Why Now?

I thought cross-training would be a good thing. By adding two intense one-hour spin class workouts per week I was feeling stronger than ever when I ran. I had come off a 20-mile run the previous Saturday and a great 6 mile run on Tuesday. And then Wednesday happened. It took me a while to realize it, but that little feeling of strain during a hard seated climb during Wednesday's spin class has become more serious than I first thought.


As I showered and dressed for work after class, I noticed a lump in my lower abdomen. It was sore to the touch, but I didn't think much of it. Over the next 48 hours the lump swelled a bit and became more tender and while I had no symptoms of illness or infection, I figured it was just a swollen lymph node or something else that would go away on its own.

I got two good runs in on Thursday and Friday and another quality long run of 16 miles two days later Saturday, afterwhich I helped some friends move and shoveled bark dust in my yard for a few hours. When I woke up Sunday, I had multiple sore muscles, but that darn lump in my abdomen just wasn't going away or feeling any better. Quite the opposite actually.

Fast forward four days to yesterday. The lump has continued to swell and the pain is no longer contained to a spot, but more of a general area. An ER doctor client of ours happened to be in our office yesterday so I asked him about it. He said it was most likely a hernia and that I should probably get it check out.

The pain has since increased, but only when I stand up, sit down, walk, cough, lay down, put on my socks or do anything else that requires any movmement. So here I wait, trying to get in to see my doctor today, with a surgery probably looming and worst case scenario thoughts running though my mind. Namely: the Newport Marathon is 5 weeks from tomorrow. And Seattle is three weeks after that. And the Foot Traffic Flat Marathon a nine days after that. Nice timing. I've blown this week of training and next week is probably out too at this point. After that, who knows. I do know that it's pretty depressing though.

More to come...