Susie Gray Duke, a Searsboro native and Lynnville-Sully Class of 1999 graduate, was on top of the world after qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in November 2014. The long-distance runner had just crushed her personal best by running 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 42 minutes, and 35 seconds at the Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis. The time qualified her for the Olympic Trials and set into motion a flurry of new goals, dreams, and training plans.
Fast forward a few months and the anticipation of the Olympic Trials was replaced by physical and mental anguish when Duke woke up one March morning, reached down to pick something up, and, as the Runablaze Iowa athlete explains, “felt like my back exploded.” Instead of training for the next level, Duke was suddenly dealing with numb toes and excruciating back pain; walking and standing proved nearly impossible.
Susie Duke logs miles on an Octane Fitness Zero Runner, a machine that produces a running stride with no impact.
Uncertain about the cause and extent of the injury, the Olympic Trials paled in comparison to the trials Duke now faced.
Duke sought the medical advice of doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, and neurosurgeons as she tried to pinpoint the reason for the pain. For months, the diagnosis was Piriformis Syndrome, an uncommon neuromuscular disorder caused when the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve. However, an MRI after three months of treatment revealed the final diagnosis: A herniated L5-S1 disc, an injury which made neurosurgeons question how Duke was functioning with such an injury.
“It was absolutely frustrating to not be able to perform,” said Duke. “Beyond that, it was even more frustrating the amount of time and resources that went into the recovery process.”
In the week before her disk blew, Duke had run 120 miles, trimmed the hooves of three of her horses, hit weight training hard, and did some foam rolling. The culmination of those events may have led to the simple act of bending over which broke the camel’s back – no pun intended.
“I've beaten myself up over what ‘I did wrong’ to cause this, but I've let that go. Life happens and we learn,” said Duke. “To finally have the MRI reveal the disc issue was actually comforting, and it helped me to understand the 'why' behind everything. Pain is much less offensive and easier to take when you understand it. That helped a lot with my recovery.”
Duke captures a picture of a typical run/bike ride with husband Jon and son Weston.
Instead of focusing on the Olympic Trials, Duke was committed to regaining her health. She took the months of July and August completely off and spent September and October running on an Octane Fitness Zero Runner, a machine that produces a running stride with no impact. This allowed Duke to make an easier transition to running on the ground. Eventually, she weaned herself completely off the Zero Runner and now only uses it for cross training a couple of times a week. Now, almost a year after the injury, Duke still experiences numbness in her foot and ankle but is confident it will eventually go away. The injury and healing process weren’t what Duke anticipated or asked for, but they did help her gain a new perspective and appreciation for her well being, as well as a deeper appreciation for those who helped her get on the course of healing, including her husband, Jon, a physical therapist.
After months of pain, an MRI of Duke’s back revealed her injury, a herniated L5-S1 disc.
“The other key piece of the puzzle that finally put me back together was Jon's expertise,” said Duke. Even though Duke felt confident running fully on the ground, she still experienced pain after running four miles. “You can't very well train for a marathon on only four miles!” joked Duke. Jon hit the books and after hours and hours of research, discovered Duke probably had tailbone deviation most likely from pregnancy and childbirth. After a few treatments for the newly-found problem, Duke was running pain free again. Duke is also quick to credit the supportive footwear she wears as an Altra-sponsored athlete.
“I'm sure my injury would have hit me faster had I not had access to such great footwear,” she said.
While all of her back problems were keeping Duke from marathon training, life was certainly not on hold. Duke admits 2015 was a challenging year. Jon changed jobs with long hours and an even longer commute, which led the family to move from Marshalltown, a place they had grown to love, to an acreage outside of Grinnell. Duke also changed her and son Weston’s lifestyle by transitioning from a stay-at-home mom with part-time and freelance work to working full-time outside the home at Grinnell College. Through it all, the Duke family adapted and now love their current situation. Duke’s new position at Grinnell College is very flexible, allowing her to take time off each week to get in long runs in preparation for the Trials.
“The new schedule has helped me to feel more content, to actually be less stressed, and to generally be nicer to myself instead of beating myself up trying to do too much,” said Duke.
With the Trials less than a week away, Duke is again looking forward to the race, this time with new goals and a fresh mindset. “After I qualified, I was so gung-ho with training that I sacrificed my health,” admitted Duke. Her new goal is to run a similar marathon time as her second-fastest best, 2:54. All of the training Duke has put in has given her the confidence she can achieve a low 2:50s marathon. “That is not a competitive time given the field with which I'll be competing, but I have to be realistic. My placement is inconsequential; I'm excited about the experience, pleased to have been invited, and eager to race alongside the fastest marathoners in the country,” said Duke.
The experience will not stop at just the Olympic Marathon Trials while Duke is in California. Duke, along with her husband, son, parents – Robin and Nancy Gray of Searsboro, sister, and family friend will all stay in a rented house and have plans to soak in all of the sights associated with the area. It’s fitting that the people who have supported her every step of the way will be the same ones watching her race on one of the biggest courses of her career. “I couldn't go without them. They support me generously,” said Duke.
Tune into NBC at noon, central standard time, on Saturday, Feb. 13, to watch Duke chase down her dreams in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials in Los Angeles, CA. NBC will broadcast unprecedented live coverage on air and online. Also, check out Duke’s blog, www.flexitarianfilly.word-press.com, or Instagram account @susiedukeruns, where she regularly posts training updates.
