My Aching Body

I've had a rough 2012 running wise.

The IT issues, hip pain, and lower back pain that I have been fighting lately has been discouraging.  I have been quiet about it because I didn't want to admit how worried I have been.  I didn't have health insurance for two months, so I couldn't go see a doctor about the issues.  I could have afforded the initial visit, but if the doctor wanted any tests done to take a peek inside, I would not have been able to afford that.  Then I would have to live with the knowledge that something is wrong in my leg and that the doctor wants a peek.  I couldn't handle it.

I ended up paying to see a chiropractor and paying out of pocket.  My rationale was that a chiropractor would more than likely be physically active himself and well-versed in all the ways that a runner like me can screw up my body.  The chiropractor did his work by moving my body is strange pretzelesque ways.  When he could not elicit pain with certain movement, he declared me probably stress fracture free and probably piriformis syndrome free. Since I couldn't afford x-rays, I decided to trust the nice running chiropractor.  The man declared that runners batter their lower back with the repeated movement.  This is was the first time that I heard this one.  Usually the cry is "You'll destroy your knees!"  Guess what. My knees are awesome.  This may have been standard chiro back adjustment promotion.  Whatever. The heated massage thing convinced me that it wasn't all that bad. He also declared that I have falling arches and gave me shoe inserts, which I have been using since he gave them to me.  He also badmouthed my professional ballet flats as bad for me, but conceded that at least I am not wearing heels.

Three weeks later, the aches and pains are nearly gone.  Fourteen miles today and not issues other than the standard aches and pains that happens when one runs for 14 miles.  In fact this week, my weekly mileage hit a new high for this year.

It's been a bad year.

But I am hopeful that things are turning around.  I'm getting older.  This means more icing and stretching.  This means more responsibility.

On Tuesday, I was slammed with work.  I believe that I stopped working at 11:15 pm that night.  I had to skip my training run.  I was very close to calling off the marathon in December.  Then on Wednesday, I was determined to run my seven miles if only to decompress from all the work that I have been doing.  After hitting the zen mode in that run, I decided that I probably could handle the marathon training after all.

And I did.  This week I ran Wednesday-Sunday.  Every damn day.

And I am ready to do it again next week.  Nearly every damn day.  Rest is, after all, an important part of training.