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Today was supposed to be the day that I lined up with over 40,000 other runners at the start of the New York City Marathon. Instead, it has now been 8 full weeks since I’ve completed a run of any distance. As a matter of fact there are many days where I don’t even feel like a runner anymore, much less someone who has completed 13 marathons and 13 half marathons over the past four years.

My plan had been to try and maintain fitness and build a good base for the future by completing P90X while on the bench. However this was also derailed by a pinched nerve in my neck that I’ve been dealing with for the past two weeks, which has significantly limited the use of my left arm (prayers for this would be appreciated).

Needless to say this is all been very frustrating ,however I’m determined to turn the page and begin writing a new chapter in my running journey. With that in mind I’m going to attempt to begin running again tomorrow. Even if things go well I’m going to take it very very slow, and just try to enjoy each and every stride. I don’t know if or when I’ll race again but I desperately want to run.

Thanks to everyone for your continued encouragement.

P90X was starting to go really well but then I got slammed by an upper respiratory illness. Spent all day Saturday and Sunday in bed trying to recover. Sometime during the day on Sunday I woke up with some of the worst pain that I’ve ever felt running up and down my left shoulder and arm. I’m guessing that I have a pinched nerve somewhere in my neck or shoulder.

The soonest that my doctor can see me is Thursday and I haven’t been able to find any over-the-counter medications that do much for the pain. Hoping that continual rotation of heat and ice, along with some gentle stretching, will have me back at it in a couple days.

Until then, this is really frustrating.

That’s More Like It!

Week 2 of P90X is in the books, and it was so much better than week 1. I’ve still got a long way to go, but this was very encouraging. In week 1, Plyometrics nearly killed me, but this time I had enough energy to attack it and got a great workout. I also made steady gains in all of the resistance workouts, and even in the group yoga (a.k.a. Bodyflow) at the Y. Looking forward to starting week 3 tonight. Last normal week before the first recovery week!

In addition to P90X, I also hiked the 4.5-mile red trail in Percy Warner park on Thursday and Saturday. Not quite the workout of running the trails, but it was still good work. I plan on trying to do this at least 2 to 3 times per week while I am recovering from my hip injury.

I mentioned in my last post that I was over 20 lbs heavier than I was for my first marathon back in 2009. Well, after 1-week of going back on my training diet I dropped exactly 2 lbs. Small steps!

Bring It!!

P90X Ate My Lunch!

Week 1 of P90X is in the books, and what a humbling week it was. Not sure how this played into my string of injuries, but my lack of dedication to cross-training became painfully evident last week. This was especially true during the lower-body workouts like Legs & Back, Yoga, and Plyometrics. I couldn’t even do all the leg reps during the Legs & Back workout, which was quite surprising to me. I knew I would struggle with the upper-body stuff, but never dreamed I was in this bad of fitness in my legs.

This is my third time to do P90X, but even my very first time doing Plyometrics was not as difficult as it was last week. I wasn’t wearing a heart rate monitor, but I know it was through the roof. I’ve got LONG way to go.

Taking my initial weight was also quite eye-opening. I’m over 20 lbs heavier than I was for the 2009 Chicago Marathon, which was my first Marathon. This has to change, and I’m getting serious about my diet along with doing the P90X workout.

So….I’ve got my work cut out for me, but I’m determined to get myself back into shape, and ultimately back on the road doing marathons again!

Baby Steps…

After 2 weeks of doing absolutely no exercise, I finally got off the couch today and headed to the gym. I spent an hour on the elliptical, and then participated in a hour-long “Bodyflow” (i.e. yoga / tai-chi / pilates with music) class with Olivia and Kate.

As I mentioned yesterday, I was fairly apprehensive about doing a group yoga class since I really stink at it. I was also nervous about the possibility of being the only male in the class (which turned out to be the case).

All-in-all it turned out to not be that bad. Though I was a little self-conscious, it was a very challenging workout and showed me several areas where I’m badly out of shape.

Olivia and I are talking about using this class as our weekly yoga workout for P90X, which will be good. It’s much easier to stay motivated with an instructor and a group. Anyway, hope to get started officially on P90X on Monday.

I Love to Run, and I HATE Being Injured!

After my first significant running injury last August I attacked cross training to stay fit. I was in the pool or on the elliptical almost every day until I could get back to running.

After my second significant running injury in March of this year I had a harder time getting to the gym to do cross training. However I still got in 4 to 5 days a week of good work.

