I don't think it worked.

So it's been eight days since my steroid injection, and I have disappointing news.

In the days following the shot, I wasn't quite sure it was working.  I woke up Saturday a little sore, but that was mostly from the shot itself, and not from my injury. (Apparently a very large needle was used and it makes you sore for a few days...  I hadn't seen how big it was when I was injected).  Sunday and Monday I woke up with no soreness at all, which I thought was good since I had been waking up feeling pain in my hamstring/butt before the shot.  Then Monday afternoon, I took a little bike ride--just like five miles or so to keep Dane company while he ran--and I could barely feel the injury.  Monday evening, as Dane and I were eating dinner at the delicious Langosta Lounge in Asbury Park, I started feeling the tight/tingly sensation that I always feel when I sit down for long periods of time.  I had to sit with my leg crossed over my knee for most of the meal.  Tuesday, on the bus ride back to NYC, I had trouble sitting down for the whole ride and found myself constantly adjusting my legs.

The doctor said it would take about a week for the steroid to have its full effect, so I kept a positive outlook.  Thursday was the 2 x 2 relay.  I figured it would be fine to do since it was about a week after the shot.  My butt actually felt fine during the run itself, although the rest of me felt completely out of shape.  It was my first time running at all in almost two weeks, and it felt that way.

Bernd was my partner for the relay.  We were Team "Muffin Hunters," named after the prize muffins VCTC gives out to all the age group winners.  Bernd took the first leg and I took the second.  When I went out, Daniel from FRNY was about 100 yards ahead of me.  I think I let the my competitive instinct make me go out too fast, though, as I set my sight on him from the very beginning and tried to close the gap between us.  I ended up catching up to him in about a half mile, but as soon as I did I knew I wasn't going to be able to maintain it.  Sure 'nuff, halfway up Cemetery Hill, I ran out of gas, and Daniel left me in the dust.  I always forget how tough that hill is until I'm wheezing to get over it.  I spent the last 3/4 mile trying to recover.  In the end, I did the two miler in about 13:38.  Considering my lack of running over the prior two weeks, I was pretty satisfied, despite the ego-crushing.

It is now Saturday night, though, and I spent all of Friday and most of today limping around.  The pain I felt was maybe the worst post-running pain I felt since my injury began, although now I feel like it might be more in the middle of my hamstring than in my butt.  This isn't good.

I have an appointment to see Dr. Metzl again this coming Friday.  I don't know what he's going to suggest we do now.  But I think I'm coming to accept that it's time for me to take some time off from running.   I'm thinking this means no fall marathon, and no Reach the Beach this year.  Maybe a couple of months of really no running.  I'm hopeful, though, that I'll be able to at least bike and swim.  (Last Wednesday, Rachel, Zander and I biked a few loops of Central Park during the FRNY Fun Run.  I think if I can keep biking with the runners, it'll make the time go by faster...).

Tonight I'm in New Jersey, getting ready for my one-mile ocean swim tomorrow.  Chris, Jeff, Josh and I tested out the waters a little bit, and the waves were really big and rough.  It was actually kind of scary.  It took me a few tries before I was able to swim past the crashing waves to where the water was more calm.  Tomorrow's swim is going to be interesting...  I'm definitely going to be wearing a wetsuit, even though the water temperature is around 75 degrees.  My goal is just to finish and hopefully not freak out.  I'm excited and nervous.  I'll let you know how it goes!