My abdominal pain and the resolution of the two lost racing seasons

The first symptoms showed up at the local 10k, January 2012. Sharp pain below the right rib cage. "Just a side stitch" I thought. Then the pain came back at a local triathlon race. And again at running intervals and at long runs and eventually every time I was attempting to jog!

I lost the 2013 racing season doing the "hospital crawl", visiting various docs and specialists and going over all the exams and tests you can possibly imagine without success. At the end of the 2013 season, I could not jog at all: I actually thought I wouldn't be able to ever run again! Then I met Nathan Henderson, a really great massage therapist, who undertook my case and slowly brought me back to life. Nathan utilized various techniques, like rolfing and deep tissue massage, he re-aligned my pelvis and spine, released my psoas and opened up my rib cage. At the start of the 2014 season, I got optimistic: I was running again and I was making racing plans. I got exciting supporters and new sponsors. I was so happy!

Spring comes along but I still could not race pain free. I won the 2014 Southeast Regional Duathlon Champs but I was still in pain. I realized then that Nathan, although brilliant and very skilled, could not fix the root of my problem: he was treating the symptoms. I got really sad again and it was clear that my 2014 season was also lost. I started thinking of having a surgery done. This was when I found Mike Cantrell.

Mike Cantrell owns the Cantrell Physical Therapy Center in Warner Robins, GA. He is a very successful physical therapist, a smart guy, very well educated, very funny and very friendly. Mike performed on me a series of biomechanical tests and he found out that I have a musculoskeletal issue favoring my left side and overworking my right. All of these years, I have been having an anterior pelvic tilt twisted to the left, an overused right leg (hence my IT band syndrome), an atrophic right diaphragm and a hypertrophic left diaphragm.

Most importantly: I was breathing using only my left lung!!!

Mike Cantrell follows the PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) system. He put me on a two-month rehab program performing exercises that are designed to open up my right rib cage, train the diaphragmatic muscles and the muscles of the hips, the glutes and inner thighs. He asked me to wear Motion Control shoes for support and stick to the rehab schedule.

Part of my daily exercises for the coming months

I am really excited to finally have an answer, a well designed rehab schedule and an amazing physical therapist!

I can't wait to start racing with both of my lungs in full motion and getting all the oxygen I was lacking all these years!