I was (two points off of DEFICIENT). Now I am one point off from being sufficient.

I am so happy that things are looking brighter for you right now. Let's hope and pray that this just keeps improving. You're so smart :)

btw- I was put on vitamin D 4 months ago by my dr. I feel so much better! :)

I am drinking the tart cherry juice every day...I don't know if it's helping, but I started being able to run at the same time that I started taking it so I'm going to continue drinking it a little longer, just in case it's making a difference! It doesn't seem to make me sleepy, but that's probably because I already get 9+ hours of sleep a night!

I wonder if it increased your progesterone levels which hormone helps with decreasing pain signalsand relaxes you. Melatonon is a precursor for progesterone.

Those are fantastic. I'll add a couple from his "Part 1" -

Coaching is a careful blend of art and science

Coaching men and women is different. “Men battle to bond. Women bond to battle.”

Little things count – Big things are a given, they are hard to overlook but it is the little things that quickly add up.

This is great stuff Andrea thank you so much for sharing.

Brilliant Andrea. Thank you. You and Jake, as usual, have banged out some great stuff today.

Hope you sort that leg out. from the symptoms you are constantly describing, it really sounds like you are having nerve problems. I can't understand why the PT's and doctors that you are presenting to are not investigating this as a sciatic nerve problem. And as I said before, it really sounds like piriformis syndrome.

If they have investigated this route, have you had any tests for a stress fracture? I doubt that that's what's wrong but this doesn't appear to be some muscle imbalance flummery.

Either way, I'm sure with your attitude and perserverance you'll get to the bottom of this. (Excuse the pun.)

Thanks again for a great post.

It is a funny tie-in but the Will Smith movie I-Robot is all about asking the right questions.

Also to quote King of the Hill "No agony no bragony!!!"

This is great Andrea! Thanks for sharing this and for your input earlier. Hope you get yours figured out as well.

BAM - I actually have no pain in the piriformis muscle. The glute pain is much higher, near the top of the iliac crest and even above that. Several doctors, PTs have investigated the piriformis but there don't seem to be any triggers. However, this definitely feels like a nerve issue or very weird referred pain, as well as, how you phrased it - muscle imbalance flummery.

I got an MRI a few months ago with everything clean.

My hope is that...as one part of the injury starts to heal, it will become more clear what's really the source of the pain. But if you have any recommendations, I am more than happy to try them out!

I like these points... especially the 'Mistakes are learning opportunities.' A lot of time it is difficult to look past the mistake and learn from the situation.

Great news that the MRI was clear.

Piriformis syndrome's a tricky little problem. It normally comes out of the blue and, in the early stages, presents intermittently. This is where it starts to become problematic: the muscles and tendons come in to help out and then you start having other niggles - like me with my hamstrings when I had piriformis syndrome in November. I treated the piriformis problem but it was too late as the hamstrings became prone to - using your phrase - going into protective mode.

More often than not, you don't have pain in the piriformis region - it's normally as you've described it: above/below the piriformis (referred). The reason for this is that the soft tissue in the glueteal area starts pulling and tightening. Then dormant trigger points become active and you have all sorts going off all over the place. The trigger points along the iliac crest are easy to release. Once they have been released it's easier to zone in on the problem area. To treat P.S. is simple. It's just some routine positional release techniques, that any P.T. will know, to treat the problem, followed up with A.I.S. to prevent it coming back. Although it may come back depending on other factors, but A.I.S. does help.

I know I rabbit on about A.I.S. but with good reason. Every runner who is serious about their running, should be doing A.I.S. before and after they do any form of training. Check out Meb on YouTube (using 'my' routine).

If a coach/PT/doctor tells you otherwise - sack them. This is one thing I know a lot about. Butterworth-Heineman commissioned me to write a book called The Complete Sports Massage Therapist and there was a chapter on AIS and soft tissue release and A.I.S. was used to show how to treat P.S. My co author, John Gibbons, who bought my business at Oxford University,(Peak Sporting Performance) was/is a specialist with P.S. and sciatica etc. He taught me a lot.

There are a range of very simple tests that you can google for both P.S. and sciatica.

But then, I'm not examining you in person. It could be a number of things. It's just that it sounds like classic and now chronic P.S.

The good news is that you're back running. I'm sure it'll sort itself out. But if it continues, I'd at least give A.I.S. a go for two weeks, twice a day, before and after exercise.

The PT I'm going to has been doing the AIS on me everytime I go in and I know it's helping a lot. I try to mimic it at home but much less successfully. I'll check out Meb's routine and see if that works better. Thanks!

You also have to consider what's going on with the psoas as well and you end up with ridiculous amounts of referred pain that is all over the place. A totalmess. This PT I'm going to now might not have everything figured out, but of the 10+ people I've seen in the past 5 months, I've been able to start up running again with him. He's very open to theories and so I'll discuss this with him next time!

It's very weird for me to read these comments. I had P.S 2 years ago, and these descriptions are bringing back reminder pains! My Psoas was tightened up too Andrea. It all started months earlier with low back pain. My PT did AIS on me 3 days a week for 7 weeks.

I don't assume that you haven't tried it all. But I was just sitting here thinking back when I hurt in all the areas that you hurt now. I remember I found this video 2 years ago and I really believe it helped me heal. The first night I did it, I lost at least 70% of the pain and discomfort/ burning.

http://youtu.be/tFtUgS69rPk

It's the first stretch in the video. The other ones are more common.

'Putting maximus back into gluteus.' This is a paper written by John Gibbons. If you look at the Peak Sporting Performance site, go to articles, and it's the last article. It's really easy to follow. You might find it very interesting...

Hopefully you can get everything back on track! Injuries are so frustrating! Thanks for posting that great info!!

(Very good advice)

That Functional Training Path list is excellent. Thanks for sharing. Great consistency lately. You will have ups and downs as you return, but you are definitely headed in the right direction.

Andrea,

I just got around to catching up on some blog post and ran across this entry of yours. I read through much of the Functional Path Training and found the information very insightful. I enjoy the information both you and Jake post. Thanks for sharing!

That is so great!! Sounds like you are getting close to being back!

You looked smooth and the stride had good "pop"!

You looked very good Andrea. Certainly doesn't look like you've not been running much. It won't take you long! Great job! And thanks for the awesome breakfast! So tasty!

7 strong miles, wow, that's great news!

excellent.

Awesomesauce.

It was great to see you out running this morning. I sure appreciate your hospitality and the great breakfast. It was fun to hang out in runner Mecca--Jake's and Andrea's apartment.

Great job Andrea! Thanks for the breakfast and letting us warm up at your place.

There you go:) Well done Andrea. Steady as she goes...

very exciting! great running Andrea!

Are you also planning go to Phoenix in March?

YAY!! So incredibly happy for you Andrea.

Sounds like a smart plan. I know your patience will pay off.

Great plan and great progress!

What Joe and Matt said + 1. It'll be great to see you back in full swing...

Great to see you moving forward. Small steps... but better than going backwards.

That sounds like a great plan to get things rolling.

It's great to see that the new year has you running again! Fantastic!

I want 10 hours of sleep!

10.5 hours of sleep sounds lovely. :)

I hear you! I did the same thing.

You're making great progress. Very nice. Allison starts jogging again this weekend so I'm pretty happy about that.

Derek - Has she finally conquered the dreadful PF?

Wow! You are definitely on the up and ups. So exciting!!! Must feel goooood.

It feels great to run! I still feel injury annoyances probably 75% of the time but that's a lot better than 100% of the time. The running is helping :)

Countdown to the NEW you - 9 DAYS!

NEW me, ha!

No post from you today yet. Hope that means you slept in again rather than bad news on the injury front.

She was awake when I got back from my workout at 7am. I was worried that I was going to wake her up from her beauty sleep! :-)

I might ask the wife if she'll get me a cheeky little Alter-G for my next b'day.

As you're coming back, all sorts of little niggly things go on. Just take it easy and theyll 'iron' themselves out - bit like wrinkle-free clothes:)

What's an iron? The thing you use to put wax on skis, right? You can use that for clothes too?

Good start, and nice run. I liked your review, and especially your 2013 goals. Keep it simple. Sounds like you are thinking big picture which is hard to do sometimes.

Yay tempo. So awesome! Cheers to even more adventure in 2013!

Awesome tempo this morning Andrea. It is amazing to me how well your body is remembering the faster paces.

I like your 2013 goal to have more fun. :)

excellent mini tempo and nice recap -- a tough year for sure but you had some great races and got a lot of injuries out of the way. it's all healthy from here.

i love that BAA start line pic.

Andrea,

Your 5K and 1/2M times while injured are so fast it's crazy.

It looks like I've got metatarsalgia in my right foot. Did any specific treatment work best for you? If so, do share. Thanks a bunch.

Foot problems are so complicated and annoying. What finally worked for me was - deep massage in the feet (rubbing with finger in between the bones of the feet), loosening up the calves (there are several trigger points in the calf muscle that can cause pain in the feet), and a warmer climate (I went to Brazil :) but maybe just doing more miles indoors to keep everything loose).

I also spent a lot of time cross training and doing activities that didn't irritate the foot pain for a while. It's very similar to plantar fascitis in my opinion - struggle with it for a while, starts getting a little more manageable, and then one day it's just gone and doesn't come back.

Thanks for the advice. One more reason to visit Brazil. ~Matt

Great tempo today and excellent 2012 recap. The pictures are fantastic. Time for a healthy 2013! By the way, what is skinning?

Matt- I bet you've been waiting in suspense for a response to your "what is skinning" question and your surgery schedule is pushed back a week now! :-)

Skiining just means uphill travel on skis. You put these magic nylon "skins" on the bottom of your skis and w/ a free heel, you have enough traction to climb up mountains while keeping your skis on your feet. Its the "up" part of backcountry ski touring. Then you take them off for skiing back down.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ski_touring

Skins: http://goo.gl/LkCF5

"Skinning" up: http://goo.gl/DVNoj

Thanks for the answer Jake. You are right, I cancelled all my surgeries until I had an answer to this question. Now I can move forward :) Very cool stuff. Sounds like fun.

