Hey Melanie,
Solid week of training your consistency has been great! Does your chest cause you pain when you do any kind of cardio or just in certain activities?
Oh god, running topless does not sound fun. They needed to take pictures, eh? suspicious... jk
Glad it doesn't appear to be anything serious. That said, giving yourself a week off between seasons is a good idea. It's not two months, but a week is enough to let some things heal and bring the motivation back up.
Thank Erin! Umm, for the most part, its constantly sore, but hurts waaaaaaaay more if I have to use my arms and or my torso.
Haha, thank god I'm not gifted, otherwise that would have been a painful run!
Yeah, After Presque Isle, I plan on turning into a sloth for a week or two(?) Hopefully things heals during that time!
At the moment, I don't know if I should ice it, or apply heat after training... Any suggestions?
Unless its swollen I would not apply ice. Cold creates a contraction which pushes the fluids out of that area. So when there is swelling it works to get rid of the fluid build up. In your case I think keeping that area of your body warm not necessarily applying heat but making sure you have enough layers on all the time, even in training when you have a tender area its better to be sweating than cold.
If you can find some arnica I would take 30cc internally and rub the cream into the hurt area. Arnica is good for just about everything when it comes to the body and hurt areas like you described.