Remember that back injury I wasn’t bumming about? Well, I made it worse. Bumming has officially commenced.

My sock did me in. While pulling up my sock early this week, my back just exploded. BOOM. All she wrote. I laid on the bed and struggled to get back up. I immediately made an appointment with my doc and set up some physical therapy. So far so good, each day gets a little better. I’d rather be on the bike, but right now it’s hard enough to walk. First things first.

I was surprised at my emotional reaction to an injury like this. It put me on the couch for a couple of days. I struggled to sit for longer than 30 or 40 minutes. Walking was barely possible. It was only a few days, however, my body and mind are so used to the two days on one day off routine of riding that I nearly went crazy. Going from constant exercise to none at all was nearly unbearable.

Last night while watching the Olympics I got a positive surge of hope. I watched Michael Phelps win his 8th gold medal, and all of a sudden it hit me. I’m going to be fine. This is a small setback. I’ve come a long way, far enough to see through a few weeks off. I just watched a guy do something that is almost impossible. I have nothing to worry about.

The most important thing I’ve learned this week is the value of stretching. I am not flexible at all, and that’s a problem. That is one thing that is pulling me through this situation. I stretch to heal, and that stretching will improve my cycling. I’m being forced to improve, even if it doesn’t include a bicycle. I just need to be patient.

On a positive note, I’ve lost five pounds and hit the 50 lb mark of my weight loss goal. I’ve also had a little moral support from my own personal “nurses”: