Marine Corps Marathon will have to wait for another year…
After last week’s 5k to test my IT Band (which kind of took me back to square one) , I rested for yet another 7 days. The only time I broke into a jog was at my daughter’s District Cross Country Meet on Wednesday as I tracked her progress during the race. At the meet I bumped into local running guru “Mel Williams” who was gearing up for his 30th straight Marine Corps Marathon! Impressive or what? Mel has written several books on sports medicine/nutrition and is regarded as an expert in his field. We talked about my knee and how it hadn’t responded to rest, stretching, ice, ibuprofen or any of the other standard treatments. He suggested a topical application of DMSO (Dimethyl Sulfoxide). On the way home from the meet I picked up a small bottle of the solvent from a local saddlery store and decided to do some research before trying it.
A quick search for “DMSO” on Google returned a wealth of information, most of it pretty scary, but some of it offering a glimmer of hope. In fact, several people reported almost instant results and relief from numerous painful conditions. Well worth a try I decided…what have I got to lose anyway?
DMSO is a colorless and slightly oily liquid that is primarily used as an industrial solvent. The use of DMSO for therapeutic applications is controversial, but some evidence indicates that DMSO has anti-inflammatory properties and alleviates pain when applied to the skin. DMSO reduces inflammation by several mechanisms and is the first nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory discovered since aspirin.
More information on this by-product of the wood industry can be found here and here and here.
Anyway, on to Wednesday night’s treatment. After thoroughly cleaning the area surrounding the injury I applied several thin “layers” of the liquid with a cotton ball. I was expecting an initial reaction, maybe an itching or a burning sensation, but nothing happened. Because the solvent will suck in any dirt or dye from clothing, I decided to leave my leg bare and let the DMSO soak in. After about an hour my skin turned slightly red and started itching which I thought might be a good sign that it was starting to work. I continued to apply DMSO 3 or 4 times a day for the next couple of days and on Friday night we set off on the trip to Washington DC (still hopeful that an appearance at the marathon wasn’t totally out of the question).
After a good breakfast we headed over to Packet Pick-Up and the Expo. We arrived early but there were still hoards of runners and their families queuing up outside. Time went quickly however, and before we knew it we were inside lining up to collect our race numbers. From there, we moved across to test the ChampionChip and then finally to the area where several Marines were handing out race shirts - long sleeved, purple and gold featuring an embroidered MCM logo and lettering.
The majority of the official race clothing and accessories were located at the front end of the expo. This made for much congestion and lots of frustrated marathon runners all trying to get their hands on an expensive souvenir. Always one for official gear, my wife Allsyon decided she wanted to buy a jacket, so I moved to a quiter spot and waited for her to make the purchase. Actually the navy and red Brooks jacket was pretty good value and something she’ll be able to look back on for many years to come.
With all the hussle and bussle, I almost forgot about my ITB. In my mind I felt like I could still get through the marathon, but I also couldn’t stop thinking about the next couple of months and racing (or not) in 2006. Trying to cover all options I picked up a pair of gloves (in case it was cold the next morning) and several free samples of different energy bars/drinks.
Towards the rear of the expo was a stand promoting The Stick, a self-massage tool I already use to help recovery after races, workouts and long runs. I started talking to one of the guys on the stand (Peter from Norway if I remember correctly) who soon found out about my ITB problem. He was confident he could help and before I knew what I was doing he was getting to work on the band with a Sprinter Stick - a shorter, more rigid stick than the one I own. As my wife and daughter watched from a distance, I could not believe the pain I was experiencing as Peter rolled the stick up and down the outside of my thigh. Sweat started pouring from my head and I couldn’t help but grimace as he attempted to stretch the IT band to something of it’s former state. I guess looking back, this was THE moment when I decided I was in worse shape than I was admitting to myself. Sure I could have hobbled through 26.2 miles and sure I probably would be laid off for 3-6 months after doing irrepairable damage…..and for what? Another medal? Another marathon finish? No thanks, not this time.
We made our way back to the hotel, and once in our room I announced I wouldn’t be racing the following day. I would spend the morning with my daughter making our way around DC on the Metro with the aim of seeing Allyson as many times as possible. At least that way I could support her and put myself to good use cheering her on. It might also make my non-appearance easier to handle. After the initial “I’m not doing it if you’re not doing it”, we all agreed my suggestion was for the best.
As it turned out I had a fantastic morning. We went with Allyson to the Runner’s Village, saw her on her way to the Start Line and then made our way to our first stopping point. Luckily there was a Starbucks nearby where we grabbed a muffin and some coffee to keep us going. I think we managed to get to 5 or 6 places on the course in total. Allyson was happy to see us and I’m sure it made a difference to her race (finish time 4:30:09). By the end my knee was sore, and that was just from running a couple of miles during the course of the morning. Not racing was definitely the right thing to do! (to be continued…)
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May 16th, 2006 at 8:17 pm
[…] After last year’s disappointment of not being able to run the Marine Corps Marathon, I’m keen to sign up for this year’s race. Registration opens tomorrow, May 17th at noon and I’m hoping I can get to a computer before the race fills up. […]