So happy to report that my back is almost back to 100%! I was seriously freaking out when i last posted.
So now I’m finally planning my comeback.
Clearly Duncan is thrilled about my comeback
I’m looking forward to joining my hiking group tonight and returning to the yoga mat tomorrow morning. I’ll modify as needed for my back if I feel the need.
And I’ve resumed what I was just getting underway with at physical therapy for my toe 2 weeks ago when the back went out. Yesterday I did 3 sets of toe raises and took a brisk walk. I’ll incorporate some jumps soon. Just want to make sure my back is truly 100 percent first. The next couple of weeks will be all about stress and rest which is what my toe needs to continue repairing in its final phases of healing. I found this great post on the site irunfar.com about recovering from soft tissue injury that explains everything so clearly.
My plan is to actually start running a little in another week or 2. I’m going to follow the rule of 2 starting with a 10 minute easy run and adding 2 minutes to each subsequent run so long as I have no pain. (I’ll be taking at least one rest day in between runs to monitor the situation).
Over the next 3 monnths I’ve got three 5Ks that I’d like to run (slow and steady!) if possible. I have to say that I am being cautiously optimistic but even just the idea that I’ll be running again this year makes me so happy.
Since Mr. SOTSS has already signed up for the Trenton Half at the end of October I’m hoping I can run the 5K. (Here’s my recap from 2016, 2014 and 2013.)
And finally the Big Chill 5K in December (you can read a little about last year’s race here. If all goes well I’ll think about increasing mileage next year.
2017 sure has been a roller coaster for me. The highs and lows of injury…..Sigh!
First off, I think I’m going to have to accept that the posting frequency on this blog will have to be what it is for the time being. Every 10 days or so is about all I have time for. So thank you to my small circle of loyal readers who come back to read and don’t forget about me.
So here’s the funny, not funny story…
Last Monday I woke up with some general back/hip aching. I assumed it was because of how I slept combined with PMS. I always get low back pain around that time. I had also had a string of workouts including 2 bike rides the Friday and Sunday before.
Friday ride…high!
Sunday ride with Mr. SOTSS-double high!
The discomfort was mild and I just assumed it’d be gone by the next day. Later on in the evening I went to yoga. Had a great class, held crow for long time, managed a few wheels. Did some awesome hip opening pigeon pose stretches an left there feeling good. Next up was grocery shopping. I live in a 3 level townhouse and refuse to take multiple trips with my grocery bags up to the kitchen on the second floor so I grab them all and do the transport in one trip.
Random photo because I have no pics of yoga or the grocery bags…. I baked some brown butter cookie bars last weekend 🙂
Tuesday morning I went to physical therapy for my last toe PT session with the same mild back/hip ache but still not thinking any big deal. My PT told me he thought I was ready for some more weight bearing exercises so he had me do some toe raises, lunges and press off from this machine that reminds me of a space shuttle. And then we did 3 sets of 10 jumps. Still, I felt fine. I actually was giddy at the progression to the final step before returning to running. I was instructed to do the lunges and jumps every other day and if after a week I still felt good I could start running again. Well, Wednesday morning I woke up feeling worse. My back was really hurting. Walking seemed to be the only thing that took the pressure/pain down so I went on my hike figuring the workout would keep the muscles warm and help me recover. Thursday I felt even worse and by the afternoon my back was full on in spasm mode. Tears started. Sleeping each night got worse and worse and by Friday morning I texted Mr. SOTSS with a desperate cry for help.
Well, one of us doesn’t have any discomfort while trying to sleep
I could barely walk down my stairs. He came over and took me to urgent care where I saw a wonderful doctor who helped a ton. He agreed it wasn’t one specific thing but the months of my lack of impact exercise and my compromised walking gait from the toe injury most definitely contributed. So maybe I overstretched in yoga or maybe those lunges or jumps in PT set me off but the weakness was brewing for some time. He prescribed 800mg of Ibuprofen along with a muscle relaxer to take for 10 days. He diagnosed me with back spasms with sacroiliac joint involvement. I spent the rest of Friday with the essentials, remote, coffee, heating pad, pb&j and meds…
The spasms in my lower middle back have gone away but the sacroiliac hip pain is still there although after 5 full days of meds it’s definitely improving.
My back managed to hold it together barely going over the potholes in Brooklyn for a ride to Brooklyn Bridge Park on date night with Mr. SOTSS
A tree really does grow in Brooklyn
I went to what should have been my last PT appointment for my toe today and instead we jumped right into PT for my back. The usual, ultrasound, massage, electro-stim and some gentle stretches. If I’m feeling 100 percent by the weekend I’ll return to yoga on Saturday and then take it from there.
I can only laugh and hope that next year I’ll reminisce about that time I was just about to return to running when I got injured AGAIN!
I’m starting to realize that my desire to be active and “Sweat Out the Small Stuff” needs to sync up better to what my body is capable of. I’m almost 44 years old and all the years of running “stupidly” without cross training and strength training has caught up to me.
I’m optimistic about this back/hip thing not lasting so long. We’ll see. In the meantime at least the dogs are feeling just fine…
“So long as your backache doesn’t interfere with my walks…”
Have you ever had a second injury on the heels of recovering from the first?
Do you have a funny, not funny story to share?
