freaking out...

[joflaig]

This is probably more whining (sorry in advance) and venting than anything else, but if anyone wants to throw in their two cents or give me a good slap go for it.

Basically, I've been planning a thru-hike now for over a year, was planning to quit a high paying job for it, lost 75 pounds and ran a marathon to get into shape for it and now within the span of two weeks after recovering from Achilles tendonitis, I visited a chiropractor who tells me that at this moment he wouldn't advise me doing it, though he will try his best to get my back in shape for it, it seems like my right knee has developed a mild touch of tendonitis too and today I learn I could get fired from my job (some other people may go to jail) over a 'corporate' scandal. I'm paranoid about my ankle getting bad, my back going out and now my knee and my ultimate fallback: my job. My confidence in my physical capabilities (once high after running the marathon) is now totally shot. It seems like everything is conspiring against me attempting this thru-hike.

Or am I just over reacting? My back is far from being in truly terrible shape, my Achilles ankle did heal (but will it come back?), and my knee pain is very mild (but will it get worse?). I have been doing everything I should be to correct each physical issue in terms of responding with the right curative training regimen. Every week March 1 draws closer. I WANT to do this hike. I just turned 30 last month. Life is turning to crap.

[max patch]

Every week March 1 draws closer.

You don't HAVE to start on March 1 if you are physically not able. I started May 1 and finished at K in early October. Or you can start July 1 or so and head SOBO.

And maybe getting fired would be preferable than quitting -- perhaps you'll get a nice settlement package. Good luck.

[Kerosene]

As a long-time basketball and soccer player, I'm very familiar with how injuries can bring you down. Yes, you're probably over-reacting, but it's really really dificult not to. You're young enough and your physical issues seem minor enough that you should be able to get on the trail.

You're tendonitis could very well be due to over-training. You might be better off to cut back or even cut out stress-bearing exercise, especially running. Substitute biking or ideally swimming. You may not be quite as physically fit as you'd like that the start, but at least you'll be able to get past the first week.

When you do start out, force yourself, repeat, force yourself to keep you mileage low for the first month. You sound goal-oriented (75 pounds and a marathon!), you're young, and you'll want to put in a few "big days" early on. If you can keep yourself to 8-12 miles a day at the start you will give your joints and tendons time to adapt. Your Achilles shouldn't give you a problem, but you might want to stretch a little in the morning after you warm up a touch. I'd work with the chiropractor, but I wouldn't take medical advice from one.

As for the job, you were going to quit anyway, so what's the big deal if it happens a little sooner than you planned? You don't need a lot of money to hike the AT, so now you've got a built-in reason for going!

Hang in there.

[Blue Jay]

Stop running and just walk. You don't need to "train" for the AT. Just start very slow and don't do over 8 miles for the first week or 10 miles for the second. You'll be fine, just relax.

[ga>me>ak]

My house is up for sale, I'll quit my job(highest paying I've ever had), and throw caution to the wind. I have health concerns, too, but plan to take it very slow and easy, building up gradually. If it means 5 miles a day for a week, then so what? It's not like we( you included) will have a job and somewhere to be. If I see that I'm short on time, then I'll do a flip/flop. You sound to be in pretty fair shape, and I tend to think you are over reacting. You are 30( me-41) and will not grow younger, only older. Think how these medical problems may be in the future. Waiting to do things because of fears/concerns is why many people never do anything, other than dream.
Go for it. This is life and we're only here once. It ain't no damn dress rehearsal. DREAM IT PLAN IT DO IT

[Footslogger]

It's natural to feel as if your plans are going up in smoke ...but I'd take a deep breath and count to 10.

First off, you have until the beginning of April to get healthy and start your hike, with plenty of time to get to Katahdin.

Second, although I don't know the full extent of your injuries, none of them sound like show-stoppers. I work in orthopedics/sports medicine and I see a lot of folks your age come back from much worse scenarios. The worse thing you can do for yourself at this point is to get all stressed out. That will factor into your recovery.

This is a personal opinion, so take it in that vein, but I wouldn't let a chiropractor make any serious adjustments to my back at this point. You're probably on some medication already, but I would seriously recommend you consider having a physician prescribe some Celebrex or Bextra for you. That will begin the process of reducing the tendonitis. Then I would suggest (if you're not already doing so) that you begin taking Glucosamine daily to help rebuild/repair any cartilage damage you've encurred.

