Changing seasons and an ailing back

I do believe the weather has shifted toward summer for good.  Slowly but surely I'm moving into my summertime routines.  Lately it's been warm enough for me to paddle in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt; I'll probably give it another week or so to be sure, but soon I'll be going through the annual ritual of washing my cold-weather gear and putting it away until next winter.  Wearing less clothing in the boat means putting on more sunscreen, and since I hate having that greasy stuff all over me I usually wash it off under the water spigot after I paddle.  I'll be enjoying those cool baths on the dock more and more as we get deeper into the summer.  As the mercury rises I'll have to start thinking about in-the-boat hydration during training sessions.

The riverfront is teeming with signs of the season.  The purple martins are in residence at the marina's birdhouse; the turtles are sunning themselves on floating logs; the gar are hanging out an inch below the harbor's surface; cottonwood blooms are everywhere.

On Tuesday morning I did the strength routine for the last time before this Saturday's race, and then I paddled with Joe in the harbor.  Tuesday afternoon I somehow tweaked my back while working at my rental property: I can't remember any specific thing that caused it, but at some point I noticed that my lower-left back area was very sore and uncomfortable.  It felt awful when I woke up yesterday morning and was a mood-dampening companion all day.

By this morning it had improved some but the discomfort lingered.  Fortunately it didn't bother me much when I got in the boat and started paddling.  I paddled for 60 minutes and did a set of six 12-stroke sprints.  I felt as good as I have in a long time while sprinting: my turnover seemed easier and more fluid.

I'd already had an appointment scheduled with the chiropractor who has helped me out a lot with the plantar fasciitis I've had.  I told her about the back discomfort and she worked on that area.  Let's hope it runs its course before I line up to race on Saturday.