Two Week Follow Up

Yesterday I had my appointment with Dr. Chu from Elite Spinal and Sports Care. It has been two weeks since the last time I saw him. Since that time I have only logged 23 miles. I followed his direction, sort of. I wasn't suppose to start running until every day normal activity was pain free. I ran three times last week and the first time I ran I took three days before running again and my longest run was only 8 miles. After that long run things at work were crazy busy that I wasn't able to squeeze in any runs until Friday morning and that was just three miles.

I told him my pain is decreases, I just feel tight but eventually I loosen up. I also told him I was having some more lower back pain than I normally do. I did tell him I ran, he said that is fine. He also said that I am right on track with my recovery progress.

For treatment he changed things up on me. Usually I start face up and he works on my ribs today he wanted to start with me face down. As I was face down, my lower back began to seize up and I couldn't relax. He asked me to relax and I told him "I am really uncomfortable." The pain was really strong. He had me get up and walk around the room. It was the strangest thing. I said "see what happens when you tell me to stop running, I get pain in new places." We both laughed.

He focused the entire treatment on my back and gluts. My back was really tight, probably from all the lifting and I had to do at work  and all the stress this week. He adjusted my back and it adjusted from bottom to top. Pop, pop, pop. Wow! Then he adjusted my left hip. Hm I wonder if that is why on Thursday night I was having a really hard time walking. I was walking around with limp. Probably because my hip was out of alignment.

I am glad that things are progressing as they should be. He said that I could keep running and to work on strengthening my core. I am just glad that the pain is slowly going away and I can almost feel like a normal person with out any pain. It is amazing how I have forgotten what it feels like to run without pain, wake up without pain, and just do my everyday activities without pain.

Friday was the first day that I was able to run without any shooting pain or discomfort. It reminded me how much fun running is. I was just getting so use to always being in pain. The next two weeks I will continue to run but I will also be paying close attention to what my body is saying.

In all honesty my motivation for running has decreased significantly since SNER. But after Friday's run it is slowly coming back. It was Fridays run where for the first time I placed no expectations on the run, I ran just to be running. I ran just to have fun and to be active. I ran for myself and not for a time. I ran just to run.

I will spending my time in South Lake Tahoe, relaxing on a well deserved vacation after being on the go under stressful circumstances over the past 13 weeks.

You must motivate yourself EVERYDAY.

- Matthew Stasior