Yes, two days of good news in a row. Well, as good as it gets. But the most important thing, I’ll be at the start line of the UTMB CCC Friday next week. Chamonix, here we come!
It’s taken a long time, but I finally know what is going on with my knee, and with my belly. Last week I had an MRI done on my knee. The radiologist couldn’t find anything wrong with the knee joint. I didn’t expect something to be wrong, but it was still a relief to hear. My bones are fine, my ligaments are fine, the meniscus is fine. There is even no wear and tear on the cartilage.
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A mysterious spot
He did find a spot in my semimembranosus, the most medial muscle of my hamstrings. However, he couldn’t say what that spot was. I needed an echo to shine light on it. This morning I had that echo. The spot is either dried blood or a cyst. In both cases it’s a remnant of a muscle tear, dating back to the Grand Trail du Saint-Jacques.
Although the Grand Trail itself didn’t have anything to do with it. Okay, a bit. I still remember vividly walking up the stairs to our rented apartment in Le Puy-en-Velay the day before the race, with my heavy backpack full of clothes and camera gear. I placed my foot only halfway on the step and felt a sharp pain in the back of my hamstring, like someone was stabbing me with a knife.
It felt painful that day, but not so painful that I couldn’t start. So I ran. And I fell. Not because of the hamstring, but because of stupid me stepping on a rock that rolled away, making me do a beautiful face plant. For the next 25 kilometres or so, my left hip was blocked. Making my right leg do all the heavy work. But that was the leg with the torn hamstring. After 65 kilometres I couldn’t straighten my leg anymore and I stepped out of the race.
Running with a torn muscle
Back home I resumed training. I even ran a (training) marathon. I never gave the muscle tear the time it needed to heal. The spot I have now, is probably the result. The good thing is, I can run with it. The bad thing – the doctor warned me – it will hurt. How to get rid of it, is something a specialist has to tell me. The first one available, is at the end of September.
This morning’s echo was echo number two. The first one I had yesterday. I’ve been having weird pains in my belly for a long time. It always starts on the right, just above my hip bone. Shocks, electricity. I don’t know how to describe it. When those shocks are over, I have a glowing feeling just on the right of my belly button. A simple blood test (finger prick) and urine test didn’t provide any clarity, so I had to have an echo. Another one. I dreaded that one. There’s a history of stomach and intestinal cancer in my family. Luckily all is fine. Just an abdominal muscle injury. Overuse injury.
I lack belly fat. As some of my abdominal muscles are swollen, they press on my intestines, which results in the pain I have. It comes and goes in waves, feels terrible. But now I know what it is, I do feel better. Seemingly if you have a little layer of fat, the muscles won’t press on your intestines.
UTMB CCC
Which brings me back to the CCC. I don’t feel amazing. I don’t feel like I’m in the shape of my life, yet I want to give it a go. Getting in is already unique. I know more people who didn’t get lucky in the lottery, than who did. I don’t want to let go of this chance.
I’m totally aware I might not make it. I haven’t done a long run in two months. I did some cycling, I swam, but no running. Let’s look at it from the positive side: my legs are rested. So maybe it’s not going to be CCC: Courmayeur – Champex-Lac – Chamonix. Maybe it’s just going to be CC; Courmayeur – Champex-Lac, but that’s okay. At least I tried. I got a taste of it. And I already know, I’ll be back. One day. In one piece. To cross that majestic finish line in Chamonix.
