Walking...and my bad back

Nearly 160 pounds ago, walking was hard. Before I was married to my ex-husband, I was working on losing weight and getting into shape. I moved in with him and my diet and exercise went to hell. And thus began my decade long weight gain, going from around 200 pounds, up to 317 when I had my baby, down to 250 after doing Weight Watchers, and then constantly fluctuating, up...down...up...down...up up up to the dreaded weight I was pre-op.  As I gained weight, my back pain became worse. It got to the point where I was throwing my back out all of the time, and I was afraid to lift anything because I didn't want to trigger spasms associated with my back pain. I'd walk around the store and my back would go numb from all the excess weight my body was carrying. It was so bad towards my surgery that even walking around the grocery store was a chore, and I'd do anything to avoid it.

Now, I walk as much as humanly possible. I love exercising, and love sweating, and love when my muscles are sore. It tells me that my body is working like it should be. Anyhow, last week, after my session with the new trainer, I was feeling really stiff and threw my back out. Normally, I'd be down and out for a few days, but I'm going on a week now, still in pain, and that ain't cool. I haven't been able to do my walking, which I was doing twice a day. I haven't gone to the gym, and I ridden my bike and I haven't swam. And I've had so much to do - we're moving in 1 week. ONE WEEK! I've got a house to pack, shit to toss, things to do and places to go. But I'm in pain. Oh, and did I mention my 5K Saturday?

Today before I got my son from school, I put on my gym clothes and decided today's the day - I'm going back out to my nature trail to walk. And I did. Except I was only able to do a mile. It took a little over 20 minutes, which is still on pace for myself - It usually takes me 50-55 minutes to do a 5K. We had to stop twice so I could sit down, which we never do. I feel like my entire spine is out of alignment, which sucks. I don't know WHY I'm still hurting, but it's so annoying :(