Fresh Friday: Rebuilding an Athlete
Rebuilding an Athlete
Never be afraid to fall apart because it is an opportunity to rebuild yourself the way you wish had been all along.–unknown
It’s the start of the new year, a time to set new goals, to make resolutions, and to try new things. The start of the new year is a time to reboot. I love taking this time of year to look forward to all of the new possibilities for what might happen as time swiftly moves forward and I am driven to reach my new goals. The past couple of years have been an important time of rebuilding for me, essentially finding my way back to myself and finding a new strong spirit. With my spirit engaged and ready to take on big dreams with passion and enthusiasm I am now working on rebuilding my body into a new stronger me.
I admit that I am hard on my body. I never give myself the rest that is needed in between races to let my body regain 100% strength. I live my life with a full plate, burning the candle at both ends. I sleep too little. I have a hard time saying no to adventure. Now that I am getting a little bit older (ahem) . . . my body is beginning to rebel against me. While my spirit is strong my body has given in to older injuries. My body has been compensating for an old back injury, from slipping and falling on some ice in college. My core is weakened by surgery during pregnancy followed by two c-sections. My body has been screaming for rest that I did not give it. I should have learned my lesson after dealing with tendonitis in my foot.
I ran a turkey trot on Thanksgiving day even though my body was hinting at me that this wasn’t a good idea. I ran the race. I ran fast. It was not a good idea. I was quickly forced into a month of no running. A back injury. I am now seeing a physical therapist at the Alpine Clinic trying to rebuild my body so that I can perform at optimum strength and speed again. After a full evaluation it has been determined that I have muscle imbalance issues in my pelvis which are causing my pelvis to tilt. When this happens I am experiencing, “abnormal sacroiliac joint alignment, lumbar misalignment, muscular imbalances, abnormal posture and of course subsequent wear and tear, degeneration, and lower back pain” (SOURCE). My PT also discovered that I have an issue with my C5 vertebra (dating back to 1998 from that fall on the ice) which is causing weakness and stiffness in my back and may be the root of the issues that I am having on my right side. The muscular imbalance and weakness are likely due to three abdominal surgeries which weakened my pelvic floor and transverse abdominus which supports the base of your spine and your core.
In my month of from running I have rested, I have iced, I have heated and I have spent a lot of time in the pool. Swimming has been my saving grace because my body craves the endorphins and swimming is totally pain free. I am gradually working my way back into running with some slow and easy treadmill miles and even one road run. I am also slowly reacquainting myself with my bike. The goal is to exercise with no pain so if at any time I feel pain I need to be disciplined and stop so that I don’t hurt myself. At physical therapy I am learning some transverse abdominus isolating exercises and let me tell you these are tough. Apparently I have not addressed this muscle group in a long time! Thankfully I now have a plan for recovery. The rest time has be rejuvenating and my attitude is positive!
Rebuilding is a slow process but it is important to give your mind, body and soul the time that it needs. I’m thinking of this time as putting the pieces of a puzzle together.
Rebuilding
What are your tips for rebuilding your mind, body and soul? How do you stay positive? How do you keep yourself engaged in the process of rebuilding?
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EIIIK a month off, I’m on day 5 and ready to rip out my hair. Ok I’ve done all right, minus still being really hungry from all this new weight lifting! I know how good a break is for the body, but it’s hard not to do what you love.
Amanda – RunToThefinish recently posted…Back to Basics – Making fitness and food easier
well I think it’s great for you both! My husband has taken 3- 4 weeks off and I’ve taken 8 months off! But still light walking and yoga. It really did REBUILD us!
Sandra!
I feel you on this one!
I trained a hip misalignment for 2+ years before I fell and it suddenly showed itself. (Stupidly hoping a tennis court fence chasing after a ball, racket in hand and oopH! there goes gravity!)
I played it off for 6+ months, dealing with the throbbing hip and piriformis pain that turned into serious upper back pain before I went to see my chiropractor.
I spent 6 weeks doing intense rehab (twice weekly reiki massages and adjustments and lots of MELT) before it calmed down enough to sleep at night without taking drugs.
I learned that the stronger and more conditioned you are, the more resistant your body will be to any adjustments to the misalignments you have been training (hence why I still feel pain when I don’t do my yoga and mobility work, daily).
I’m only 24 and I have this nagging issue so don’t feel bad and be extra hard on your body for wanting rest 🙂
Just be patient with yourself. Keep constant what makes your body feel good (not just your mind) and it’ll come!
OMG, I’m pretty sure you just wrote about me 🙂 I had 2 c-sections and despite all of my core work my pelvis still ends up tilted and giving me back problems. It’s so frustrating. I hope you are on the road to recovery soon!
Sounds like you are making some smart choices for your body. I’m finding more and more as I age that I have to listen closer to what my body has to say. Hope your road to recovery is short and smooth.
MCM Mama recently posted…Five things I love about Madison, Wisconsin
Running is my therapy- it really helps refresh my mind, body and soul– that’s why it necessary for me to do solo runs quite frequently- it clears my mind! Happy New Year!
Lisa @ RunWiki recently posted…Comment on Green Apple and Carrot Slaw by Lindsay
Rebuilding after injury is so hard. My last year has been just that with one injury after another. It’s hard to take the time to give your body the time it needs to heal before starting up again. Us adrenaline junkies can’t sit still and we don’t want to be sidelined.
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…SweatSTR could be a game changer
Rebuilding is hard, I took some time off after my marathon and now a week because I had a kidney infection,mi am craving a run, that is what helps me rebuild!
Toni recently posted…New Year, New Goals
I can relate to soooooo much of this. I’m finally rebuilding my broken body too. Working the TA’s is no joke but boy do you notice a huge difference when they get stronger.
steph recently posted…Fukumoto Friday: Week 8
Oh Sandra, I totally get this. My body not performing the way that I want it to, increasing aches and pains and slower recovery time as I get older, and need to listen to my body more. Rebuilding is a slow process but you will come out stronger on the other side.
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf recently posted…Friday Round-Up: Baby It’s Cold Outside
Although I’ve never had many serious injuries before, I have thrown my back out in the middle of a weekend of dance performances. I couldn’t dance comfortable for a few weeks after that, but I thought that doing yoga definitely helped me stay limber while I rested!
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits recently posted…Five-Ingredient Fridays: Mini Yorkshire Puddings
Ugh I feel you! It always seems I get injured right when I’m MOST motivated to train. Murphy’s Law! I agree with Christine above, you always come out stronger on the other end of these injuries. Hang in there <3
RFC recently posted…Couch to 5K: The Good, The Bad, & How to Know if this Training Plan is Right for You.