Aches and Pains

After doing the 10K race on Tuesday, July 1st, I followed it up with a couple of easy 'recovery' runs on Thursday and Friday.  I did 26K on Sunday and was glad to see myself at 199 pounds on the bathroom scale.  Eureka, progress in the poundage department!  But I have been quite stiff now for a week.

I passed on my 8K tempo last night because it was such a hot day, and because I spent several hours stranded in my car at the border, waiting as patiently as I am able for the guards to get their act together, and my back and neck were acting up.

I'm in a bit of a quandary, because I have a long history of neck and back problems, including but not limited to surgery, car crashes, trauma, traction and assorted broken bones and too many bruises to catalogue.  The end result is chronic neck and back pain that I manage with varying degrees of success.  Running, believe it or not, even high mileage, actually seems to help, as does staying lean.  Stress does not.  

My neck has been stiff for over two weeks and I have no idea what started it.  This morning I could hardly get out of bed.  Sitting in a chair too long is one of the worst things for my back, and I have been doing a lot of that lately.  Oh well.  Such is life.