Baby’s Got Back

[ornoth_cycling]

Well, it has been a real bad month for biking, I must say. There was one nice weekend in April when I did 140 miles, but that’s virtually all the training I’ve been able to do.

First there’s the weather. It’s been rainy and raw the entire month of May, much like April 2004 was. Then there have been a handful of physical problems. Although it’s not uncommon for my backside to bruise after the first long spring rides, that 140-mile weekend resulted in bruising and some actual scabbing that kept me off the bike for a week. About the time I was recovering from that, my back went out.

For those who don’t know, back pain is utterly debilitating. For most of a week, I had to use a cane, and still couldn’t stand up straight. On the second day, it took me about 20 minutes to get from my bedroom to the kitchen and back. And there’s no way to tell how long it will last. I’ve had episodes that have lasted a couple days, and others have gone on for eight weeks or more. Fortunately, the acute phase of this one only lasted a few days, but the less debilitating pain has lingered for a couple weeks now, keeping me in bed most of the time.

About a week ago I decided it might be okay to bike a short distance and do some hill repeats. Stupid idea, because when you’re climbing out of the saddle, all you’re doing is bouncing up and down on your spine. Hence a bit of a relapse followed, which I’m still recovering from. Still, I did a 40-mile ride yesterday (the weather was wonderful, and I made sure to go very easy on myself). Although I’m still in pain today, at least things didn’t seem to get any worse.

And then next week, even if my back gets better, I’m off to Michigan for my writers’ group, so I still won’t be doing any significant riding until the beginning of June! I know, that still gives me two months until the PMC, but I really miss being out on the road.

I’ll be glad when this damned back is straightened out again. Grrrr!