You're young and if you just finished off a marathon you're in better overall condition than the vast majority of the human population in the US. Get with a good physical therapist for that achilles rehab. Tendons/Cartilage have a notoriusly poor blood supply and therefore tend to heal rather slowly. But, that doesn't mean you can't USE the ankle. You just need to listen to your body and come back slowly. It might be advisable to wear a light ankle support in your boot/shoe in the beginning just to control/limit the range of motion while the ankle joint is getting healthy again.

You're hike's not over yet. Something tells me you've got the determination to see this thing through. Hang in there ...

'Slogger
AT 2003

[Pooja Blue]

Get a second or even third opinion from some physical therapists.

[Frosty]

Is your chiropractor active, or an over-weight couch potato? What doctors recommend depends on whether or not they understadn an active lifestyle. Mnay doctors, when told it hurts to hike/bike/whatever say, "Well, duh. Stop doing it." A doctor who is active will give you stretching and strengthing routines to get you back to your active lifestyle.

Things may conspire, but they won't keep you from hiking. They will only work on your mind. What keeps you form hiking is you say, "Nothing is working out like I thought. The world is against me. I can't do it."

Why not start hiking and see how you knee is. You WILL have pain hiking at times anyway. If your knee makes the pain unbearable, get off the trail (Be sure to tell Lobster - he gets his jollies when people leave the trail). WHo knows? Maybe if you do short days to begin with, you may make the whole thing. Or part of it.

Your biggest problem is going to limit your days at the beginning. For a guy who runs marathons, you will have the wind and leg strength to put in high mileage days. But you don't have the knees for it yet.

If you can limit yourself, as someone said, to 8 mile days for the first week or two, then 10 miles days for another week or two, then 12, etc etc, you have a shot. The question is: Are you mentally strong enough to stop for the day when you aren't yet sore/tired/whatever?

Since many people start too fast and injure themselves, all this knee-stuff you're going through could be a GOOD THING. It could force you to start slow and avoid the jackrabbit injuries.

Good luck.

[joflaig]

THANK YOU GUYS, that's exactly the kinds of advice I needed to hear!

[The Hog]

For some people, one of the hardest things about thru hiking is giving oneself "permission" to do it in the first place. It can be a real leap of faith. It goes without saying that there are times in life when you have to take the bull by the horns and be totally selfish and do exactly what you want to do. It's a decision that only you can make, and (maybe I'm being overly optimistic) it may be the most liberating thing you've ever done.

If you do decide to go, I agree with Kerosene: force yourself to take it easy the first several weeks. And, since your knee and back might not tolerate a huge amount of strain, I would also take an additional step: go as ultralite as possible. And then some. Get your pack weight to a ridiculously low level. Take the pressure off your knee and back.

Good luck. I think I speak for many others when I say, "We're rooting for you."

[Blue Jay]

If your knee makes the pain unbearable, get off the trail (Be sure to tell Lobster - he gets his jollies when people leave the trail).

That would be funny if it were not true. This year I hiked June and July NOBO from Damascus. In late May I hurt my sciatic nerve on my left side, hauling wood. I know very dumb, but it was free and I'm cheap. I could not walk without a lot of pain. The day before I got in a rental car and drove from upstate NY, I put my full pack on and walked uphill for a quarter mile. That's as far as I could go. My work leave was approved. There is no blanking way I was not going. First day didn't even make it to the first shelter, but felt better. Second day the pain was almost gone, met a crazy Brit and had the time of my life. I swear the Gods like to scare us and bet on the results.

[Lone Wolf]

And remember joflaig, pain is just weakness leaving the body. :)

[The Hog]

I developed a painful case of tendonitis during my thru hike by gunning for a 24 mile day too early in the hike. A podiatrist I met on the Blue Ridge Parkway examined my leg on the spot and made the diagnosis. He recommended I take some time off, but I didn't have a lot of leeway in terms of time, so I only took 1 1/2 days. Then I continued, and I felt the pain with every step for a couple of hundred miles. I probably should have quit, but this was my Super Bowl, my Wimbledon, so I "played with pain." Eventually, the pain went away and I was able to summit Katahdin five days before Baxter State Park closed down. Maybe it was a dumb decision to keep going, but today (20 yrs later), I'm very, very glad I did.

