Back to square one, apparently.
Which is, in this case, a good thing.
Remember how I said that I kept having problems with my ankles and with getting slower instead of faster? And how I was seriously worried if running really is the thing for me and if I should maybe file this 5k to 10k plan under "stupid ideas originating in absolute overconfidence which will never amount to anything, anyway"?
I think I won't do that just yet. I did have another appointment with my orthopedist who told me that my ankles are simply to inflexible for me to ever run without pain and that I should just leave it be but who also gave me a kind of flexible ankle brace and another round of physical therapy, focusing on manual therapy instead of physical activity and that, apparently was exactly the right thing. The brace stopped the pain immediately, and the massaging stuff helped to losen my calf muscles (which apparently are rock hard) and ligaments (which apparently are ridiculously inflexible and short) which was a good addition.
Also, and this is probably the most important part, it turned out that my iron levels were literally scraping the bottom of the barrel, especially one of them (the "deposit", not the daily level), which was the main reason for my snail's pace (and, of course, a couple other issues). I suspected something like that but my GP was - at first - convinced that my iron levels were fine since I didn't look like I was iron deficient (meaning my mucosa thingies no idea how you call them in English looked sufficiently supplied with my blood, which isn't complete bogus but damn, she already once treated me for that, so she should taken it into consideration, anyway).
She decided to do some lab work on my blood for other stuff a while later and lo and behold, of course the levels were down. So she sent me to the haematologist who took another round of blood (I will never get over the absurdity of having to give at least four vials of blood each in at least four separate instances while being treated for iron-deficiency induced anemia over the course of the last six weeks or so...) and told me I need iron infusions like right fucking now because my levels were so absurdedly low. She let me convince her to try iron capsules instead and three weeks later, here we are: me being just as fast as I was when I started to run regularly. It's a fucking miracle!*
Additionally, I'm now running mostly pain free which is, to be honest, a new experience. I suspect that it was a combination of the brace, the physicall therapy and the iron capsules, and honestly, I had a fleeting suspicion that the pain might have had something to do with the iron deficiency but put it away, thinking that was too far-fetched. Apparently, it wasn't.
The good thing, then, is that there's an explanation and a solution. The not so good thing is that this iron deficiency will most likely come back, considering that I'm, you know, female *rolls eyes The solution the doc and I came up with is that I'll take iron supplements when it's err necessary (you know when that is, right?) and do a check-up in November to see if it's having any effect, so keep your fingers crossed because I'm not really keen on the alternative...
So, in conclusion: maybe this 10k thing isn't such a pipe dream after all, and I'm considering starting with the program next week (since all weather forecasts are promising that the insane temperatures are finally over, and I will destroy something if they aren't) so I can still make my 2018 deadline for this. Also: always remember to factor in more than one explanation when being faced with performance issues while running, take care of your iron levels and don't forget that everything in your body is connected.
*I know, I know, it's not a miracle, just basic biology. More iron, more red blood cells, better oxygen transport, better performance and all that. But seriously, it's like one week I'm barely getting my feet off the ground feeling the slowest snail ever to run anywhere and two weeks later it's like, wow, why am I suddenly so fast what is this sorcery?
Remember how I said that I kept having problems with my ankles and with getting slower instead of faster? And how I was seriously worried if running really is the thing for me and if I should maybe file this 5k to 10k plan under "stupid ideas originating in absolute overconfidence which will never amount to anything, anyway"?
I think I won't do that just yet. I did have another appointment with my orthopedist who told me that my ankles are simply to inflexible for me to ever run without pain and that I should just leave it be but who also gave me a kind of flexible ankle brace and another round of physical therapy, focusing on manual therapy instead of physical activity and that, apparently was exactly the right thing. The brace stopped the pain immediately, and the massaging stuff helped to losen my calf muscles (which apparently are rock hard) and ligaments (which apparently are ridiculously inflexible and short) which was a good addition.
Also, and this is probably the most important part, it turned out that my iron levels were literally scraping the bottom of the barrel, especially one of them (the "deposit", not the daily level), which was the main reason for my snail's pace (and, of course, a couple other issues). I suspected something like that but my GP was - at first - convinced that my iron levels were fine since I didn't look like I was iron deficient (meaning my mucosa thingies no idea how you call them in English looked sufficiently supplied with my blood, which isn't complete bogus but damn, she already once treated me for that, so she should taken it into consideration, anyway).
She decided to do some lab work on my blood for other stuff a while later and lo and behold, of course the levels were down. So she sent me to the haematologist who took another round of blood (I will never get over the absurdity of having to give at least four vials of blood each in at least four separate instances while being treated for iron-deficiency induced anemia over the course of the last six weeks or so...) and told me I need iron infusions like right fucking now because my levels were so absurdedly low. She let me convince her to try iron capsules instead and three weeks later, here we are: me being just as fast as I was when I started to run regularly. It's a fucking miracle!*
Additionally, I'm now running mostly pain free which is, to be honest, a new experience. I suspect that it was a combination of the brace, the physicall therapy and the iron capsules, and honestly, I had a fleeting suspicion that the pain might have had something to do with the iron deficiency but put it away, thinking that was too far-fetched. Apparently, it wasn't.
The good thing, then, is that there's an explanation and a solution. The not so good thing is that this iron deficiency will most likely come back, considering that I'm, you know, female *rolls eyes The solution the doc and I came up with is that I'll take iron supplements when it's err necessary (you know when that is, right?) and do a check-up in November to see if it's having any effect, so keep your fingers crossed because I'm not really keen on the alternative...
So, in conclusion: maybe this 10k thing isn't such a pipe dream after all, and I'm considering starting with the program next week (since all weather forecasts are promising that the insane temperatures are finally over, and I will destroy something if they aren't) so I can still make my 2018 deadline for this. Also: always remember to factor in more than one explanation when being faced with performance issues while running, take care of your iron levels and don't forget that everything in your body is connected.
*I know, I know, it's not a miracle, just basic biology. More iron, more red blood cells, better oxygen transport, better performance and all that. But seriously, it's like one week I'm barely getting my feet off the ground feeling the slowest snail ever to run anywhere and two weeks later it's like, wow, why am I suddenly so fast what is this sorcery?