Listen to What Your Body is Telling You

The pain started in my mid back...then on my sides...then it settled on left side of my low back and I couldn't bend over and it felt like a belt covered in nails was giving my back and uterus a hug.

I haven't been on a run since Tuesday and I lifted on Wednesday. I got a massage on Tuesday, but my lower back persisted. Since I couldn't run, I thought I would sit down and read this little piece of magic...

I worked last night and I could barely put my shoes on because it hurt to bend over, so I scheduled a sports massage again this morning at a place that I only go when I am so injured that I am willing to pay some big bucks to get fixed.

It totally helped. I am actually comfortable in a chair now.

I don't know what brought the pain on, but I do know that if it persists I will skip my half marathon this weekend. Something that I have learned over years of injuries is that I HAVE to listen to my body. There are always more races, more competitions but I only have one body to do it with and if I want to continue to compete, I have to listen to what it says.

So, I am taking the next two days off and if things go well, I will race this Saturday but I won't "race". I will just run to finish and take it easy on those 13 miles.

There was once a time that I insisted on pushing through every pain my body had just to reach my goal and, although reaching goals is good, body pains and aches are red flags that we need to take a step back and give our bodies a break. I am so injury prone and I want to lift and run and swim and ski and bike and hike (all of the things) FOREVER. I don't ever want to stop because I was too dumb to listen to what my muscles were trying to tell me. It took a VERY long time for me to get this concept...