Slow progress

I've made a couple attempts at something faster than a walk in the last week or so, and they have not gone well. I have little or no pain when I walk, but as soon as I switch gears I can feel my piriformis tightening and getting sore. Eventually, if I let it go far enough, the pain will spread to my back. I don't want that to happen again.

My latest attempt was Tuesday. Everything felt good all day and my plan was to walk 3 miles after work. It was raining hard that day, so I headed to the gym and the treadmill. After a half mile of pain-free walking I decided to throw in an occasional short, slow jog - 4.5 mph (normal slow for me is 6.0). The idea was to walk 5 min. and jog 1 min.

The very first 1-min. jog went pretty well, but it wasn't completely comfortable. Each succeeding jog was a little more uncomfortable. I was sore when I got finished, and sorer still the next morning. Nothing a little more stretching and Ibu couldn't handle. But now I knew: no running yet.

Still, there is progress. Two weeks ago I couldn't walk even short distances comfortably. I'm up to 3 pain-free miles now. One of these days, this will just end.

Meanwhile, I stay active by lifting weights, biking and, of course walking. I've even begun taking a 1-mile walk after lunch at work each day.