With my current injury I have done absolutely nothing for the last two weeks. Not being able to run New York has been crushing to me mentally, and with no other races ahead of me, I find that I’m seriously lacking motivation to cross train.

Hopefully this couch potato phase will come to an end tomorrow. I plan to hit the gym for an hour of cardio and then do an hour of group yoga (a little nervous about this one, because I stink at yoga). On Monday Olivia and I plan to start P90X again and go through the entire 90 day program. This will be my third time to go through the full P90X program and I’m hoping that I can find the motivation to see it through.

At this point I’m thinking of taking a full eight weeks off from running. Since my last run was exactly 2 weeks ago this means I’ve got six more weeks to go. Once I start back I plan to take things very slowly and wait for quite a while before even thinking about registering for a race. I’ve got to get my mind right and in a position where I feel like I can run and stay healthy.

I’m hoping that doing a full course of P90X along with some additional cardio will set me up in a good position to begin running again without injury. I know that over the past 12 months my dedication to cross training has been very lax.

So, that’s where things stand as of today. Hoping to get things off to a good start tomorrow.

I received the results of my MRI this afternoon, and…

Everything looked good. I’m free to continue with the “Return to Running” program, and training for the 2013 ING New York City Marathon. Leaving the bench and headed back to the road!

It’s amazing how a healed stress injury can feel so much like the beginning of a stress fracture, but it makes sense that whenever bones heal all of the connected nerve fibers will also be affected.

Whatever the case, I’m glad to be back….again! Thanks to everyone for your prayers and encouragement. They are greatly appreciated.

I had the follow-up appointment with my orthopaedist this morning, and he recommended that I have an MRI to definitively see what is going on with my femur. Though he acknowledged that this could be a full-blown stress fracture that doesn’t show up on x-ray, his opinion is that the pain I’m experiencing right now is “Phantom Pain” or “Healing Pain” from the previous stress reaction.

He explained that this type of pain is real, but is not caused by a recurrence of the injury. It is instead caused by how the healed injury site interacts with the connected nerves. He said this often feels very similar to the beginning stages of a stress injury.

Whatever the case, I’m just glad we’re going forward with the MRI so I can at least have peace-of-mind regarding the path ahead.

Well, now that I’m back on the bench, time to start doing what is needed to get back off the bench again. To that end I have an appointment with my orthopaedist tomorrow morning to discuss next steps. Prayers for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan would be appreciated. I’m still holding out hope that I’ll be able to run New York in November.

This afternoon I headed back to the pool for a riveting hour of aqua jogging. Every second I spend in the pool just helps me realize how much I miss running, and pushes me to stay disciplined and work hard to get back out on the road.

Cross Training

• Aqua Jogging >> 1 hour
• 100 Pushup Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 1 – 120 total reps completed
  – I repeated this day for the second time since I was not able to complete all the reps on either of my first attempts. It was a struggle in the last set, but I got ’em all done tonight! It’s interesting….I’ve been through this routine start to finish twice, and I’ve never had this much trouble with a single workout. Guess this means I’m getting old.

• Pullups >> 19 total reps completed
• In and Outs x 25 reps
• Seated Bicycle Forward x 25 reps
• Seated Bicycle Backward x 25 reps
• Crunchy Frog x 25 reps
• Wide Leg Sit Ups x 25 reps
• Hip Rock n’ Raise x 25 reps
• Pulse Ups x 21 reps
• Roll-Up / V-Up Combo x 25 reps
• Oblique V-Up Right x 25 reps
• Oblique V-Up Left x 25 reps
• Leg Climb x 24 reps (1 grab)
• Mason Twist x 50 reps

Warning….venting ahead.

Well, after expressing my concerns about the “nondescript, dull, aching sensation in my inner-thigh” last night, I woke up this morning with aching and throbbing all the way up and down my upper leg and hip. This tells me there is no doubt that I’m back on the bench, and that I started running again too soon.

I’ve decided to go to the doctor, though I’m not sure if i’ll go back to my normal orthopaedist or seek a second opinion. Either way I’m incredibly frustrated to be back on the bench so soon. I’m also frustrated that New York is now in jeopardy.

I actually knew things were amiss last Friday when I had my bone density scan. It had nothing to do with the scan itself, but as I sat down for the study the back of my left leg hit the edge of the table and there was significant discomfort. I tried to brush it aside as “phantom pain” that many experience after a stress fracture, but deep inside I knew it was not good.

