There was rain in the forecast again for Wednesday, and I really didn’t feel like getting caught out in the gritty mud and rain on the bike again, so I opted for a post-chiropractor trip to Deerfield Park for a four to five mile hike with my camera.
With mountain biking being virtually non-existent this season I figured a hike would satisfy my want to be in the woods, and do so with a little less pain. It would also allow me a pace that I could stop and smell the roses along the way–or at very least stop and taking photos of various wild flowers.
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My appointment at the chiropractor had gone well, she really worked my lower left side, and I left feeling extremely good. I drove directly to Deerfield, grabbed my camera and commenced my walk. First stopping to take some photos of the wildflowers, seen above, before heading out for the meaty, wooded cock and balls of the loop.
Although I think it less and less these days, I still find myself thinking the same thing every time I do something like run, walk, hike, drive, or have sex– “this is great, but wouldn’t it be even better if I was on a bike??”
Once I put that out of my mind, realized that I was taking photos, and getting a sweat on stomping around in the humid woods, without that annoying hip and lower back pain that I experience when mountain biking I was at peace, and content.
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I had set up Map My Ride app (or in this case Map My Hike) before I started to log my miles and a quick check showed that I was closing in on four miles, with roughly a mile to go, as things got increasingly darker in the woods.
The clouds were indeed moving in and getting darker by the minute. It was apparent that that I was going to get caught in the rain, yet again.
Luckily I had stuffed the same two ZipLoc bags that bailed me out on Sunday into my pack. Making my way along the river I could see the rain drops hitting the surface of the water, and stopped to seal the camera up and tuck it away until I got to the car.
Just a few minutes later those sprinkles became a steady rain as I hoofed the last half a mile back to the parking area.
Another thing I noticed when I stopped and bent over to put my camera away, was that my back was getting super stiff. It wasn’t the same pain as I get when on the bike, but it was there, and I was not happy. I was also noticing that the balls of my feet were becoming irritated and flirting with some blisters (I should have worn the woolies!). Now here I am, soaked with sweat, nearly blistered, with back pain, getting rained on as I grit my teeth and stomp back to the car. I felt so f*cking old. Now I can’t even walk??? WALK!!!!!!
I’ve had this pain on occasion before, and usually it just takes a big bend backwards, a crack, and a pop and things are back to normal. This time a bend backwards nearly had me seize up, with f-bombs instinctively flying out of my mouth. I tried a few more times as I drove home in the pouring rain with the same results. There was much cussing.
I immediately formulated a plan; take some Tylenol, get the ice pack, get on the floor, with the legs propped up. Then a hot shower, some attempts at stretching, and more ice. That seemed to work and within the hour I was at least mobile and able to go about my work.
I suppose I brought this on myself. I was told to take it easy during treatment, and to cut my time on the bike. So I opted to hike five miles in the woods for the first time in nearly a year. I guess I’m so used to what ride miles are, hiking miles get a bit foggy. I consider a 30 mile dirt road ride short these days, so a five mile walk in the woods should really be nothing, something that everyone does, or at least should be able to do. I should be able to just jump right into it, I fit right? Chubbier these days, but still fit! Apparently not.
Oh well, I’ll deal with it, and I’ve made the decision that with this post I will no longer talk about my back or my hip pains, I’m done. Just consider that any ride, walk, run, shopping trip, errand run, or sexual escapade I participate in was done with mild to severe pain at some point. Maybe I’ll write something about it when it’s gone, but for now it’s just a bore to me, and God knows what it must be like for you, my lone reader.
Later.