Adaptation.

So my back is still not 100% today and even if it were, I would have skipped my long run this morning just to be sure it was healed.  As much as I really hate changing my plans, I had to accept this change of plans because I really had no other choice.  I don’t think it would have been wise to try to run 16 miles hunched over… the doctor would probably not approve  I am very happy I am at least able to walk now and have been able to sleep much more comfortably the last two nights.  I went on a few walks around the block yesterday to help loosen up the muscles in my back and it actually felt really good to get off the couch and move again!  I never would have thought a 2 mile walk would feel like such an accomplishment!  I also never thought it would take me 40 minutes to walk that far… ha!

Since I am not able to keep with my training plan for today, I modified it a little bit to push my 16 mile run for two weeks from now.  This coming week, I will just take it easy and not do any long distance runs.  Hopefully I am able to run some next week otherwise I am seriously going to go crazy!?!?!  I was really excited to be able to check off the 16 mile hurdle but I guess that is just not in the cards for me at the moment and will also not be attempted next weekend.  I hate the thought of this looming over me for another two weeks but logically I know it is better to take it slow at this point to avoid future injury because I have PLENTY of time to get in more long training runs before May.  113 days to be exact  So for now, I will just appreciate the extra resting I am getting right now and hope it ends up paying off in a successful 16 mile run in two weeks!  I am also going to be extra careful to not get hurt some other way before then!!

This whole ordeal has been so frustrating to me but also makes me thankful that it was nothing major.  If I can learn anything from this experience, I hope it will be that any completed run is successful, regardless of time, pace, etc.  Come May 20th, I am going to be happy to just cross the finish line, even if it takes me 7 hours to do so!  All my secret time goals are going to have to go away…

Another re-run quote but it's too fitting not to include it here.

Thankful.

So after my little backisode yesterday, I was hoping a good night’s sleep would be the key to feeling better.  Well, that was a nice thought but didn’t quite work out that way  I ended up still being in pain today so made an appointment to see the doctor to make sure it was not anything serious.  After making me do some weird moves and explaining things, she determined it was just a muscular strain so nothing serious at all but still annoying!  I am now taking some muscle relaxers and have some stretches to work on so hopefully this time next week, this will be a distance memory!  I am seriously considering starting to see a chiropractor on a regular basis to hopefully avoid future back issues though…

Still not sure if I will be able to go to work tomorrow because it’s not always safe to drive on these meds but she said to see how I do.  I am currently feeling a bit weird and my fingers seem to be unconnected to my brain as I keep typing words I am not meaning to type… oops!

I am still mourning the fact that I will not get to do my long run this weekend but hopefully I am at least feeling good enough for a long walk to loosen my muscles up.  I am seriously going to go into exercise withdrawal… I can’t remember the last time I had two rest days in a row!!!  Stir crazy!  And hopefully the meds make me drowsy enough that I can still sleep at night  So annoying!

Hopefully the next post I do will be a happy “I am running again” post instead of a “I am insanely jealous of every runner I drive past” type of post.  So frustrated right now!  But at the same time very thankful that it was nothing serious and also that work is exceptionally slow right now so I am not missed at all and would probably be sitting at my desk with nothing to do these two days anyways.  So anyways, I’ll be sitting here, thinking happy back thoughts!!

Question: Anyone out there routinely visit a chiropractor?  Thoughts on that?

Yet Again.

I’m out of commission… this is getting really old.  It feels like I have been at work like half the days I should have because of various ailments and vacations in 2012.  This year is already off to a rough start and I am only 25 days in!!!

And this time what did I do you might ask?  Hurt my back.  Like I cannot actually stand up straight right now  I really don’t know how I managed this but this morning I got up, felt fine, went for a good run, got back, started feeling like my back was tired but didn’t think much of it and drove to work.  By the time I got to work and got out of my car to walk in, I realized something was not good.  As in, I could not stand up straight nor walk right.  Excellent.

I ended up going home from work because I literally could not walk down the hall to use the restroom or even really move out of my chair.  I was seriously freaked out by the whole ordeal and really did not like the claustrophobic feeling I was getting by my inability to move.  Once I finally got home, I applied an Icy Hot patch and sat against a heating pad the rest of the night.  Exciting.

This “injury” could not come at a more depressing time.  This weekend I was scheduled to run my first 16 mile run.  16 miles was the distance I could never conquer last time I was training for a marathon and here I am, yet again, unable to go this distance.  Seriously, what did I do to wind up in this place, yet again?  Thankfully, this issue is still plenty of weeks before my marathon but it still freaks me out…because what if there is a “next time”?

At times like this, I always get all crabby and anti-running and find myself wondering why I even bother going after my goals because something ALWAYS comes up to get in my way.  Forgive my momentary rant here but I feel like I really don’t ask for much in life and really don’t have that many hobbies that I enjoy and yet I still can’t even manage to fully enjoy running as my hobby because of stupid thing like this!  I realize that this is temporary (hopefully) and will soon be a distant memory like my IT Band issue awhile back but still it frustrates me to no end!  I just get so stir crazy with the thought of not being able to run or exercise like I am used to!  Gah!

I’ve put this in posts before but for some reason, I always need to re-read it when I get injured to remind my future healthy running self to never take a run for granted!

I am a runner.  And without running, I feel like I’m missing something important in my life.  And I don’t like how that feels…

Dear Back,

Please get better soon.  I promise to always stretch right and foam roll to keep you from getting over worked in the future.  I promise to work towards having better posture.  I promise to do more lower back exercises to keep you stronger.  I will consider finding a chiropractor to keep you aligned.  So please, please, please, let me be able to stand up straight soon.

Thanks,

One Discouraged Runner.