A Week of Setbacks

[kirstenj_2004]

This past week has been a dismal one in terms of running. The last time I actually ran was last Sunday, and it was great. I felt a little bit of nervous irritation in the beginning, but by the time I was on my second kilometre there was no discomfort whatsoever. After the run, I took a shower, had something to eat, and then eagerly started planning my runs for the coming week.

But alas, it was not meant to be. On Monday morning, I woke up feeling a little bit queasy. A stomach bug was making its way through my entire family, so I guessed that my turn was coming up. Still, I felt well enough to get up and go about my daily routine. So I took James to the daycare, and got into the car to drive back home to meet my ride to work. As I adjusted my coat, I felt a muscle pull in my lower back.

Oh, for God's sake. I fix one part of my back and then screw up another?

I drove home and got my ride to work. That day will not go down in history as a Good Day, and by lunchtime it was clear that I should not have even been there. My back was hurting, so I was hobbling around as if I was ninety. And I was feeling sicker and sicker by the minute. Somehow I made it through the day, and more or less collapsed on my bed the minute I got home.

At roughly the same time that evening, George and I got hit in earnest with the stomach bug. The following day, we stayed home together and commiserated in each other's misery.

By Wednesday I felt fine - at least my stomach did. My back was still too sore for me to walk normally. I had a physiotherapy appointment on Thursday, which as usual, worked wonders. Now, on Sunday morning, I do feel well enough to run again. There is a little bit of residual stiffness in my lower back, plus the remaining nerve irritation going down my arm. I am mapping out 5km and we'll take it from there.

And I am optimistic that this week will be better.