I've continued to train hard and Ive competed at ultra, marathon and 10 mile distances, always with an ache. Then on 16 Nov I did the Wensleydale Wedge with a friend, it was cold, foggy and damp so I had quit a bit in my back pack and it was sloppy underfoot so several Bambi impressions ensued.
On 17 Nov I went swimming and did drills, in the changing room the pain I. My back increased and Bending and twisting were agony. I got home and after struggling to get changed I went to Watt bikes, where after struggling to get on the bike, the riding the bike was pain free as long as I didn't change gear. I went home and gently stretched and on Tuesday me back was a little better. I found I could jog so I jogged to Ripon Runnners Juniors to their session and jogged home without running with the adults. I didn't want to push my luck.
On Thursday I jogged with a friend for my first dark run off road. My back was fone whilst I ran, my torch was rubbish, but her torch, a Petzel Neo was amazing, it was like running in daylight. When I got home I had the movement back in my back I gently stretched.
Friday I went for a long overdue sports massage, I got Libby to concentrate on my sore left shoulder rather than my back as I didn't want to irritate it the day before an event.
By Saturday my back was just achy, a bit worse than before the a Wedge but not too bad, so I did my stair climbing challenge. The Great Yorkshire Stair Climb was in Leeds in the highest building in Yorkshire, Bridgewater Place, 522 steps over 32 floors.
I didn't know what to expect, I'd never done anything like it before. I registerered and received a wristband and a security tag before having a dibber put on my finger. After gathering with the other runners in the 10 am wave for the briefing, we gathered in the stair well where we set off with gaps. You put your dibber in the machine and set off up the 8 stairs, turned and 8 more, again and again, at floor 10 I left the stairwell to enter another stairwell and ran upwards again. The steps were quite close, I chose to do every step, not two at a time, as that might strain my back. I got to the top and put my dibber in the machine. I then went back down 2 floors to the lifts where I had my finish picture, then I ran walked back down the stairs as I'm not keen on lifts and didn't fancy 30 floors in a lift. I did fancy doing if again though, my back had held out, but hubby was sat waiting in reception so I decided not to. At the registration area I got my time 6 minutes and 9 seconds. That was way better than my hoped for sub 10 minutes.
Billy and then went into Leeds to the shops and the Christingle Market, lots of walking different speeds, getting stuck behind slow walkers, having to stop suddenly and turning to look at stuff, soon my back was starting to hurt.
On the way home we collected our Grandaughter for the night. When we got home we took hefty to the Cathedral Christmas fair after visiting John Bull at Ripon Cycle Studio who was rising money by cycling the equivalent of 112 miles on a watt bike. We carried our 20 month old Grandaughter because a buggy would be a nightmare to get around the cathedral,
After tea we went to the Christmas lights turn on and again left the buggy at home to make it easier to get around. The lights were 35 min late and carrying a small child took it's toll on my back.
By Monday my back was painful and I was struggling to bend and twist, I chose not to swim but dud go to Watt bikes. I managed the session fine, although walking there and back was very uncomfortable.
On Tuesday I was relieved to see I wasn't on the rota for Ripon Runners Juniors. After tea, out of the blue, my back spasmed, I've never felt such pain, all down my left leg, my left a calf and ankle were agony, the pain was excruciating. I couldn't sit stand or lie in comfort. After about 20 minutes the pain eased but it was like my left foot had gone to sleep and my glutes on the left side kept twitching.
Today is Thursday, my back is less painfull but the left side of my left foot and ankle are still asleep. Trapped nerve I think. I will keep stretching gently and hope it releases, Sports massage tomorrow will hopefully help.
