Running Shorts

Kick a girl while she's down...

...just kidding!!  Something good happened today.  I found out I'm co-teaching an undergrad class with two young lawyers this fall at a local university.  We learned this afternoon that our application was accepted.  We're SO excited and we're trying to savor the happy moment b/c we have a lot of work ahead of us as we prepare.  Also, just to satisfy any curiosity, I'm not teaching at any of my blog readers' schools :)  No one checks my blog from there!  So either count yourself lucky or consider transferring depending on how awesome you think our class is going to be.  (Answer:  very).  My sister is in grad school for education (she wants to teach HS) so I'm going to pick her brain for tips.

I biked for 30 minutes last night at the gym and it was totally fine.  I just figured if I was going to potentially be in a boot for so long, and it doesn't hurt to bike (which I know b/c I commute by bike), I should just SEE if it was okay.  And it was fine.  I momentarily considered putting my flat pedals on my road bike so I could bike outside and maybe join up with my regular group ride...but I do NOT need to be putting my foot up and down off the ground at stop lights, in traffic, etc. in the mess of a group ride in traffic.  I'm careful enough during the 5 minute ride to work by myself, but I don't foresee a 26 mile ride outside being good for the foot at this point.  Also, my left foot is the injured one, and it's also my up/down foot for stopping if you know what I mean.  I don't think it's possible for me to switch legs.  I say that with all seriousness.

I would swim tonight, but I'm in the middle of a good book (Salem Falls) and I'm also totally exhausted.  I think I'll read for an hour and call it a day.

Well the guys have settled down!

I have a group of friends from college that includes men and women.  In the marriage department things are kind of equally split.  One woman is married to someone not in the group.  Two men are married to women not in the group (though one of the wives did go to GU).  And another woman and another man (both from the friend group) are married to each other.  The women do NOT have any children.  BUT...

...there was an e-mail sent out today by one of the married men announcing a BABY expected in September (for the love of god I can remember when the couple was being all awkward around each other in the coffee shop where they worked).  A flurry of e-mails then commences...all are congratulatory...some have name suggestions...people are describing incriminating pictures they have of the parents in their possession and their plans to frame them for next to the baby's crib...and THEN...one of the unmarried guys says..."and he's not the ONLY guy who lived in our [college] house who is about to be a father in 2008"....

...MORE flurried e-mails...but we can of course all guess who...and then the future father makes the official announcement, well, I'll take this opportunity to share my news as well...we're expecting on November 1...more e-mail chaos breaks out...including the second father's best friend chiming in with...i believe you mean October 1?

Yes, the father had gotten the due date wrong...so the guys are still the guys...

That was my excitement from 3-4 PM.  They all live too far away.  I want to see the babies!!!!

One small problem is that in my excitement I had a gmail status message up announcing the first hoya baby (and then I changed it to babies) were expected this fall...and someone wrote to ask me if I was expecting.  OOps!!  I should probably clear that up...

I might BIKE inside later at the gym.  For exercise.  With flat pedals.  My life is so crazy.  And then maybe I'll swim.  It's cold here tonight!!

LOVE IS A GIANT BEAR OF ANIMAL CRACKERS

Sign something is wrong with your foot and you are not a hypochondriac:  the doctor asks if you've been running.  NOOO.  I can't WALK.

MRI on Thursday-but I won't get the results for a week unless I can figure out a way to get the digital pics to my mom.  She doesn't read MRIs (I think she specializes in mammography and probably something else I don't know about) but she has radiology friends who do :)  She also said she would be able to see anything obvious and I agree.  I don't think stress fractures are super hard to see or anything.  It wouldn't ordinarily be hard to get digital copies but I'm getting my MRI at night and I don't think I can make it to the medical records department (where you get copies of films on CD) during business hours at any point in the next week b/c I do have to work at some point.  I can't just keep bringing my foot to the doctor so I'll have to work on getting those somehow.

I personally have my doubts about the stress-fractureness of this injury, however, b/c I really feel like 5 weeks post-injury (when I got regular x-rays) is enough time for stress fractures to show up on plain films.  But, whatever.  I can't see inside my foot so I'll just deal.

Also, I am embracing cabs.  They are expensive.  But I have to take them.  I'm still biking to and from work.  However, it not respectable for me to change out of my work clothes, into my jeans and purple long-sleeve shirt and orange biking jacket, head out into the rain to bike to my doctor's appointment, bike back to work in the rain, and arrive at my office soaking wet in orange and purple.  I am injured and I have to take cabs.  Laurie actually wrote a great post about the incidental costs of illness no one ever thinks about-I'm actually the friend she referred to in her post who was complaining about the cost of cabs :)-and after reading her post I think I just have to embrace these costs and stop feeling guilty about it.

