MRI no good

As previously mentioned, I've been dealing with hip pain while walking/running/hopping, basically anything with impact for over a month now. Real bummer since Triple Crown training was just heating up and these were supposed to be my big races this summer season. I took a week completely off, had a fairly light week with one short run and the Garden 10-mile race, then last week went back to three runs (keeping the downhill portions easy). Three weeks ago, I also started seeing an A.R.T. (Active Release Therapy) specialist, thinking the injury was soft tissue and he could help work it out. In the meantime, I wanted to rule out bone injury, since it would just be stupid to keep pounding on a bone injury and wreak more havoc on my hip.

The initial x-ray did not show anything, so the Dr ordered an MRI, which I had run last week. Aside from almost pushing the panic button in the MRI machine (I'm a little claustrophobic), I was hopeful that this was all just to ease my mind and the results would not show anything. I actually went into the Dr appointment yesterday still thinking this was all just a formality. So, I was taken by surprise when the results showed the hip bone is stressed and given two options: Let it heal on it's own (which could take 3-6 months) or put pins in to expedite healing. Ummmm, no surgery, please. I was a little confused since there was no fracture present (yet), but realize that without giving the bone time to completely heal, I am quickly headed in that direction. Especially with all the downhill pounding included in my training these days. This article also gave me a little more insight into "Stress Injury of the Bone". It says "The majority of "stress fractures" diagnosed do not demonstrate a fracture line and technically are not well termed as a stress fracture." Dr said absolutely no impact activity for the next six weeks, then I'll go back in for another check-up. I could be out longer but we are on a wait and see right now. I can walk, swim, bike....as long as there is no pain.

It took me a few minutes after we left the Dr office to digest what he had just told me. But when I called hubby to tell him the news, I lost it. I'm sobbing and telling him I just finished with the appointment. His initial reaction is to think the worst, not realizing that to me, at that moment, it was the worst news I could have gotten. No. Running.

So, I'm out of my summer races. I did ponder and look at past race results to see what pace I would have to keep to hike the next race - Summer Roundup Trail 12k - just so I could stay in the Ascent, that is two months away. But it's just not the way I wanted to do these runs. More than half of the experience for me is the training, the time and hard work I put in with my buddies. I don't want my first Ascent experience to be an under-prepared, half-assed attempt. There is always next year, it's just not worth trying to get through these on a hurt hip and A) Making it worse, B) Not enjoying it the way I want to.

Bummer all around. I'm sad, I cried several times last night and I'm sure there are more tears bottled up in here. But, trying to find the silver lining. I see glimpses of it here and there. Things could always be worse, eh?