Pop! Goes the Ego

Starting the new year with an injury was not part of the plan. But you know what they say about plans...and the universe is laughing at me once again. Instead of finishing up some miles in preparation for my half marathon next weekend, I'm spent most of the week sitting on the couch with a heating pad on my back. Nursing a dislocated sacroiliac joint and a bruised ego.

There's nowhere to go but up from here.

Last Sunday, I had a rough 10 mile run. When Steph asked me if I wanted to go with her to bootcamp on Monday, I thought it would be a better option than attempting another run. Plus, there was rain in the forecast. I woke up Monday morning feeling sore from that tough run the day before. I brushed it off and drove over to the Crossfit box for class.

There were a lot of people for the 9:30 class and we learned that it was not bootcamp but would be combined with the MetCon. The WOD didn't look horrible. We ran through the warmup and then were divided into groups for the workout. The first part of the workout was a "skill warm-up" consisting of 3 activities: loaded split squats, plate plank walks, and double under practice. After that, we started the MetCon titled "Slammin' 2019", an AMRAP of alternating 20/19 reps per activity.

The NYE 9:30 MetCon class

I made my way through my first activity, 19 abmat situps and moved to the 20m loaded carry. We could choose between weighted slam balls (30# or 50#) or the 80# wreck bag. Having carried the wreck bag before, I decided to challenge myself. I squatted deep and wedged my arms and hands under the bag. It took several attempts but I finally got the bag in my arms. When I started to stand up, I felt something pop in my lower back, followed by searing pain. I dropped the bag and hobbled to the back of the building where I attempted some gentle stretching.

Fortunately, one of the other participants, who is a physical therapist, was in the class. She told me I dislocated my SI (sacroiliac) joint, using various maneuvers to put the joint back in place. I've had ongoing issues with my SI joint and I told her that I've been referred for PT in the past, which I never did. This injury is the result of ignoring the symptoms. The injury is also the result of another bad decision, trying to lift that wreck bag during a large class. I have lifted that bag before, but it was under close supervision of my coach.

I called off work and spent the rest of day on the couch with a bottle of ibuprofen at my side and an ice pack on my back. As the day went on, the pain decreased to a dull throb. Movement was a challenge but I did do some yoga stretches to loosen up my back. I spent a restless night in bed as I had to keep readjusting to get comfortable. When I finally got up for the day, I felt much better.

I sat on the couch with the heating pad on my back for most of the morning. After I asked Mike to KT tape my SI joint following an instructional YouTube video, I moved to the floor for a Yin Yoga for SI Joint Dysfunction routine I also found on YouTube. I swear, there is a class for everything. The yoga class helped and I felt good enough to attempt a walk outside. Cocoa saw me putting on my shoes and she gestured towards her leash. Guilt got the best of me and I brought her along.

As long as I walked slowly, I felt pretty good. There were some icy spots on the sidewalk and a woman walking ahead of us went down, hard. She couldn't get up and I had no choice but to help her. Thankful for all that strength training I do, I hooked my hand under her arm and pulled her up, trying to use my legs only. I felt ok after that and Cocoa and I continued on our way. We returned home after walking 2 miles, although I felt that I could have gone farther.

The awkward squat because bending forward was too painful

For amateur athletes, most injuries are the result of overtraining or pushing too hard. It's hard for me to accept being injured. I hate taking time off from training. Right now, I'm kicking myself for ignoring the ongoing injury and for trying to lift that heavy bag in the middle of a WOD. I won't lie that seeing some of the other participants carrying that bag made me want to do it too. It was that same feeling that I get in a race, sizing up the other runners and deciding who I want to beat. Competitive? Who me?

In the middle of training or before starting a tough workout, we all use mantras to push ourselves. In the heat of the moment, we forget that there's a fine line between being tenacious and being cocky. We aren't invincible, unbreakable. No good story starts with: "I played it safe", right? It's so stupid, really. And very, very humbling.

Nobody wants to "find their weak". It's hard to face our own vulnerabilities. Right now I'm fighting those voices inside my head that tell me I'm old, I'm slow, I've used up my strong, and all I have left is my weak.

The good news is that SI joint dislocation is not an injury that is serious. This joint pain is not related to RA. The limiting factor for any activity will be the pain that is associated with SI joint dysfunction. When I returned to see the PT on Thursday, she showed me how to reset the joint with a simple maneuver when it starts to come out of alignment. She also talked with Sammy Jo about things I can and can't do for the next couple of weeks as well things I need to work on. We have to get my right glute to start firing again. I have home exercises to do.

The best thing she told me is that she didn't see any reason why I can't start running again. On Saturday, I went for a test run. It was THE PERFECT DAY for a run. Sunshine, 50 degrees--yes, it's January--and the run was hard. I don't know if it was because I was fighting a cold, but everything hurt. I couldn't be upset when the weather was so beautiful. Plus, I had a deep tissue massage scheduled for the afternoon.

Tomorrow's another day... and it was a good one. Although my back looked like a war zone from the cupping and massage, I felt great. The weather wasn't as favorable as the day before but still relatively mild for January and I pushed the distance to 8 miles. My back felt good and my confidence got a much-needed boost. With that half marathon one week away, I couldn't ask for more!

How was your week? Hopefully uneventful! Have you ever had SI joint issues? It's super common in women. Are you having mild weather too? Have a fantastic week!

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