So... story time! =P
I have never been a particularly athletic person, and have always struggled with working out. However, back in January, I joined my university's track and field team, as a shot-put and discus thrower. We're D3, and our team is tiny. They also had no female throwers, so they basically just let me walk on and offered to train me! This was a dream come true for me, because I had always wanted to do a sport, but by the time you're twenty, it's often a little late to get in on it, a the college level. Fortunately, throwing is an individual sport, so I wouldn't be hurting a team with my lack of athleticism. =P It was also the most supportive athletic environment I've ever been in (as opposed to middle school gym classes... *shudder*).
Unfortunately, by March, I had sustained a serious back injury. After weeks of drugs and not knowing what it was, turns out, it was a herniated disc in my lower back. I was practically bed-ridden, often high on a pain-killing cocktail, and would have failed the semester, if not for some very kind professors.
Since then, I have gotten physical therapy and improved a lot. But I'm terrified. I'm afraid that anything I do will throw me back into excruciating pain. I made the mistake of carrying around a four-year-old girl, and that was a royal pain the next day. I'm afraid to run or work or do anything! My boyfriend, who plays two sports and has learned a lot in the athletic field, says it's a very common thing for people in my situation.
I'll have to more or less get over most of it by the time I return to school in late August (time to go back to work and go to classes!), but I'm anxious.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to lose weight mostly through diet (I have at-home exercises I need to work on... I'm so lazy... -___-), and so far, I've been having some success. Has anyone else had a back injury or similar energy and lost weight while recovering? Maybe someone can share some tips on getting back in the saddle?
