A Post Titled “My Massage Therapist Says I Can’t Run Today” or “A Huge Pain in the Sacrum”

Where to start?  I’ve asked myself so many times in the past few weeks to put together the timeline… when was the beginning of all this?  Christmas.  I’m pretty sure.  But probably before then.  Let’s just start there.  My husband and I went to Orangetheory in his hometown over the holidays.  It felt great to sweat but after the rowing portion of the class, my lower back felt a little tweaked.  I had been trying to use good form, engaging my core, etc. etc. so I decided that my historically, notoriously tight hip flexors must have pulled something in my back when I was rowing.  My back hurt for a week or two — longer than I expected, but everything felt muscular.  I didn’t think much of it and proceeded with my life…

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Ten Things I Learned at the UVA SPEED Clinic

IMG_1430I’ve been listening to a ton of podcasts lately, and one running-related podcast I’ve enjoyed is the Run to the Top podcast from Runners Connect.  In a recent episode, host Tina Muir documented her second trip to the University of Virginia SPEED Clinic in Charlottesville, VA (wahoowa!).  This, of course, played right into (1) my recent speed-related goals and (2) my newfound interest in body mechanics.  About three-quarters through the episode, I Googled the SPEED Clinic and emailed its director, Max, to set up an appointment.  Here’s a little background and what I learned from my visit…

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