A Post About Back

My last long run was on December 14, 2014, when I ran the BCS half marathon. For those counting, that's dangerously close to two full months without a long run. 

Those two months have been nothing but starts and stops when it comes to my fitness and running.  I'm not saying I've done nothing physical over the last two months. I actually started getting in more Bar Method classes, which I love, and I've been working hard on my treadmill sprint intervals. It's just been my consistency that's been off. December was all about the holidays (meaning, all about the holiday eating). In January, we went on three separate trips (meaning, lots and lots of eating and very little running).  In the last month or two, I would just start getting into a groove and see one or two of the holiday pounds slip off (I'm calling them "holiday pounds" because it feels more acceptable than "I ate and drank a crap-ton pounds") and then something would come up and off the wagon I would go again.  Since running the half marathon in December, my physical fitness has taken a back seat to life. 

When we landed back home earlier this week, I was ready to get back into it. Back to the long runs, back to consistent healthy eating (with my cookies still thrown in, of course), and back to consistent exercise. After wrapping up our last trip of the month, I was ready to get back into the swing of things.  Ready to get back to myself. 

And with this gusto, with this desire to get back to it, I hit the gym hard...for about 40 minutes until I completely blew out my back. We're talking totally blown out. Complete with shooting pain, the inability to lift my right leg (which made putting pantyhose on for work fun), and no hope of picking anything up off the ground. First, let me say, there is nothing that will make you feel old like throwing out your back. Second, I can't tell you how disappointed I was to be derailed from my comeback by my back. 

I spent every day of the week resting (very hard for me), visiting the acupuncturist (I know it's crazy, but acupuncture really does the trick for me), sleeping on heating pads, and adhering to a strict Aleve schedule. You know what?  It worked. I'm not at 100%. Not near it, but I'm way better than I was. My back is on its way back. 

And so was I!  This weekend I made it outside for 4.81 mile run and it was glorious.  Glorious weather, glorious trail, glorious other runners.  Glorious being back on track. 

Enjoying a post-back back stretch.

 

***Edited to add:  Remember how I said nothing makes you feel old like throwing out your back?  Well, add to that list that nothing makes you feel so old as when someone calls you out for using the word pantyhose.  Oops!  I meant tights, not pantyhose.  Tights for sure.  Am I young again??