WHERE DID 2017 GO?

Well 2017 has vanished down the corridors of time.  My year was mainly focussed on Comrades.  That has been pretty well covered on this blog.  Overall I had good year and learnt a lot about myself and running generally.  I suppose the main lesson was coping with my failure at Comrades, an achilles injury in early August  just as i was finding some form for a marathon at the Sunshine Coast and a return bout of an old back injury in September just as i was finding some form for a marathon at the Sunshine Coast.

The achilles injury was probably a left over from Comrades. I had tried to get some pace back into my legs too quickly for the Sunshine Coast Marathon.   I, apparently mistakenly, thought that because I didn't run to my potential at Comrades (perhaps i did and my ego is working earnestly at keeping me deluded) that I didn't need as much time to get over Comrades.  I also raced the Jetty to Jetty as a hit out for the SCM, and while i had a stabbing pain in my back during the race it never came to anything.   BTW.  Big shout out and congratulations  to Peter Reeves and John Shaw who finished first and second in the 60-64 age-group Queensland half marathon championships.   I couldn't get near their times at Jetty to Jetty.  

 I am not sure what caused my back injury.  I had visited my physio who has been manipulating my back to keep it mobile.  He was particularly aggressive and i had pins and needles in my back afterwards.  That afternoon I was working in my garden and I fell over awkwardly.  The next day i ran with no pain at all.  On Saturday, I ventured out to Nudgee for a time trial and from the start my back was hurting.  I stupidly kept training as I sometimes have days when it flares a bit then is fine later on.  My back has been sore since. The pain was debilitating at first, but now it has settled and I can run enough to at least run the longer trail races. I haven't done any long road runs or any road races since.  (I see there is a ParkRun on grass at Zillmere and another starting up soon at St Lucia along the crushed granite trail at UQ, so...)  Any serious speed work (speed for me) just aggravates my back.  I am trying to gradually introduce the more intense sessions into my training.

The reason i hurt my back?  i don't really know.  It could have been my gardening, perhaps physio, the fall, too much "speed' too soon.   I was pushing the limits a bit  to achieve before the cancer caused problems which prevented me from running to my best ability.   And after my achilles setback I had started doing some 400s and 1000m reps on bitumen in the carpark around the AFL fields near my place.   Maybe a combination of all above. One day I'll wake up to myself.

So my year since late September when I hurt my back was about holding some fitness without buggering my back up again.  One thing for sure about this running game, it keeps you humble.  We might get a bit cocky at times but we are soon reminded that we are just vulnerable humans.  We break like everybody else.  King of the world (in our minds) one minute and flat on your back on stretcher writhing in pain the next.  What doesn't quite kill you makes you more human, more humble, more thankful.

A few people have asked if i am going back to Comrades.  It is understandable that that expectation would show itself.  It has been said that expectations cause a lot of anxiety and unhappiness in this world.  This can be the case, especially, if you try to live up to others expectations.  In some cases, probably more so if we try to live up to expectations we - or our egos - place on ourselves.  When, and if, I go back to Comrades it will be all about the passion i have for the Ultimate Race, not to appease expectations of my ego to please any expectations.  In some ways our ego can be an other.  I know that sounds lame to  competitive runners, but we each have our own ways and paths to follow.  Besides, i loathe the plane trip (worse than the race in some ways...i don't travel well) and it is a big expense for a runner of my level and limitations. 

Dealing with the cancer has been more mental than physical.  I am asymptomatic.  I feel fine.  In one of the other posts i mentioned I had a PSMA Pet Scan.  This was done to determine what  course of action should be taken.  Either ADT or chemo.  Nothing showed on the scans and given my PSA level my Doctor thinks that that is because I was one of the 20% that such a Pet Scan doesn't work. Cost me 700 dollars.  All up $1400.  In the USA it is more than $7000.  I was injected with a substance that activates the tumours so the Doctors can determine the tumours'  fuel source etc.  http://oncologynews.com.au/recurrence-of-prostate-cancer-detected-earlier-with-innovative-psma-ligand-petct/

Anyway, after the scan my Doc. decided to watch and wait for six months.  My PSA level had doubled in the previous six months so things didn't look too good.  That said, the level was .42 which is still pretty low. It's the doubling time that indicates the aggressiveness of the cancer.   With the prostate removed, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) should be undetectable.    I have just had another blood test and visited the Doctor.  In the last six month my PSA has risen from .42 to .58.  What that means, is the doubling time is about 18 months.  Yes, the cancer is still growing but, hopefully, shouldn't cause problems for some time (fingers crossed).  So I see the Doctor in six months for another PSA check and consult. Dr Swindle knows his stuff.  Top person.

I think my diet has helped.  I eat mainly plant-based food.  Most of it raw.

On a more personal level, Jon has married the lovely Rosa, and I am now a proud grand dad to their wonderful little son, Avid.  My eldest daughter, a professor,  continues to forge ahead with her academic achievements and developing their wonderful garden, while my youngest daughter has come through a year that would destroy a lot of people.  So proud.

Not a very feel-good post.  What happens happens. I have learnt a lot this year and I am thankful for the experiences. I'll be turning 65 in April and moving into that age-group opens up a few challenges for this old runner.  On,on to 2018.

My Strava year:

https://2017.strava.com/en-us/videos/001c33fd32d8d2e2592b44d06fcbc0a2e9441686/