Track and Field Blogs - Nate Brannen

This is not something usually associated with Michigan in February, and this year isn't any different. For the meantime, this is reality and I am loving every minute of it. Yesterday I arrived in Tempe, Arizona for a 2 week training camp and walked off the plane to sunny blue sky's and perfect 70 degree weather. Not something I can say about my last two runs in Michigan. Prior to boarding the plane, Michigan was kicking out all it had. -20 degree weather and to my delight a snow storm was just about to hit once again. Luckily enough, I was able to get on my flight taking off about only an hour before the storm hit and be on my way to a sunny and 70.

I feel like I should back up about 10 months and give a little briefing about what I’ve been through and why I haven’t been racing. Just prior to Penn Relays last April, during a track workout I partially tore my hamstring off the Ischial Tuberosity. Actually, the exact date was April 14th, just over a week out from the USA vs. the World DMR where I was leading off the Canadian team. As to say, I wasn’t able to run Penn but went to watch the meet anyways.

During the rehab things seemed to be progressing but not as fast as I would have liked. The whole time I had the World Championships in the back of my mind. Each day that went by my time was running out and it was getting closer and closer to the Canadian Championships until finally I realized I wouldn’t be able to run. I put in a petition to be able to run Worlds, assuming we didn’t have 3 guys with the A standard in the 1500 and I would prove fitness prior to going to Worlds. I was spending everyday in the pool hammering out workouts and doubling that up with a session on the Elliptical machine in the afternoon. Finally, 4 weeks out from Worlds I finally accepted the fact that I wouldn’t be able to make it back in time. One thing I didn’t mention during this time was that I found out I had a herniated disc in my lower back at L5,S1. After the hamstring started healing this happened and I tried to work through it but obviously that didn’t happen. The herniated disc gave me constant nerve pain down my right leg, tightness in my glut and hamstring and really restricted any running I could do.

After accepting Worlds was out my physiotherapist and myself started coming up with a plane to get back from the back issue to make sure I was ready for the Olympics the following summer. In August I decided to spend 2 weeks working with her on core strength to help the back and hopefully fix the issue without surgery. The only problem was that she is located in Vancouver, British Columbia and me in Ann Arbor, Michigan. So I flew out there in August and got treated everyday and did gym sessions everyday. I went back to Michigan thinking I finally had things under control. I would keep up with the core strengthening routine and see things heading forward. Only in a perfect world would it have been this easy. Things still weren’t progressing. Mid September I decided to meet with a Neurosurgeon at the University of Michigan to discuss the possibility of surgery and what he thought. He told me that he would fit me in anytime and to just call him if I wanted to take that route. Surgery was still the last thing I wanted so I tried everything else first. This ranged from seeing Surgeons at U of M, talking with surgeons in LA, flying to doctors in Germany, physiotherapists and chiropractors in Vancouver and Victoria, and a hand full of other specialists in Michigan. Finally, on November 29th I went under the knife. In hind site I wish I had just taken this path in the first place but surgery is never the first option. The surgery was a Minimally Invasive Discectomy @ level L5,S1. It was done through a scope so minimal scaring which also meant minimal recover time. Back surgery is still back surgery and is pretty scary, but after 4 weeks off I started back running on Jan. 1st with 30 seconds of running and 4.5 minutes of walking for 30 minutes. Picture this, I was running for 30 seconds, not even a half lap of the track and thinking about running in the Olympic Games only 8 month away. That was the exact thought going through my mind while I was running around the indoor track at U of M. I have a very high motivation level if you can’t tell.

Fast forwarding 6 weeks and this is where I am now; running 60 minutes a day and starting light interval sessions next week. Motivation and determination, two major things I got out of the last 10 months. This was definitely one of the mentally toughest times of my life and thanks to great support from those around me, especially Reebok, I am now able to say I am running pain free and ready to make a run for the Olympics this summer.

If you made it this far through the post, thanks. I know this was a lot to read but it’s been a long 10 months and hard to summarize much better than that. At least for the next two weeks I will be able to say, “everyday is sunny and 70” with a big smile.