Pulled groin. What a groan.

It's one pm on a beautiful bluebird day. So why am I not snowboarding? Can you say, groin annihilation?

I pulled my groin (don't know how) on Tuesday but I've been riding it all week because it didn't really bother me too much. Yeah, it was hard to lift my leg up and hurt when I pulled tail grabs but still, it didn't get in the way of riding. Yesterday (Friday) was looking like it was going to be the best day of my season. Actually, it was the best day. Weather was perfect, I was hitting new rail features without getting too nervous, I was spinning threes all over, trying things I hadn't ever tried, and was feeling really solid in the air on the big jumps. And I was riding with some really good friends. A couple hours into the day I spun a front three on the first pinball jump (which I had been doing fine all day) but finished the rotation a little later than usual and felt a slight pull in my groin. I straight aired the next jump and then went in for the three jump line in pinball. Besides landing the first jump in that line pretty deep multiple times, I had been feeling awesome on it and felt confident about hitting it. This time however I got a little tail heavy in the air. I knew I was going to land the jump but it was just going to be a tail first land rather than a stomp. From the moment my tail touched the landing to when my board was fully contacting the snow I felt this horrible super pull in my groin, like my leg was just ripping off of my body. I got off to the side of the jumps and started cursing up a storm because I knew that was the end of my day. It hurt so so bad to just ride down to the bottom of the run. Then I spent twenty minutes walking over to the Burton Academy, a walk that usually takes 3 or 4 minutes because I had to stop every fifteen feet. After an hour of laying on a couch and trying to stretch my leg I figured I could test my groin out. If I could walk back to my board without having to stop too many times I would take a run. If I could ride through the park without too much pain I would keep riding. Well I made it to my board and then took a lap through the progression park. I was fine in the progression park on the ride on features and baby jumps so I cut over to pinball for the last few rails in that park. Ollie on to the Oakley pyramid rail and kabow; there's the pull again. Once again I barely made it down the rest of the run and then went straight for the clinic. I didn't want to pay for a hospital bill so I just talked to the nurse and asked if there was anything I could do for my groin. Nope. No stretches. No exercises. Just rest.

So here I am. In bed on this beautiful day. This is the first day that I've been here and haven't ridden. It sucks. Walking hurts a little less today so I might go over to this rail park we set up by the apartment complex and see if I can ride at all. Injury sucks. Especially when you get taken out on the best day of your season. ARG. I don't want to wait to ride. I'm going now. I can't sit around on a perfect day. Hopefully I don't make myself worse. I guess this is my lesson about how I should stretch everyday...