I'm an awful hypochondriac. Before I started running, any tiny little ailment was the first excuse I went to to get out of exercising. Usually it's a headache, but any tiny little ache, pain, or fatigue was the best way to avoid physical activity.
Now that exercise has become something I look forward to, my attitude is different. Feeling hurt or sick isn't a welcome excuse to stay inside on the couch, it's genuinely frustrating.
I'm bringing this up now because I'm scared. Terrified actually. If you know me in person, you know that I suffered a pretty [temporarily] debilitating herniated disc along with crippling nerve problems (no exaggerating hypochondriac there) in the fall of 2008. I chose not to have surgery and recovered to about 95% with the help of my great physical therapist. Of course, when I started running, my injury was on my mind. I knew that running isn't exactly the most low-impact activity, but I've generally felt fine. Until this week.
It's not bad at all, but I feel it. I'm definitely aware of new pain and tightness that I haven't felt in a year, and it scares the hell out of me. I'm doing everything I know how to do, practicing every trick in my arsenal, to try to nip this in the bud. But it's also in my nature to psych myself out, so I'm not only worrying about healing this, but my head also goes to the place of smushed dreams and questioning whether my body was genuinely cut out to do something so great as run 3 miles, let alone 13.1.
Of course I know that's just my insecurities talking, but that's what's on my mind today. Obviously, I'm skipping today's run, taking it easy, and trying like hell to channel my newfound strength to stay positive and calm about all of this.
[End minor freakout!]
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Hang in there, Amy. You know I feel your pain, literally. Just pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you're sore, work through it. But if you feel genuine pain, take a break. I also had to learn the difference between these two sensations. And while I'm still completely bummed that I have to put my marathon training on hold, I know it's smarter than doing permanent damage. Fortunately for you, you've given yourself lots of time to properly condition. That's my last piece of advice -- don't forget to work on your flexibility and your strength!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, sorry to hear that your back is giving you trouble!! I know it's frustrating to be sidelined by injury (boy do I ever), but it's really worth the time to take care of it and get yourself back to feeling good.
ReplyDeleteI'll second what Emily said re: the line between soreness and pain. For what it's worth, when I'm starting out on a run I often have little twinges of knee or ankle pain. Usually they go away within a few minutes, and I've learned to tell the difference between the type of pain that will go away and the type of pain that means I should stop. Sometimes it's a fine line, and sometimes you make some self-diagnosis mistakes as you're getting to know how your body works with a given activity.
To be clear, I am absolutely NOT saying that what you're feeling is just soreness or that you should push through it. My left shoulder, for example, has no small, transient tweaks--if I feel even a whisper of discomfort there, it's best to stop swimming and slap an ice pack on it. (Whether or not I listen to my own advice is neither here nor there.)
I guess what I'm trying to do--clumsily--is reassure you that sometimes a body reacts in funny ways to exercises, not all of which are harbingers of doom, while also being 100% behind you in listening to your own body and taking a breather if that's what it's telling you to do. Hopefully that makes a bit of sense. :)