One of the things I have always prided myself on is knowing when I have to give up and admit defeat as much as it sucks to do.
Well, that moment has come. Most of you know that I have been training for the last few months for the Rock n Roll New Orleans Marathon. Training was going great until I began notice a slight pain that started in my lower back and began to radiate down my left leg. It wasn't completely unbearable but it certainly made me change the way in which I ran, which for any runner is a big no-no. Once you alter the way in which you run it's a recipe for disaster.
I did everything I could to alleviate the pain, soaked in epsom salt baths, stretched more but it just kept nagging at me. It finally got to the point where I couldn't run more than 3 miles without being reduced to tears. I finally made a doctors appointment and he immediately wanted to have xrays done (he is a runner too so he understands how frustrating it is). He said that it seemed like a form of sciatica and prescribed me pain medication as well as inflammation medication.
I got the results from the xrays back on Friday and it was confirmed. I have degeneration of a vertebrae which is consistent with a diagnosis of sciatica. Based on this information I made the decision to drop out of the marathon, it is 3 weeks away and I knew that if I pushed myself to do it I would risk hurting myself more. Right now I am going to focus on low impact exercises (stationary bike, elliptical, etc), shorter distance easy runs (3-4 miles), and yoga. If that doesn't do the trick I will move onto physical therapy. While I would have loved to complete my 2nd marathon this year my goal now is running the Pixie Dust Challenge at Disneyland in May. Shifting my focus to May will give me plenty of time to alleviate the pain and rehab my back.
It is hard to admit when things don't go exactly how you planned but at the end of the day my health is more important than any race.
I'll be back and I'll be stronger than I was before.
I miss the energy I had ten years ago. I'm 28 which is by no means old but you figure out how tired you get easily
ReplyDeleteOh no! But I am glad you're doing what you need to do. I hope switching to low-impact, yoga, etc will help!
ReplyDeleteSorry you had to pull out of the race but you gotta do what's best for your body! Good luck training and rehabbing for May.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you knew when to call it. It's unfortunate you have to deal with this though :(
ReplyDeleteBut it's very fortunate that you got a doctor who diagnosed you right away.
I'm so glad that you made the decision to do what's best for your body because you seriously could have injured yourself even more! That's a bummer that you won't get another marathon under your belt this year, but hopefully you'll be all better in time for your race in May!
ReplyDeleteMan that stinks! But you will get back in the game soon enough. You're awesome lady and can do anything!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a bummer but you are right. You have to take care of yourself first! Hope you get to feelings better soon!
ReplyDeleteGirl, I feel you pain. I have 2 degenerative discs. I can go months with no issues, then I can bend over and I'm in pain for days. I swear the pain is worse than childbirth at times. Do what's best for you though. You'll be back at it in no time.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you had to pull out of the race. Especially with it being so close! Definitely sounds like it's for the better though! Hope you're able to recover quickly! Yoga has always been a favorite of mine!
ReplyDeleteOuch, I'm sorry. I hope you're able to rest up and then return! I have no doubt that you will.
ReplyDeleteI have sciatica as well. I had physical therapy for it. My pain was in the right leg. Some of the things I did as exercise didn't help until PT gave me specific exercises to do, since 2 discs were compressed but better now that I'm doing those specific ones. Sorry you had to drop the marathon from your plans. I hope you feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteArgh, I'm so sorry to hear this news. Dropping out sucks but I'm glad you're listening to your body. I do hope it doesn't develop into sciatica... Big hugs, friend!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you are having pain! Health always comes first and while it sucks to shift goals, you are very smart to keep going. Good luck with training. Hope it feels better soon!
ReplyDeleteWhile I can feel your disappointment, I'm glad you know the limits of your body. You're right...no race is worth your health!
ReplyDelete:( uhhhhh such a bummer. Sending positive thoughts your way.
ReplyDeleteOh no :( When I saw you post about this, my heart went out to you because it's such a punch in the gut. I was struggling big time with bursitis and ended up going to acupuncture. It was AMAZING. Seriously, I was 100% skeptical, but now I cannot recommend it enough.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm sorry to hear about your back :( I think you made the right decision though, difficult as it must have been. Having had a spinal fusion I can tell you that back problems are no joke and it's definitely worth taking the time now to ensure it doesn't deteriorate. Good luck with your recovery, I'm sure you will be back and stronger!
ReplyDeleteOh no! I hope your back gets better. I'm so glad you are not going to risk injuring yourself for the Rock N Roll Marathon. Hope it gets better in time for Disney!
ReplyDeleteIt is always a bummer when you have to withdraw from a race, but it sounds like you made the right decision. Running a marathon when healthy is hard enough on your body.
ReplyDeleteTaking the time off is smart, I wouldn't want you to get hurt before the Disney race. Those sound like so much fun, I'd hate for you to miss out!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you hurt your back. I hope the low impact workouts, yoga and rest have been helping. I would get horrible sciatica pain during pregnancy and the only thing that would help was lots of stretching and yoga. :(
ReplyDelete