So, it looks like I’ll be spending a LOT more time in the pool, which is AWESOME! Can’t wait! *sarcasm*

Beast Mode….Off

Just finished with my 4-week follow-up orthopaedic appointment, and it turns out that my left femur injury was a stress reaction instead of a full-blown stress fracture. What this means is that I can start the “Return to Running” program as soon as today instead of waiting an additional 2 to 4 weeks. The program will be painfully conservative, but at least it means I can get back out on the road!

I reviewed my planned training changes with him, and he was very supportive of them, especially the idea of only running 5 days a week. He said that back when he worked with Nike elite runners in California and Oregon, their coaches never had them run more than 5 days per week, even though they were racking up LOTS of mileage. He agreed that adding one additional rest day from impact would greatly reduce my chances of sustaining another stress fracture. He also said that he would be perfectly OK with me running doubles on some days during a week, as long as I still took 2 days off from running per week. He said that these days off from running did not have to be days off from workouts, just from impact activities.

All of this was very encouraging, and he said that training for New York this November should not be a problem at all. To that end, today I hope to start the slow climb back up the mileage mountain with his prescribed “Return to Running” program. It is a 10 week program, as defined below, which I will be doing 5 days per week:

• (Week 1) Run 4 minutes, Walk 2 minutes. Repeat 4 times.

• (Week 2) Run 5 minutes, Walk 2 minutes. Repeat 4 times.

• (Week 3) Run 10 minutes, Walk 1 minute. Repeat 3 times.

• (Week 4) Run 15 minutes, Walk 1 minute. Repeat 3 times.

• (Week 5) Run 20 minutes nonstop.

• (Week 6) Run 25 minutes nonstop.

• (Week 7) Run 30 minutes nonstop.

• (Weeks 8 to 10) Increase nonstop running 5 minutes per week.

• After week 10, increase time/mileage by 10% per week.

In addition to this, I am scheduled for a bone density study next week, and then will follow-up with my doctor in 6-weeks to make sure everything is progressing as planned.

Beast Mode….Back ON!

Tonight I got back to cross-training after my laziness and apathy last week. However, that’s about the only good news that I have to share. The whole time I was on the elliptical, I was watching the continuing coverage of the Boston Marathon explosions on various new outlets. It was also during this time that the first reports came out that one of the 3 dead was an 8-year-old child.

This is just so incredibly sad and unthinkable! How could anybody possibly do something like this? All attacks of this nature are hideous, but somehow this seems closer to me than most others. I guess it is because this happened during a marathon! I’ve participated in 13 marathons over the past 4 years, and would dearly LOVE to run in the Boston Marathon!

Today started out with a mix of emotions anyway. The selfish part of me was a little depressed about having never qualified for Boston, and wondering if I would ever make it there considering the daunting standards for men. Another part of me was excited for all of my friends that would be toeing the line in Hopkinton this morning. I kept tracking all of them online from their start during the late morning until most of them finished in the early afternoon.

When all but two of my friends had finished the race, I saw the initial reports of two explosions. Once the severity of the situation became apparent, a number of us here in Nashville began frantically trying to get any information we could about their condition. Initially we were able to touch base with everyone except for our friends Dan and Vicki, who had not finished the race. Thankfully we heard from them about an hour later, and they are both OK. Vicki later posted the following on her Facebook account:

I’m ok. Heard the explosion but thought it was fireworks. Rounded the corner for the last 400 meters and they stopped the runners. I saw the smoke. My boyfriend got knocked down twice from the explosion and has temporary (we hope) hearing issues now. So thankful I needed to walk when I did or it could’ve been me, too. Horrific!

All of this puts my initial selfish emotions into perspective. I’m thankful that my friends are OK. I’m thankful that I was NOT in Boston today. I will continue to pray for those affected by the explosions today.

I have been surprised how helpful and accommodating people have been when they see me in a boot. This weekend I flew up to see my terminally ill Grandfather. When I was at the airport people would practically run across rooms to help me. While I appreciate the help, it did sort of make me wonder, ‘where were you when I was flying 7 months pregnant trying to fold a stroller with one hand, manage luggage with the other, and keep up with an over-excited 3 year old?‘

Some people have been a bit over-helpful. I was offered a wheelchair on more than one occasion. And going through security, they offered me a cane. Yep. A cane. 7 days ago I ran 10 miles. Don’t think I need a cane, thanks.

So it rained this weekend. Not wanting to get mud from my parents un-paved driveway all over my boot, I tied a plastic bag over it. Ahhh, the target bag over the robo-boot. The look that says…I give up. We went for coffee and the barista asked me

So, how does it feel to have to wear a plastic bag on your boot to keep it from getting wet?

