I have a confession to make. I've been in pain for, oh, nearly two years. Constant, dull, achy, stiff pain. I have dealt with my share of aches and pains associated with old riding injuries (there's only so many times you can tumble off a 1,200 lb animal and NOT feel it), but in August 2010 I managed to bugger up my left hip something awful.
It was during a 10 mile training run, in 28 degree heat. I was in decent running shape, but had not been doing the cross training, core, massage and chiro work that I did training for my first half. Instead of fully dealing with the injury, I took time off, then more time off, then did some yoga, pulled out of the marathon, took more time off...then got pregnant eight months later, then did nothing, then had the Wee Man, etc. All told, the hip feels the basically the same as it did nearly 2 years ago. What's more, my lower back has slowly felt tighter and tighter since that time.
About a month ago I had a pity party. Each day as I rolled out of bed I was stiff and sore. My low back felt immobile, my hip ached, my neck tight and stiff. My still-flabby, stretched belly and 15 lb heavier-than-pre-pregnancy body was ick-ing me out but doing any sort of exercise (even mowing the lawn for cripes sake) left me hobbling the next day. Enough was enough.
One evening I told the Husband how much pain I was in daily. How much I had neglected to care for this body. How much I craved to move and be fit again but how much it ached to even try. He was shocked (men aren't very perceptive), having never noticed my hobble in the morning or how I'd wince as I lifted our boy. Men.
I told the Husband I was going to make an appointment with a physiotherapist. I did, and finally, this week, I went.
She was shocked at how little my lower back moved (it stays in a permanent sway back when I bend forward) and my piriformis is all tied up in knots putting undue strain on my sciatic nerve causing pain, tingling and general ouchies for my entire left side. In short, I'm a mess.
But we have a plan. The good news is I don't have diastasis recti (in fact, she said her gap was worse and she's UBER fit, but had three babies), though my tranverse abs are very weak and that doesn't help the low back and hip issues. The other good news is there are several treatments we can use to get me back on track. In time, I will run again, pain free.
And instead of beating myself up over how low down the priority list my health, fitness and general well being fell, I'm instead patting myself on the back for finally addressing this.
And that, my friends, is awesome.
Finally waking up and realizing I have to take care of my body: 10,000 awesome points.
Total to date: I'll have to go check. It's early and I haven't finished my coffee yet.
