Bret

AM - 1.25 miles around the Moundsville city streets following the anti-inflammatories - the pain was minimal - particularly compared to the previous days.   My theory is that the statins inflamed the bursa sac in the hips bilaterally, and for whatever reason the compression of the running on Thursday caused the trocanter bursa sac to rupture spilling the fluid into the surrounding tissue, resulting in the quite significant area on the left hip and upper thigh.  It looks like I took a really heavy hit by a helmet in football, or fell really badly - but in fact there was no impact.   Trying to decide the best course of recovery.   The bursa should heal itself.  I have ceased the statin, so that should help reduce the inflamation as well if that was the culprit.   Maybe run easy short miles for a few days and see how that goes?  Cross train a bit? I am in unknown territory here. 

AM - 2 miles with Finn on the trail - quite cold here too with temps in the mid 20's.  Even my pool has some ice on the surface of it.  There was very little pain in the left hip - my effort was slow at 10:30 min pace and though I was going to run only a mile, it felt fine although admittedly I felt a little wonky, I decided to do the full loop around the pond for a full 2 miles.  I got on the Peloton bike for another 30 mins of exercise.  Zero pain on the bike with the hip, though my quads were quite fatigued after such a new exercise.  I have scheduled an MRI for tomorrow morning to see if there is any collateral injury to the surrounding tendons or IT band near where the bursa sac is.  

AM - ran 3 miles very easy with Dan and the dogs on the trail.  Probably should have considered running less distance - as the hip was a bit more noticeable somewhat during and more so afterwards.   The instruction I had gotten was limit activity until the discoloration/hematoma is completely absorbed.    Have an MRI scheduled for this morning of the left hip to make certain that there is no collateral damage to the surrounding muscles and tendons near the ruptured bursa sac.   

AM - 3.25 miles with Dan and Finn at Milton HS in a light rain and temps in the upper 40's.   Hip recovery is not quite where I had hoped it would be.  The MRI showed a strain to the gluteal medius and TFL and surrounding tissue has edema.  No tears noted - which is a good thing.  No noted bursitis or problems with the bones.   Mild osteoarthritis.    Because the MRI was of the left hip, the machine included much of the trunk and right side as well - significantly noting high grade partial tear to the left hamstring with tendinosis there; tendinitis in the right hamstring as well as a tear on the right side of the adductor (sports hernia).    Interestingly though, I was aware of the left hamstring issue for well over a year, have zero symptoms in the right hamstring, and the sports hernia was recently noted with certain positions, but honestly not impairing my running in any way.  

AM - 1.25 miles on the treadmill followed by 30 mins on the Peloton.   I went to the sports med doc today and he examined me and reviewed the MRI images as well as taking new x-rays and while he said I have a lot "cooking" in the hip and hamstrings - nothing appears to be catastrophic to where he would recommend cessation / suspension of my training or the Tokyo Marathon at the beginning of March.   The guteal medius and guteal minimus show evidence of a strain in the MRI along with edema but if the swelling subsides, he expected that I would be able to grind through without too much difficulty - and even though the bruising is evidence that something happened, the images do not suggest it is too severe.   He noted however that the left hamstring is "hanging on by a few strands" but honestly that injury has been with me for over a 18 months and frankly, I have adapted my running to it with only minimal discomfort.   He said if my training or racing ultimately results in complete ruptures of the muscles or tendons, that they can repair them at that time, but because of the uncertainty of a successful suture of the hamstring and the associated recovery time, he recommended, that if I can deal with what I have, he would caution against a surgical repair or PRP.   So I was somewhat reassured by his consultation.   I also went to urgent care for this upper respiratory infection that has been plaguing me and confirmed no COVID, RSV or flu and got an Rx for an antibiotic.

AM - 3.25 very slow miles with Dan.  The hip improved a good bit yesterday perhaps as a result of only running a mile or perhaps the swelling is dissapating along with the statin exiting my system.   My cold is worse unfortunately - coughing nearly incessantly.   The run was much less painful but not completely normal just yet.  

AM - 4 miles with Finn through North Woods.  Pain level was maybe 1.5 in the hip and so I thought I would try for a more "normal" effort run.   Very sick though.  Anyway, started out fine, but my HR was up perhaps from the cold or the cold medicine; and I just did not have any strength to just smoothly run at my regular training pace after about a mile and half.  Perhaps too much too soon to expect a full recovery.   I will maybe take it easier and shorter tomorrow and see if it progresses better with more rest.