Grr, Back Pain

This is not my week.

Warning: Much bitching, moaning and belly aching ahead.

First off I have a mild sore throat.I've had it since Monday. Hasn't progressed to be much more than that but it is sitting there just waiting to be a full blown chest cold. I can feel the heaviness in my lungs. And I know, all too well how it goes: first the sore throat, then the head cold and then it all drips into my chest and then wham: Bronchitis. I use to think if I took it easy I would avoid getting all that but that has never proved to be the case. So my general course of action these days is to ignore it and run until I am forced a few days in bed. No sense missing workouts until I really have to and even then I can usually still cross train.

But now I have lower back pain too. I have never in my life had back pain--hip, hamstring, butt pain? Yes. Back pain? No, never. Not even when I was 9 months pregnant and running did I have back pain--bladder distress? Most certainly but back pain? No, absolutely not. Not even after my car accident when I broke my pelvis. (Okay, maybe I had a little pain when it was broken but not since they put it back together and I healed--and that was almost 17 years ago.) So I am a little, tiny bit freaked out.

My first thought, of course, was cancer but I don't think cancer comes on suddenly with mild annoying lower back pain on only one side that is most bothersome when you bend over or sit. Luckily, I don't sit too often. But bending over? I do that all day long. It is called picking crap up off the floor because I am a Mom. It is my job. But, again, lucky for me I have rather dexterous and strong toes and I am able to pick up most objects that way. I think if Carmella and Beau weren't so squirmy I could pick them up with my toes and toss them up the stairs or the car or wherever, but alas, I need my feet to chase them down.

Needless to say all this has greatly compromised my training this week and it is pissing me off. I get really cranky anyway when I don't feel 100% and then even more bitchy when I can't run.

Foolishly, I took Sunday off from running. My thinking was that I needed a rest day. Idiot! Then on Monday I ran a 7 mile general aerobic run and then went to the gym and did 3 miles on the treadmill of speed work and lifted weights. The plan was to run 10 miles again on Tuesday. But then I had some stuff I had to take care of in the morning that required my attention and that is when my back started to bother me. I tried to run in the afternoon but wasted my time hunting for my headphones-- which I never found-- and by that point my back was really bothering me so I just stayed home. Wednesday morning I knew I wouldn't be able to run anyway because I had an errand to do that took up most of my morning.
My back was feeling even more uncomfortable than the day before so I orginally thought running would be out of the question. But then, as the day progressed, I decided that I probably could run since when walking around my back wasn't really bothering me--just bending, twisting and sitting was painful. I figured if I could avoid those things while running I should be just fine.

So I sucked it up and ran 6 miles on the treadmill, 4 of which were speed work. I did some ab exercises for good measure and came home. My back didn't really bother me too much during the run but I was afraid to make sudden movements for fear of the shooting pain or that I would end up stuck in some half-bent position because of a muscle spasm. Not that this has ever happened to me but I have seen it be the base of many comedic plots on television--so I know it can happen.

I took some Motrin and iced the area when I got home to see if it would help. No dice. It seems to be most bothersome sitting, bending or laying down. It is really hard to find a comfortable sleeping position. Hence why I have been up since 3:30 this morning.

And, upon my late night Internet diagnosing I have pretty much decided I have some form of sciatica or pseudo-sciatica. I am not going searching for the links. Just take my word for it. And, right: I am not a doctor. (So Carrie, please don't call me and ask me to diagnosis your back pain as I am not, in fact, a doctor.) But I am a person who will avoiding going to one if I think they will tell me to rest and not run for x number of weeks. Why would I waste my money on advice I don't want to hear or plan on following?

Yeah, so right now I am thinking I will be scrapping my plan of a 16 mile run this morning. It could still happen but with the icy, rainy weather, my sore throat and geriatric back problem I kind of doubt it. Looks like another treadmill day for me.

Okay, I need to go stand up. My butt and back are killing me.