Now I’ll Take It Easy

My cat knows how to take it easy.  He does it all the time.

While I didn’t mention anything at all about my recent bout with low back pain on yesterday's post, I can assure you that it is still there.  I didn’t have any issues during the race, but as soon as I finished I began to feel it again.  In fact, it got much worse throughout the day.  A smidgeon over two weeks of dealing with this shit, and I’m nowhere near 100%.

Luckily, I don’t race again for almost three weeks, so hopefully that will be enough time to recover completely.  It will be difficult for me to stay off the bike, but I really should.  I have a few good rides planned in the very near future, but over the next few days my plan is simple.

Rest.

Drink beer.

Rest more.

Drink more beer.

Sounds like a training plan for winners, eh?

I really have no choice.  I can’t risk this back nonsense turning into something really serious (maybe it already has), so I have to spend less time on the bike and walking around, and more time getting myself back to normal.  Maybe I should get a massage.

No, I will get a massage.  Hopefully that will help.

In other news, my nutritional needs have been taken care of again.  The folks at Honey Stinger sent me some more goodies to keep me going.

Since this stuff is used for my “on the bike” nutritional needs, it looks like I probably won’t touch it until I get back to racing next month.  I guess I’ll have to eat “normal” food until then.

Wait, I’m not taking three weeks off the bike. 

Hell no.

That would be much worse than having back pain.

In fact, I have quite a few bike rides planned for the next few days.  I’ll get into that tomorrow.

“Back” To Racing

That’s not me, but that’s what I’m going through right now.  As you may remember, almost two weeks ago I hurt my back at the beginning of a race.  Things haven’t gotten any better.  In fact, at one point during this week I was much, much worse.

I’ve been stretching, applying heat/ice, and generally trying to take it easy, but to no avail.  I’ve even cut back on the riding a bit too.  It’s not even halfway through the season and I’m all tore up like a trailer park after a tornado. 

Damn it.

This weekend though, it’s time for me to get back to racing.  Even though I’m not really in any kind of condition to race, I can’t really miss this one.  I mean, it’s pretty much in my backyard.

Up next is the 2012 Catawba Riverfront Classic here in Charlotte, and I pretty much have to go.  It’s a huge fundraiser for our local club, the Tarheel Trailblazers.  Also, this is the race I won back in 2009.  I haven’t even been on the podium there since, and with my current bout with back pain I’m not sure if I will this year either.

I got a really sweet trophy that year at least.

It’s a pretty fun race, and probably the best course in the whole Southern Classic Series.  The mileage is much less than the other races in the series, so if I can stand the pain I plan to hammer all the way from start to finish.  I’ve ridden there quite a bit over the last few months on my single speed, so a ride there with my geared bike should be a lot of fun if I survive.

I'm working on getting my back right though.  Drinking beer to keep the pain away doesn't help when I’m at work, and I can’t ride “race speed” when I drink on the bike.

I really should start taking better care of myself.

It sucks getting old.