A little runnin’
This was a pretty busy weekend.
I got my runs in on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was 4 miles at the park. I hadn’t run there in a while so it was nice to go back to familiar territory. There were tons of people there that morning. Lots of runners and skiers. They had a cast iron wood stove going in the park office building which made for a nice place to warm up. There was alot of snow on the path (until the salt wagon came through) so I was glad to have my ‘trax on.
4 miles, 8:30 pace, I think. I can’t remember right now. I do remember wanting to stop because I’d been so tired all week. All that bargaining going on in my head, “Stop at 3 and then you can do an extra mile tomorrow because you want that to be a real long run anyway.” I did my four despite myself.
Sunday was my long run and did 5 miles. It was pretty warm except for the wind. The road had about an inch of snow and then ice under it, so the ‘trax had a little trouble in some spots, but I imagine I did better than if I had just shoes. 5 miles, 57 minutes I think.
I took my son to go see Ice Age in Ann Arbor on Sunday. They were playing it to help fund the new Mastadon exhibit at the Michigan Natural History Museum. We hadn’t seen it so it was a good show in a very old ornate theater. My son appreciated the popcorn, which by the way, had very little butter on it. Not the usual theater junk.
I also spent the weekend working some more on the Pinewood Derby car. Lots of sanding and painting and stuff like that. I think we just need to put the wheels on the thing which I’m doing tonight. Saturday we had a three hour workshop where people could bring their kits to work on cars. I brought half the tools in the workshop, including my new table jigsaw. We also spent time putting the new race track together. Talk about a joke! 4 engineers trying to figure it out without instructions was a real mess. I think we are all set.
And I got my haircut, which is not too exciting. I’ve been going to the same woman for almost 10 years I think. Its wierd because she has moved around from shop to shop. I’m like a haircut stalker.
And lastly, MY BACK IS KILLING ME!!!! My lower back gets so sore at night that now I get about 3 hours sleep before I have to get up and walk around. Its been going on for over a year. It started out to be an occasional thing. Then it got more and more frequent, but I could still get 7 hours of sleep in. Now its come down to every f#cking night, and I get only three hours. I’m a walking zombie. I could fall asleep anytime, any place. But I’ll wake up in three hours.
It happened before I started running. I was lifting weights and thought it was that so I stopped for two months but it didn’t help.
I changed the mattress, I rotate the one we have, I’ve slept on the floor, I’ve sleept on the sofa, I’ve slept in hotels and other people’s houses, I’ve tried stretches and hot baths. All kinds of analgesics. Nothing helps. The best I can do is lay in the middle of the bed on my back with my arms folded like Dracula lying in a coffin. Can’t lay on my side and its extremely painful to lay on my stomach.
It can’t be my shoes because I wear different shoes at work and around the house and when I’m out. I didn’t wear my work shoes for 2 weeks and nothing changed.
Its a generalized ache right over both sides of my spine on my lower back, kindof over where my kidneys are. And no, the bathroom doesn’t help. Its like someone gave me a good hard punch right there. I can feel it starting and then it just progresses to absolutely unbearable.
The real problem is that I feel it now just standing around or sitting. Eventually, I will be completely paralyzed.
Ok, I’m bitching. and I know everyone will say “Go see the doctor.” But I hate to waste the day getting a script for tylenol, a set of stretching exercises, and advice to stop running because its bad for me. Grrrrrrrrrr! It is obvious I’m irritable? I don’t think I made any resolutions about that.
Maybe its my chair at work or at home. I spend more time on the computer now than I did before. Maybe I am hunched over and hurting my back. I’ll try adjusting that. Maybe I need to find a better chair for home too. Maybe a massaging one. With a cup holder. And I need new running shoes. I think if I had new trail shoes that would make my back feel better. And the new Forerunner 301. That will definately make my back feel better. :)
January 10th, 2005 13:20
I’ve had some soft tissue damage in my lower back that I’ve worked through over the past 10 years. I found that 2 tennis balls duct-taped together make a nice massager. Use it on a bed rather than the floor, lay on the tennis balls so that they cradle your spine and roll gently. I also found that I’d get this tremendous pressure building up in my back like it could explode. I could either stretch to get it to “crack” or I could use the tennis balls to cool it.
