Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Allow me to clarify

I wasn't taken out of the boat because my back was acting up and they considered me a liability. My back didn't start hurting until Monday, and the Henley decision was announced on Sunday night, shortly after my coach admitted that "the quad is going more quickly than I expected."

The decision to put a coxed 4 in Henley rather than a quad had nothing to do with my condition. It was based on the fact that in the coxed 4 category there is an "Intermediate Division," whereas with the quad sculls the lowest division you can enter is "Elite." Coach wanted to put our boat against the softest available competition. That was the ONLY reason, never mind that it just happened to fuck over one of the longest-serving and hardest-training (by his own admission) members of the squad.

And as for my back, it gave me problems purely because training camp is an extra-intense training environment. I hadn't been on the water in a few few weeks (because the university was on spring break), and though i'd been doing a lot of land training (cycling, hill sprints, etc.), my back objected to going from no rowing to rowing 3x a day overnight with no buildup. I predicted that would happen, and so was not surprised. I was surprised by the cascade of other problems it created.

After I got back from camp I went to see my chiropractor ("Miracle Mike"), who massaged out my hip flexor properly, put things back where they belong, and within minutes I was fine. The next day I was back to fighting fit. So I'm fine, it was just a case of over-doing things a bit, and I'm back to training. But not back in the boat, of course.

I'm currently in the process of looking for a partner to double with me at Henley. Tonight I'm going on the water with a woman from a neighboring boat club who is also looking for a doubles partner. We'll see how it goes.

The Bristol Uni boat club may have effectively thrown me off their team, but I am determined to make that THEIR loss, not mine. Bristol uni can go to hell.

8 comments:

Geosomin said...

Damn straight. I'd say you're going at it the right way.
Hope you find a good doubles partner and get back into it.
It's one of the reasons I run...I can do it by myself if need be :)

Ezri said...

I'm sure that you'll kick some serious butt at Henley :) Spending a year getting back on track takes serious determination- Henley will be a piece of cake after that!

Dave said...

Hope this won't interfere with the cricket. I've got you down to open the batting. Do you have your own baseball stick?

Zig said...

Ooo I hope the doubles partner works out!

Sal said...

hmm. back problems like that do not go away "just like that". worse, the note re hip flexor indicates some serious (nonback) problems, which will recreate the back problem in no time.

fortunately, there's a way to sort the problem without cutting down your training etc significantly. you need to, not exercise, but RELAX key postural muscles. get this book TODAY and do its nonexercises every day for a week and feel the difference. they take about 5mins, they involve NO effort (you are actively trying to RELAX muscles in particular postures), and BY GOD do they make a difference.

"The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion" by Peter Egoscue. About a tenner on amazon when i was recommended it.

do it. seriously. do it. you're looking at being permanently invalided within 5 years just going by what you've been posting here, if you don't.

Sal said...

this has been an obnoxiously offered unaskedfor PSA*

;)



* Public Saltation Advisory

Moominmama said...

Geo: yeah, there are a lot of advantages to single sculling as well, i just don't enjoy it as much. I love me my crew boats!

Ez: well, we'll see.

Dave: i do. I use it primarily for bludgeoning coaches.

Zig: yeah, mee too.

Sal: i know back problems don't go away like that. *snaps* I've been in therapy for mine for a year and a half! I should have said "they symptoms."

Sal said...

fair enough.
and sorry, i should have remembered you're american. english people really do think like that. "i just have to learn to accept i can't do what i used to do." "10 years of joint problems are fixed because yesterday the pain stopped after a massage."
gives me the shuddering heeby jeebies.

but really do have a look at that Egoscue thing. recommended to me by the guy who saved my knee years earlier after a LOT (7-8 years) of physio, osteo, chiro, etc etc had only ameliorated problems. and i should point out the main physio was the physio for the australian olympic team and rugby team -- he was the best in australia (now earning uberbucks in america). so it's not like i was randomly slagging off physio -- it really is just not very useful for 99% of chronic conditions, especially those which are posture/habit related.

and as my saviour said, he really should stop telling people about this book -- it could put him out of business.

--
hmm. on reading my original post cold, it implied exercise wouldn't help. this was not what i actually meant and of course you need to exercise your core muscles to bolster your back. but _in addition_ to that, this Egoscue stuff will relax out the non-back stuff which is putting subtle but major additional stress on your back. as further evidenced by your asymmetric leg weakness post.
ie: it will help your rowing; not: you need to stop rowing.

i'll shut up now -- i'm teetering over the line from obnoxious to offensive... ;)