Groin Pain

Almost 2 years ago, when I was ramping up my training and had hit 30-40 miles per week for about 6 weeks, I developed a sudden groin pain that would not go away, even with rest. I eventually had hernia surgery, but even after the surgery and patient healing, nothing had changed.

My right groin had a weakened feeling, not a sharp pain, but strong enough to deter me from trying to run, as I felt any exertion would bring back the pain.

Finally after over a year, I did the Beachbody P90X extreme home fitness program. I lost weight, gained strength, and was able to start running again. I was unable to explain why, but it seemed that the P90X workouts had cuted me.

Well I recently found this post and this post on a running message board answerred by Dr. Nilesh Shah. Both posts seem to indicate that groin pain in runners may be caused by a core imbalance, or a weakness in the core area.

Since P90X certainly strengthens the core, this may explain my miracle cure!

Running With The Kids

The kids and I went for a run today ... Brooke wanted to take more breaks so we started with 4 minutes running and 1 minute walking, goal was to do 30 minutes total (24 running & 6 walking).

Well Luke only took 1 walk break around 14 minutes, he got ahead and then Rachel biked up to catch him and tell him to turn around and come back. He's starting to get in shape for 7th grade cross country in the fall.

I'm estimating we did about 3 miles. This was my 2nd "extra" workout this week, after playing soccer on Wednesday night. This morning I did the P90X Legs & Back workout, plus Ab-Ripper X. I'm 40 days into the P90X program and today I weighed 189 so I am down 16 lbs.

My leg/groin that has bothered me for a year since before and after my hernia surgery has not bothered me at all this week. I think I may start trying to run on Tuesday nights.

Cortisone!

Well I had another appointment with the pain doctor last night after my 2 rounds of medicine did very little to help.

He suggested I try a cortisone shot, he called it a nerve blocker. He said one should last a month, a second should last a couple more months, and after that hopefully I would be all healed. I asked why I would not and he chuckled and said maybe I would be afraid of needles.

He pressed against my upper right leg / groin to find where the pain was centered and then marked the spots with magic marker. He then took the needle & syringe and gave me injections in 5 different spots. He sent me on my way, suggesting that I be careful driving and take it easy that night as my leg might be a little weak.

What an understatement! By the time I drove home, my right leg was completely numb. I went up stairs, sat down for a bit, then started getting dressed for soccer practice. I fell down twice getting dressed, my leg just gave out on me with no warning. I fell 4 more times throughout the night, including twice walking across the field after soccer.

I had to take the day off work today, I didn't sleep at all until after 5 AM and my leg was still mostly numb when I awoke around 7:30. It finally wore off around 1PM, but now my knee and ankle are really sore from the falls.

But the lingering pain from my hernia seems to be gone.

Pain, Blood, P90X, Running, Bands

Well as you can tell I can't come up with a title for today's post.

My groin pain is still nagging. I'm up to taking the pain medicine 3x/day and will start the nerve medicine next week. The pain medicine seems to have no effect.

I gave blood this week on Wednesday. I'm a pretty regular donor now at 5-6 times / year. This time I got a coupon for a free Frosty at Wendy's.

I've heard a couple people talking about this extreme workout video called P90X. I thought maybe I would give it a try. My groin pain isn't disabling, it just makes me cautious about running far from home in case the pain increases and I have to walk back. So I thought a workout video would be good.

Well I did some research and found that I would need a pull-up bar and a set of stretch bands / tubes to do this workout. I also found out that P90X is pretty advanced and there is a lower level workout called P90, which maybe I should start with.

So anyhow I went to WalMart on Thursday night and got the Perfect Pullup bar and mounted it in the doorway to the utility room in the basement, and also a set of Gold's Gym Long Tubes (something like this but not exactly.) The tubes came with a workout video so I made the decision to make sure I would do the workout video consistently (maybe 3x / week for 2 weeks) before I spend the money on either the P90 or P90X.