My other habit is that I now sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees. I love it and can’t sleep any other way now. My back has only gotten better over the past few years that I’ve been doing this and the tennis balls (and some core exercizes in the gym too).
Maybe one of these things might work for you?
January 10th, 2005 13:51
I’ve had that same back condition. The only way I got through it was a medication that served as muscle relaxer, and it passed. Eventually, docs said to really up my ab work and I’d be good.
January 10th, 2005 14:07
awww…crap. i just bought my 201 and now they come out with a new one with a hrm?! blah!!!
hey, on the back pain issue, smsmh had some serious back pain problems, to the point where her doctor was suggesting spinal surgery. she had to be in bed by 3pm because she was in so much pain. she opted not to have the surgery, did some reading and found some very cool resources for dealing with back pain. a year later she ran a marathon with me in australia and has been virtually pain free since then. holler if you want more details.
January 10th, 2005 15:13
I’ve heard working on your abs really helps the back by training your body to share the load. Aside from that, my condolences. Back pain is a real hassle. Best of luck!
January 10th, 2005 16:04
I use the stair machine regularly to keep my lower back pain in check. Injured my back in an auto accident way back. Good luck with the back pain.
January 10th, 2005 16:59
You’ve gotten some good advice. I agree about sitting in front of the computer. I’ve heard those chairs that force you to balance do help. I’ve just spent the last two weeks sitting in front of my computer, and wow can I feel it in my back. I’ve heard getting up every 20 minutes or so really helps. Hope some of this helps cuz it’s NO FUN.
January 10th, 2005 17:23
Time to get professional help: See a chiropractor. Then see a massage therapist.
A friend of mine got in a bad car accident which really took a toll on her back. She saw a chiropractor for a few months, and she’s had no pain since then.
January 10th, 2005 19:53
Sounds like appendicitis to me, but I think everything is appendicitis.
January 10th, 2005 21:41
Work your abs. I had back pain for years and it wasn’t until I started exercising regularly and doing my “crunches” with an exercise ball that the pain went away. Like Susan said, get one of those chairs or an exercise ball to help you develop your “core” muscles and balance. I’ve heard that helps…
Good luck otherwise.
January 10th, 2005 23:41
Go for the new Forerunner!! It will definately make your back better! :) And then you can report back to us–and we can all dream about the new 301!
January 11th, 2005 16:02
Yes, the only thing that works to get rid of the problem is core exercise but the good ones are not just crunches. They are the ones where you have to hold your core stable. I will look for you Jon cuz I have them. They help. Trust me. I have a very pronounced history.
The other thing is to go to a message therapist and have that person work out the knots. With back injury, remnants are left and this stays unless they are worked out with deep tissue massage. I was amazed how much it helped to have two treatments.
You could also go to a physiotherapist and have them put that electrical stimulus machine on it or a chiropractor but these last two treatments are more for when you are in spasm and out of alignmnet. Good luck Jon. Noone deserves this.
January 11th, 2005 16:58
ACK! You said “F#CK!”
I am shocked!
Sorry to hear about your back! OUCH! Hate that! Happens to me lots but I lack almost any abdominal strenght. I am mushy in the middle you might say. Hope it passes and you are pain free or at the very least you find the right combo of robaxisat and vodka to numb it!
January 12th, 2005 08:21
Sorry to hear about your back problems– but as someone who experienced minor nerve damage from a fall many years ago, I would absolutely go see a medical doctor before you take the chiropractor or massage therapy route. If the sit-ups don’t work, see a good orthopedic surgeon… Feel better!
January 14th, 2005 17:45
That 301 looks mighty nice. The only problem with it is the price - $200 more than the 201 just to add basic HRM functionality? Ouch! The USB interface is a great addition though, and AutoLearn sounds intriguing.