Anywhoo, that's enough babbling about the foot for tonight.  I think my mom liked her present.  B/c she's my mom she brought me presents too: her already read copy of People magazine (we circulate the magazines around in my family) and animal crackers from Costco (they are in a giant bear).  YUMMY!!!!!!!!

Who let the gimpy girl in the sports store?

"So there's this person you just HAVE to meet!!!  You have so much in common and live right near each other."--Sounds like I'm about to be set up, right?

Except in triathlon world this merely means there is some chick my age who lives near me who is getting back into triathlon and needs/wants someone else to bike with and our two mutual friends (guys who could probably race as elites) are way too fast to bike with either of us.  Bonus?  Biking is both of our weakest sports.  She used to swim in college!!!!  AHhhhh!!  At least I can't get dropped very far in a pool :)

So I wrote her back and was like...um...INJURED :(  She knew that though b/c of our friends.  But I told her hopefully later this summer I'll be up for it and that I would keep her posted on any other good biking opportunities I heard about.  I invited her to train with my school team and the other local collegiate tri team we're going to train with.  Not that we have a schedule yet...but we will!!

I also put on my boot and LEFT THE HOUSE.  And where did I go?  EMS.  Go figure.  Emotionally and physically crippled boot girl was at the sports store mecca.  I swear I looked disgusting.  I was wearing the clothes I had slept in and my hair actually looked GREASY b/c I hadn't washed it since Thursday night and I had on my glasses.  But what did people stare at???  My boot.  As in, what is this gimpy girl doing in the SPORTS MECCA?!?!?!

But I had a mission.  I needed to buy my mom's present.  I had to try it on and she and I are usually the same size so I was happy to find that the same size clothes still fit even though I have more movies to add to my recently watched list:  Atonement, the Jane Austen Book Club, and Dances with Wolves.  And since it pays to buy in bulk (thanks for the coupon D) I also replenished my own sports equipment.  I finally got a new sports watch so I don't have to wear my large heart rate monitor watch and I replaced my stolen sunglasses.  I was trying to hop up and down (on one foot) to see if they would stay in place while running.  The tests result?  Inconclusive.  At the very least I can bike ride with them.  They're blue/green and I really like them.  Also, just to share, EMS has a 15% student discount.  So guy forth and buy!!!

I'm excited to give my mom her present.  We exchange presents in my family, but we never get to see people open them.  It's easier, more timely (say if you've...i don't know...procrastinated...or you're not going to be home for a while), and often cheaper to ship on-line presents directly to their final destination.  And even though I'm always with my family for x-mas, since I fly to see everyone my parents usually mail my presents to me anyway.  And most recently, for example, the 4 kids spent about 25 hours and $400 putting together and buying my parents' mother's day/father's day/and anniversary present (we're ALL in school so this was the giant present for the year :) and we had it shipped directly to their house two weeks ago.  It was definitely the safest shipping option-better to have the artist package and ship the item than have me pick it up and try to transport it to NJ.  But no one got to see them open it.  At least, for some reason, my mom knew to wait for my dad to open the box which is slightly weird b/c why would they expect a joint present in April?  But anyway, I am excited to give my mom a present in PERSON tomorrow.  Now I just need some wrapping paper...

Oh, and the anniversary present is this really cool foto block collage thing of pictures of my family since 1971 (when my parents met).  It's really awesome.  Sorry there is no good weblink.  Contact me for details if you too want to give a loved one the gift of collage (but sophisticated-no glue sticks involved).  It involved the secret scanning of photos.

Finally, I swam today.  I'm going to be in a formal dress with lots of picture-taking in three weeks and then the beach so...yeah...I foresee some more swimming in my future.

At least someone in the family is kicking butt

I called my mom kind of upset Friday afternoon.  I was a little frustrated with being a 27 y/o intern and my foot was not good.  She said that she can empathize (she finally graduated from school when she was 25) and that 1) I need to graduate and get a job (but she did point out I will then still be on the bottom) 2) I'm welcome to come home whenever I want if I ever need to get out of town (I think she's sick of the boyz-my dad and brother!) and 3) I should go shopping.  I think she specifically said I should buy a purse.  Which is random.

