We went to the NCAA regional here in STL on Friday and Sunday and I had Grad School all day Friday and Saturday. With all that I did manage to get in two good runs but that's where it all went wrong.
My first run on Friday was short and easy. 3 miles just to get the heart pumping. Not a big deal. I felt great afterwards.
On Sunday, I went for a 7 mile run as part of my training for the GO! St. Louis half next month. The first few miles again were great. Then at about the 5 mile I could start to feel it..these pricking pains in my lower back (right side to be specific) and I started to get really mad.
Back story...when I was in college I played volleyball and was a setter (imagine that, at 5'4 a setter? You were probably thinking a middle right?). As a setter, I found myself twisting and turning to account for bad passes or to make sure the ball went where I needed it go. All this resulted in bulging discs. In college I had constant therapy for it and it was manageable. As I've gotten older, it has really started to wreck my body.
A few years back when I decided I wanted to do a full marathon, my back flared up again big time but being the obsessive that I am, I wasn't about to let it get in the way of completing (what I thought was my first) a marathon. So I trained and finished it but painfully. So much in fact, I had to spend the entire next year in physical therapy and I haven't been 100% since.
I'm not trying to give excuses, I think I'm just mad that I have physical limits that I can't seem to control. I am paying the price today for not letting up yesterday. I'm on a steady diet of Advil and stretches but it's uncomfortable.
Here's what's going to happen next..I'll continue to train and complete the half and it won't feel in the least bit good. I'll complain for a couple weeks after about the pain. Then start it all over again. That's the realistic portrayal of what will happen.
Sometimes I feel like I'm a teenager trying to get the cool boy to notice me. I keep trying and trying to no avail. But guess what, I'm going to keep at it because I have to, because I want to and because I love a good challenge. ;)
Damn you running! Why do you dislike me so?!
What do you do about pain? Do you have any injuries that limit you?
I'm sorry to hear about your back Katie! Allan has a degenerate disc and he's always found pilates is a big help. That and consistent exercise keeps him relatively pain free.
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, I played volleyball for six years. It's my favorite sport!
Thanks for the support. My back was my original reason for getting into tri's. I thought it would be a good way to stay competitive while trying to give my back a little break. Too bad it takes a ton more time to train for.
DeleteI love meeting fellow volleyball players. I use to play in the club league here with my other old college players and we all have gotten so old and sore. It's so sad. :)