It Isn't Easy Being Me

It isn't easy being me.  I am so dang physically imbalanced. Well... ok... some probably would say I am imbalanced in every single aspect of my life and the body is just symbolic.

A week ago today I FINALLY laced up my running shoes and got my butt out of bed at dark O thirty to meet HRT for a very hilly 8.5 through Hope Ranch.  I even tagged on a few bonus miles after on the flat lands with Jamie and was happily home by 7:20 AM.  It was so great to run with the group again.  I was so happy that my hip was happy and all was well... and it was... UNTIL I sat in the car for a 6 hour ride to San Diego.  Yes, you got it!  We hit traffic, so our usual 4.5 hour drive was WAY TOOOOOOOO LONG.  I was soooooo glad I had gone for a nice long run with other people whom I enjoy.

On the car ride south, mentally I was happy, happy, happy, but my knee was not.  It started whining at me as we hit the first pocket of traffic when we got off of  highway 1 and onto the 405.  By the time we pulled into Coronado my knee was madder then hell.   In fact, my knee screamed at me when I climbed the stairs to the hotel room my kids were in.  (Yes, we have come to the point in our family life when we need to get 2 hotel rooms and this time they were on different floors!  Yipppeeee!  Oops.. Did I say that? Sorry for getting off topic there. ) Anyway, I went to dinner.  I drank a few beers.   I iced. I vowed to not climb the stairs again to check on the kids. All was well.

The next morning I got up and stretched like crazy before an easy 6 and very FLAT miles around Coronado.   The knee was fine right up until the last block of the run.  So, I iced.  I took a handful of Advil (ok so only 2) and I headed to Sea World.  The knee let me know it was there all day but was behaving well.  I even had a beer with lunch and the knee was fine.... UNTIL.... I had to climb the stairs to get out of the Arctic Explorer.... not once but twice.  OUCH!  (By the way, through all of this my hip was happy as a clam.)

Sooooo..... at dinner I had a few extra drinks and all was well.  I woke up the next morning and didn't run and felt a little hung over and satisfied that I was being a good person for not running.   I also hoped that we wouldn't hit traffic.  Traffic and an unrun me is not fun.  Yes, I know unrun is not a word.  I iced.  I stretched. I rode in the car. We got home in record time. Then,  I rolled on my poor mans roller and iced again.  I was depressed.

The next morning I just had to run.  So, I did.  I taped my knee up and ran 9 miles.  I taped up the next day and hiked with the family and friends because that was Abbey's birthday wish.  It was a little sore.  I felt a little guilty and a little worried but I had to run and I had to hike.  So, I did.  Yesterday I taped the knee up and did an easy 6 before going to get my legs worked on by Joe who happens to live up 3 flights of stairs.  Joe said when he saw me limp in, " Ya know.... why don't you just rest it for a few days."  So I said, "yup... Ok."  Gosh I was depressed with the prospect. All this time off to be outside and run, walk and hike!  Ugh! I sat around and iced and ate pop corn and watched TV the rest of the day and evening.  I hoped the weather would be crappy so it would be easy to not run on Thursday and spend the day obsessing over my classroom.

No such luck.  This morning I woke up and my knee was sore. The day was cool, crisp and BEAUTIFUL! I just couldn't bring myself to go into work.  Still,  I didn't go for a run.  I was depressed.  I even had to put the rest of the peppermint stick ice cream down the drain because I couldn't keep my spoon out of the carton.  So, after my daughter's dentist appointment I laced up my shoes.  I taped up my knee and I ran out the door for my favorite 6 mile "downtown" loop.  I had to.  Hell with it!  When I got back I went for a nice hike with the family.  I never iced today.  I haven't stretched.  Tonight my knee is almost back to normal.  Now my hip hurts.  It isn't easy being me.