i can't decide anymore...

if you would have asked me last year, I was all about running.  Other than some weight training, I did little exercise other than running.

This year I bought a bike, and most recently, started swimming.  Now I'm not so sure I have a clear favorite anymore!  All 3 are so different, so much fun, and I've been loving the variety!

Friday I went to the pool.... 30 laps, 1500 meters.  That's 1.5 kms!!!! I don't think I've ever swam that much in my life!  Especially all at once! LOL Oh!  And I bought a swim cap and goggles.  I was thinking -- everyone sorta looks the same with a cap and goggles on... your identity is sorta lost... weird.

This morning, I woke up to go cheer on Marlene and the rest of my running group with their 10k zoo run. I had the best of intentions, but my car on the other hand had other plans; second frost of the year, and my car decides it doesn't want to start.  So that provided a 20 minute delay when if finally gave in to my persistence.

Got off the highway towards the zoo; cars, and lots of 'em.  None were moving either.  The race had already started 30 minutes ago, by the time I get into the parking lot, if there is parking left, I'm sure I would have missed everyone I wanted to see.  So I turned around.

I did not want to spend the day in a mall or indoors at all, so I put my bike in the car, dressed up warm, and parked on a residential street off a country road.  This is not a road I've been on before... I didn't realize it would be so hilly!!  But it proved to be a great workout, and very scenic.  I think I found an area where royalty lives... cuz the houses out there! Damn. They were n-i-c-e.  I got to the end of the road, which led to a highway, so i just turned around and rode back to my car.  Turned out to be a quick 1hr ride, 24k.  Most of me wanted to continue, but I didn't fuel properly for this ride, didn't anticipate the wind or the hills, and I didn't have any beans, or gels with me, so I didn't want to get too far away from my car in a neighborhood that I wasn't familiar with in case I started to fade.  I get very cranky and feel like crap when my blood sugar drops... I hate the feeling.

Since I had my bike in the car, I just happened to go home where I'd pass by a bike store we stopped in at last week.... where I saw some very cool tri-bars ;)   However, there's a huge bike show at the Exhibition this weekend, so they were closed.  Oh well.  Another day.

Yay! I've been doing 5min walk/5min run intervals for the last week. Tomorrow will be 3min walk/7min run, and no more 2 days rest... will be starting every other day for 2 weeks, after which I 'll start back to back running days.

Has any of you readers had stress fractures, or other injuries?  I have been taking it very slowly, and followed the docs advice.  He gave me the ok to start running again after seeing a clear x-ray, tapping my bone, etc.  My first two runs were pain-free -- even afterwards.  My third run, which was thursday, was also pain free, but was a bit tender a few hours after my run where I had the stress fracture.  Nothing major, didn't cause any discomfort walking, or anything, but I admit it sorta worried me.  I iced, and the next day was fine again. Once in a while, I get a faint achy feeling for a moment, then it goes away, even while just sitting around.  It's not a sharp pain, and it doesn't last.  No pain while walking.  Can still jump up and down on my left leg.  Is it just in my head?  Is it just to remind me not to get overly confident, and to continue taking things slow?  A reminder that it's still healing?

I googled it a bit, and some of the info I found suggested the following

• running muscles weren't being used the same way for 6 weeks, getting re-accustomed
• the surface of the bone is rough where the healed stress fracture are; muscles are being aggravated when rubbing over the rough area, the bone will eventually smooth itself out

I expect some tenderness, but do not want another 6 weeks off again ever... anyone have any thoughts?  Am I just panicking? I will see how I feel after tomorrow's run, will ice after my run regardless of how I feel, and thought about booking an appt with my sports injury doc for monday just to get a quick treatment in for preventive maintenance... Sigh... I feel like a car in constant need of a tune-up :)

Tomorrow I'm heading downtown to see 2 friends run in the Toronto Marathon... keeping my fingers crossed that my car cooperates in the morning :)