As I sit here resting my back from this week’s physical therapy routine, enjoying a cold beer and my Anjunabeats playlist, I’m keenly aware of the state I was in two weeks ago. It was a Saturday like most others. I was hooking the bike trailer to my 21-speed hybrid road bike in preparation to take my daughter on an afternoon ride through our favorite bike trail. My back had been a little sore the past few days, (probably due to overloading my messenger bag) but I hadn’t really given it a second thought. It never occurred to me that what I felt might be an early indicator of a serious injury.

As I was finishing adding air to my tires, my daughter tripped on the driveway and skinned her knee. (she’s only 4 and doesn’t always understand why we tell her not to run…) I dropped what I was doing, scooped her up and took her into the house to get fixed up. I stopped in the kitchen, I think instinctively because I felt something, but I didn’t realize it at the time. I picked her back up and as I made the first few steps up the stairs to the bathroom I felt a sudden stabbing pain in my back and was unable to carry her any further. Thankfully my wife was there to take over because I was almost completely incapacitated.

Every step, every movement of my body those first couple of days were met with intense pain. It never occurred to me that something so simple could bring someone my age, quite literally to his knees. I felt like an 80-year-old, not someone in their mid 30’s.

The fault is entirely mine. While I’ve been telling myself that my 15 minute walks to and from work are good exercise, I haven’t been making much effort to stay in shape. Sure I do the occasional bike ride or walks around the neighborhood and I play Wii Fit plus, (sometimes) but nothing regular. Once my physical therapist clears me for more strenuous activities, that is going to change. I’m not going to let this happen again.