Putting my back behind me, trials of being an old man
Old age is an accumulation of injuries. I've never really been hurt that badly. I've never broken a bone or been knocked unconscious. But I have sprained both ankles hard, torn a knee (requiring 2 surgeries), did something unknown to my neck that gave me chronic neck and shoulder problems (possibly surfed too much). More recently, and you know you're getting old when "recently" means 9 years ago, I herniated a couple of discs in my back.
A month ago, Feb 25, I reinjured my back. I don't know what I did differently, but all I can tell you is that it didn't feel right as I was in the middle of the first burpee of a workout, and hurt by the time I finished it. It, being the one burpee, not the whole workout. I had to hobble home in pain. I was in deep pain, and it took me a full minute to go from sitting to standing, or vice versa. I saw a chiropractor and got a couple massages, not that either seem to help a whole lot.
The key therapy for me is movement. My theory is that when it comes to injuries, rest is rust. Two days after hurting myself, I went on a slow jog... 4 miles at 10:30 to 11 minute pace. And the next day, and the next. I still couldn't get in and out of chair without a struggle. Some people might say that makes me a terrible idiot, but I say they underestimate me - I'm a supreme idiot. It works! I think my body just doesn't know any better.
Just 10 days in, I was able to go on an 11 mile trail run, albeit somewhat gingerly. My back still hurt during the day. I felt like it was 90% of what it was in the past 9 years. I used a massager strapped to my desk chair at work. But keeping myself moving seemed like it was working.
With my back still hurting, the next big test would be March 12, Marin Ultra 50 miler, just a fortnight and two days after injury. And I have to say, nothing seems to cure my ills like a 50 mile run through the Marin Headlands. My lower back was sore at the start, but by the end of the day, I barely noticed it. Sure, maybe I just didn't notice it relative to all my other bodily pains. But to be honest, I felt just great.
Yesterday, I completed my recovery with something close to my standard burpee workout. 2.5 mile hill run, stop 6 times for sets of 20 burpees. That's 120 burpees per run, although I substituted half of the sets for 20 squats, followed by 20 push-ups, followed by 20 jumping squats - so almost burpees.
Now 5 weeks out from injury, I think I can safely say that I've put my back story behind me.
A month ago, Feb 25, I reinjured my back. I don't know what I did differently, but all I can tell you is that it didn't feel right as I was in the middle of the first burpee of a workout, and hurt by the time I finished it. It, being the one burpee, not the whole workout. I had to hobble home in pain. I was in deep pain, and it took me a full minute to go from sitting to standing, or vice versa. I saw a chiropractor and got a couple massages, not that either seem to help a whole lot.
The key therapy for me is movement. My theory is that when it comes to injuries, rest is rust. Two days after hurting myself, I went on a slow jog... 4 miles at 10:30 to 11 minute pace. And the next day, and the next. I still couldn't get in and out of chair without a struggle. Some people might say that makes me a terrible idiot, but I say they underestimate me - I'm a supreme idiot. It works! I think my body just doesn't know any better.
Just 10 days in, I was able to go on an 11 mile trail run, albeit somewhat gingerly. My back still hurt during the day. I felt like it was 90% of what it was in the past 9 years. I used a massager strapped to my desk chair at work. But keeping myself moving seemed like it was working.
With my back still hurting, the next big test would be March 12, Marin Ultra 50 miler, just a fortnight and two days after injury. And I have to say, nothing seems to cure my ills like a 50 mile run through the Marin Headlands. My lower back was sore at the start, but by the end of the day, I barely noticed it. Sure, maybe I just didn't notice it relative to all my other bodily pains. But to be honest, I felt just great.
Yesterday, I completed my recovery with something close to my standard burpee workout. 2.5 mile hill run, stop 6 times for sets of 20 burpees. That's 120 burpees per run, although I substituted half of the sets for 20 squats, followed by 20 push-ups, followed by 20 jumping squats - so almost burpees.
Now 5 weeks out from injury, I think I can safely say that I've put my back story behind me.
Comments
Post a Comment