Andrea is all like "CHILLAX OUT muscles I'm dropping 6:20 pace" and the muscles are like "aiiiiight we'll stop w/ the over-protection over-contraction nonsense"

Non-sense it is!

I saw all the happy dogs bounding around in the snow this morning and thought of you :) Glad you got out this morning to enjoy it!

It was fun! But I was only bounding for about 5 minutes, got tired, then resorting to shuffling the rest of the run.

Well done for getting out there this morning. I saw the picture - that takes some serious dedication.

I didn't even feel bad being noisy and waking you up this morning because I knew you'd be so happy when you looked outside :-)

10:04 average pace for me. :) and a 90 minute commute!

Sledding! I want to come. :)

Wow! The word dedication comes to mind. It is 70 degrees at the moment in Houston, just thought I'd rub that in there.

You got all the snow! We only ended up with about 1/2 an inch down here in Price. So impressed:)

I totally believe that East Millcreek won! I couldn't even pull into my driveway because there was so much snow blocking it this afternoon. I'm so glad you're feeling better.

We've had WAY more snow than this before and they STILL didn't close anything down. It's crazy.

Nice run

I'm impressed you ran in those conditions. I'm a wuss, I just jumped on the treadmill.

Looking great Andrea. Nice job!

It was good to see you this morning, Andrea. I'm so glad you're starting to feel better. Thanks for shooting a couple pictures--it has inspired me to lay off the chips at work :-)

You guys all looked great out there! Jake said the same thing to me and I just rolled my eyes like I am virtually doing to you right now.

Beautiful picture!! So glad things are looking up for you!!!

That is such a great picture. Where else in the world can you do something like that right above downtown?

I'm so glad we get to run together a lot again!!

Awe that looks so fun! Glad you got out. And very happy for you that you're up and running again. I know what a good feeling that is!

Beautiful views! It was great to see you running this morning...I'm glad it was pain free.

Great stuff Andrea. So pleased that you're feeling better and able to run without too much discomfort. Good too that you were able to run 7 miles again:)

Yep, this is great to see. Good luck this next week with the mileage bump.

You're on a good track!

Really smart move today. Taking a day off every 10-14 days will really help keep the improvement curve going UP.

Yeah, even the elliptical felt a little too hard on the body after 15 minutes, hence my safety net of backwards walking!

You did a lot this weekend, and the overall volume of you've done in the past 3-4 weeks is significant. You gotta take one step back and then 10 more steps forward.

Thanks so much for sharing this Andrea. Strengthening the hips and glutes is definitely important and something I have learned the hard way. I'm excited to check out the rest of the list.

Do you have to log negative miles for backwards running?

No way! Did you not read my post where going backwards should be counted 10x as much as going forward (some ridiculous article)? :)

Oh! no I didn't see that. The World Record marathon backwards is 3:42:41.

great list.

re: #3 -- fire hydrant. re:#20 -- oh so true.

Andrea - you are so smart. taking a day off is so hard, but it will pay off when you feel AMAZING tomorrow.

I love that list *thanks for sharing* and probably would have picked those same ones as my favorites. I've been doing the Myrtle routine daily and am hoping it pays off. I can tell my left hip is significantly weaker than my right.

Thanks for posting the 52 lessons. Just read them and they were very interesting.

Good idea to take today off. All the best athletes/people took today off for one reason or another:)

Great list and smart move to rest Andrea. You are progressing nicely!

All very good points! Very helpful. Hope your body enjoyed the rest today and is ready to go soon!

Sounds like you were probably ready for a rest day. Very interesting list Andrea. Thanks for sharing these lessons.

I think #3 should be #2 and #2 should be #1. Great article.

Hopefully your run today (Tuesday) was pain free. I know everyone says the day after a break is supposed to be super but for me it's generally super-difficult, with slow, stiff running.

Love these point. Had some time last night to go to the site and read the full list. Thanks for sharing

You're going to feel amazing after ice rolling w/ the nectar of the gods. Great idea!! Possibly your best PT method yet. Whenever I feel anything bad coming on, 12 oz of that life giving liquid can cure anything from the inside-out. I can't even imagine how effective it is when applied directly to the skin.

You are ridiculous.

I will accept that as a compliment!

Ha Ha, I don't know why I haven't thought of rolling on frozen Mtn. Dew!! Great idea Andrea!!!

Those diet dews can come in handy sometimes. :)

I remembered another groin/pelvic/low back exercise a sports PT showed me. I'll try to find a YouTube vid of it if you want to try it out.

Jake wins funniest comment of the day award. I can see him holding a Diet Mtn. Dew after winning a marathon and launching directly into..."Whenever I feel..." That could be a commercial.

Way to tough it out today!

Great idea with the dew as an ice roller. I bet we will see one of those productionized soon. I have to admit that I tried this new roller at REI on the weekend and I might have to get one. The huge grooves just work a lot better than the trigger point which I already have.

http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Tec-Athletics-Roller-Contoured-Foam/dp/B009NUDKUA

Great job! :-)

Tempo loop? Was the west side still icy?

Nice work Andrea! I think the bad air quality could be contributing to the heavier breathing. Or at least thats what I've been blaming it on...

Yeah I just added that. It has several sections on the west side that still had a few inches of snow and other sections that were icy. I wasn't too worried about pace so it wasn't a huge deal to slow down a bit there. But I wouldn't recommend it for you. 1500 isn't bad though...you could do your half marathon pick-ups there tomorrow.

That's a really good pace if you are dealing w/ snow and have to watch your footing. Progress!!!

The Winter Series 5K comes at the perfect time! I'm not ready to race it, but it would be a good tempo. Maybe I'll try to run it at 6:13 pace - my new marathon pace :)

Yep I think that will be perfect. Shoot for around 6:10-6:15 pace. Low 19s. A good workout and something to build from.

Top news Andrea. It's great to see you back running and doing some faster stuff too.

Great progress Andrea!

Nice! I am glad you are back running. You are coming back so smart. Keep up the great progress!

Look at you, running and tempoing! Nice! Already have speed back in your legs.

Nice job with the training Andrea. You have been really smart using the AGT. Did you ever get a definitive diagnosis on the injury?

Nope never a true diagnosis....I have my theory though. Weak glute muscles caused my distal hamstring to be overactive which put extra strain on my psoas. With all three of those problems, the surrounding muscles went into protection mode and caused a lot of pain.

I'm definitely not better yet...if I go more than three days without my PT doing some very specific targeted stretching, the pain comes back. It is gradually getting better though. I anticipate being pain free in two months.

Glad you got to take in the beautiful day--I know it's probably tough not be down with Jake. We are all sending him good vibes for tomorrow. Have a great Sunday!

Did you bump into any Sundance celebrities on your run?

Sweet. Very sweet indeed. Thanks Andrea - I've been doing the ironing and I've been checking to see if there was any news. I can go back to the ironing now:) Pass on my congrats. Great news.

Awesome news! Thanks for the update. Now time to enjoy the weather.

He definitely got stronger as the race went on. Beat some VERY good runners.

That's a great place to run! I love heading out on that dirt road in the summer. Things stay pretty cool temperature wise and the rolling hills are great.

such a great idea -- thanks. next weekend we need to bring sleds and a picnic.

You're an awesome coach Andrea! Congrats to you and Jake. It's good to see you running more.

Great weekend of Park City running! :-)

Fun times. Jealous you guys got out of this inversion.

Having strength trained a lot, I really can back those suggestions up. It has a significant effect on hormones for sure. And it aids the joints and connective tissues in being more pliable I swear You're so smart in what you're doing.

His exact quote - "I've only known one runner who ever came close to their potential as a vegetarian" :-)

And now I'll go eat some leftover steak for breakfast

Definitely agree about the strength training and eating more meat and I could absolutely work on both. :)

How cool is it that a 42 year old ran a sub 1:16!! That totally gives me hope.

Did somebody just say steak????

Jake: http://youtu.be/w4OwRUHE_-I

Now I don't feel so guilty about eating so much Burger King.

Good call on the day off. Keep making good progress...

let's point out that she was a track star from the beginning...so basically Melody and Andrea when they are 42 : D (oh and you too Rachelle). My 1:19:35 aided course and NO strength training at 42 was fine enough for me. Hee Hee!! seriously though...I have been lifting for the first time consistently since....hmmm body for life days, like 1998-2000 and I see marked improvement in my strength. Actually feeling hulk-like so is that what you mean by aiding the hormones?? which hormones exactly?? cortisol (steroid hormones) or female ones like estrogen and progesterone?? Give me the 4-1-1 when you can Andrea ; D. Way to join me in the strength training. The first week I was like come on....I didn't like getting sore. Now I don't get sore much.

he probably said to not play contact sports with your kids....it could take you out of running for four weeks ; D. stupid soccer!! or is it my skinny weak ankles??? they are so bony they were bound not to take a pounding from my 10 year super star soccer player.

lots of meat haha. Funny. 1:15 at 42 is impressive - almost as impressive as 1:05 on that course Jake annihilated!

Camille Herron is a big advocate of meat as well. There are a handful of vegetarian (Sage Canaday was one recent surprise to me) and vegan runners and at least one fruititarian (jury is still out for me on this approach), so it is possible. Not that I am advocating one or the other, but I think we are a bit protein obsessed.

Andrea: I think it is easy to neglect the strength training when not in a regular running routine. As for upper body stuff I found out today that it is entirely possible to run with your hands in your jacket pockets and maintain a good pace, but you have to work pretty hard and have some serious ninja skills if you fall :)

I'll put in my 2cents on this awesome thread here - I think Dorota is absolutely AMAZING. I think so many masters runners are showing us younger runners that you don't have to bronze your shoes at 40 and retire.

I completely agree that meat/good overall nutrition (love me some steak - we have a frozen cow in our garage), strength training, genetics, core work and consistency are the key to success - but it can be hard for the average person to put all of those elements together.

Camille Herron hit it right on the head when she said many people would find her life as an elite athlete "boring." While daydreaming about only having to eat, sleep and run is nice, that will never be in the cards for me. It is so nice associate with so many talented and wonderful athletes (on this blog) that are striving to live a balanced life. We have jobs, families and community obligations, while at the same time we are trying to literally chase our dreams.

