For those of you that have been following along, I haven’t been running as much as I usually do. If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat (@koskim), you’ve likely noticed fewer running posts and stories.

I’ve been having issues with my piriformis. It started the week after Fourth of July with a tightness in my lower back/glutes and I thought that maybe going for a run on it would help loosen it up. Instead, that day it hurt to walk. A lot. And since then, I’ve been hobbling around and limping, not quite sure how to get better.

Thanks to the Internet, a coworker and my brother-in-law who is a doctor, I self diagnosed myself with piriformis syndrome and took it upon myself to STRETCH, REST, massage, foam roll and take some NSAIDs.  Oh, and of course – not run.

This is how I feel stretching …. I’M SO inflexible!:

It has been a long few weeks. The first week I did nothing at all. I have to admit, I was grumpy and not in the best of moods.

The next week I started slowly doing other things – walking a little more and the elliptical.

The next week – I started running again! And by running, I mean no more than one mile and stretching before and after.

And then this week, I did a few more runs and they were longer! Sunday I did 2.54 miles and Thursday I did 3.25 miles! I admit it wasn’t 100% pain free. It wasn’t fast (even though I was out of breath!). But it felt amazing to be outside again and running.

I wouldn’t say I’m back. Not yet – it will be a longer road to recovery than I thought. BUT I’m getting there.

So, here’s to hoping that I’m on the road to recovery and will be back to my running self soon.

Some questions for you:

• Has anyone else suffered piriformis issues? Any tips?
• When you don’t run or exercise does it affect your mental state/mood?

Linking up with My No-Guilt Life, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and MCM Mama Runs.