B/c I am miserable I pointed out I was going to see her on Monday anyway (she'll be back in Boston) and the rest of the family in mid-May.  I also said I'm gimpy and they live in the suburbs and you have to walk in the suburbs.  She said I was being ridiculous and she (well, my Dad) would cook for me and I could just sit on the sofa.  (Plus, in truth, the suburbs are better b/c you can drive and park places.)  I also can't walk so how can one shop?  Plus, I hate shopping.  Except, of course, from a few select stores.  I haven't had as much time to surf steepandcheap lately, but I did find one excellent wicking tank-top a few moments ago.  I do have to go buy my mom's b-day present tomorrow but she purposely asked me for something she knew I would be excited to pick out (it's sports related).

Overall, I'm just kind of miserable and homebound and a bit disappointed with myself.  I've seen people handle illness and adversity well and others who have handled it less well.  After I saw the latter I was really upset and "knew"/vowed I would handle things better if faced with a tough situation.  But I'm not exactly a role model in positive thinking right now nor do I have a healthy perspective on it all. 

I've started canceling my 2008 triathlon season and putting into motion the refund processes (I guess I'll be on-time to my friend's wedding after all), after I get my MRI results I'm going to have to call my dad and he'll have to cancel our June hiking trip (there is a running joke, by him, that I don't think is funny, about all of the races I've invited him to that I've had to bail on b/c of injury), I can't take part in the activities I've built my life around (there is probably a lesson in there about diversification), and I'm an office worker (pretty easy on the body comparatively) who is having a hard time staying pain-free b/c I can't walk to meetings.  [I've mentioned this before, but can you imagine being injured if your livelihood depended on you being healthy enough to compete at a professional level??? OMG, the emotions that must invoke.]  But back to me, I'm in this cycle where I feel better Sunday night b/c I've rested all weekend and by Friday afternoon/night I'm crippled.

I must have a stress fracture (or two).  We'll see.  I hope that comes with a different boot b/c I hate the one I have which makes the rest of my foot hurt.

On a high note, and in unbelievable news, my dad shot an 85 with "no mulligans" which means every shot counted.  This is the man who once won an award for the worst golfer in a work-sponsored golf tournament.  This was his best by 8 strokes.  He's been taking lessons since he retired and practicing a lot.  That kind of PR (is that the lingo used in golf?) is INSANE!!!

ow

I'm going to say my foot feels no better than 3 weeks ago.  I can barely walk.  I'm going back to the doctor on Monday.  I think I need an MRI.  And a new game plan.  I tried wearing my boot again just around the apartment for a few minutes but it seriously cripples the rest of my foot.  I'm also sick of being an intern/entry-level/always at the bottom (I think that's probably a normal feeling after 2 entry-level jobs and 7 internships).  I'm always (always) new.  So I need to graduate (which will take a year and two more internships) at which point I will then be on the bottom at my (fingers crossed) job and for my foot to get better (could be a while).    bleh.

If you don't use your bike, you should store it up top

The good part of getting out of work 2 hours late is that it's a lot easier to bike home w/out pedestrians on my route.  The bad part is that the rest of the people who live in my building took all of the bike space on the floor so I had to lug my bike up to the top rack.  I'm not strong.  Ergo, not ideal.  I don't mind working late though.  I feel good about what I'm working on.  Each job has it's moments of course, but I can honestly say I've never had a job I didn't like (oh the good old days of manning the college information desk...).  I also e-mailed a few of my school tri peeps to make plans for the upcoming season (as in what to do about NO ONE-except me b/c i'm old-having a wetsuit-and keep in mind we race in Maine) and I think I'm going to get an earlyish start to my weekend tomorrow.  And, in 10 minutes I am seriously going to curl up on the sofa bed (still open from when my mom was here) and watch 2.5 hours straight of tv.  It's been kind of a good day.

Maybe I should have labeled my sunglasses

One of my friends told me I need to put my office in lockdown when I leave for the night.  Last Thursday night someone stole my sunglasses.  They're for running and biking.  They were not cheap.  I didn't say anything to anyone besides my friends and my mom b/c I didn't want to be the intern who causes a scene and accuses someone, and, as my mom pointed out, in all likelihood it wouldn't lead to me getting them back.  But then this morning...someone took my $8 ice pack.  I've had it for years.  It stays cold for 6 hours.  It's awesome.  And I need it.

Last night was the first night I left it in the freezer at work.  As I walked to the kitchen when I got there this morning I saw someone walking in the hallway with what looked like my ice pack in their hand but I didn't have my glasses on and I thought..well...maybe she has the same one.  However, a quick look in the freezer confirmed it was mine.