Well said, Melody.

I like the challenge of balancing life and still being able to run well. Some people at the RnR race this weekend were surprised I worked a full time job... I was like, what the heck else would I do all day?! I think its overwhelming when running becomes EVERYTHING... its not as fun that way. It should be an aspect of your life that ENHANCES everything else.

What women like Dorata show is that the performance curve doesn't have to sharply drop off after you turn 30 years old. You can continue to run really, really fast into your 40s if you have a smart approach.

Great workout Andrea! I definitely think the extra layers + freezing temps makes it much harder to move fast. You are making great progress.

Thanks Rachelle. The treadmill changes my running mechanics too much to do speedwork on there, so outside in the cold and smog is actually the better option. Go figure!

nice job, andrea. i was between 39th and 33rd on 13th east when i saw Lady in Red come cruising around a corner. "wow, that woman is moving!" i soon realized it was you and i tried to catch you. i was almost within yelling distance when you took off on your next fast segment, and then you turned into a condo complex and you were gone forever. the good news is that i sped up significantly trying to catch up to you, which warmed me up quite a bit (i was sooooo numb). AND you looked really strong and smooth.

I can't believe I just missed you! I was only going to do 5 reps and that last one was just bonus to get out of the road...you should've run faster to catch me!

I love that now we know allie secretly monitors our workouts. The cat is out of the bag!

Did you sign up for the winter series yet?!?

No I still need to sign up for it. My goal is 19:18 for the 5K - my new marathon pace. Ouch.

well, i gave up when i had to readjust my binoculars and then i lost track of your footprints when my black light burned out.

Stealth mode allie...

ill donate half of the temperature here to you- should round you guys out at still freezing.

ugh!! I'm sorry, take it easy!

Oh no! I am so sorry Andrea.

Ahhh, not again. Geez, I hope it is just some soreness.

Darn it! Injury issues go away!!!!!

This is not an easy injury to get past - progress is slow and there are setbacks, but as long as it's generally trending towards the better...

What exactly was your diagnosis? You have the best attitude!

Quite a positive attitude! Nice job getting in the miles and keep improving!!

for real -- what kind of weather is this? the rain was immediately turning to ice on my windshield and i couldn't see anything. i just closed my eyes and magically i made it to work.

glad you made it in safely, and glad

you are feeling better today.

^i'm using IE.

The jeep CRUSHED those roads this morning. Not sure how. It steps up when it matters!

Glad you're feeling better. Must be the sub-zero ice machine. Eek with the acid ice. I really wanted to make it to Ming's today :)

Ditto Allie :)

Good to see that you're listening to Bam the polymath:) I should take my own advice: first run back was a 6 when I planned a 4. Be careful out there on that ice.

Very smart approach to your training.

Glad you were able to make the commute alright. Took me an extra hour today due to the freezing rain.

Jake, that's what Jeeps are all about!

Andrea, good to see you able to get a little more in - hope the doubles work good for you.

Tada! Love it! :-)

we just need to find someone with a name that starts with "!" -- probably won't exist until james picks a name for our first born.

good job not falling today.

Fun times. How awesome you girls can all meet up :)

Okay, I have a question for you and Jake. Any idea why our weight creeps up a bit with training? This always kinda bothers me.

Sounds like such a fun morning. TADA! Now I am going to be saying that all day. ha!

I love the TADA. I gotta say I was a tiny bit relieved for the ice b/c it meant a slower run! I can't wait for those three to crush me tomorrow at the 5K.

Lily - More muscle mass and more water retention? I don't really know...but my normal weight has never been 112 (which is what I was during my injury phase). During training I'm always around 116-118lb so I assume my body is just working back towards that. I also ate a bunch of pizza and ice cream last night which made about a pound difference this morning :)

oh haha, I am not even noticing today from yesterday. But I know you were down to lower than 112 when you were not running. The same happened to me last May and June when I stopped running for my shins and calves. I lost 8 lbs. But when you start running again, its so freeing and feels so good to be back training then your weight creeps up. It bothers me just seeing that on the scale. I don't understand why arrrggh! :)

I'll admit that I get a little uneasy anytime weight goes up, but I've gotten really good about it in the last 2 years or so. I was a spaz about weight in college, but I've realized worrying about it is just wasted energy. I feel strong, healthy, and in shape - no point in overthinking silly numbers anymore. Now if I ever have kids...I bet I'll turn spaz again :) Maybe I should jsut avoid that all together!

When you are pregnant, oh man, it is really hard going to prenatal appointments and seeing several lbs gained since the last appointment. Also, I never really had to worry about gaining until the last 3 years (when I turned 30). Not sure if it's a change in metabolism or muscle mass kind of drops. I don't get it. Gah, anyway. I hate the scale :\

i can't wait to see what i look like after 13 kids.

don't worry about the scale. as andrea said, the most important thing is feeling healthy and strong.

Healthy / strong always takes the cake. I once again last weekend ha another really good race at slightly over what I think my ideal racing weight should be. Training is 100x more important than the numbers on the scale.

Nice job, Andrea. I saw you fly past me as I was a half mile from the turn around.

Nice going, you ran just as you planned.

Great job Andrea! I'll bet it was wonderful to be in a race again, even though you used it as a workout.

Progress! Nice even pacing. You're getting there...

Look at you already getting in a great even pace girly! Super proud of you. Take it easy tomorrow.

Awesome! You are so smart to use it as a tempo and it is so good to see you racing again. :-)

Love how happy you look in your photo:) Even though you were not 'racing' I bet it felt wonderful to be able to be out there again.

Welcome back to the races. I am glad it went well.

I am sure it felt nice to race, Andrea. I can tell because you are smiling a good deal :) Good to see.

Congrats!!! That is awesome!!! :) :) :)

Yay for no hip problems. I cannot wait for you to get completely healed and happy :)

:)

Nice tempo effort. You'll be back to full strength soon enough.

Yep, I agree with Riley the chef, you're building nicely and soon enough, you'll be back to your super-duper self.

It was great to see you out there and get to talk with you a little afterwards. Looking forward to more...

Nice job! That is super fast for not RACING!

I think I understand. I honestly feel bad. I think about you all the time. Hope and pray it really heals up all the way. And the imbalances will re-balance. Anything is possible.

Hang in there Andrea. You've made real progress during the past several weeks. You'll come out on top. Soon this will all be a memory.

You've been so positive, you are ok to have a frustrated day, I'm frustrated for you!! Wish I knew what you were doing wrong too, but you seem to be doing everything right. Keep your chin up, things will work out!!!

Ditto. Rob, Brandon, you, and me should do a conference call: I suspect we're all plagued with the same thing. It's so frustrating. One minute you think it's ok and then the next you're kaput.

Chin up. First to find the remedy is the winner:)

I second Carina. You have been so positive and ok to have a frustrated day. Take it day by day:)

Thanks guys! I'm already feeling more positive from your comments. My co-workers should thank you :)

Bam - I think what I have is contagious. You should all probably stop following my blog...even Jake is showing signs of weakness.

Hang in there Andrea! I definitely agree with what Carina said. You have been so positive through this all and it is okay to be frustrated. It really is not fair but you have been making a lot of progress the past few weeks. One step, one hour, one day at a time.

Thank you for being REAL! You are always so positive, but remember it's ok (and actually healthy) to be really frustrated and PO-ed about this too. If you look back at your history you've had a couple set backs, but you've always been able to bounce back after listening to your body. Look at how far you have come since you started running regularly again. It's not where you'd like to be, but you just ran an awesome 5k off of hardly any training. I'm pretty sure this is your body telling you to rest a bit before pushing again.

^i totally agree. you were very smart about how you ran the 5k, but you did push your body and it probably just needs a little more time to bounce back.

hang tough. and feel free to fax me your favorite gelato flavors at any time.

Yeah, like allie said, just HANG TOUGH!!! -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By86PcLufOU

(the girls SOBBING at the 1:40 mark is amazing)

I'm sorry :( You can come over and use my ice machine tonight. That is my way of saying I miss you...

There's nothing I could say that hasn't already been said but I'm so sorry. I don't blame you for being frustrated. You've been so patient through this whole long ordeal. You deserve a day to be done with it.

Jake - are you even old enough to be a NKOTB groupie?

I am a fan of great music from all eras and any music video starring a Wahlberg, whether it be Donnie or Mark.

I was hoping youd say you were a hard core fan back in the 90s... Now I feel old!

One big positive you beat my 5k time from thanksgiving and you hadnt done any speedwork. I would say your in a good way considering tbe time u have had off. So....have u jad all your hormone levels checked? Thyroid? Adrenals? Just checking. Perhaps autoimmune? Read ultramind solution....about impprtance of nitition against oxidative stress and genetic predosposition if certain nutrients are lacking. With your injiry lingering this long i suspect an imbalance and your joints/ligaments are taking the hardship. This book tells u how to heal yoirself or what to ask drs to check for.

Just wanted to say hello!

I'm so sorry Andrea! It seems like either feast or famine with this injury for you. Then it just hangs on! I hope a couple days is all it takes.

You have handled this pretty smart. Very tough to do, dear Andrea! Stay in there.

I've heard of a guy that does muscle activation that is supposed to be really good his name is dr Eric rawlin. Look into it

Well, we know that skiing and drill circuits are not in the cards quite yet.

At least there is something specific causing the flare-ups now instead of it being for no reason at all. That's progress!

You're like me. I will go over every detail in my head for several days to discover what would have caused a problem. I'm sure after some easy days, you'll be back up to where you were without issues.

Floating sounds fun. :-) that's about the only thing I know how to do in the pool.

Hope the flare up is settling. Hadley's stuff is excellent. When I'm back to 100% I think I'll try those drills - they might be more forgiving than the ones I was doing.

Hang in there, you are so close to being back. Stay patient and keep listening to your body and you'll get there.

That is a fantastic post. Worth reading twice to really absorb what he's saying.

Coach Jay is a wise man. Very good advice to follow.

Brilliant. That's what I was trying to say the other day in my convoluted style. Great post Andrea.

This really is great, thanks for posting it :)!

