I had such a great biking season this past year: I rode more km than at any other time in my life, and I experienced a large variety of riding experiences, including trail, road, gravel, and paved path. And what was cool was that I remained strong throughout the season, with my back feeling stronger than ever.
So, I felt it a safe assumption that I would remain strong as I came into the school year. As such, I decided to add a new feature to my winter workouts. In addition to the upper body exercises in the gym and the sweat-fests on the stationary bike, I thought I would introduce more exercises that worked my legs and core in unique ways.
Two days a week, I did squat jumps, single leg crouches, and thigh-burning leg extensions on the Bowflex. I also inserted core routines like scissor kicks, straight-leg toe-touch crunches, weighted torso twists, and dynamic plank moves involving sliding my feet along the floor using a towel. I finished this all off with some medicine ball work, doing chest passes into the air and onto the wall, as well as full-on body ball slams. This workout really kicked my butt and I loved it.
But, over time, I found that my lower back began getting weaker and weaker. At first I thought this was because I was sitting more often, which is definitely an occupational hazard and a natural hazard of cold winter living, and I have no doubt that there is some truth to this being a central factor in my growing debilitation. But my back was particularly sensitive after doing my new workouts, and in fact, I felt I was injuring it while doing the exercises themselves.
Now I am true scientist, and a bit of a mule, so I did not want to jump to any hasty conclusions. I kept doing this workout for at least 4 months, and the weakness in my back remained pretty steady throughout this time. And in fact, it came to a head this past week. When I came back to the school after holidays, I had to lift some heavy dumbbells for bench press, and in the process, my back finally gave in and was injured. Again! I was hoping that all of those exercises would prevent such a catastrophe, but they failed.
I have spent the last week riding the bike every morning and avoiding doing any exercises that could have a negative impact on my lower back. It has healed up quite nicely, but as delighted as I am about my recovery, I have to face the truth. As cool as those leg and core exercises are, as fit as they are capable of making me, as appropriate as they seem to get me prepared for an upcoming ski trip, I think I am going to have to say goodbye to them.
On the one hand, this is very hard for me to do. I think that I define myself a little bit based on how much pain I can tolerate over an extended period of time, and I was quite proud of my achievements with my leg and ab blasters. I was giving the youngsters a run for their money. At times, I feel like I am giving up on yet another fun masochistic activity due to my age and periodic disability. The future just seems to narrow more and more. How narrow will the range of acceptable activities become? I shudder at the prospect.
Yet, on the other hand, I am letting go of activities that are so difficult that they make me a little fearful before I start them. They are pure, distilled agony all compressed within a 1.5 hour time period. Is it really such a disaster that this will be absent from my future life? Should I not celebrate that my life might have a bit more joy in it? Do I really need to suffer such extremes for me to be happy?
Time will tell.
Phil Goldthorpe: Views from the Passenger Seat 