fifty minutes of running.
This post was supposed to be about something completely different than what it actually is about. I had an MRI of my lower back on Thursday, and my follow up appointment is this coming Friday. Although I knew they probably wouldn’t give me my MRI results over the phone (HIPAA, whatever…) or have any earlier appointment this week, I had to try. So I called the orthopedic surgeon’s office to beg for the results or an earlier appointment.
As I expected, I got none of the above. So I was upset. Silly to be upset about something you already knew would happen, but it happens. I felt some twinges in my back and thought about how this has been going on for almost four months and I still have no answers. I’ve taken yet another week off…of everything. No running, no physical therapy, no acupuncture, no core work in my apartment.
To sound like nothing short of a brat, I can’t take it anymore. I miss running more than anything. It’s raining outside, and I love a good run in the rain. So I decided I had to try. In the back of my mind, the twinges in my back this morning meant that I’d make it two minutes and walk home while hanging my head. But that’s two minutes of trying, so I got dressed for a rain run and headed outside.
I walked for two minutes, then started up. Original plan was to run/walk, but I think the starting/stopping causes pain from the changing in footing. So in a completely terrible idea that I wouldn’t recommend, I decided to run until I thought my back was going to hurt. It gets tighter before the MASSIVE OMG MUST STOP NOW pain hits, so I figured I’d go until the tightness hit. Since changes in footing also seem to trigger pain, I just ran up and down along the East River.
Um. I ran for fifty minutes. FIFTY MINUTES. And that’s only because I made myself stop at fifty minutes. At first I was going to stop at twenty minutes, but to honest….I felt totally fine. So I kept going. Ten more minutes. Then ten more. Then a run to the bagel shop. Then around the block once I got to the bagel shop. Then I got a bagel. (There’s a reason I’m a nurse and not a writer…)
I got my bagel and walked home. And proceeded to tell everyone that I just ran for fifty minutes. I really have absolutely no idea how that happened. Or why. Or what I’ve done differently than what I’ve done for the past three months. My back feels 100% fine right now. No pain, no twinges, no “I’m going to lay on the couch until I can move again.”
Mainly, I’m confused. I haven’t done anything different. But I’m not arguing. I haven’t run this far in over three months. I’ve missed the feeling of my legs moving under me, and I even had a few minutes where I didn’t analyze every single step to determine if the pain was starting.
So I know you might be thinking, “Really, Susan? Fifty minutes? What a terrible idea.”
Trust me, I know. As I was running, I was thinking what a horrible idea it was. I know. I know. But I wanted to try. I’m not going to run a marathon tomorrow. I probably won’t even run tomorrow…but mainly because I’m working tomorrow. (Beside the point…) If someone told me they were coming back from injury and still felt pain in the morning, I would have told them not to run at all, let alone fifty minutes.
But honestly? I feel good. I stopped before any pain started. I have no pain now. I know my body, I know what true pain is versus the aches and pains of being a distance runner (and I have none of those either). I didn’t push through pain. I know I’m probably not 100% fixed. (Fixed from what? I have no idea.) But I’ll take it. It gives me a little bit of hope that one day (sooner rather than later…) I’ll be flying through the streets of Manhattan in my Brooks.
Fingers crossed.
You DID do something differently — you took time off! Including core work, etc. So maybe it did help after all, right? Happy for you!
I’m so happy for you! That’s awesome that you have no pain even after a 50 minute run. It may not be what the doctor recommended but if you don’t have pain, why not?
CONGRATULATIONS!!! all about resting the body! Can’t wait to hear what the doctor says though…
Woo hoo!
How exciting! Fingers crossed for good results from the doc!
Yay! Hope the pain stays away and the doctor has good news!!
Hooray! And I feel you on this — if someone told me they were doing what I’m currently doing while coming back from injury, I would think they were pretty stupid, but I’ve gone to enough doctors with contradictory/generally unhelpful results throughout this ordeal that at this point, I have to rely on myself. Good luck!
You must be thrilled! This happened to me after an IT Band injury — I went out planning to walk/run and instead ran 6 miles at a decent pace! I was on cloud 9 so I know how you feel…
Such AWESOME news
Yay!!!!
If I were in your shoes I’d do the SAME thing, so dumb or not, I totally feel ya. VERY exciting none the less! My fingers and toes are crossed too.
yay!! that is amazing! And I literally laughed out loud at the bagel comment – and there’s a reason you’re a nurse and not a writer – because this morning I tried to eat everything else “healthy” under the sun so that I would not eat a bagel… yogurt with granola, banana, strawberries, blueberries… and yet I still wanted a bagel!! And I know you’ve tried everything BUT have you tried a chiropractor OR hanging upside down on an inversion table?? SO glad you were able to run today!!!
That is so great that you were able to run that long with no pain! I was having some lower back pain during and after runs for awhile, and I ended up getting a full video motion analysis done by my PT (who is a distance runner). He was able to show me how the slightest flaw in my form can affect by back and hips. Now we are working on how to strengthen my specific imbalances. It might be worth looking into to prevent any pain from coming back. Good luck with getting back into running!
Glad to hear you were able to run pain free! Maybe it was all the resting. Hopefully you will get some answers or explanation from the Dr. with your MRI results
Holy crap! This is awesome! Hope the pain stays away!
yayy! this is so exciting. I would have done the exact same thing as you – it’s so hard to stop when you’re not feeling any pain whatsoever. But I think you’re being smart doing the every other day thing. I hope it still feels good today and during tomorrow’s run. Maybe doing nothing was the key? Who knows! I’m glad we got to catch up yesterday
Maybe the week off helped? Well, whatever it was, hope this trend continues! Onward and upward!
Congrats Susan! All that taking it easy paid off!
Wheeeeeee!!!!! Yay for you
This post was great. I’m so happy that you ran for a while…but please take it easy and wait to see what the doctor says. Also, when I took a complete and utter week of rest, I noticed a huge difference in my back pain too. It was night and day, which is not the experience I’ve had with running pains.
Hi, I’ve been reading your blog here and there for quite some time. But, creepily, never commented. So goes the blog world… Anyway, I’ve empathized with your injury journey so much, even though I am not as serious (or as fast) for a runner as you are. I was injured last summer and emotionally it almost broke me. You can imagine how happy I was to read this post of yours! Please update us and let us know if/how future runs go!
Under the circumstances, I don’t see an issue…as long as you don’t have pain, why not?
this is fantastic, susan!
soo sooo happy for you! may the pain-free running continue.