Tuesday, April 18, 2017

I think I'm a runner again...

Time for an update, I've been super busy the last week.

The last couple of weeks I've been experiencing some really severe pain in my lower left back and left hip.  Very unusual for me.  I didn't know if it was my office chair, my new truck or our bed.  I made 2 trips to Richard M. but that didn't seem to do any good.  I thought a thorough massage from Renie might help so she worked me over really good Thursday morning.  I was fine the rest of that day but by Friday I was in some pretty bad pain again.  I went ahead with our run plans for Saturday with Misty and Karah.  We did a super easy 9 miles in Barton Creek.  I had no difficulty running at all and did some very thorough stretching and foam roller afterwards.  By the time we got ready to leave for Bulverde that afternoon I felt pretty good.  My foot felt fine, my back and hip were a bit tight but not bad.  After the drive to Bulverde my back and hip were hurting again.  I started getting scared that it was my truck seat bothering me but I'd driven a 400 mile round trip to Lake Livingston in the days right after I got the truck and I made a 1000 mile round trip to Arkansas the next weekend with no ill effects.  I was pretty dumbfounded and frustrated.  We stayed the night in Bulverde Saturday night and slept well on their spare bed.  I woke up with minimal back and hip pain.  That made me seriously question our bed.  We drove back to Austin that afternoon and I felt pretty good which really made me wonder about our bed even more.  A very good development was that my foot felt pretty well okay.  Still not perfect but much much better than it has been. 

After we'd been home for a while Sunday I started wondering if my back and hip could be a strength issue.  I did some lunges Sunday evening and then doggie and I had an easy 3 mile run Monday morning.  I did more lunges Monday morning after our run and what do you know.  About halfway through my Monday morning I realized I'm just about pain free in my hip and back!!  I have to chalk it up to the lunges!  That confirms that I have to keep doing lunges regularly!
I've been concerned about keeping  doggie hydrated on some longer runs so we did something new on a little neighborhood adventure this morning.  My big UD bladder pack has a vertical sleeve on the bottom for a 20oz bottle along with room for at least a 100oz bladder.  I put doggie's fold up water bowl in the outside portion of the back of the pack and took a 20oz bottle of water specifically for her.  We stopped at the 2.3 and 4.1 points for water breaks for doggie.  The first time I took my pack off  completely but the 2nd time I just rolled the bowl up and it fit fine in one of the zip up front pockets!!  I'm really glad I have a system now for keeping her hydrated on our morning runs.  She did great too by the way.

I think I've just about got my right foot fixed.  I'm pretty well pain free now most of the time now but will keep wearing the plantar boot at night.  I think I'm a runner again!!

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