Running With Thin Disks

[gary_bart]

It looks like to some extent this is a bad idea. Running with thin disks makes you susceptible to nerve pinches, numbness, and possibly worse. At the lower end of "worse", I suppose you have the extreme pain of the full-blown herniated disk (or "slipped disk"). At the upper end, ... well I don't want to think about it, actually.

A nice refinement to c25k might be to compile a list of "common obstacles" (with a better name than that) for the older runner, restarting after many years of neglect. It neededn't be a comprehensive list (just say "this is not a comprehensive list"), but one of the first things to put on there is that there's probably a different adaptation process someone with thin disks needs to follow, getting into running. There would be various risk factors like this that c25k could be used to learn about. Ah! There's a better name for the list of "bad things" : "Risk factors".

Enough of the generalities. In my own case of mild numb toes the latest progress is that I'm not allowed to exercise, but I'm allowed to walk, and on Monday I go for MRI to help unravel the neurology of the variably numb toes, the brand new sensitive tendons, the even more variably numb little fingers and hands, and the newly discovered numb spot on my back. I could complain, but what would have happened if I hadn't tried running? All this stuff would have built up to be worse than however bad it's going to be now. c25k is a very mild bump to your system, rather than a shock, so anything it rattles loose is something that was going to need attention at some less robust age.

So there will be no weight training this afternoon, there will be no spinning tomorrow, and on Monday, there will hopefully be news that is not *too* bad (being realistic, here). I will do some long walks, though, because the list of things that mess this situation up (from worst to at least the least uncomfortable) is: This desk chair (terrible), the chair in the lounge (not all that bad), standing still, walking, running. If I run I'll feel fine for a good 3 hours or so. While I walk everything stays stable or gets better. When I stand still things get worse (and actually this is worse than the armchair, because I can "dangle" in that - unlike an orangutang, but also not strictly hominid, either). Oh and the bed doesn't help. Run to the hills, run to the valleys ... (Peter Tosh said something like that in Downpressor Man once, I seem to recall)

[AncientMum Graduate]

Goodness, that's a whole lot of numbness going on. Really hope they find something trivial and easily corrected when you have your MRI. In the meantime, be very careful whilst sitting down, standing up, lying down, cycling, walking, shuffling, in fact making any movement more vigorous than blinking. Take care.

[gary_bart in reply to AncientMum]

I'm taking care, yes, but not too much. To some extent you have to bump things to make them fix themselves. Thanks.

[Hidden]

Hope the MRI goes well.

[gary_bart in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. It's going to at least be better news than would've been the case if this all caught up with me at 85, I suppose.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

Good luck with the MRI, I know how daunting it can be worrying about why things are happening...you have a wonderful positivity and that shines through from your post

[gary_bart in reply to ju-ju-]

Thanks. I was Eeyore, but then I went on c25k and I became all positive and cheerful. It feels really strange, so I'm actually looking forward to going back to being grumpy. ... er ... no that would be the wrong kind of positivity, wouldn't it? I'll have to go and work on my attitude again.

[davelinks Graduate]

good luck Gary

[gary_bart in reply to davelinks]

Thanks, I'll probably need a bit of that. Hopefully I don't need too much.

[jamsammich Graduate]

Oh noooo! I am sorry to hear that it seems to have gotten worse with no running 😯

I really hope that Monday is a good day for you and there is some good solution for you.

[gary_bart in reply to jamsammich]

Thanks. Today with almost zero activity (apart from driving round the block to the front of the neighbours behind us because they had some criminal visitors again) it seems maybe a bit better. At least it's not the full blown slipped disc. That sounds like agony, whereas this doesn't hurt any more than a bit of stiffness from overexertion might (and that, only on and off).

[TurboTortoise Graduate]

I do hope you get a good outcome on Monday, must be so worrying. Possibly of no comfort but I have a dodgy disc in my neck, and everything turned out OK, hope it is the same with your back. Good luck with the MRI.

[gary_bart in reply to TurboTortoise]

Hearing of dodgy discs where the ending is a happy one is reassuring. Thanks.