That light is still on.

After a good friend pushed me to get a second opinion on my knee area issue, I did just that.

I actually booked 2 appointments, 1 on wednesday, 1 next Tuesday and then she worked her magic and got me in to see her preferred one yesterday afternoon!
2 well respected physical therapists and a sports doctor for next Tuesday.

Yesterday was good. Dr Miller disagreed with my first diagnosis from last month after doing structural, ligament and muscle tests on me. He would put stress in different ways and I would resist and push back. It was very apparent that I could push back on all tests he performed except 2 specific muscular tests, where the pain was through the roof. Problem area found?!

I got electro-muscle stimulation with heat, then he worked the problem area hard(big ouch) then I got ultrasound therapy. All this to slowly get this stupid muscle to soften up.

At the end he said, I want to see you Wednesday after you run tomorrow and Wednesday morning. What WHAT?!?!

So I cancelled my appointment with Doc #2, but still have next Tuesday's booked. We will see if I cancel that after my second treatment on Wednesday with Doc #1.

So today, I met the team for the first time since Tuesday, February 22, for "our" workout. I adjusted it somewhat to be a little conservative, and ended up doing five 1 mile repeats on the track at 10K pace.

6:05, 5:59, 5:58, 6:05, 6:01

Not sure how that third one ended up so slow other than Jim and I were chatting away for 1 of the four loops and that may have thrown us off. (It was not fatigue based.)

Regardless, all 5 miles felt very comfortable, and the quad-muscle-at-the-knee issue was "there" but not really a factor. I was honestly less tired than after ANY of my Aqua Running workouts which points to speed fitness maintained by going to the pool and doing hard sessions.

The only unknown is my distance fitness, but that will be challenged on Saturday at our final Race Preparation/Simulation run.

I ran the 1.7mile cool down back to the store with David honhas been fighting injury and came to the pool with me and he was also feeling better. He was all smiles and said: "Wow, that felt so great to be able to run again!".

I couldn't agree more... BIG SMILE today as the light at the end of the injury tunnel may have just gotten closer and brighter.

So what's next, more treatment, lost of icing, lots of fluid intake, some excercises he taught me, and finger crossings.

It's good to have friends who push you!

Total today: 8.4 mile workout.