It feels awesome. Really, really great. Thanks for asking.

People are funny. And awkward. But mostly nice. I am thankful for the people in my life who can laugh and cry with me. The ones who love me even if I have a Target bag on my foot. The ones that know I don’t need a cane, but maybe a hug. Just not from a stranger.

-Olivia

This has been a hard week on the bench. No cross-training completed. NONE! Some of it has to do with business travel. Some of it has to do with Olivia being in Michigan the past three days to be with her sick grandfather, and having to take care of the girls. However, I could still have done some cross-training had I wanted to. The real reason I haven’t done any cross training is because of frustration and anger over being injured again, and allowing excuses to win out over training.

This was brought to a head earlier in the week when Olivia was also diagnosed with a stress fracture, and will also have to miss the St. Jude Country Music race later this month. Both of us love running and racing, and it is so disheartening to work this hard and then not be able to do the thing we love. In an instant we go from peak condition, and ready to engage beast mode, to sitting on the bench.

I’m not a Kobe Bryant fan, but last night when I heard about his torn achilles tendon, I remember thinking that he must feel the same way times a million. This morning, most major news and sports sites were commenting about a Facebook post he made regarding the injury. I have copied it below with the expletives deleted:

All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I’ve done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the [deleted] did this happen ?!? Makes no [deleted] sense. Now I’m supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that??

I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that was. Maybe this is how my book ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me…Then again maybe not! It’s 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I’m wide awake. Forgive my Venting but what’s the purpose of social media if I won’t bring it to you Real No Image?? Feels good to vent, let it out. To feel as if THIS is the WORST thing EVER! Because After ALL the venting, a real perspective sets in. There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.

One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day.

“If you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear”. Ive always loved that quote. Thats “mamba mentality” we don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer.

I know it’s a long post but I’m Facebook Venting LOL. Maybe now I can actually get some sleep and be excited for surgery tomorrow. First step of a new challenge.

Guess I will be Coach Vino the rest of this season. I have faith in my teammates. They will come thru.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Much Love Always.

Mamba Out

I realize I’m not an elite athlete being paid millions of dollars to compete like Kobe, but I feel the same roller-coaster of emotions that he expresses in this post. I KNOW this is nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it is still frustrating, and I still feel anger. I KNOW I want to work hard to overcome this, but questions fill my mind. At 38, is it possible to ever set a PR again? Qualify for Boston? Train hard without getting a stress fracture? I DO NOT KNOW!

Well, it is time to break out of my slothfulness, and get back to work. Thanks for letting me vent for a minute. Gonna take the girls out to the park for a hike before heading to pickup Olivia from the airport. Next week will be a better week.

About this same time last year, I remember thinking I had been extremely fortunate to have only missed one race due to injury, especially considering how many races I’ve participated in since 2008. Well, a year later, and 2 stress fractures later, I have now missed 8 total races. This really hit me yesterday after Olivia was diagnosed with a severe tibial stress fracture, and will miss the upcoming St. Jude Country Music Half Marathon. Between the two of us, we have now missed 12 races due to stress fractures and other injuries. These are…

Timothy

1. 2008 St. Jude Half Marathon – ITBS
2. 2012 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon – Stress Fracture
3. 2012 Murfreesboro “Middle” Half Marathon – Stress Fracture
4. 2012 Chickamauga Marathon – Stress Fracture
5. 2012 Flying Monkey Marathon – Stress Fracture
6. 2013 Oak Barrel Half Marathon – Stress Fracture
7. 2013 St. Jude Country Music Marathon – Stress Fracture
8. 2013 500 Festival Mini Marathon – Stress Fracture

Olivia

1. 2011 Tupelo 14.2-Miler – Stress Fracture
2. 2011 Women’s Half Marathon – Stress Fracture
3. 2011 Chicago Marathon – Stress Fracture
4. 2013 St. Jude Country Music Half Marathon – Stress Fracture

There’s a LOT of running frustration in the Team Agee household right now. However, as I always say, this is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things, and we are very, very blessed in the life that we have.

Since both of us will be missing the St. Jude Country Music race, Kate will be carrying the Team Agee banner as she participates in her 8th kid’s marathon!

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I’m so over cross-training instead of running, but I’m still doing it anyway!

This week I’ve completed…

• 2 hours 20 minutes aqua jogging
• 2 hours 30 minutes on the bike
• 1 hour on the elliptical
• Various push-up, pull-up, & leg workouts

Today I started out the morning with an easy 30 minutes on the bike before leaving to go help a friend move for about 4 hours. Once I got home, I really didn’t want to head back out the door to the gym, but at this moment I’m finishing up an hour on the elliptical before doing some upper-body work.

