Dot-dot-dot...

R&R + chill pills (ie, TLC) - biking - swimming = a happy neck...or at least happier neck.

at the park last Fri with S's parents...was missing S though ;o)

After having a post-race meltdown a couple weeks ago upon realizing this season that never really started is prematurely ending, I think my neck/back is feeling slightly better...but still not 100%. When I am backing up while driving, my neck sort of lets me know it's not 100% yet...and also sometimes when I'm running, I look behind me to cross the path or road, and I [still] sort of need to turn my body + neck to fully see if a car or bike is coming.

James 1

Nice timing for our small group to study James in the Bible:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

I realize that this "trial" of mine pales in comparison to the vast number of trials going on in the world right now, but in my life, it definitely feels like a big trial & I know the Lord cares about it since He cares for me. :o)

The Brutal Facts...

I ran in another 5K last weekend and the result was another realization of a not-so-high level of fitness! Maybe it's my lack of training with any intensity for the past 5 months...
The Brutal facts:
swim: I can swim only 30 mins with low intensity before my neck starts to tweak.
bike: I have biked outside once in the past 5 months. I can use the indoor trainer up to 2 hours, but need to take small breaks every 30 mins to stretch out my neck and back.
run: I am at least 5 mins slower in a 10K right now than it takes to compete with the best.
In general, I'm not a huge goal-setting type person. I know the argument for setting specific goals: If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it. I somewhat agree but mostly disagree. [Blahblahblah...]
Okay now my opinion is clear on that :o)
I have revised my top 100 goals for this season: #s 1 - 100: Get Healthy! (revision = perhaps no racing)

the camera setting was on sports action...(failed!) hehe.

my body felt like a fireball, too bad my time didn't reflect one ;o)

blue toe & back tape is IN this summa! :o)

My little piggy is feeling much better! ...After 2 weeks of looking rotten (purple, green-blue), fat, & feeling sore, she held up for a 40 minute jog! Woohoo! She still got a nice ice bath post-run, but boy is it fun to be able to jog in the heat again! :o)

Still waiting...

a little OWS at Keystone Lake

Every day, I get a little better...as I simultaneously take leaps backwards...
Just when I'm able to spend a little longer on the trainer and swim a little more, I somehow dislocated &/or broke my toe. [Insert (more) vibes of frustration] 
As un-smart as it sounds, I still don't know exactly how I accomplished this, although I do know that my little piggy toe got hooked on a rock in our yard as I was going from the car to the front door Sat night...and pulled it back/sideways...and about 2 minutes later, I was on the couch holding ice to my foot and taking an extra anti-inflammatory pill...
We started laughing at how bad it looked, which led to me crying about it when I fully realized that the one thing that I could work hard at right now (ie, running) was going to (also) be impossible. I thought about posting a pic of my purple toe/blue-green foot, but I'm sure you'd rather just take my word for it ;o)
The pic is from Keystone Lake (pre-toe-catastrophe), where my hopes of using a snorkel [to reduce neck stress while breathing] were dashed when the snorkel broke as I was putting it on my head...So I decided to try it with my goggles, which...worked better on land ;o)
Stephen read the cyberknife manual while I swam...and then he joined me at the end for a bit :o)

Good News from MRI Results!

I don't need surgery, I'm just reeeeeally tight. Thank goodness!
My injury probably goes something like this:
I pinched a nerve in my neck 4 months ago...and during the first month of recovery (when I could barely move), all my muscles got even tighter and more knotted...I also somehow got a rib to pop out of place...so then my nerve heals, my rib is pushed back into its correct spot, & I start getting back into training, but my muscles continue spasming...so I let up, not wanting to force anything, and catering to the decreased range of motion for fear that I'm pressing against my spinal cord...but maybe all this time (ie, 3.5 months after my nerve healed), I have just needed a series of deep tissue work + PT + ART + chiro. The Dr. also gave me a prescription pain killer/anti inflammatory.
I'm thankful that it's not more serious! :o)

Tick....Tock....Tick....

I went to the sport med doc earlier this week...He took x-rays and found that my neck was as straight as a board = not good! ...means that there are some muscle spasms holding it that way...so, off to the MRI machine I went...

It's supposed to have a natural curve. I should measure myself - maybe I'm 5'10" now! ha.

Now, I am waiting to hear back from the doc about the results from the MRI...hopefully tomorrow! He will be on vacation all next week, so if he doesn't return any of my calls tomorrow about the results, I think I might go on vacation with him & his family to find out what's going on with my back/neck! (just like Bob in the movie What About Bob?) hehe.
...well...seriously.