At some point you start to realize you are getting older.  Sure, everyday I’m reminded of the ways I’m growing and becoming smarter and wiser but I’m not talking about that kind of older.  I’m talking about the physical effects of aging and how at some point it kind of hits that you just aren’t like you were in college.

When I was in college I skied competitively and ran cross-country.  I’d take the obligatory rest day and don’t often remember being sore.  Then after college I suffered from Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) but that was a result of running too many miles.  I went to PT and learned how to manage my injury, after taking some time off I was better than ever and running my best marathons.

After this summer I took some time off to rest my body and sore hips.  I returned last week to running and yoga and was feeling pretty good except for my right hip.  It was kind of achy and never quite felt right but as the week wore on it seemed to be ok.  Sunday in yoga I did a typical class with my normal deep backbends like camel to wheel.  Monday I started the week on a high note, or so I thought, with a solid 5 miles done before sunrise.

As I took a post run shower I noticed that my right hip and back were sore.  The day wore on and the soreness increased, by lunch time I could hardly get in and out of the car without wincing.  I borrowed my coworkers heat pack to try to relax the muscles and stood during my 3pm conference call in an effort to help the pain.  I came home after work and spent some time gently stretching and massaging with my foam roller.  I used lacrosse balls (yes, they are amazing….everyone should have a set…a post on that coming soon, promise.) to release my back muscles.  I spent most of the night flat on my back on the couch.

Tuesday morning I felt ok but yesterday, the ache and pain was back and it definitely was bothering me.  I took Tuesday as a rest day and made sure to take Aleve. Wednesday I thought a walk might help to loosen my muscles and I was itching for a workout.  I did an easy 3 mile walk to lunch and it certainly did not help.

I’ll be resting more this week but it’s more about respecting my body and understanding that as you get older you don’t bounce back so quickly.  It’s sad but true.  The reality is I probably need a few days rest from running, which can jar my back and some rest from yoga and the backbends that crunch my back.

So take my sore back as a reminder to be kind to your body! Spend some time on the foam roller and stretching post run, take a rest day to recover from sore, tired muscles and prevent injury.  In the meantime, you can find me with me with legs up the wall.

Have you been reminded that as you age you recover slower? Are you kind to your body?