Brooke's U11 soccer coach is requiring her to run 25 minutes at least twice weekly (outside of practice). So she and I got up and went for an easy run this morning (well easy for me). We did just over 2 miles on an out-and-back course. To be precise, we went 4 telephone poles past the 1-mile turn around. She did really well, only stopping once to tie her shoes.

After I got back I thought Luke and I could do the long tube workout video but even though we have 3 tubes, we only have 1 set of handles so really only one person can do the workout at a time.

Still, the bottom line is that I did run AND work out (chest, biceps, back, triceps, abs, and a little cardio mixed in).

Pain Doctor

So I'm still having some tenderness in my groin area after my hernia surgery last year. My surgeon referred me to a pain specialist. I'm taking a prescription of Tizanidine, one / day for 5 days, then two / day for 5 days, then three / day for 5 days.



Well I'm 5 days in and if anything, my groin pain is more consistent than before. Very frustrating.

Great News, No Cast!

My arm is to be in a sling for at least 2 weeks, during which time I am a 1-handed typist and 1-armed driver.

Sore Arm Explained

It's broken. I have a small non-displaced fracture of my radius bone, right at the elbow. My arm is in a splint. I've never had a cast before.

And to think I didn't even take myself out of the game.

Doctor Appointment

I had my doctor appointment yesterday for the pain I have been having in my groin area, still 6 months after my hernia surgery. The doctor checked me out and is certain there is not a reoccurrance of the hernia so he wrote me a prescription for Ultram, a pain reliever.

I am supposed to take 3 a day for 30 days and then go back to the doctor. If I'm not better he may send me to see another specialist in downtown Cleveland.

36

I got some new jeans for Christmas. I used to wear 32x34 but in the past 3-4 years have slowly changed to 34x34. That wasn't a big deal and I accepted that I was just getting a little older.

Well the 34-waisted jeans are just too snug and my wife had to exchange them for 36x34. They fit right but they look huge. I am NOT happy at all.

But I haven't been able to work out ... unfortunately, my right groin is sore again and I am going back today to the doctor who performed my hernia surgery back in June.

Running Again

If you want to follow my daily running progress, you really need to check my log on Running2Win.com. I will try to post periodic updates here though.

I ran once in August, on the road, and then 5 times in September, on the treadmill. All of these runs were 1.5 - 2 miles at an easy pace. My groin still felt tender in the hernia surgery area so I took a few more weeks off and started running again this week.

I ran once this week at the fitness center and then ran 1.75 miles at home tonight. This weeks news is that my weight was 204 when I weighed in on Tuesday. Our company fitness center is running a "Holiday Challenge". Anyone who stays even or loses weight from now until 2009 gets a small prize.

Since this is about my highest weight ever, I'm confident that it won't take much for me to turn things around and get moving in the right direction.

Weekend

I'm heading back to my hometown in the morning so the kids can run in the local 5k & 1 mile fun run. I haven't run all week as my leg felt achy & weak after my short run last week. I'll give it another try next week I think.

I did find this article on RunTri.com about Sarah Palin who was chosen today by Repbulican Presidential nominee John McCain to join the ticket as Vice President. It describes how Palin ran the Humpy's marathon in Anchorage in 2005 in just under 4 hours!

Starting Over

I ran about 1 3/4 miles today. It was an easy run, by myself, from the fitness center. Therw was no pain but still some tenderness in the groin area that led to the hernia surgery in the first place.

The workout was discouraging for a couple reasons. First of all when I got to the fitness center, my locker was locked and the key was gone! (I always leave my key in it). I found the only staff member on duty (Tammy) and she did open it up with the master key. We found an empty mesh bag.

Tammy then helped me find my clothes all bagged up in a closet. I had been kicked out! Apparently I notified the wrong person about my surgery. Everything is resolved now but it did make me feel sad and lonely for a while.

