In my pursuit of reinvention, I have changed up many things in my routine. My running has changed due to the bike ride coming up in a few weeks, meaning, no Saturday long runs right now and getting in a run when I can. I guess my running several days in a row here and there is what woke up the beast. No, not what you are thinking. I'm not on fire and blazing a trail of speed and mid-week long runs. I'm talking about the now infamous injury of 2011-12. Yes it has returned, but fortunately, not in the severity of its first appearance.
I first noticed it about 2 weeks ago as a nagging tightness in that area. I've been a foam rolling fool for a few weeks now, and so I upped the foolishness to help keep it at bay. I guess this injury does not care about the foam roller because by Thursday of last week, the pain and tightness had increased. I pushed through a 6 mile run on Thursday, which was probably stupid. It didn't bother me too much at the beginning of that run, but by the last 2 miles, I was grimacing with each step. At my Versus workout Thursday evening, the warm-up 400 was excruciating. At the first step it felt like there was a reign on my right hamstring that got yanked each time I extended my leg. I literally limped through that lap. Luckily the rest of the workout had no more running. A good thing is that it does not hurt doing what we do in the Versus workouts or my indoor cycling classes, which is another sign it is not as severe as its first occurrence when I could do NOTHING for a few weeks. .
At the temporary office (thanks tornado), we have these chairs that even though they are upholstered and not too uncomfortable, it feels like I am sitting on a brick causing the area to ache and throb almost non-stop. So while at work I heated, walked around, stretched, and repeated all day long Thursday and Friday. I rested two days over the weekend, and I mean, I did absolutely nothing. It was feeling much better by Monday so I was back at it with cycling. I cut my Tuesday run back to 4 miles, but I felt it the entire time, While it wasn't grimacing pain, it was ever-present. At Tuesday night's Versus workout, we had about a mile and a half of running, but I was happy to notice it wasn't as bad as the morning run. I did try to stretch and massage it during the day so that it would be as loose as possible. After my shower and dinner, I hit the foam roller again for a good hour probably. That is one way to make your dog wonder what the crap you're doing!
Today, it's hard to say how it is. I taught cycling this morning and it was fine, although tight. Sitting on this chair right now it hurts so I will continue my routine of stretching it out and walking around while at work and return to the foam roller roller and heating pad tonight. I need to put this beast back to bed! I have big plans!
On a much more positive note, I am dropping weight. My efforts to better my diet, while not 100% clean, have been paying off. Clothes are fitting better and looser. I didn't weigh at the start of my diet change so I won't have a true starting weight, but I did weigh once last week . I will try to remind myself to weigh Friday when I go in to teach my morning cycling class and get a new number. I'm loving these changes and the new workouts! All part of the reinvention and all good!
