Got A Hitch In My Get-Along

I'm ready to cry. I'm in pain. Yesterday, while I was at work, I merely tried to rise from my chair when I was in instant pain. I didn't DO anything. I just stood up. Something was wrong with my back. After what I thought was a muscle spasm passed, I was able to finally stand all the way upright. Whew. I felt "sore" but not in pain. I told one of my co-workers that I had a "hitch in my get-along." The rest of the day, I was very careful about how I moved.

This morning, I wake up and I'm in my bathroom putting on my swimsuit. Damn hitch didn't go away. I'm in enough pain just trying to pull my (new, thus a little extra tight) suit up that I'm perspiring. I can't bend over without hurting. Finally, though, I get it on.

I go to the pool with the clear notion that I only have to do 30 minutes. This is my rest week and I only have to swim 30 minutes today and 30 minutes on Thursday. On the way there, I decide that if that is too uncomfortable, that I'll just sit in the jacuzzi for a bit.

I'm moving rather gingerly and grimmacing a great deal as I try to contain the pain. I get in the water and do an easy 100 yards. Easy is a relative term and can mean so many things. In this instance, easy meant I didn't push for speed. Doing flip turns is another matter. Not only wearing a new suit, but I had on new goggles as well. I didn't get a good seal when I started the 100, so I ended up with one eye full of water for the whole 100 yards. I just closed that eye and kept swimming. I was trying hard not to be a wuss. But, I noticed my depth perception depends a great deal upon having two good eyes open. As a result of having only one good eye (and saying that eye was good may be stretching things a bit) open, I noticed I was misjudging the distance to the wall, thus not getting a very good push off the wall.

The first 100 out of the way, a little fanagling with my goggles, and I do some work with the pull-bouy. East stuff. Just some 75's while I concentrate on proper rotation. Or what I think is proper. I dunno. My back hurts, so it's hard to tell.

I didn't swim for 30 minutes, but I was in the pool for 30 minutes. Is that the same thing? I took lots of rest breaks. Between my main sets, I took a full 60 second break. Coach wanted me doing some fast 50's, so I'd do a couple of those on 30 seconds rest, then do an easy 50. Fast is also relative. Those 50's were fast for me, especially with a sore back. For some of the rest of you, it would be downright dogged slow.

Anyway, I got my 30 minutes of swimming in, but I still have the hitch. When I get to work, I take 1000 mg of Tylenol along with 800 mg of Ibuprofen. A dentist once told me that this combo will give me all of the pain relieving effects of two Tylenol 3s without the sedating effects of the codiene. It seemed to work because, after a bit, while I was still in some pain, it had at least abated.

I called a chiropractor. Got in to see him and got an adjustment (my pelvis is out of whack which is causing the pain). I have to return tomorrow and again on Friday, but the chiro thinks he can fix me up in a couple weeks. The good news is, he's training for a marathon. I hate it when a doctor I go to doesn't understand my compulsion to keep doing what I'm doing.

Anyway, this is my rest week, so the only other thing on my agenda for today was a 30 minute trainer ride with ILTs (individual leg training). But I'm bailing on the ride. I'm also supposed to do a 30 minute run tomorrow. I may bail on that as well and just hope I'm feeing well enough by Thursday, that I can do that day's swim/bike sessions. Instead of riding tonight, I think I'll opt to ice my back where it hurts and take some muscle relaxants and, well, relax! After all, it's my REST week, right?