I'm so frustrated! It's my day off, the weather is beautiful and I was properly looking forward to W5R2 but my back really hurts. I don't usually have back problems but had to change my route for my last run due to huge flooding around here. I ran uphill quite a lot and now I wonder if that is what has caused this? Annoying because I was surprised to find that I didn't mind the uphills, felt good! I'm sitting with an ice pack to see if that helps. Can't take Ibuprofen, unfortunately.
Am I best just waiting until the pain goes? So wanted to get that W5r3 20 minute run under my belt.
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pinkpigeon
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I suffered from lower back and hip pain. It nearly finished my running before it started. Here's what I learned,and am still learning, about posture:
Run up tall as though you're being held up by your ears.
Keep your head up and look down the road, not at your feet.
Use your shoulders to drive forward, but don't twist your spine. Arms at a relaxed 90%, not crossing your body.
The important bit for me - keep your bum tucked under your body, don't stick it out, forcing your spine into an S shape. That puts huge pressure on your lower back. (At the moment, I'm trying to 'engage my glutes' to drive forward - I think I'm just shaking my arse. 😉)
Don't curve your spine and sink into your hips. It's particularly tempting when you get tired or run uphill.
Take small strides, keeping your feet under your body. Don't stretch your foot out in front of you.
Try to land with your foot under your knee, mid foot, roll forward and spring off from the ball. Use your knee to drive yourself forward.
Find some core body exercises, use the strength and flex forum, look online, or at the gym. You need those muscles to support skeleton.
Yoga worked for me, the child's pose particularly released tension. I also swim a lot. Keep moving during the day, don't sit slumped without back support.
As has already been said, don't use painkillers to mask pain in order to carry on. Wait until you have recovered.
That sounds like a lot of things to remember, but having been in pain does tend to concentrate the mind. Also, it soon starts to become second nature.
Thank you! I'll try to remember all of that. I'm sure I did it all wrong on last run, being so unused to hills. Is it OK to use ice packs/warm packs to ease the pain rather than mask it?
Sorry, what was I thinking? Clearly too much to remember all at once! Just try to stay upright, as if you're being pulled up by the ears and keep you bum tucked under. The rest will come later.
There's nothing wrong with taking painkillers. The problem comes if you take them just so that you can go running. You need to be able to feel your body telling you if something is wrong. Ice packs are a great idea. I also sat with my back on the radiator.
Hi Fiona, aw, thank for asking. I'm still not running - and so frustrated about that! I had a run after a 10 day break about a week ago but it set my back off again. I'm just leaving it for now but I'm trying to walk 5k at least 3 x a week to keep some kind of exercise going. I'll be so happy when this pain goes. How are you doing?
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Brilliant!
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