[Nameless]

Hello.

Coming from someone who has hiked quite a few of Alaska's mountains with knee tendonitis, just bring a knee brace. I have one that has three straps you wrap around you leg and velcros to you. Dont get the ones that are just a tube with a hole at your knee, it wont help at all, and it will be difficult to put on. At least two or three staps that wrap around the brace on your knee.

What i do is strap the brace to my knee every time i go downhill. It takes less then thirty seconds, and saves your knee. Mine doesnt really bother me on flat ground, or going uphill, so i dont wear it then. My leg doesnt feel resricted and sweaty for much of the hike, and i save myself the knee pain. Taking some vitamin I helps keep the swelling and pain down, but be carefull to not OD (something I have only done after peircing the tounge)

This is what works for me, and could help you... course find something that works for you :) Dont let doctors hold you back from what you dream to do, its your life not theirs. I'm 18, have a bad knee, bad hip, and have had two major back surgeries, and will not let any of them stop me, i'm gonna hike, and i am going to love it (and be able to tell when presure is dropping and a bad weather front is comming in with my hip). In reality, the hike itself with strengthen your body and backmuscles, and should help with your back pain, whatever causes it. I find i feel a lot better after a summer of hard hiking then a winter of sitting around being kind to my back.

Find another chiropractor who will give you exorcises for your knee and ankle, and then DO THEM. These really do help, by exorcising and streching your tendons. Dont let anyone or anything stop you from doing whatyou love. You can always get another job. but you may not be able to hike again. Go and do it.

Just my 2 cents
Pink

[steve hiker]

Throw one of these in your bag, just in case:

https://secure.cho-pat.com/products/product.php?product_type=10

[whitedove]

You have gotten some excellent advice here. I will only add the suggestion of a consultation with an Osteopathic doctor. They are taught some amazing manipulation techniques that work very well for some.


Hang in there, you'll do it!

[Nameless]

The brace in the link above seems to do the same thing i used my brace for, with a lot less coverage and bother. Mine was cheaper, but i think i may try out this new one too...

good luck
Pink

[rickb]

FWIW,

http://www.twbookmark.com/books/7/0446520764/

[fishinfred]

GO FOR IT!!!! You'll find out how you do when you get there ....and if you can't make it you'll know what to needs to be fixed for your next try :) and you'll be happy you at least tried .Just keep your pack weight as light as possible ....a youngster like you will make it !

Good luck and see ya out there !!!
Fishinfred

[lucky_cowboy]

When I was 23, I suffered with hip problems, lower back problems and knee problems. They subsided after a couple of years, and then returned again when I was 30. I've trained with weights and been active in sports all of my life. Looking back, most of these injuries were due to overtraining, or improper training. At 40, I feel better fit and injury free than ever before. At 40, to do the things I want to do, and to get the most out of my body, I have to be alot smarter than when I was 24.

Another thought...I think with so much focus, planning and excitement about your hike, you have a great deal at stake. You are so invested at this point, the emotional response to these problems is exagerated.

(I'll bet there's a chapter in a psychology textbook dedicated to this. :-? )

Not that you're crazy...I often experience the same sort of anxiety, and paranoia The way I am dealing with it is I have committed that only a catastrophic event will stop me from starting my thru-hike. The only way I am going to abandon my hike is if a catastrophic event occurs.

Just stay focused on getting ready, and like many have advised, take it easy to start, and then ramp it up as you gain confidence in you condition.

Good Luck. I hope to see you at the trail head!

