We had an amazingly busy weekend this past weekend.
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 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.
As 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.
I 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. 🙂