Time off or Time OFF?
So, while I wait, I have decided to take a week off from running and just try doing the elliptical instead. I can't seem to shake off that nagging shin injury, although I have to say my maintenance efforts on the off-days (the icing, massage, etc.) have been a bit half-hearted. After running last Wednesday, I took Thursday and Friday off and then ran six miles with the running club on Saturday morning. The shin's been sore ever since. I've iced regularly the past three days, but I just can't seem to make it completely go away. Now I am (finally) starting to second guess whether running on it is wise or not. I never know if continuing to run with an injury is just slowing recovery down or completely preventing it. Today I got frustrated enough to throw in the towel and just do the elliptical. I will try this for a week, and if it doesn't help things, I guess I'll go to just doing nothing for a week or so and see what that does - besides drive me crazy. (I can't remember the last time I just completely took a week off of running, and maybe that is my problem.)
My husband never seems to understand why I never just take time off when I seem to have a running boo-boo anyway. Aside from the insanity thing, I guess the only reason that I can think of is that I just don't really believe that time off will help. That's all. There have been two times in my life when I have taken time off from running, once for a month due to illness and once for two months because I was tired of a knee injury I had. Both times, the nagging aches and pains I had at the time went away, and both times they came back again in a different form. I have this weird feeling that I just have to hold onto stress somewhere in my body, and until I can figure out how to get rid of that, I am just stuck with the issue du jour until such time as it works its way to another part of my body.
Hmm, now that I think of it, maybe it is working it's way out of my body. Originally this year, I had a hip issue, then it became a patellar tendon issue, now it is in the shin and my right foot. Could it be that it is literally working its way out of my body? Ok, I think that glass of petit syrah is going to my brain.
In any event, the elliptical was fine. Did 40 minutes and really felt it in my quads - way more than running would impact me, so we'll see how it goes. Good stretch session afterwards, too.
Christmas Recovery Mode
So, our family is recovering well from Christmas this year. There are not enough words to express how grateful I am for my family. We had a great holiday. It was a lot of fun with the kids. Both were so hyper aware of it all, that it made it that much more fun. This year Christmas hit the Little Guy like a Mack truck. He was so involved in the new toys and games he got yesterday that by evening I felt I had hardly seen him at all. E. was much more circumspect and seemed to have a hard time taking it all in. Today both were much recovered from their crazy day of overload, but L.G. was still wiped out. Early to bed for both of them, which was kind of nice. Of course, for E. early to bed has taken on a new meaning. After learning that she was reading to herself before sleep by the light of her clock, mom and dad got her a small lamp for her room to read by. Now the battle of "turn off your light" begins.
A Hike Well Played
I took the kids out to the local state park for a walk today, and that turned out to be great! We walked for about a half hour or so - if not more - before heading back to the car for an impromptu picnic of hard rolls, cheese, fruit and ginger cookies. The kids did great on the walk, and the bonus came later in the day when E. wrote in her scrap book, "I love hiking." This is the kid who we had to drag kicking and screaming (okay, not "literally" kicking and screaming; more like dragging heels and whining) on two hikes in Colorado. Either she is maturing a bit, or she just prefers winter to summer hikes. In either case, I will take it. Score one for the fitness-fanatic mom. Yay!
E. has also said she wants to do a two-mile run now that she has successfully conquered the one-miler a month ago. I hope she means it because Andy and I jumped on that one. There just so happens to be a two-miler in three weeks at an area zoo. If she didn't mean it, I guess it's never too early to learn the value of the phrase "careful what you wish for."
A New Year's Wish
On a final note, I have to say, as the new year approaches, I will not be setting a New Year's Resolution. I know a lot of folks do, but I never have. I don't feel important goals benefit from having a start date.... To me start dates imply end dates, and that's not what I want. That being said, I do have a fervent wish for the New Year (aside from world peace, of course, which is always hoped for) and that is to get my body into injury-free shape so that I can start piling on some miles. Aside from the fact that I just miss running with abandon (i.e., not worrying about hurting myself), I got a boatload of chocolate in my Christmas stocking (thanks, Andy!), and if I can't run those calories off, it ain't going to be pretty.
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