Oh, my aching back...

I am sick and tired of being hurt. It sucks a mile of ditch water.
Saturday met us with a really good group ride, only I couldn't participate as usual, thanks to my L3/L4 junction. Well, that's not entirely true. The skeletal stuff is fine. I'm having muscular and nerve issues now. I can ride on the tops @ any speed up to about 40kmh. As soon as I have to get in the drops and really give some effort, my back feels like I've been stabbed.
The ride was a good tempo affair with some efforts thrown in, as the Saturday rides have become. It wasn't a hard ride at all. It shouldn't have felt as hard as it felt. Everytime the ride got quick or the road turned up, I just couldn't make any sort of power. The legs, lungs and heart were all within the green, but the back went into the red far too much and far too easily.
I still ended with 3 hours and 95 km.
I didn't ride today as I'm going to take even MORE time off the bike in an effort to heal up. If I ride at all over the next week or so, it'll be on the 29er, as it's slow and relatively upright.

I guess I'll see you when I see you...............