Today has been a tough day because I had to miss the Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg, TN. This is one of my favorite races, and I was hoping this year to finally place in my age group after 2 consecutive 4th place finishes. Turned out that the top 3 were between 1:28:36 & 1:30:45. Last year I ran a 1:29. Made it tougher to swallow.

I am happy for my friend Paxton though who finished second in his age group and got to take home that sweet oak barrel plank award.

Anyway…everybody else keep beast mode going while I’m on the bench.

A couple of weeks ago I posted about 3 changes I was planning to make in my training once I come back from the current injury. The following are 3 more thoughts about changes I can make for the remainder of 2013.

• Incorporate more soft-surface running into my training. I used to be in the habit of doing at least one run per week on trails, but began to really slack on this beginning in 2012. I know that in addition to an extra rest day per week, it would be good for my legs to have one run per week on a surface softer than concrete or asphalt. I also know that incorporating more trail running will increase my overall leg strength.

• Drop a few pounds. I’m by no means overweight, but at the same time I’m about 10-pounds heavier than I was during 2010/2011. Losing these pounds would just take that much more pressure off of my legs while running.

• Be more consistent in cross-training. Back in 2010 / 2011 I went through the full P90X program twice, and then continued to do a large portion of the workouts for quite some time. These days, my cross training is inconsistent at best. While I don’t think I need to go back to the full P90X plan, I do believe a more consistent schedule will help in preventing injuries.

In the meantime, while I’m injured, I continue to put in as much time cross-training as I can. This includes aqua-jogging, biking, and elliptical. I’m so over the pool, but also know it is probably the best cross training I can do. Oh well….everybody else out there keep beast mode going while I’m on the bench.

As part of my obsession with qualifying for Boston, I became convinced that moving my weekly mileage from the 40 to 50 mile range into the 60+ range was required to have any shot at a BQ. I began the process of increasing my mileage in mid-2011, and cranked this up even more in mid-2012 after my 3:12 finish in New Orleans. I doubt it is a big coincidence that this also marked the beginning of the stress fracture cycle I’m currently battling.

With this in mind, I have begun the process of re-evaluating my training plan, schedule, and equipment by looking back at my running and equipment logs from the past several years. There were several things that immediately jumped out at me, and I have decided on at least three changes I plan to make for the remainder of 2013 once I am back from the injury:

1. Run no more than 3 consecutive days without taking a full day of rest, and no more than 5 total days in a single week. Since mid-2011, my typical pattern has been to run 6 consecutive days each week, and only take Sunday as a rest day from running. While I wish that my body could handle 6 straight days, I’m thinking that adding one extra rest day per week would greatly reduce my risk of developing another stress fracture. I know that bones need time to recover from repeated impact, and I have not been putting enough emphasis on rest days in my schedule.
2. Aim for no more than 1,500 to 1,750 total miles in 2013. Implementing item #1 above should automatically take care of my total yearly mileage, but I want to make sure and keep an eye on it anyway. Back when I was running an average of 4 marathons per year, without injury, my yearly mileage was in this range. It has only been since jumping up to 2000+ miles per year that the injury cycle has started. Maybe someday I can get back to 2000+ miles per year, but right now I need to be smarter about how much my body can handle.
3. Utilize shoes with maximum cushioning for training runs of 10 miles or greater. My shoe of choice for almost any type of run has been the Saucony Kinvara. However, prior to 2012, I would almost always use the very cushy Nike Vomero for my Saturday long runs. I transitioned to using the less-cushioned Kinvara for all training runs in January 2012, and again 2012 was when the injury cycle got started. I don’t really want to go back to the Vomero, but am greatly intrigued by the new Adidas Energy Boost, which has an incredible amount of cushioning in a fairly light-weight shoe.

I’m sure there will be other changes to make, but I feel pretty good about this as a start. I just can’t wait to get back out there on the road and start working toward a great rest of 2013.

I got the work in, but oh how I hate aqua jogging! I started out with just over an hour on the elliptical before hitting the pool for just under an hour. So glad that my orthopedist is allowing me to do elliptical.

Also, thankfully today I only had to compete with water aerobics for about 10 minutes, which was nice. Those ladies absolutely own the pool.

Right now I’m enjoying an awesome ham & cheese omelet at Noshville Delicatessen, sitting at the counter next to country singer Vince Gill in his overalls. Typical day in Music City!