Yay for feeling better! On the up and upskis for sure. Be patient, ha! Easier said then experienced.

Awesome advise here, thanks so much for sharing this Andrea.

This is total running bible wisdom. I know in the past I have x-trained to hard and kept myself in an injury cycle longer than was needed. :( I am glad I keep learning as I go. I wouldn't trade what I have learned for anything!

Really glad you could run a little today.

I read this 3 times. Thanks for posting

I read that post when he published it. I totally book-marked it. That guy has a lot of great advise these days! Keep working at it Andrea!

I love wearing flats for that reason; it's probably all mental, but whatever works! Nice run, good to see the progress.

You gotta get a couple more runs in the FT6 before they are released to the masses! Good finish to that run :-)

I actually wore the "old" FT 5s...gotta save the even lighter, faster for races!

Nice run Andrea! Interesting article, I have never been a big breakfast eater so that has definitely been something I've had to pay attention to with increased training.

Are you guys coming down to Lehi for the run tomorrow?

Got the Mt St Helens permits!!!

I eat my biggest meal of the day in the morning. Super interesting.

That was fun! I love pacing you on tempos!

Nice run Andrea. Great to see that your muscles were working better today.

There's loads of stuff on the British Milers Club site (I mentioned it on Jake's blog yesterday)that I think you'll find interesting. It's just knowing where to start with so much quality information...

Nice tempo - looks like you are striking a nice balance right now. Nice of you to let Jake tag along as well.

Nice tempo Andrea!

Strong work Andrea!

Glad you had great company. :)

So glad your running I can't wait to see you kick butt this spring/summer

Nice 5-miler! Looks and sounds like you are making great strides coming back from your injury. Keep at it!

I know how you feel. I thought they should let the drug thing die, supported Armstrong etc. Then I watched his Oprah interview and now I think he and all the other Athletes that secretly dope are cheaters! It is disheartening. I feel so bad for those athletes that play fair and bring their wits to the table, while others just cheat and get much farther ahead.

The drug thing got swept under the rug for way too long... in all sports. It needs to get completely blown up at this point... the governing bodies need to come down harder and harder on everyone. More transparency, more media attention, more testing, biological passports, stricter sanctions, lifetime bans. Right now the benefits of cheating still outweigh the potential consequences. That needs to shift and be the other way around.

I was reading a study about average joe runners (like myself) that were put through an experiment where they doped. The results were crazy, and they weren't even pro athletes. After a few months their times in the 5k went down by two minutes or so and they felt like running was easier.

I also read both of Lance Armstrong's books and he CONTINUALLY denies that he did any doping of any kind. It's so sad that if you want to even compete at that level, you most likely have to dope. At least he finally came out and admitted it... My question is, who else needs to come out and admit it?

Anyway, I am just blabbing.... This subject is just so intriguing. I will have to look this book up, thanks.

Bec - The book is very eye-opening and I think would interest you. I know this is prevalent in other sports as well...I wonder when they will finally crack down on the problem.

I shed a couple tears when I saw the baseball stats. Cheaters! Ugh

With all of our current social/economic issues I believe it comes down to consequences of actions are not harsh enough. I remember reading in The Daily Utah Chronicle that Armstrong's punishment was too harsh! What? Shoot the dishonest fools to show them what punishment really means.

I agree that once the addiction of drugs take over it definitely hinders ones control over ones self, but would it event get to that point if 'radical' punishments were in place.. I don't jump in fire because I don't like getting burt; but for some a more extreme punishment is clearly needed to keep them out of the fire.

End of rant:)

Shooting them seems a little harsh.

Andrea - I read this book before the USADA findings and before the Lance interviews etc. I never liked Tyler in interviews and found something off-putting about him. But the writer of his book was a better story teller than Tyler is in interviews - and I just found the whole thing quite fascinating - from the details of the science of the blood in endurance athletes to the motivation/driving force behind each rider who dopes, to the whole dynamic between the real world of cycling to the general public's knowledge of things.

The psychology of it is what really fascinates me. Like you said, Bret, what motivates each person to make that jump to the "dark side"... and then how they get caught up in it and justify staying there. You try to put yourself in those shoes - how would you respond in those situations?

Another part I found insanely disturbing is how they would train super hard all day and then, to cut weight, chug a bunch of water and take sleeping pills, and try to sleep through several meals. Then wake up and train for 6-8 hours again. Its like... wow... the (terrible) lengths they would go to...

Jake, so they were sleeping through meal times? Trying to hide from hunger pangs?

Can anyone shed some light on how doping improves running ability? Is it that it improves lung function?

Yes exactly, to sleep through being hungry. It would destroy your body... unless you were juiced to the gills.

"Doping" can mean a lot of things. Here's the really brief summary. These guys were using EPO (or straight up blood transfusions - they would bank their own blood, freeze it, and re-infuse it during the long tours) to increase red blood cell counts. Essentially, that means they could deliver a lot more oxygen to their muscles. More O2 = more endurance. They were also using things like testosterone to aid recovery. So they could train harder without breaking down. Or just train hard every single day... no easy days, because the drugs they were taking allowed them to recover overnight, at exponential rates compared to typical human physiology. Basically it comes down to doing things that increase endurance (oxygen uptake/delivery) and enhance muscle recovery.

And they just called everything "B Vitamins" :-)

Dude, that is nuts!

Just off to the Doc to get some sleeping pills... nah, instead, I think I'll go to the bakers and get some donuts - chocolate covered donuts.

Yes you are! I admire your patience and ability to be smart during all this.

Great consistency. If there is one thing that is most important with distance running, I strongly feel it is consistency. Good job.

Sorry. My fault :-(

Get feeling better guys!

I was going to say Jake shared? Sorry girl. Your running is looking pretty good. Exciting!

I am sorry Andrea. Hang in there and take away the ice cream from Jake for getting you sick!

Way to go Jake.

Get better soon. Make sure that Oulfella of yours spoils you:)

Yup! Jake's turn to take care of you :) Feel better!

Sick is all over the place. Blame the gross air, not Jake.

No its 100% my fault. I spread the cold germs.

The PM2.5 levels obviously don't help though... although inversion season is winding down so there is hope for clean air soon!

Maybe you need to take a sick day too! Hope you feel better soon.

Good luck with the new therapist.

Although I wouldn't dare do this, the naughty little voice in my head always wants to ask a therapist where the deltoid ligament is - it's a good test:)

Or, would they smile if I were to say, I've a stabbing pain in my xiphoid process:)

Hope you've managed to shake off Jake's lurgy.

Good luck with the new guy. Let's hope he can get you running the miles again.

I should really start giving quizzes to the therapists to see if they at least know more than I do about anatomy, biomechanics, etc. And I'm no expert!

That's more of a table than a graph, but your "injury CV" is one of the most impressive (in terms of detail) documents I've ever seen.

Its definitely worth the time to keep track of all this stuff. It'll pay off. Maybe today is that day!

Well, I tried to make it a graph but I don't like the newer Excel for creating graphs so I just left it as a table!

I say you quiz him! Good luck today. Can't wait to hear how it goes :)

Best of luck today Andrea. You are very smart to be tracking your injury so well.

I can't wit to hear the results of today! Good luck :)

Looks like you documented my injury pattern for me. And I'm sure Brandon would agree, since he is following a very similar pattern as well. I am pretty convinced that the pattern is set off by an SI joint dysfunction on the right hand side, just not 100% sure on what is causing that SI joint dysfunction. But when the si is where it is supposed to be almost all of the pain and strains disappear. I feel the same way about trying to find someone who can help out that knows more than I do. The new PT that Brandon turned me on to has a cool technique for releasing the muscle inhibitions that is a very simple yet very effective technique.

He also things that I have muscle movement dysfunctions, which my next door neighbor PT also confirmed. He has had me focusing on separating the use of my transverse abdominis from the other core muscles. He uses an ultra sound so you can watch the muscles contract and see if you are using a better pattern. He fixed my right psoas pain in about 2 minutes.

The adductor pain is part of it. I have been fighting the adductors since at least May. Left and right glute medius, various adductors, but mainly adductor magnus, right TFL, right psoas, right upper hamstring, right calf/achilles tendon and lower lumbar pain, QL issues. The last few weeks I had this very severe cross pelvic pain that would occur anytime I would have to use only one leg at a time, single leg bridge, running, and finally when I was able to get my SI to move the right way, most of the pain immediately went away. The cross pelvic stuff was just so everywhere it didn't feel like it was one particular muscle or anything.

I have a bunch of ways to try to straighten out the si joint, it just goes out so many directions and is hard to tell exactly which way it needs to go back in, it is difficult to try to fix it without messing other things up.

I have found that using an inversion table and doing some sort of v-ups while rocking back and forth from the pelvis seems to pull a lot of the stuff back into place. Then when the sacrum and si's are locked I lay on the floor, pull the knees to the chest, roll onto the back and wedge a foam roller under the sacrum, kind of like a foam roller tail, and catch the top of the sacrum onto the foam roller and kind of slide and pull down while lowering the legs. It kind of grabs the sacrum and tractions it down and loosens up the sacrum and si joints. Doing these usually gets me about 95% there, but if I stand up and flex the sacrum forward and back I can still feel the si joint being stuck in one of the top corners, and if i can't get this unstuck then I know that within a short time it all will fall apart and get stuck again. That last si joint movement is the tricky part, and have had a few moves get it to work, but never one way to make it work everytime.

A Varga sighting! I agree that this pattern is too familiar, although mine had some piriformis in there too :). Andrea i do like Dr. Knudsen a lot. I have been hesitant in my recommendations as i am not as fluent in PT and injury a others. I did feel better about it though because Dan has also had a good experience there. I only wish i would have found him sooner. I feel like i am making progress but i do still have good days and bad. I think if i were to chart my daily workouts and feeling that the trend line would be on the upswing. I sure hope all of us can just get better..... Mine is down to a deep hip flexor and the Glute medius. The medius is the major and the flexor only acts up when the glute is irritated. Back and forth, it changes throughout the day and workout. We are trying to get them balanced but so far they don't want to fully cooperate.

Dan - luckily I haven't developed any SI dysfunction, but it sounds like a bear. It throws off your pelvic stability so much that it never seems to end. Are you able to run still?

