do you have a physical job that makes it worse?  That's terrible, I hope you find a solution soon.  Give me knee pain any day over back pain...you poor thing.

I don't really know if this is applicable in your instance, but when I went to a PT for IT band problems, he honestly appeared to be learning about IT band healing from me, and I swear he'd google it in the evenings.  I should have paid more attention to the fact that every one of his patients was over 102.  I don't know if your back problems are aggrevated by running, but if it's at all sports related I think it pays to understand what the PT you're seeing specializes in.  I'm sure mine would have given great support to someone transitioning from a wheel chair to a walking frame, but he was really clueless about sports related injuries. 

I'm very sorry to hear about your injury, Murph.  You too, Pam.

I probably err on the safe side but it does get me worried whenever I want to ramp mileage.  I struggled to stay much over 40 without starting to get some nagging injuries.

4 on the treadmill today at just under a 9 minute pace.  More driven by available time than by any desire to run quickly.  I did manage to squeeze in 4 at lunch though.

Warmup starting here in MI for the next couple of days.  I'm hoping it melts the ice off of my running paths.

Did 6mi warmup today then headed over to see what a running buddy was doing, and he was thinking about a 8mi steady-state run, so I did that with him, which was great. I'd been considering running miles on & off (1 medium, 1 easy, repeat ad boredom), but instead wound up running 8mi at about the pace I was considering for my medium miles, so I was really happy with the workout.

I missed what is going on with Pam.

Murphy, hope your back gets better soon.  I have had back problems since I was 30 (23 years), including two laminectomies (L1-S1 both times) when I was 30 and 39.  I feel lucky to be able to run now, although I still get some numbness in my left foot from sciatica.  Stretching helps me, but of course everyone's issues are different.

Headed back home today, and looking forward to getting back to running tomorrow.

oh my goodness!!!  Glad she's ok.  Did the driver keep going?  That's terrible.

Yeah, she posted on FB that she was having issues related to getting hit by the car. I think she too is starting PT today.

Im concerned about my situation because it has barely improved after a week. It improved from when it first happened in that I can walk now. But its the same amount of pain and inflexibility as I had Friday. I tried to go without the drugs today, but I gave in.

I hope you find some relief, Murphy.  Nothing worse than back pain.

6 recovery-paced miles to ease back into it after five days off for the skiing.

Murphy: hope your back starts feeling better soon. How do they get the slipped disk back?

Perry: get lots of sleep. That'll help you keep the flu away.

Oh Pam, didn't know about the car accident.

Been to the PT this morning. For the good news: PT said it wasn't my achilles. The pain is in my soleus muscle, which attaches to the side of the achilles. The root of the problem however, is my L-lower ab (external oblique). It's been painful ever since the very first run/walk I did after I was cleared to run again after my eye surgery back in April This lower ab pain affected the L-Illiopsoas. Which affected my L-hip being tight all the time. And it all caused me to slightly change the way I run. Over time, it ended up in causing an overuse injury in the soleus. And there you go. Because it's all about muscle, it's "easily" treated. As in easier than treating the achilles.

I'm allowed to run, but it'll all take longer to get better if I do. Well, I'm in marathon training, so I'm not stopping. I didn't run today though. I wanted to get my medium long run in after my PT appt., but gosh my lower ab and lower calf were sore!! All my other appts will be late afternoon, so this won't interfere with my running again.