Monday, February 18, 2013

the back and getting back.

In October of last year I made Master of Sport in biathlon. Everyone who knows me, and the five who read this blog (prolly more like three now, I've been so negligent in my writing) know how hard I worked for years to achieve this goal. And.I.Fucking.did.it. And you best believe I am proud.
Over the next months, I took a bit of time off and then semi competed in November. I was burnt out. I needed a break.
Oh, be careful what you wish for.
OH BE VERRRRYYYY CAREFUL.
oh..bitch, you are SO not training...
My back is hinky at best. I have genetic problems, all the women in my family have scoliosis. I am no exception. I have SI problems...and blah de blah and on and on and on. Kettlebells have consistently strengthened and improved my back issues. But I don't know when to stop. A day in December and I was training. I felt my back just ache during the GPP portion, deadlifts...good mornings. I continued training for a few days, ignoring the ache. And then the pain became insane, I was rolling out and basically screamed because suddenly the back of my right leg was just in agony. Ask me if I stopped training. Nope. My husband was furious. My coach was glare-y.
this shit feels weird.
awwww...poor juliet, she suffers.
It's two months later. I have had to go to multiple doctors, take medicines I fear and despise, get an MRI, learn that when an MRI report says you have a "large" herniation poking your sciatic nerve, they ain't kidding, cry in pain, get a Epidural cortisone shot. Basically my life shut the fuck down.
(Oh, and my personal favorite, organizing the OKC California Open, and being on prednisone the day of the competition, basically I was INSANE)
I couldn't work, more importantly (to me) I couldn't train. My beacon of sanity. The thing that prevents me from going postal. I lived in a perpetual space of self pity. And oh my god, I can't thank the trainers at juno enough, I owe each and every one of them a plate o'pancakes. And jeebus, where would I be without my students. Love you guys, and NATHAN I miss the fuck out of you.
I say lived in self pity because I am hoping to get beyond this fucking place. Even though the back doctor said "yeah, well...you can't spinal load (aka jerk/snatch heavy) for 3-6 months..." my response was "3-6 weeks you mean." nah, he meant 3-6 months. Ok, ok, enough already. Fuck, I bore the shit out of myself.

So now what? I got off the meds. I come out of my shell. I swim (oh my god, water is all WET) to lengthen, I do (gulp) pilates to even out my muscle imbalances. I do wee 8k snatch sets. For the next 3-6 months. What a fucking haul. But I truly truly need to work and write and start working out on some level. Or go even more batshit.
Enough, enough. Here's to kicking myself in the ass (with a little help from my friends).

-juliet