Brandon + Dan - Has Dr. K worked with you at all with proper timing of muscle activation? I feel like part of the problem is that certain muscles are overactive while others aren't firing at the right time. I have yet to find a doctor that's really looking at movements, not just static testing.

doctor = therapist

Dan's account is like mine too. I found doing some Muscle Energy Techniques sorted out my SI joint; before sorting the SI joint, things would improve for a day or two and then go back to being painful. After that, everything fell into place after a day or two of stretching and triggers.

I've had a little niggle with the achilles but I think that's more to do with starting back training again and being old, although it might be because my foot's everting to compensate for a weakness in my piriformis.

I'm sure we'll all get there eventually.

Dr. K has done some timing activations but not during full running motion. One thing i really like is that as he activates the muscles he is also helping me with the mental side, concentrating on how the brain is activating the muscle. I leave with practice movements and exercises to do at home to try and keep the muscle from becoming inhibited again. So far its working well. Everything that was inhibited and has been activated has stayed active. For me now i believe its just a matter of balancing them out. Which is the timing problem i think you are talking about. I know it will take some time to get it there, but i do like that the muscles have stayed working.

I have also been seeing a massage therapist at Muscleworks in alpine. She does a great job of working the muscles while running in place or running motions while laying on the table. Her name is Tori. Dan has been seeing her too. When i leave there i leave with no pain, and can run well. But when i wake up then i have regressed. Its going to come together soon i just need to have that breakthrough.

I didn't mention piriformis, only because it hasn't hurt, though it is tight, which is obviously a problem. He is helping me to separate the firing of the muscles in the core currently. He has this giant device called a Huber Motion Lab which is supposed to help with retraining and separating muscle movement patterns, though I could misunderstand its purpose.

Really happy to hear you got some useful feedback.

Great news and sounds promising. Funny you mention the gait analysis. I've noticed that since my injury that my right foot is everting (this can be seen clearly on my blog picture). There might be something in it, Andrea. There could be some stability issues with your lower leg and then the old kinetic chain might be kicking in. It sounds feasible to me.

the awesome flyers you guys made are going to bring out more people than ever before! it was a great start to the circuit and it was nice to get it kicked off earlier in the year.

i'm glad things held up okay for you today. the only thing i remember seeing in the second half of that race was your pink jacket.

Good to see that you make it through the run ok. It won't be too much longer before you are racing these things.

Nice work, Andrea. I also vividly remember seeing your pink jacket during the 2nd half of the race!

Well done Andrea. Great that you were able to run the 10k.

The 4.5 mile mark thing is happening to me too. I stopped running today after 5 miles. I'm going to follow your lead and do two shorter runs a day. After a while, this injury lark gets on your 'nerves':)

Nice run Andrea! Good job at keeping it solid training run. Making great progress; you'll be back to full speed soon!

sorry i bailed. the thought of brooming snow off my car was making me grumpy.

#:)

Nice runs Andrea! Looks like your mileage is still improving. :)

The big four oh!

WOOT WOOT!!!! :) :) :)

40!! that is great.

Your recovery is coming along so nicely! You'll be destroying the field in your races again in no time. :-)

That study is interesting in that I've seen similar effects firsthand, especially that exercise can help retain information. When I was taking a university Shakespeare class a while back, I would first read the plays, then put the audio dramatizations on my ipod while I'd run. When it came time to take the final exam, one section of the test had quotes from the various plays, and when I'd read them, I could not only identify the play, I could "hear" the actors' voices and even remember where I was where I was running.

I read a similar-type study recently about how when a group of people were given a set of data to memorize, those who exercised immediately afterwards had a much higher recall ability. I'll see if I can find that study. No wonder so many of the runners I know are so smart!

40 miles :) Stoke!!!

40 miles! Now that's what I call progress! Excellent job.

Congrats in the progress and great find. I wish more people would follow it. The science is behind it as well. The protein I study is induced in the brain (as well as muscle and heart) following exercise. This same protein increases mitochondrial content. So excersice is literally fueling the brain.

Adam - I'm expecting a supplement to induce that protein in the next year from you! Then no one has to exercise again! :)

Someone beat me to the punch and did one better. At the meeting last week there was a talk that a protein excreted from the heart can make fat mice thin. That person also has a treatment that can be modified from another FDA approved delivery to regulate this pathway. So it may be sooner than we think. Then again each of the last three years there has been a similar claim. For now I say we all keep exercising...

Keep up the good running Andrea👍�:)

7 miles today! Nice!

and which run did you like better? you forgot to mention i was wearing stilts and singing mardi gras songs. did jake top that?

you, obvi. boys are stupid!

:)

will do about USP :D thanks for the 4-1-1.

:)!

Now that's what I call a sacrifice. I support it.

ha ha!!!!!!

Just don't pick up the habit again after Easter, and you'll be good!

Now that's a smart move!

Ha! If only we could. I did fast walking as cross training in 2009, even some uphill fartlek. I am just not sure how much form changing can be done, other than your approach of loosening muscles up to help prevent movement, so it seems like you are on the right track.

Form change is a difficult thing to do. I've had the analysis done and I was grateful for the outcome, but getting there is tough.

I hope this will make your lent sacrifice successful!

That's more like it. It sounds as though you may have got to the root of the problem. You'll be able to work with some focus now. Stay positive.

This is actually good news. I'm glad you decided to go and get this done. Big progress over the last 2 months, but obviously something still isn't quite clicking. Now you have a good idea of what to specifically focus on to get back to 100%.

I think this is exciting! It is probably overwhelming to hear all those things, but it sounds like it gave you a lot of direction for what you need to work on. I think this is it! You are on the up and ups for sure.

p.s. I can't wait to meet your puppy!

More progress, treat yo self to a bucket of ice cream tonight!

I'm so glad you are cracking the case! Has your form changed since you became injured or did your form cause the injury? In any case, it sounds like you will be back in full force once you conquer this.

Melody - Probably some of both. My form is definitely A LOT worse right now than it was before and I think the injury exacerbated any imbalances I had. Taking months off from running and then starting running back while still in a compromised form - can't have helped. But I had to start from somewhere and that's just part of injuring such a crucial muscle for pelvic stability. Retraining and strengthening is key - and finding a therapist that knows what they are doing.

It's going to take a while but that's okay...this year is my rebuilding year and then 2014 is my comeback year. I'll get there as long as I don't let myself give up!

Lots of good info! And lots to work on that will get you where you need to go. Maybe everyone needs a gait analysis. I hope things come together sooner than later in the year. But you will be a power house next year!

Good information. Time to get rid of this injury forever!

You have enviable determination, Andrea. I was going to raise the same question as Melody. It's amazing to see even great runners who have issues with hip extension and weakish glutes (a cross-over gait is usually a good sign). These are aspects you can work on. You have an amazing attitude.

The forward lean is tough because you don't want the back to round or bend at the waist. I spend a lot of time thinking about form and it can drive you crazy. Oh, the number of times I have changed my arm carriage!

You will come back stronger than you were for sure.

I am envious, actually. Like Kassi says, probably everyone needs a gait analysis. Back in the day my coaches would tell me I had good form, but years, babies, injuries, etc., have all taken their toll. Once in a while I'll see a picture of me running and I'm just amazed at how out-of-whack parts of me have gotten. I will be so interested to see how your improvements develop.

You seem very optimistic that you're headed in the right direction. Seems very logical to fix this stuff now. Good luck! and keep at it!

Yay info you ca

Use oops. On phone before am run. Where id u get tbis done? How much? Since my ankle is not getting better and i pronate jist that foot it would be noce for me to have miscles to build toesson forces on heel. Very glad u went. Was hoping u would.

I've been perpetually tapering and getting slower since PF Changs!

I promise I'll update Google Docs everyday w/ my PT exercises.

My Brazil trip got cancelled this year, which I was kind of bummed about. But yeah, not a great running place, even for a guy runner it's unsafe. Have fun.

I had to re-read that a few times to make sure it said "GUY" runner.

It would have gotten automatically blocked if you typo'd it, Rob. But also would have been way funnier and an interesting surprise!

I volunteer to duct tape Jake to his office chair on even days!

How are those glute squeezes coming along?

Woo! how come that comment didn't get blocked?

I didn't know you were going to Brazil again how fun. That is way too bad you are going to be in a dangerous area but maybe you can talk one of your co-workers into becoming a runner for two weeks?

I like Aimee's idea to handle Jake. :-)

Hopefully your resort will have a semi-decent fitness room. When we went to the West Indies last year, I couldn't run outside and had to do an 18 miler on the TM. I counted lizards as they ran by the window and dreamed of strawberry slushies. But watching several movies on the ipad made the biggest difference. Have fun!

Cool, have a great trip! You can still e-coach him from Brazil.

Awesome trip! I can sing Happy Birthday in Portugese, that could help you celebrate. Have fun and stay safe.

Have fun, too bad you can't bring the ol' Alter G with you.

Have a fun trip!

The Jake tapering comment induced a sincere laugh out loud

I think this was the same scenario last year. I think the threats he was left with were successful.

thanks for all the great food.

have a good trip and see you in two weeks -- by that time the marathons will be over and we will have an extra 2-3 hours to spend on brunching and stretching.

Have a great trip!

Best wishes to you in Brazil. Boa sorte com o trabalho ! (Good luck with work!) All of your friends are sending you tons of good energy and healing vibes to get you feeling better.

Miss you already :(

Thanks for all the kiwi!

I guess the only thing you haven't tried is some type of mythical-legend-which magic stuff. Maybe Brazil has a some sort of healing pond to immerse your body into. Actually, my dad is convinced a skin disease(that he had for 40 years) was cured by a river in Asia. It never did return. Ha! Whatever works, right?

Ugh travel is the worst for hamstrings and hip flexors! Lots of downward facing dog and lunge stretches helps me when I have to fly long.

Great job getting in the drills/XT while travelling. Thats hard to do on work trips.

Ouch. Traveling that long is no fun at all. At least you are headed to a beautiful place. Never been there but I work with two Brazilians and they can never stop raving about the beaches etc. Have a good trip.

