Back Pain Threatens to Derail Training for CCC

January 26, 2012

By: Peter Egan

I've been experiencing a tremendous amount of back pain of late, and the only thing I can seem to identify as a possible cause has been my near-daily running and jogging. I've been an almost-daily walker, jogger and runner (depending upon my mood and energy levels - the amount of running has decreased as I've gotten older and the relative amount of jogging has increased as I've grown older).

I don't really do much exercise other than cardio, in particular the three activities mentioned above. Several years ago, I hurt my back while lifting weights (shoulder press, to be specific), but I hadn't experienced any pain from that injury in several years now, and don't know whether or not it might be related to the pain I'm currently experiencing.

I cannot take narcotic pain medicine, and I don't like to use OTC pain relievers for a number of different reasons. For one, acetominiphen is horrible for the liver, and NSAID drugs contribute to an already far-from-perfect GI tract, with recurring problems with acid reflux and a burning feeling in the stomach and esophagus. That said, the only thing I can do to help alleviate the pain is the use of topical pain releiving gels and roll-ons like Biofreeze (for those of you unfamiliar, Biofreeze is like Icy Hot on steroids, and I mean that in a good way).

Has anyone else experienced this problem before? With the Crescent City Classic quickly approaching, and with my getting older and older with each year that passes, my opportunities to participate in events like this are growing more and more limited by the day, and if there's anything I can do to alleviate the pain (besides those methods already specified) enough to be able to adequetely train for the CCC, I would be more than willing to try it.

Do I need better shoes? Should I replace my shoes more often? Could it be caused by my running posture/technique or is my pain totally unrelated to my exercise routine?

If anyone reading this with any experience dealing with back pain, the cause of which is related to running and/or jogging, any advice you could offer in regards to what I need to do to be able to train without suffering quite so much would be greatly appreciated.

Also, for whatever it's worth, my job does not involve any physical labor beyond typing. I sit at a desk most of the day, and the only physical activity I incur on the job is an exercise bicycle pedal set (just the pedals without the frame) that I keep under my desk as a way to burn calories and keep my metabolism up, and thus my mind sharp throughout the day.

Any suggestions or advice will be met with much gratitude. I'm getting old (recently turned 30), and I don't know how many more realistic opportunities I'll have for a top-100 finish in the only major annual race in which I participate.