Then as I ran down into the flats and found a road closed and the whole old flats bar district bulldozed in preparation for a new development. Now I knew this was coming but it was still a surprise to see places like the Beach Club and the Paladium (more recently Larry Flynt's Hustler Club) totally gone.

Weight is up to 197 (from 184 last time I ran).

Hernia Surgery Scheduled

My hernia surgery is now scheduled for June 16th. I probably won't be running again until August. What a wasted year.

I Was Right

The doctor diagnosed me with an inguinal hernia this morning. I have a referral to a surgeon and an appointment early next month. I'm won't be running for a while.

Doctor, Doctor, Give Me The News

I have a doctor appointment on Thursday morning. I'm guessing I have a hernia.

Pop! goes the groin

I ran an easy 4.5 today with Milica, Peter, & Rick. The weather was great and I was feeling good until about 3.5 miles when I felt a POP and my groin started hurting again, the same spot as last Thursday. I was able to maintain the (slow) pace and finish but I'm pretty frustrated.

We stopped / regrouped a few times, time of the run was 43:00.

Running Again

After 5 days of rest I ran again Wednesday. At the start of the run my right leg felt a little strange but then once I loosened up I think I'm pretty much back to normal.

I also did 3 sets of 10 each of leg extensions & leg curls before I ran as my left knee has been clicking a little bit the last couple days.

The run was 2 miles on the treadmill in 16:23.

Streaking - No Longer (Aggravated Groin)

Today was my 10th consecutive day of running, but I'm pretty sure I won't get to 11.

I hurt myself today somehow. I was just running along, feeling good, when suddenly my groin started hurting and I started to slow down. By about 6 minutes later I was walking and walked over a mile in.

I've pretty much decided I'm taking the next 3 days off to rest and I'll reevaluate on Monday. I have plenty of time for my fall marathon, but I don't want to be hurt. And I am already signed up for the Hermes 10 Miler in 3 weeks.

Here is a good article I found on groin injuries. It says I should rest for a week.

Tuesday 4/1 - 4.5 miles - 36:01
Nice run with Randy & Greg. Windy from the west and chilly again. Greg told of his wine-tasting trip to southern Ohio, and Randy told of his trip to Ireland.

Wednesday 4/2 - 6 miles - 56:04
Very easy run with Rick at lunch today. Weight is down another pound to 184!

Thursday 4/3 - 3 miles - 24:00
I aggravated my groin today somehow. I was running along, feeling pretty good. I passed 2.37 miles in 18 minutes (7:36 pace) so I wasn't going really fast, just a little faster than I usually run on my own.

I was on a slight downhill and my right groin started feeling sore, like I should slow down. By 24 minutes I was walking, and I walked the last 1 1/4 miles back to the office.

The pain is right on the joint, the innermost spot where my right leg connects to my pelvis. It's not in the quad muscle at all.

It really hurts.

I'm probably going to take Friday-Sunday off at this point, hope it's just a minor ache, and hope it feels better on it's own by Monday.

Tuesday Easy 6

I took Monday off, continuing my recent pattern of 1 rest day every week, early in the week.

I had to run at lunch today as I'm going to Rachel's soccer game tonight and can't run with the Tuesday night group. It was an easy run, very windy today. A couple times I felt like my stocking cap was going to blow off my head!

I ran 6 miles in 51:36, 8:36 pace. Good news is it was 1:34 faster than I ran the same course on 3/13.

My right hamstring started feeling a little tender & tingly. It didn't get any worse (or better) throughout the run.

Weight = 189 lbs. I'm not losing anything at all.

Scrape

I ran an easy 4-mile run today on the Bridges Plus course. I forgot my watch so no time on this one. The weather was brisk and breezy, especially on the bridges (which is normal).

At the foot of the 2nd bridge, I dodged to my left to avoid a pile of snow and scraped my right knee on the stem of a bush that had been cut back. It bled a little but not too bad.