Random question: What are your favorite crunchy snacks? I need some new options. Getting sick of baby carrots and potato chips. 🙂
It’s been almost 10 days since I wrote my post about being mostly uninspired and ironically that inspired me to write a post about 10 awesome things that have happened since that post. (I re-read this sentence 10 times and swear it doesn’t sound like it’s grammatically correct but I think my point came across)
Number 1: I picked fresh veggies from my parents’ garden
Number 2: I’ve been swimming, biking, hiking and practicing yoga on the regular.
Seen on my hike this week
Today’s ride
20 laps a la doggie paddle and apparently KT Tape isn’t waterproof when cholorine is involved
Last Sunday’s ride
Number 3: I got 2 new projects that will secure my income goals for the next couple of months
werk-werk-werk
Number 4: I’ve been able to add “walk briskly” back to my life. This is awesome because it’s the next step in my running comeback.
A post shared by Sally Stilwell (@sweatoutthesmallstuff) on
Number 5: To go along with my happier feet I re-discovered this 40th birthday “gag” gift in my closet that is now my latest favorite thing. Why didn’t I take this thing seriously before? LOVE!
It’s a shiatsu foot massager with heat!
Number 6: I saw the eclipse sort of. I took a pic with my phone but at first saw nothing. Then I saw this adorable crescent shaped reflection/lens flare thingy on the photo
Number 7: I had the best chocolate chip ice cream of my life and of all places right here on Staten Island. Egger’s has been around since 1932.
Reese’s Pieces instead of sprinkles for the win
Number 8: I had my first beer of 2017…I know that sounds crazy but i have been drinking wine, hard ciders and frozen daiquiris and margaritas and only had my first beer of the year a week ago. It was at a local brewery here on staten island. I was at a fundraiser for some runners who are running the NYC Marathon this year. They’re fundraising for the Greenbelt Conservancy which is the non-profit that organizes the hikes i go on. They’re also my client! I designed their annual report and some invitations and posters too.
Number 9: Duncan’s eye is all healed and he’s off all the meds and with his fresh haircut is looking as cute as ever.
dreaming that I’ll finish working soon so we can go for a w-a-l-k!!!!
The best thing I learned in my college photography class was to shoot from different angles
Fozzie Bear!
Number 10: Facebook memories reminded me this week of the time Mr. SOTSS and I saw a shooting star when we were in Jamaica for his cousin’s wedding! It was a magical evening and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to share that experience with.
So there ya have it. From mostly uninspired to 10 awesome things!!!!
Tell me something awesome that happened to you this week.
I have spent the last 6 days since my last post mostly uninspired to take photos and write. So bear with me and hopefully this fall I’ll be back to running and more inspired to post.
Uninspired
I went for a bike ride on Sunday with Mr. SOTSS and didn’t take a single pic. It started with my excitement that we would ride around a reservoir that was a 5 mile loop for a few laps because I really wanted the feeling of exhaustion of a 20 mile ride. Well, we only did one loop because I was not feeling it. The bike path was loose gravel and I wasn’t feeling very comfortable on the bike. It made me frustrated. So no photos, no “yay I biked 20 miles and feel great”. Instead I found myself annoyed that he was flying around on his bike like no biggie and I was riding my brakes and worried about falling. I just wish I was athletic and fearless as him. I know I know….comparison is the thief of joy…..really it is. #keepinitreal
I did however take a photo of our lovely breakfast. I made blackberry pancakes and he made reheated the turkey bacon.
Pancakes are the best food group
No better time of day than mealtime—for the dogs too! 😉
Ok well I did take one inspiring shot this week. I love the birds in the sky and the shades of pink on the trees
Duncan and I went back to the vet last Friday for a re-check on the eyelid. A new antibiotic for a week and hopefully that’s it. If it doesn’t get better then they will have to remove it surgically but luckily over the last 5 days the cyst is practically gone!
Dog yoga….frog pose….
I went to physical therapy yesterday. More painful massage of the fascia around the bottom of my foot and toe. And now we’re really ramping up exercises to strengthen my foot. Plus the usual e-stim and ultrasound.
Tonight I’m going to try and go for a hike with my hiking group. Haven’t been in 3 weeks. And maybe swim a few laps if I can this afternoon even though I’m really busy with work.
No matter how busy I am working I am lucky to have a 4-legged companion or two to hang with me
Mr. SOTSS has registered for his fall half marathon (he runs 2 a year. One in the Spring and one in the Fall.) He picked the Trenton Half. I love that race. I’ve run it 3 times!
The first time I ran Trenton in 2013 only 6 days after running the NYC Marathon and I set a PR of 2:07! It was an amazing day. I miss running…I miss racing…have I mentioned that at all? 🙂
Actually it was the last half I ran and that was 10 months ago since all 3 of my Spring halfs ended up being DNFs! #NOTbitterOKmaybeaLITTLEbitter) (recap 2016) (recap 2014) (recap 2013) I want to run it too. It’s so hard not to be jealous of him at the moment. REALLY HARD! But alas, not gonna happen as it’s on October 28th. I’ll be starting from square one when I get back to running as I’ve lost most of my endurance fitness for sure. But if I can I’ll try and run the 5k. I’m not even going to think about resuming running until after Labor Day which is 2 weeks away. And most likely I won’t start until mid September.
So thats what I’ve got.
Do you find yourself going into the horrible “comparison zone” often?
Since Mr. SOTSS has already signed up for the Trenton Half at the end of October I’m hoping I can run the 5K. (Here’s my recap from 2016, 2014 and 2013.)
And finally the Big Chill 5K in December (you can read a little about last year’s race here. If all goes well I’ll think about increasing mileage next year.
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