"I like to call moments like this, personal growth" was a text I received from Virgil this week. I was explaining to him that after I injured my back doing a burpee in his class last weekend, that I would not be coming back to train until I felt 100%.
*Side note: If my weak ankles are any indication of the rest time I usually allow myself before I get back on the soccer field after I sprain or fracture them, it's evident that I rarely listen to my body.
Rewind to last Saturday morning when I stood up from one of the hundreds of burpees it felt like we did during an early morning cardio class. I jumped down into push up position and when I popped back up to stand, something happened. I couldn't stand up straight and there was no way I could continue class. I have never had any issues with my back so this was a new feeling and injury for me. I felt panicked (especially because I watched Million Dollar Baby the night before...depressing) and immediately felt stressed that this was the worst thing to happen and there's no way I can miss a training class or any of my daily workouts. My first thought was - I'm just going to have to work through the pain.
No, no, no. Wrong.
Fast forward to today- I haven't done any sort of physical activity since I hurt my back and it's the best thing I could have done. I have very little pain now, unless I am sitting for too long in a weird position but compared to how I was feeling earlier in the week, I feel like a million bucks!
I saw a chiropractor suggested to me by Jenn and Virgil and it made all the difference. She immediately let me know that my joint in my back lost function when I did that burpee. It wasn't necessarily that one burpee that did it but it acted as 'the straw that broke the camel's back' (see what I did there). She gave me the real doctor term called "acute sacroiliac joint dysfunction" and also gave me some advice as to how I can prevent this from happening again with some stretches and changing the way I sleep. Any stomach sleepers out there... you need to sleep on your back or side (I don't know how that's comfortable but I'm trying really hard).
I am feeling strong both physically and mentally and I should be back at the gym this week! I feel rejuvenated and I CAN'T WAIT to get in the ring!
Like I've said before, this sport is SO mental. I'd like to think that the way I've been training my brain through this entire process has taught me how to really listen to my body. I would much rather sit out for a good chunk of time, then to come back prematurely and hurt myself further and be worse off than the initial injury.
Yay for learning and maturing! :) Go me!
Don't worry, Erica- I'll see you soon! :)
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