August 24, 2017
I’m 5 weeks out from my 3^rd half Ironman in Augusta, GA. It’s my 3^rd in a year. I’ve been training almost nonstop for 20 months. This past weekend, I completed the Ft Desoto International distance triathlon, placing 2^nd in my age group. I’m feeling pretty strong and fit, even though I’ve put on weight. Who thought you’d put on weight while logging 90 to 120 miles a week of swimming, biking and running? Not me!
I wake up Monday morning, with pain in my upper back. It hurts to take a deep breath. My neck hurts when I tilt my head to either side, and my entire back spasms in pain when I sneeze. It’s bad. And I think, “Why is this happening to me AGAIN!”
I’ve always been an active person. When I was young, I loved being in the park, running around with friends. In junior high, you could find me on the basketball court before and after school, shooting hoops with my friends. I played softball through high school. In college, I started running. As a way to keep fit and release some stress. I ran a few miles here and there, until I signed up for my first 5k, and then a 10K, as part of a relay team for a triathlon. It wasn’t until my mid 20s, having just moved to a new town and state, that I caught the racing bug. I ran the Biloxi Mayor’s Cup 5K. A week or so later, I got an age group ribbon in the mail! What was this? An award!! I was hooked. I ran many races during the 2 years I lived there, including my first half marathon and then marathon in 1998. When I moved to Florida, I kept up my running and racing. When I met my husband and then had my son, my racing was put on hold for a bit. But, I always believed, I would get the baby weight off and get back to running a bit faster.
Then, the health issues started. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism about a year after my son was born. Then, I had several miscarraiges. Each one left me reeling and depressed. I would run, with tears streaming down my face. It helped to be out there pushing my body to do something other than fail me. I gradually lost some weight and started to feel healthier. And then, my back started hurting. At first, I just kept going. Putting off seeing the doctor for months, even though anytime I would bump into anything, my entire back would spasm in pain. The chiropractor worked on me for a few weeks, with no relief. She finally sent me off to see a Rheumatoid arthritis doctor, who diagnosed me with Ankylosing Spondylitis. I was happy to have a diagnoses, and some medication to give me some relief from the pain, but the nature of the condition had me scared. But, I was pain free again, so I put it out of my mind.
Seven years later, I’m training for my second half Ironman, the first one had been a few months previously, when my back started to spasm in pain again. I can no longer lie on the ground to stretch, as it feels like someone has placed a heavy object on my back. I can barely twist my head from side to side or ear to shoulder. Swimming has become extremely painful as well as running, my favorite activity. I can handle the bike fine, as long as I stay in position and don’t need to unclip my feet very much.
I was in terrible pain for 6 weeks before my race. I was depressed and trying to hide it from friends. I didn’t want to complain. I would lie in bed at night, trying not to cry, while wondering if I had to give up on this sport that I loved. I wondered if this was it. I wondered if the progression of this disease had finally started. Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease. The immune system causes inflammation in the joints of the spine, which causes pain and stiffness. As the condition progresses, new bone formation in the spine can happen, creating a fused spine. The pictures are horrifying. People with their spines severely curved. Thankfully, one way to naturally keep the spine flexible, is body movement.
After weeks of pain, my doctor finally found a new medication, one that gave me some relief. I had cut back on my training. Mainly on the running and swimming. I was not where I thought I would be with training. A couple of weeks before the race, I had bought some temporary tattoos. One was the word “Believe.” It had become MY word. I had to believe in myself, in the training I had done, in my determination to get past the pain I may feel. I believed I could accomplish this goal that I had set for myself.
Race day was May 13^th. The night before the race, I put the temporary tattoo on my wrist, so that I could see it throughout the day. It was there to help me boost my confidence. The race was great! The swim was canceled that morning, due to unsafe swim conditions. I felt strong on the bike. The run was rough, but I kept at it, even when the heat was causing me to feel nauseous and weak. I ended up not having any pain! I did suffer from some back stiffness during the run, but that is a minor inconvenience for me now.
After the race, I took it easy for three weeks. I hoped the easy, recovery type workouts, would help ease the inflammation in my back. When I did start back in with serious training, my back was feeling normal. I would have some stiff days, but nothing super painful. I discovered Cryotherapy, which seemed to help with the stiffness. So I hoped, I believed, that the rest had been good and maybe I would be better for a while. Maybe my condition had not gotten worse.
And, here I am, dealing with the pain again. It is 5 weeks out from the race. The pain is back. Plus, I am feeling exhausted. What do I do? I’m going to continue to train on the days the pain level is bearable. I’ll put in the effort I’m able to on that day. I will get to the race and complete it to the best of my abilities. It may not be the race I wanted, but I am going to finish it! I believe in myself. I believe that this condition may curb the level of training that I have been used to up to this point, but I will not let it keep me from doing what I love.