Wow that really is quite hot, especially since you are used to 20 degrees outside and 60 degrees inside!

It's 90 degrees today! If I can get outta this work by 6pm I might be able to get a tan :) The REALLY nice thing is that it is light outside at 6am and doesn't get dark until 8:30pm. I love sunshine!

Sounds awesome, at least you can fill up on vitamin D while you're down there.

Beautiful weather! Enjoy your trip.

Glad you made it. Sunshine and long days sound so lonely! Enjoy some rice and beans for me :)

you need some dew! or concentrated cherry juice. Or Omega Swirl!

or your Steri-Pen!

I just drink the tap water. It's my yearly diet plan, gets you down to race weight real quick.

I should've brought the Steri-Pen! I didn't even think about it!

Nice job getting some drills in while out of the country!

Almost half way done with Brazil! I hope you are managing some fun. Careful with that knee!

Hey look at you, running outside!

Nice job getting the workouts in while out of the country. Definitely not easy to do.

Great that you were able to get out and run. Are you checking out the whole Brazil experience for when you run there in 2016?

Glad you were able to get out, even for a stinky run. Jake prefers the treadmill, but I don't think it's the same.

Post of the Day goes to SlowJoe!!

Very cool, looks like a great time. Even in the rain. And yes, that's exactly how Utah looks since you've been gone, all the snow melted and uncovered a tropical rain forest.

That is so awesome!!!

Beautiful!

Stunning.

So cool.

Very cool. I want to go on the next Brazil trip. I love those mountain peaks with the sheer, exposed sides... and the rest covered in lush forest.

Hiking stoke! So glad you got out and felt awesome. Now I don't feel so bad for you having to go all the way to Brazil... Desert backpacking trip in April?

So beautiful. What an experience!

Awesome pictures! Sounds like a blast.

Those pictures are awesome. Maybe as a bonus, you strengthened some of those tendons and muscles too.

Beautiful pictures! You look sunny and happy in your shorts. One day that will come for all of us here... :-)

Its amazing that you can't find food to eat there!

Eating a jar of nutella does remind me of the good old days... we need to do more of that this year!!

It sounds like your trip is a blast! I'm so jealous of the hiking and great excuse to pound the Nutella. :) Great cross training work!

help me i'm pale.

I'm so jealous. This winter never let's up! Glad your getting good vitamin D! Phoenix will be a fun ending to your 2 week getaway.

I wish I had a video of that PM workout! :-)

You should record that as a cheeky little 5 miles - Jake counts treadmill running:)

i've done that before -- miserable. but now you get to smell like menthol all day.

glad you are heading back!

How do you make that mistake?? Do they have lights in Brazil?

Nice! I wish you were coming right back to Salt Lake though :( Happy travels!

The label was obviously in Portuguese.

I had the same thought as Allie . . . I'm sure you smelled great! Have a good trip back. I hope you enjoyed Brazil.

I saw one of his bottles on the side of the road and I thought of you. Having good support in a marathon is so helpful, especially this one when it got kind of warm at the end. It was fun seeing you!

Supportive Andrea. You need a badge. Very exciting!!

You get MVP of the day!

You definitely need a medal. Way too cool Andrea!

He is certainly lucky to have you :)

Did the time off of running in Brazil help a little? Hope so.

Am I on the right blog :)

That stairmaster is killer!!

I'm with Carina. Nice job Andrea!

A big congrats to you! (as well as Jake) It sounds like he wouldn't be quite as awesome without an awesome supporter like you. I hope someday soon you get to be on the other end of it!

You are 100% correct Natalie. No way I would have made it through this past month and the race in one piece w/out Andrea's help. She seriously deserves as much credit as I do. A real team effort.

I'm really looking forward to the days when my race reports have NO MORE PHOTOS!

That article is amazing. I ALWAYS do that after a long run! I never knew quite why it helped, just that it felt like a good stretch after a long run, because it stretched everything I needed it to in one motion. Like they say...the opposite of everything I'd been doing. Glad my instincts didn't prove me wrong...this time.

I am a slow walker too. I would have joined you :)

Andrea, that is awesome that you posted that about the toddler squat and I am glad you shared that article. I love doing the toddler squat against my fitness ball after long(er) runs. I notice a huge difference in how it loosens up my knees.

I hope you can figure it out, or someone :( I have all the same issues as you. I just don't blog them very often.

It was actually a lovely walking morning and I hope you enjoyed it. I really hope your new theory can lead you towards some answers.

i like your new theory -- i think this is it.

i'm up for another walk any time.

Wow, I wish I could figure out a theory to solve all my problems.

Is he trying to fly off the machine again?

Let's just say he is much more graceful running than he is on the stairmaster!

hahahahaha thanks for the morning laugh.

haha was I really that bad? I was actually surprised when you suggested we run... but I wasn't going to argue with you! :-)

Nah you aren't that bad, I just don't think it's a great cross training activity with a healing achilles :)

I need video or something. How can one be that bad at the stairmaster :)

There's always the handbike, bane of our college x-training experience.

We'll do handbike this afternoon! Soo fun...

I don't know... I could crack an ulna if I start going too fast.

I would agree that the stairmaster wouldn't be good for an achilles injury unless you made sure not to get up on your toes. Another great tool is the rowing machine. Active.com says rowing is good for runners so it must be true

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Rowing-Workouts-for-Runners

Rowing irritated my hamstring...it doesn't bother yours Fritz?

The marathon cured my achilles injury. Not really sure how that happened, but it did. I guess 26 miles relatively quick was enough to loosen it up for good.

No, it's not hurting b/c you are taking time OFF to let it heal!

Nope. Rowing doesn't aggravate my hamstring now and never really has. It only hurts when I am extending my leg forward while running.

We have a rowing machine at our house, but it's probably never been used.

Jake's giving it the large over on his blog: says he thrashed you so bad in a sprint finish that it was embarrassing:)

Pretty good!! :-)

Sounds like all your toddler exercises/stretches are working! Really good to see you're running and feeling good.

Fingers crossed for you Andrea.

There's something about that white and blue that's just as pretty as the spring green and blue. Looks like such fun!

Oh, that looks nice. Great day to be out and warm-er weather on the horizon. Glad you took advantage of it.

Nice race this morning. Next time we will have to do the arm bike or rowing machine. I much prefer the rowing machines at your gym because they have rubber handles and don't give me calluses.

Well it looks like you beat Fritz's 20% imbalance by quite a margin.

I know it sucks to see results like this, but it would be even worse if they were good - then you'd have no idea what was going on. The EMG completely backs up the theory you already developed.

That's just walking!! Imagine how terrible it would look running :(

The problem is that they still haven't found a root cause. They started talking labrum, hernia, anterior femoral glide syndrome, etc, etc. It's just a fun little game for them and a really terrible drawn out injury for me.

I thought it was running. Huh. Why didn't they do running as well? The muscle activation patterns might be different... or at least, I wonder if the discrepancy is quite as bad?

Well, it takes me 20 minutes to feel any glute medius/TFL pain when walking and typically only 10 minutes when running, so I imagine the muscle activation patterns are very similar. I can have them do running next time.

I guess I'm just thinking that if the imbalance is the same, and running adds in additional reaction forces, running probably isn't a good idea at all :-(

I'm so far away from being able to run...it's been 7 months now and I'm not even close :( I need to go outside, get my spirits up.

5x is no bueno. In my situation the side that isn't working as much (my left) is the one that kept getting injured. But now the right side that is the strong side has the knee issue. Go figure. I am getting this type of test done on Wednesday. The other one was using a foot plate while running.

Well if you keep on the arm bike at least you'll be more jacked than Jake ;)

I'm just going to get into body building and try to look like this wo?man http://bodybuildingunlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/femalebodybuilder.jpg

wo?man. I laughed at this.

But reading most of this post and the comments just gave me a headache.

Wanna race to unscrewed up-ed-ness? I am so sorry you are so messed up although I do enjoy Andrea sightings at PT :)

Maybe the root cause has already healed up and now your body just needs to relearn how to activate those muscles and you will be all healed up and amazing!

Holy moly that is crazy! I didn't know your muscles could overcompensate that much. I still believe that your full recovery is on the horizon.

It's awesome that you're getting all of this stuff figured out. Hoping for the best!

Shawowzee!!

I was thinking it could be the length of your legs, but that wouldn't explain why this show up when it did. All the best.

have fun with your family. they picked a good week to visit -- beautiful days ahead!

When do I get to meet the fam :)

I am pretty sure the week off of work will help the hip! It is my solution to almost everything.

Come up to PC. You're ready to ski!

Yup! As long as I can fit in one of these... http://blog.tahoemountainsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_3711.jpg

Enjoy the slopes!

Enjoy your time in PC with the family!

Hey I need your expert saucony advice. I'm looking for a good marathon racing shoe. I'm a neutral runner. I've been looking at the fasts twitch 5's but not sure if they are neutral or if their good for a marathon. What do you recommend?

They are great for the marathon. I've worn them for 4 straight, and Andrea wore them @ Philly and in all of her half marathons. Can't go wrong w/ the FT 5 or 6.

Ok thanks Jake. I'm buying them for my nxt marathon in fall.

I am so sorry, it took me 4 years to finally figure out my crazy low back problem so I can feel your frustration. Hang in and keep us posted.

I think it is time for a puppy :)

Totally don't blame you for taking a break from the blog. But please know that so many people care about you and support you. Hang in there Andrea.

How will I know what you're up to? :-)

I guess its time for me to quit my job and be a full time stay at home PT / boyfriend.

I hate that you have to go through this Andrea! I totally understand why you need a blog break! Hang in there and keep us up to date.

I would probably take a break too; seems like you've done everything right, very frusturating. Really hoping for the best for you, let us know if you get some answers.

I think that's a good move. You're going to see somebody who will be able to help you and by staying off the blog you might not be tempted to come back too soon.

I know how frustrating it is but in the grand scheme of things, you'll look back at this and it'll make you stronger and you'll appreciate the gift you have, all the more.

Hang tough.

Andrea, good luck moving forward and healing. Let me know if you need a suggestion for an orthopedic. My uncle is one at TOSH and his good friend specifically works with runners and their physical therapy. My sister has been continually injured for over a year now and they finally figured out what was wrong with her.

