I completed the Couch to 5K programme in late June, and then after the achievement I slowly ran less and less (in part due to the heat, but mostly just out of a lack of self-discipline).
In July, I wanted to start back up, so I went for a 5K run on the same path, using the same trainers, and including the same warm and warm down walk as I had for the several 5K runs I had done as part of the programme.
Unfortunately, the next day I woke to persistent pain in my lower back, centering around my tailbone and covering a 5cmish radius around it. The pain is a dull to moderate ache with accompanying stiffness, which becomes much more intense the more I try to straighten my posture. It hurts less if I walk around at a crouched angle, up to 45 degrees bent over. This pain lasted around a week, and I used all the things the NHS webpage on back pain said I should, such as ibuprofen, hot/cold compresses, remaining mobile.
Today I went and tried the same run again (yes, I had around another month off out of lack of self-discipline), and toward the end of the run, I felt this pain developing again. At first, I tried to run through it because I couldn't tell if it was truly concerning enough to stop, or if I may be telling myself this just because I didn't have the self-discipline to do the full run. After 2-3 minutes of trying to push through I realised that I was sort of hobbling and decided that this really couldn't be good for my body, and as I'd already done 30 minutes of running, I decided to stop. The pain remained the same for the 10 minute walk home, and when I got in I had a shower, hoping to soften up the muscles in my back a little. I sat down with a hot water bottle after the shower and took some ibuprofen, and then 2 hours later tried to do some very light stretching of my lower back muscles. It is excruciating, and I'm pretty concerned that the ibuprofen is doing absolutely nothing at all to help. The only relief I can get is from walking around very stooped, but I'm trying to avoid this because I know it's not good for my posture and longer term healing of the injury/strain. The pain is a little different this time from last in that it actually hurts whilst I am sat still and not moving, whereas last time I couldn't feel the pain when I stayed still.
Has anyone else experienced something similar? What did you find helped?
Run, run, run, POP! Oh hell!
There is hope for slackers like me!
Bouncing Back! (With knee stretches)
Week 9 Run 3 -- Completed. Yay, I've graduated!