So then I had to go be like, sooooo, not to be gross, but I use that on my foot.  She said oh, that's not gross.  I then moved on to point two...well...I'm actually supposed to ice while I'm at work all day.  I wish I could remember my exact words, they were hopefully more subtle, but the gist of them was:  Can I have it back?  I retrieved my ice pack and then went and made her a baggie of ice for her injury from some ice lying around in the freezer.  We're gimps in my office I tell ya-but I will be my ice pack advocate!  Everyone labels EVERYTHING in the kitchen and my ice pack was unlabeled so I guess I'm still learning the office culture.

On the plus side, we got beach towels at work today.  Everyone thought it was kind of weird-except for me!  I REALLY need one.  I only have one towel for the pool so if someone else comes over I have to give them a shower towel.  PLUS, I am really sick of my other towel that I took from my parents house six years ago.  I used my new towel tonight :)  It took an act of god at 10:30 PM, but I got myself to the pool.  I was basically so lazy I was sickening myself so I made myself go.

I want my old life back

In my former life-the one where I could walk-I would be at a bar right now post the first official group bike ride of the season.  Clearly, I'm not there.  I'm sick of movies and tv.  I'm sick of not going anywhere-b/c really, what's the point of getting out of the city if you can't walk around and see anything?  The best plan of action for me is to sit still.  I'm SO bored.  I have 3 extra hours a day that used to be filled with workouts.  Everyone else is out training and racing and being outside and interacting with other people.

You know how exercise is supposed to help depression and just make you feel better?  Well, it's hard to motivate to swim b/c I don't feel like it...so then I don't get the happiness chemicals that comes from exercise...and then I don't feel like exercising.  Vicious cycle.

No, I didn't swim tonight.

This is honestly the main reason I fear getting older.  What am I going to do with myself when my mobility goes?  Maybe I'll have other hobbies by then.

Edit:  This is seriously embarrassing, but these are the shows and movies I've watched on-line recently:  Brothers and Sisters (the entire season), I am Legend, Paper Chase, Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, A Mighty Heart, Feast of Love, A Guy Thing, Cheerleader Nation (the entire season), and Wildfire (the entire season).  I'm about to watch The Memory Keepers Daughter.  This is in addition to the regular tv I've watched.  Thank goodness for free on-line tv and itunes.  And the end of the writers strike.  And my brother who helped me free up space on my hard drive.

Looking Ahead

Today was a good day.  I had to work (a rarity in Boston as most people had off for Patriot's day) so I tracked some peeps running in the race on-line, including Lance Armstrong :)  And even though I was at work, most people were not there so it was a pretty low key day and I definitely shouted into the hallway, "M [our coworker] just finished!!!"

My foot does not hurt that much.  I'm not taking any pain meds.  I didn't wear my boot today.  I think my weekend treatment was effective:  prescription naproxen (you can get the same anti-inflammatory effect by taking a high enough over the counter dose of Aleve or Ibuprofen), blowing off all of my weekend plans to stay home off of my foot and watch movies and on-line tv (i even biked the two blocks to the Trials so I wouldn't have to walk), and icing.  I guess the physician assistant was right when he told me my foot would be sore.  The pain was never excruciating-I think I was more scared than anything.

Coach Rainmaker even got me into the pool at 11 PM last night.  We were having a gchat conversation about random things, the most boring part of which was when I asked if I should swim.  He was eating ice cream and told me, No, it's Sunday.  Be lazy.  I pointed out he had already worked out 6 times this weekend.  He conceded the point and gave me a 1,500 yard workout to do:  300 w/u, 500x2, 200 cd, with one of the 500s consisting of 50 hard and 25 easy.  So I actually went swimming for the first time in almost a week.  My foot felt fabulous in the water AND I stopped throwing myself a pity party.  I realized that I really should have called my grandma (in much worse musculoskeletal shape than me) this weekend, and that I still have one sport to look fwd to this summer-open water swimming.

I also have two events I REALLY want to be better for.  When my family is in DC for my sister's college graduation I want to be able to walk around.  We're going to a formal at Union Station and I don't foresee me being able to wear any sort of heels (the WORST thing for metatarsalgia), so that should be interesting. [Maybe I could get silver ballet slippers?]  But it would be nice to be able to walk around the city and campus a little.  My immobility actually wouldn't be too annoying as there will be other mobility impaired people there (the older relatives) so we can all take cabs together, but it would be nice to stay out late at the formal with the kids without hurting my foot.  It will kill me not to be able to run around the monuments, but so it goes.  It won't be the first time I haven't gotten to run during my travels.

Secondly, my Dad and I are supposed to climb Mt. Washington on Father's Day. I think we're both looking forward to the trip, and I would really like to heal properly by then.