[Photofanatic]

I started my thru hike on 4-1 last year. By June 30 my husband had filed for divorce, received temporary control of my business, home, all other assets and my children too. He did so claiming that I had abandoned everthing with no intentions of returning. The judge believed him because I didn't appear for the hearing. I didn't appear for the hearing because I was on the trail and didn't know there was to be a hearing. Because he has control of my home he also has control of my mothers home that is built on my property. Because my husband has control of everything and I have nothing I don't even have the funds to get an attorney to represent me. He has even gone so far as to have a Civil protection order against me so that I am not able to get any of my vehicles, pets, or even take my children out for ice cream. I have to deal with his abuse regularly because he is using the legal system to harrass me. I appears that I have lost all of my rights as a human being and there is not a thing that I am able to do about it.
I learned something on the trail last year that helps me to get through. "Every Mountain has a top." Even this one. Eventually you will figure out what you have to do for you. If you were already out on the trail and your back started hurting you would take a little break then move on. That is how it is done, just keep moving forward with your eyes on the prize. For you it seems it is getting on the trail. For me I have to get my life back in my control so I can get back on the trail. Good luck, L. Wolfe aka Photofanatic

[oldfivetango]

Joflaig-
Here's some advice from an old guy.Yesterday i took my chain saw and
cut up 5 trees that were down in my yard-took about 2 hours total.Today i
can hardly move.Commented to my wife this a.m. that there was a time that
i could saw all day and hardly know i had done anything-no kidding but that was
about 25 years ago,too.
Now that you have hit the BIG 30 and are having a little introduction to pain
etc you might want to take some advice from one who has been there.You have
reached the age that you will need to start stretching exercises before and AFTER
physical activity to prevent/reduce the potential for injury and/or soreness.A program designed by a good physical therapist is all you may need for now along with
nature's little helper-rest.Yup, i would take it easy for awhile.You might want to try
a pair of orthodics in your shoes just for kicks too-checkout footsmart.com-they
are relatively inexpensive $20 and i can't live without mine.Look at the heels of your
shoes-if they are worn off pretty bad to one side then you need to get orthodics
without delay-you align the front tires on your car when they wear funny dontcha?
The good news is that you are in great shape having lost lots of weigth and we can
all tell you are committed to the task at hand.Surely you will succeed.
And the time that you are out there on the trail will give your head time to
clear with regard to the job situation and will darn sure prevent you getting a subpoena any time soon as well.Sounds like you have better than average job skills
and you need to remember that you were looking for a job when you found this one.
I had an uncle who lost a job during the depression and he always said that ,in retrospect, it was the best thing that ever happened to him.
Do not despair-it's gonna be ok-and you're going to have a ball.Cheers.
Oldfivetango

[Mags]

[size=2] I visited a chiropractor who tells me that at this moment he wouldn't advise me doing it, though he will try his best to get my back in shape for it, it seems like my right knee has developed a mild touch of tendonitis too and today

Some excellent advice from everyone.

But another thought as well: Chriopractors can have their use. But for such an undertaking, have you thought,about going to an MD for a second opinion? Maybe one that specializes in sports medicine? The doc may be able to give a better diagnosis than a person who does not have that type of training. The fact that you did a marathon shows you to be in overall excellent health.

Oh yes..about turning 30. For endurance sports, the peaks is early 30s. Your just hitting your stride. The elite distance runners are generaly 30-34 yo. Hope that makes you feel better. :)

[foggy-bottom]

It sounds like to me that this is the perfect time to hike the trail. Loss of job (which in my oppinion is not a bad thing). No need to suck ass to a boss to have your job theri when you get back. Cant get any better then that. :jump

As for your knee I started my thru hike with some knee problems and was worried about it before I left. But my knee thoughtend up and Never had any pain form the secound week on. You Chiropratctor is full of **** if you ask me. Mine gave me some streaching ideas to do before I left (mind you before i life i wasent even a coustmer of his) Ironic thing is that when i came back I am now going three times a week.:-? What I am saying is Take it easy at the beggining dont be a hot rod and do big miles. the muscles will build where they are needed the most. And the most important Is Have fun.

Rock ON duded and Good Luck
Foggy
GAME 04

[NICKEBOY]

[quote=Mags]Some excellent advice from everyone.

But another thought as well: Chriopractors can have their use. But for such an undertaking, have you thought,about going to an MD for a second opinion? Maybe one that specializes in sports medicine? The doc may be able to give a better diagnosis than a person who does not have that type of training. The fact that you did a marathon shows you to be in overall excellent health.

Here are 2 links just in case you wanted to educate yourself on Chiropractic. FYI Chiropractors spend most of their clinical education training on how to diagnose and treat problems that effect the Neuromusculoskeletal system.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB4539/index1.html (http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB4539/index1.html)
http://www.vitalityweb.com/chiro/studys1.htm