So for the last two and a half weeks, I've been having lower back pain and glute pain. I've tried to see if I could work out the problem through self massage, hot tub, ice packs, stretching, professional massage therapy, rest and diversity in training. The issue does not represent walking, only running.
I wonder if something is wrong with my form -- except, why would it bother me now? I've done a lot more running and a lot harder practicing in the last 10 months. In fact since March, I've mellowed on the running and have put more effort into cross training.
Is it the shoes? I just bought mine in the middle of May, and I've been running in the same brand July September. This is my third set of shoes since then, so I'm pretty consistent about replacing them every 250-300 miles.
Are the muscles weak? Mmm, I just finished up a series of personal training sessions that I got with my VO2 assessment, where I felt pretty good about my strength, and I've been keeping it up through Body Blast and individual work at home and the gym. I've been slowly increasing my load in my fitness classes, and I'm constantly working on the core work taught to me in pilates and training.
Old injury? Well, yes, I did mess up my lower back and a bunch of the attached muscles when I was 16 playing soccer. A stellar performance at a Chicago tournament landed me in physical therapy for 12 weeks and led me to have to take my ACT and SAT tests standing up in the middle of the cafeteria (no lie). And from time to time, every 2-3 years it does act up, usually when I do something stupid like bend over to pick up a sock.
I always attributed this situation with being overweight. But what if that's just what this is? The every few years it acts up and then goes away? But what if it's not? So, tomorrow I am going to give a call to my primary care doc and have her run the movement tests on my legs, hopefully, she'll take a scan and just confirm that it's all soft tissue issues and then off I'll go to PT, where I'm hoping, now that I'm way more in touch with my body than I used to be that we can figure out what my problem is and get me working on it right away. I'm happy that I can at least walk and swim and bike without pain. But right now, I'm lying on my back with my knees elevated in my bed because I totally can't straighten my back due to muscle spasms near my spine and in my glutes.
Not fun... not fun at all. Getting old is a bitch. Seriously.
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