Andrea, I am very sorry to hear that. I wish you the best and look forward to when you can come back 100%!

Andrea, it's so tough to hear about your lingering injuries. I can't imagine your frustrations, especially with the talent you have. Keep your head up. There is an answer out there, you just gotta keep searching for it. You are such an inspiration to so many bloggers who can't wait for your return!

I hate to read that! But, I know that somehow you will find the cause of this problem and find a way to fix it. I wish you the best in getting there. If anyone deserves some good karma coming there way after being patient though an injury it is you! A year is just too long to suffer. Just check in with us every one in a while :)

I have been so impressed with your positive attitude throughout this ordeal. When I am injured I hate all things running. I can't even watch movies with people jogging in it, it makes me so mad. I am so sorry that it has been unresolved. Perhaps Nan can give you a suggestion? I believe she had an undiagnosed labral tear that eventually led to a successful surgical repair. I o believe you will be back at it sooner tan later. Hugs!

Wishing you the best.

Sorry to hear the news. I can't imagine how frustrating this must be. Hopefully the surgeon will have some answers. Jake as a stay at home PT and a puppy certainly couldn't hurt.

Thank you all. I'm probably going to get a puppy in April so that should get my mind off running for a while :) I do really appreciate the kind words. I can't be hurt forever right??

Best wishes to you, Andrea. I hope you are back soon.

I was just talking about you on Saturday with Allie. An ice cream party is in the horizon for you:)

I do not blame you at all because I have been there. It affects us so much.

You won't be hurt forever. I don't know, sometimes I think when we are, it's a teaching moment or life lesson because we learn patience. I will keep you in my prayers.

Ditto to everything above. I hope you get it all sorted out and you come back soon.

Good luck with the recovery Andrea. Such a bummer to not see any improvement. Got to be frustrating. Hope all goes well in the near future for you.

Hope you are getting it figured out and making progress Andrea.

Kudos to you for listening to your logic of taking a break from the blog and running all together. You are right, you will not be injured forever. Enjoy the puppy!

Thanks for the update - I was thinking about you today and hoping you were on the mend. I know it's hard but you're doing the right thing and maybe you'll be on the way back quicker than you think. Hang tough and before you know it, you'll be out there racing again.

Yes thanks for the update Andrea! It feels like such an empty platitude but as an outsider looking in, it is so obvious that you have such a great and exciting running career ahead of you, and it will not be long before you're back at it again - with or without surgery. Even though Im sure it feels like an age to you now, through our spectators' eyes, it is a short sabbatical! Crossing my fingers that you get answers on a good medical path forward soon!

Oh Andrea I'm sorry.I hope this gets you back and out on your feet quickly. You are still so young and have a TON of potential and great racing ahead of you. Keep us updated on everything and good luck with everything:)

You forgot to mention the TWO POINT SIX mile "mini-marathon" which still costs $60 to enter!

HiiT worked for me:)

well, i'm happy for the good news but i'm sorry it didn't really provide any answers. i'm glad you could get an appointment that doesn't require you to wait several more months.

margaritaville!

Good to hear of the new appointment. Now your trip to Nashville will be fun AND informative. Good luck!

Fingers crossed for Nashville! I hope it will finally reveal the answers you need.

Good luck at with your Dr. visit! Looks like you're mentally ready to hit the training. :)

I find myself looking forward to your doctor visit too....is that weird?

Anyway, i like your last sentence....just plant yourself in his office until you get those answers!

I'm excited for your upcoming appointment! Nip this injury in the bud for once and for all!

http://goo.gl/iu908

you deserve answers and good news, and i hope that you receive both next week. the good ol days will be back soon.

How would you interpret him not finding anything wrong?

We'd interpret that with a swift kick to the @$$, lock the office door, and tell him to sit and think until he's figured it out.

Haha Jake! That would be the immediate reaction. But really I don't know...I KNOW that I strained my psoas muscle back in July of last year. That injury led to all the other problems in the hip region. So there are a lot of complications that can occur due to that injury - dysfunction of the muscle can cause a lot of compensation patterns so it's possible that the psoas muscle is just not doing it's (really important) part in stabilization. There are also several nerves that travel through that muscle that could have become entrapped and causing these other symptoms.

It's just really hard for me to believe that a doctor can't find anything...I mean, I can't even walk for 5 minutes without my hip pain flaring up. I get shooting pain from the pubic bone up the abdomen, my medial knee feels like pins and needles after biking for very long, my lateral hip feels like a muscle is tearing....I mean, seriously? There is absolutely nothing wrong? Hard for me to believe at this point.

I think you are more knowledgeable about this than most patients. Make sure you share every detail of your injuries with him. Write it down if you have to the way you just did. The more info regarding your history he has, the better.

You should see her "Injury CV" - its an incredible (albeit sad) document... her internal medical records are 10X better than anything I've ever seen in a doctor's office.

Thoughts are always with you. And especially in one week.

Definitely thinking of you Andrea. I am glad that you have been able to bike a little bit but really hope you can get some answers next week.

I so hope you get some answers too! Fingers crossed.

I add my well wishes to the growing list! Hopeful that this will put you back in the running world.

Trust me, he is as good as his reputation is. I sure hope he can help you.

Good luck!

moving fast...that's probably part of your heistation. Fingers crossed in c-ville.

Ah, there you are. Like Kam said, fingers crossed for you and best wishes.

The thought of surgery in a week is definitely A LOT to take in but if it is the right choice than it will definitely be worth it. Hang in there Andrea!

I'm slightly jealous you get to go to cali. :)

Dawson's Creek Marathon!!!

What kind of surgery? I can understand that only having a week to prepare is kind of scary - but on the other hand maybe having it booked out a month or more in advance would be frustrating. I am sending healthy healing vibes out to you! :-)

The way I understand it, the surgery is pretty similar to a standard hernia surgery...here is Dr. Brown's approach - http://www.sportshernia.com/sports-hernia-approach/sports-hernia-operation/

Okay Andrea, keep us updated. Thoughts and prayers are with you! BUT...if that is not enough, I have a plan B. I will loan you a portion of my good luck charms. I will drop off a small bag of the following:

A Rabbits foot, magic crystals, four leaf clover, Kam's crossed fingers, Lucky Charm's cereal, Luck of the Irish, magic wand, genie lamp, scarabs, rainbows, wish bone, horse shoe, pot of gold, lucky #7, wishing well, stray eyelash, a tiny leprechaun, magical amulet, Lady Luck, blessings, a Phoenix, shooting star, a lightning strike in same place, someone holding their breath in a tunnel, a spell, fortune, good vibes, mantras, Chinese year of the Snake, and Hunger Game's Mockingbird pin.

Hopefully you won't need these, and the Doc's can help you!In all seriousness, I hope you find some answers, you deserve it, Andrea.

Best of luck, Andrea! I'm pulling for you. You will get healthy.

You're on the mend!

The sooner your in, the closer you are to problem dissipating. Be strong!

Definitely nervewracking to "go under the knife," but this'll be the end of it and you'll be back to running. Best of luck.

So glad you have some answers! I agree, though scary if you need surgery I say the sooner the better!!

Thinking of you, Andrea.

Good luck and I sure hope you're back at it soon!

I dealt with a sports hernia for 4 yrs and figured out a non-surgical solution on my own. Have you fully exhausted the PT route? Surgery has to be the very last resort. Just saying.

I am by no means planning to rush into surgery. However, this injury has completely taken over my life and there is not more than 30 minutes at a time when I am not in pain. I think it is important to at least get a diagnosis by a specialist. Based on my research and his recommendation on outcomes and recovery, I can make a good decision. I realize that surgery is a last resort in some cases, but in others it could actually prevent additional damage from occurring a and is the right call. We will have to see what happens tomorrow!

Just curious Bob, what was your solution?

Hope thing go well and you get solid answers. We all want to see you healthy and strong and back doing what you love without pain:) pain stinks.

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Best wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery, AND a bright new chapter ahead that will include the first half of that sentence at the top of this post! :)

Sorry I didn't get back to u sooner. I know first hand the pain u are, soon to be was, going through and the frustration. My recovery was PT based and included significant ab work. I tried a lot of different exercises. Finally discovered a change to an old ab exercise that directly addressed the issue, but it was a lot of trial and error, pain and sweat. Sounds like u have a lot going on and the PT route wouldn't help anyway. I wish you a safe surgery and speedy recovery.

Oh, this is such good news! It's amazing what a doctor can miss. My dad had an MRI with a glaring gap in his hip joint, but it was missed because the doctor was a knee person or they were looking at his back, can't remember. To be fair, he has problems in many areas :-) Happy for you, Andrea. Wishing your a speedy recovery. Cheers.

Yeah Bob, there are a lot of ways this injury can manifest. In her case, the muscle/tendon sheath has essentially ripped off the bone, and that's probably why PT has failed, because its not going to fix that! The doctor thinks she might have a small tear on the opposite side as well, but that can be addressed (like you said) with therapy, strengthening exercises, and getting the more serious injury repaired.

Jason - there are only like 2-3 guys in the country who specialize in this injury. It's crazy. And none of them are within driving distance!

Wow!!!! I am so happy that you finally have the answers you need and deserve. Crazy because I remember you telling me that they had ruled that out with imaging quite some time ago.

Best of care tomorrow.

(Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during your examination. You definitely found the right person.)

Jake~

I was under the impression that when they do repair athletic pubalgias that they put the mesh on both sides regardless since the scar tissue makes a second repair extremely difficult if ever needed. Is that not the case? Teach me teach me.

God bless with the surgery tomorrow, Andrea. You'll be fine I'll bet being awake for the ordeal, especially because you are a questions-and-answers person and you'll KNOW what's going on as it's happening. Of course they won't let you see anything that could make you ill and all you'll feel is slight pressure, no pain. I'm so glad you are finally getting fixed.

Hoping for the best for you. Let's get you back in action.

Great news Andrea. I'm sure all will go well and you'll be back at it soon. Sounds like you went to the right chap.

