Abounding in Grace: Spine Update & Mother / Kiddo Fitness Challenge

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Spine Update & Mother / Kiddo Fitness Challenge

It's been 26 months since a running injury combined with years of damage to my spine caused me to retire my running shoes. After dozens of trips to three different physical therapists, at least 200 trips to the chiropractor's office (up to 4 times each week commuting 30 minutes each way), investing in at least six different sets of orthotics, a posture pump, an ultrasound machine, incline table, cases of kinesiotape, cases of all natural supplements, pricey icy wraps, cho-pak bands, ankle braces, 3 different foam rollers, several balance balls, multiple fitness programs, and who knows what else, my neck and back are finally improving. Here are my before & after X-rays taken in May to prove it.

In the left photo, my neck had lost it's natural curve, and the discs are compressed. The red dotted line and blue lines should overlap. In the right photo, taken 4 months later, the curve is returning, and the discs are no longer compressed.

When I first went to see this DC at the end of January, my neck was at a stage 2.5. At stage 3, a patient in in full-blown arthritis, so I was almost to that point of no return. I had a bone spur, which he can't correct, and my discs were compressed and degenerating. By May, I was already regaining the natural curvature. In January, I will review before/after X-rays for my lumbar spine, so I am eager to see any improvement has taken place there. I am hopeful since my overall pain episodes have diminished considerably.

I have been faithful in abstaining completely from running since I began treatment with this chiropractor in February, except for the one mile start and finish in the Memorial Day Murph, though it has been brutal emotionally. During the 20 years or so that I ran semi-competitively, most of my running buddies were at least 10-20 years older than me. Running wasn't a passion I could share with my closest friends, although I did enjoy my running team very much and learned much from their life experiences. Now it seems everyone my age is running...except me.

Yet, I think I have finally reached a point where I can say that I am truly grateful to have running taken away from me because it has forced me to train the rest of my body. I never dreamed I could do a 100 military style push-ups in a row, 30 plyometric push-ups, or dozens of one-arm push-ups in a single set. I am still surprised that I can do 30-40 pull-ups when I could barely do one just three years ago. Handstand push-ups, gymnastics strength work, and difficult yoga moves which were never possible before are very doable now. I dropped out of gymnastics in first grade because I simply could not do moves at age 6 that I can now do at almost 40 years of age. So, while I can't run, there are other fitness goals that I can pursue.

Whenever a friend runs another race or celebrates a new personal record, instead of feeling envious, I try to rejoice with them, remembering all too well the feeling I had when I ran my first sub 6 minute mile or when I ran my first 5K in 19 minutes. Even at age 37, I set a 1/2 marathon pace record at 7:24 minutes per mile. I've had my time as a runner. That time may have ended, but that does not have to mean that I am defeated. I'm merely moving on to something else...possibly something even better.

Cross training has done wonders for my health. I may not be able to run, but my blood work is about as good as it's ever been, and I have more strength and power and the most ripped physique of my entire life. I may not be where I would like to be yet, but I choose to celebrate any improvements God gives me, and He has been so faithful! Yet, my sinful tendency is to whine and lament over what I can't do instead of celebrating what I can do. I want to run the Tough Mudder so badly I can hardly stand it. Yet, I must respect my body's limits. A train steaming ahead at full speed is a beautiful site to behold as long as the train remains on it's track, but it becomes a total mess if the train leaves the track and attempts to zip across a plowed field. Similarly, I must remain on the tracks my body can handle instead of going outside my current boundaries.

I pushed my body past it's boundaries while developing new skills at the CrossFit box. Mastering the double-under in low profile shoes did a double whammy to my feet, so now I am battling plantar fasciitis and achilles tendonitis.

Practicing double unders

I wear a classy boot at night and KT tape on my feet, calves, ankles, and knees. I have also had to eliminate plyometric training and many leg exercises. Urgh! When the pain subsides, I am all too eager to train hard again, forgetting that healing takes months after the acute pain stops. So, the yo-yo healing process continues and running is still off limits for me.

Feeling a bit of despair as I faced yet another new physical injury, this time in my feet, my precious daughter challenged me to a little fitness competition in events within my body's boundaries. I may not get to enjoy the thrill of a running races or competing in CrossFit events, but I can enjoy competing with my little girl. I thought I would need to hold back a little so as not to embarrass her too badly, but instead, she humbled me, especially with the yoga moves. She makes the yoga and gymnastics work look so easy! We had so much fun together that my more laid back son eventually joined in as well. Here are some fun photos from our recent mommy/kiddo fitness challenge. The kids took all these pictures while we "competed" in our attic / make-shift home-gym.