The Waiting Game

It is 7 weeks today since I started running the San Francisco Marathon and finished it walking and hobbling in great pain. After finishing, the pain was so bad I couldn’t walk any further. I must thank my friend John for quickly phoning an Uber to take me back to our hotel so I could rest. Back at the hotel whilsat lying on my bed I was seriously concerned as to how I could function for the rest of our planned 3 stop trip in the USA, travelling from San Francisco to Yosemite National park and then finally to Las Vegas, a trip of about 650 miles. The next day I used my travel insurance (something I would highly recommend if you go abroad) and went to St Francis Memorial hospital in San Francisco. I need to thank John the Concierge (another John) at our hotel for lending me an old crutch he had hidden in the back of the hotel or I’d have really struggled. To my relief nothing immediately obvious or serious came up on an x-ray and they kindly gave me a set of new crutches so I was able to get around better.

We hired a massive 7 seater GMC Acadia for the holiday, even after we had thrown all the luggage in the back and my new crutches there was still loads of room. Thankfully I was able to drive the car without any pain or issues and  was so relieved that by using the crutches I was able to get around. We drove out of San Francisco along the incredibly long and impressive Bay Bridge, out of the urban sprawl along the US’s amazing multi laned concrete highways. The scenery became more desert like with some of the scenery like what I had seen on the TV many times of a very straight road getting smaller and disappearing into the distance. Towards the end of the drive we started to climb and the dry, flat landscape was slowly replaced with trees and eventually we were in pine forest. After 4 and a half hours we were at our destination, Tenaya Lodge, Fish Camp, Yosemite National Park, 5000 feet above sea level and in some stunning maintain scenery.

I might like running marathons and yes part of the holiday was to run San Francisco marathon but I had been looking forward to coming up here to see this amazing countryside and running in the pine forest. I had imagined it as the US equivalent of Lake District, although different in many ways including the types of trees, rock and sheer scale there was a kind of similarity. Sadly, there was no chance of me running here on this holiday. I spent all our time on crutches apart from the shortest of walks inside the hotel. I was simply relieved that it did not spoil it for the rest of the family as I was able to get about. We had a lovely walk through the Mariposa Grove and saw the Grizzly Giant and many other Sequoia trees which are some of the tallest trees in the world standing over 300 feet high. I was getting good on the crutches and managed over 2 miles that day. We spent a couple of days exploring Yosemite Valley with a bus tour up into the mountains at Glacier Point, overlooking the valle. This gave us probably the most spectacular views you will see anywhere on this whole planet. The sheer vertical wall of granite which is El Capitan and Half Dome which was used to design the North Face Logo are utterly amazing natural structures.

By the end of this section of the holiday I was gingerly walking without the crutches and then it was time for the 7 hour, 457 mile drive to the gambling capital of the world that is Las Vegas. We sadly left the pine trees and mountains behind us, replacing it with flat mostly barren desert plains. As I drove and the family nodded in and out of sleep, I watch the outside temperature gauge steadily climb to 120 degrees Fahrenheit which I later worked back as 48 degrees Celsius! There was no gambling for us in Las Vegas, in fact you have to be 21 to gamble and the kids weren’t even allowed to stop and watch any gambling in the casinos. The place is great for a few days of sightseeing of the many amazing casino hotels with their over the top themes. There was the Luxor with its pyramid shape, New York New York with the Status of liberty, Bellagio with its 2 acre lake and fountain displace, Venetian with it canals and Gondolas, Mirage with its erupting volcano and the incredibly impressive Caesars Palace just to name a few. Away from the monster casinos on the Strip is Downtown Vegas and Freemont Street, a lively pedestrian street with bars smaller casinos and a zip wire running along its length. We had a go, it was brilliant flying over the crowds below and seeing all the colourful lights. We had a day trip by coach to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon, what a fantastic natural spectacle, looking across the canyon with the Colorado River snaking far, far below.

Holiday over, a 10 hour flight and we were back to the cooler climate of Great Britain. The crutches came back with me on the plane. I was ok to walk without them as long as I took it carefully so I simply carried the crutches onto the plane. I loved the fuss I got from the cabin staff as they saw the crutches, they were lovely and offered assistance. I’m not used to fuss and felt a little embarrassed, I simply asked could they put the crutches safely out for the way somewhere for the trip.

Now I was back home, I set about trying to find out what was wrong with me. I knew it wasn’t muscular and highly unlikely a ligament issue but what was wrong with my hip? I got to see a consultant who wanted an MRI scan. After this I was also asked to go back for a CT scan, this had me wondering what they had found or not found. To my frustration my consultant went on holiday so I had to wait 2 weeks. Finally, I got the results, it was a stress fracture to a bone in my hip, don’t ask me which bone, It had a typically long name and it quickly went in one ear and out of the other. The consultant explained the MRI scan looks at soft tissue in detail and brought up inflammation in the bone. The CT scan is basically a 3D X-ray and looks at bones in more detail, it was this that clearly identified the fracture.

The good news is that it is nothing which in the long term threatens to stop me from running and all it needs is rest, although this could take up to about 8 weeks. It is now 7 weeks today from that day of pain in San Francisco and I can walk pain free but I still find it painful to carry weight or twist. Hopefully within a couple more weeks I might be able to consider trying a run. I’m concerned about coming back too soon and setting myself back weeks. I’ve never had a stress fracture before and it makes me feel a little more vulnerable than I have ever felt before with the usual muscular injuries. I’ve no idea how long it will take before I’m ready for a marathon but I’m sure the Brathay 10in10 next May will still be possible.