Yay for answers and solutions and I'll be hoping for a quick recovery for you. You're brave to take the plunge but I'm certain it will be well worth the temporary discomfort. Thinking of you!

Teena - we'll definitely share all of the details with you... The op report and we'll have him annotate why he did everything that he did. We asked him to take a lot of pictures as well. If (WHEN) this works, Andrea becomes a very interesting case study for sure :-)

Thanks Jake!!!!

Sending the most positive vibes Andrea's way.

Good luck!

Please, please update while you are still incoherent! I put in a call for some of that magical whiskey gelato :)

I was thinking while reading this, my husband tore something in his shoulder in 2010 and they kept sending him to physical therapy even tho it hadn't worked the 5 previous months. That's a sure sign that something that needs surgically addressed it wrong- when PT does nothing! Frustrating. I can't believe you finally know and that you had to leave Utah to find a Dr. to dig deeper and find it. Nuts! 3 cheers for repair, recover and rebound! I am giddy for you!!! Yippie!!!!!!!!

All the best to you!

This is cause for great celebration! I was so worried. Good luck tomorrow.

Successful repair, She is doing just fine. A lot of guys are gonna start getting chicked again :-) The surgeon took a lot of photos and he is going to go through everything with me in a little while. Andrea will definitely post a full update once she's feeling normal.

She appreciates all the support. I do too. Thanks so much.

Glad things went well. Hope you recover well. Part of me thinks I need a similar procedure... ugh.

Great news - hope the recovery goes well and you are back out there soon.

Glad to hear everything went well. Wishing you a speedy yet complete recovery. Stay ahead of that pain cycle.

answers. THE BEST PART. SURGERY to fix an answer, YAHOO. less than 15 minutes?? sweet. Okay...hope they give you versed though. I think you need to mentally NOT be aware of the surgery. Versed will make you NOT remember the procedure but you will still talk your head off. Hmmm... Jake could get a lot of promises from YOU ; D. So happy for you. I bet this is the ticket to recovery for you. Halleluyah : D.

ahhh just read through all the comments. See now it is all done now :D. no truth serum then?? hee hee.

So happy for answers:) things are on the upside.

Thanks everyone.

I put up a summary of the surgery on my blog today.

I hope I'm on the upswing from this point forward because right now I feel awful!

You are so tough Andrea! You will recover so well and be back in no time. Sorry this part is so painful! You and Jake are a good team, you two can get through anything.

Hope you have a speedy and smooth recovery.

For months I've been following with a sad heart and high hopes that you'd figure this out. After how many specialists have told you there's nothing wrong, I'm curious as to what Dr. Brown saw or how was he able to discover and treat the issues so quickly...or, how is that everyone else missed it?

You are on the mend! This is great news! This means every day you are closer and closer to getting back into action. Take in lots of ice-cream I believe it's a cure all. :)

Way to go! I'm back in Utah so I will deliver some ice cream/brownies once you get back home.

Woozers that is crazy! I would love to see those pics. 2 days post surgery is always the worst and then you start feeling better. That's always my experience with my daughter. Hope you have a speedy recovery and you can get back to what you love:) I'm just so gald you found this doctor and he found you injury.

My jaw is still on the floor. You are definitely NOT a baby when it comes to pain!!!!

Rest and heal well. :)

Oh, Andrea, wow! That is seriously crazy. The good thing is that the worst is "almost" over and you will start to feel better and better every day. Just don't laugh, cough, poop or try to sit up. I really wished I could have taken a hospital bed with me after my C-section...feeling empathy for you!

Let the healing begin..... Finally. Great to see you've figured stuff out and are on your way to putting this behind you. Get well!

It sounds like you were gutted from bow to stern. I hope all the repairs are efficacious, and wish you a speedy recovery.

Hope you feel better each and every day. I'm so happy you finally found someone to help figure it out and fix it. Excited for you!

Yes soon this painful postop period will pass...and the real healing will begin. So rooting for you! Bow long does a torn muscle relair take to recover from exactly? Hope your other nurses are good to u. How long r u in tje hospital?

I bet it is such a relief to finally figure out what the problems were and get some solutions. Hope you have a speedy recovery.

Glad the surgery went well and at least you now know the source of issue. Praying for your speedy recovery.

Glad to hear that the damage is discovered and repaired! Not glad to hear about the pain--it will dissipate and get better, this is the hardest time after an abdominal procedure. brace your abs with a pillow held on them and make jake sit you up and move you around!!

Congrats on making it through the worst part. Amazing you were even able to run/walk at all with all that stuff going on. You're definitely NOT a baby after all! I'm sure you wish you'd gotten this done earlier now, but after you heal up and are able to start training again, you'll be unstoppable.

Get well soon! Looking forward to your gross surgery pics.

That is great news! Speedy recovery for sure!

That is an amazing run down. It sounds like they sure could not have missed anything. My thoughts and prayers are with you as you recover.

Holy crap. That sounds like the mother of all injuries. I have no idea how you managed to do anything at all on that (walking, running, biking, skiing, etc). Let's hope for a quick recovery!

Good to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel for you now.

great news Andrea. i'm glad things are getting fixed up and i hope you have a speedy recovery and the worst of the pain subsides soon.

Wow! sounds like a lot of things were going on ... once you heal up you are going to feel as good as new -- actually I am hoping for even better!!!

Wow. That's pretty intense. I hope your road to recovery is smooth

I’m glad the docs finally got a handle on what was going on. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Great news Andrea. And there you were, frustrated that you couldn't run further than 5 miles without having to stop! Crikey, what will you be like once everything heals. Watch out chaps, it'll soon be chickin time in Utah and beyond. Speedy recover. Go safe.

You have really been put through the ringer. Hoping you will start feeling a lot better any second now. :) :) :)

Oh wow, Andrea. I am so glad you found some answers and are on the mend finally. I'm glad he found the problem. What a great doctor/team you found. Sounds like it's been extremely rough post-surgery. Take care of yourself and yea for Jake!

awwww ... those flowers are so beautiful (and cheery!). what is that animal on the cover of the book ?? :)

Rest well, Andrea ... heal and come back to conquer!!

Wow Andrea you have really been through so much in the past few days. I am so glad you got icecream...and flowers. :)

That made for some nice lunch reading!

What is your theory on what caused this? When do you think it happened?

Not enough 100 mile weeks :-)

Or yoga.

I was curious what Andrea's theory was!!! But seriously, can that be an overuse injury because it looks awfully traumatic?

She said "too many rest day" so clearly she is getting anxious to move again. That's my girl.

I don't know if we'll ever figure out exactly what caused it. Probably a combo of several things. We've talked about it endlessly for 4 days. You'll have to come over for some D-Creek / TCBY and we'll hash out some more ideas.

Wow! Glad you are better today--hope the pain passes quickly!

amazing photos -- that separation is just crazy. i'm glad you found such a great surgeon.

i hope today has been better for you.

Holy tear!! Oh my heavens! Thanks for sharing. It's very interesting. Glad you found this dr and are on the road to running:) happy recovery and ice cream does definitely help recovery for sure!!

I just have to add you are one tough cookie for suffering through this as long as you have.

Wow. That is fascinating. It would appear that you've got your answer once and for all. I hope you have a great recovery and return stronger than ever. Much of the time you have been injured Allison has been injured as well. She may have a stress fracture in her femur now. It's a frustrating situation but you have handled yours with a great attitude. That's really cool. Many people wouldn't. Best of luck going forward Andrea!

WOW!! Those photos are amazing!

Okay, I am pretty certain I know how Andrea did this to herself. From what I have read this injury has a higher incidence in hockey players. Tell us now, Andrea: What NHL team have you been playing for? Somebody must have some pics or youtube videos to prove my theory!!!

(Hope you are feeling better and better and better.) :)

Incredible pictures. I'm so happy you had a successful surgery. Here's to complete healing and feeling better by the hour! Best wishes to you, Andrea! :)

That's interesting, Teena. What is it about p;laying hockey that would cause the injury?

Great photos Andrea. Thanks for sharing. It's amazing how you were able to run at all.

great pics and glad the surgery went well...

Neat pictures! I hope your recovery goes well :)

Andrea, Im so glad you did it and its over! Thinking of you as you recover. Rest well!!

Best of luck with the recovery! Do you make Jake dress up like a nurse? I'm sure that would speed up the recovery process or at least make it more enjoyable for you.

Runner's World says not to increase your mileage more than 10%. You just did 100%.

Glad to see things getting better. Cool gross pictures yesterday, you were really broken!

You are the fittest person I've ever seen use (and actually need) one of these. Glad things are looking up!

Dang, Jason stole my comment idea, although I was going to be a little more crude. Awesome picture! It would be better if your cart was full of cheap beer and oreos, but still pretty sweet.

Anyway, I bet you feel all kinds of kinks/aches for awhile. Glad you are feeling better.

Right before he took the picture, Jake said "we better take this before we go down the snack aisle!" Haha. No beer though - apparently beer and narcotics is a bad idea. I feel like this should be tested...

We mixed margarita mix with sprite tonight... gotta keep Andrea off the booze while she is on drugs.

It would take three Andreas to approach the weight those carts are usually subjected to...

Now that is awesome! I am just catching up here and am so glad to hear you are on the up swing Andrea.

I just caught up on everything! So glad you got the surgery and that everything is going better! You will be back before you know it!!!

I was going to be mean and make a snide comment about the people who usually use the scooter shopping carts . . . but I'll refrain and just assume we're all thinking the same things. Glad to see you are on the mend. Things can only get better from here. I had a c-section, so I feel your pain . . . though I was still in the hospital 4 days after.

I didn't know much about c-sections until this past week, but they sound awful! My Mom had them for both kids, and she was in the hospital for 1 day with me but 3-4 with my sister.

The funny part of Andrea driving the cart scooter was when she had to back up. BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP. So embarrassing, but also hilarious.

You got to ride the obese Type II Diabetes scooter!

Don't worry about the pain, the body sometimes reflects pain from one side to the other due to message confusion at the brain stem. (Although it's more common with teeth) Rooting for you!

Dave, that's a good point. I also wonder if the fact that she had a couple nerve branches cut off during the surgery is making her CNS act a little wonky.