retail therapy... and trying to get rid of the enemy

i had no idea that i lived about 10 minutes away from an Under Armour warehouse! Said warehouse is having a 2 day clearance and sample sale that I found out about this afternoon! I headed over there after I finished work today and it was a great way to end a crappy week.  I spent $145, but picked up 2 Cold Gear mock turtleneck shirts, a fleece Cold-Gear lined jacket, a UA Metal t-shirt, a sleeveless tech t-shirt, a pair of cute pink & white sandals and a running skort. Yes, it'll be a while before i can wear the skort and the sandles, but they were cute and $10 each.  

I think i'm getting my a$$ handed to me in the HBBC challenge.  It's been an off-week for me.

Monday was a planned off day after my 13k on the treadmill Sunday.  I ran Tuesday (5k), Wednesday (5k), and Thursday (7k), and also biked that same morning.  Had planned to do a kickboxing class, and some weights and yoga somewhere in there too, but with my Mac crashing, and kid stuff that needed to be dealt with, it never happened.

But I came back from my run with an all-too-familiar-feeling yesterday (yes Marci and Marlene, this is where your worries are valid).  My calves are tight, which they have been for the past few runs, but my shins are also sore. It's not a burning feeling like when I had my shin-splints, and doesn't bother me when I run.  I feel fine when I'm running, it's afterwards.  I stretch religiously after each run for a good 15 minutes.  

I even bought myself The Stick a few weeks ago to try to loosen up my calves, and while it has been helping, it's sore to the touch in specific spots on my shin, but usually only after a run. 

***If you are what I have a bad feeling you are... go away. You are not welcome here. I've already had to deal with you once, I've listened to all the advice, learned from my mistakes. I've been patient with recovery, missed races, incorporated cross-training, followed a 6 week return-from-injury program to the T, made sure that I'm in the right shoes for me, researched and changed my gait to improve my form, increased my calcium intake, stretched after each run.  I've had a bone scan to ensure my bone density levels are right, and they are. I have done everything right, why won't you just leave me alone! I do not want you to going to bother any of my other friends or RBF's to shatter their goals, and enjoyment, but I am not ok with you continuing to haunt me.  I am asking you kindly to change your outlook, try being positive and encouraging... rather than being so negative all the time. I'm appalled that you have the nerve to show up here again. You're ugly and I am really hating you right now.  You are my enemy.  Get lost.***

Today was another planned day off, and I am pushing, prodding, poking my shins (both legs this time, not just the left) all over, and can't feel a thing!  I iced last night, and did absolutely nothing today, other than the retail therapy.

I keep trying to convince myself that there is no way it's stress fractures again... with all that i've done right, how can it be?  But then the stupid voice in my head reminds me that by the time I had my x-rays done last time, there was already evidence of older, healed stress fractures.  I have no pain while running, but I must have had the same thing last time too, because not all runs till the point of diagnosis were bad runs?!  I ran a 15k race just 3 days before the xrays!  I am hoping that it's muscular, and that I am overreacting because I've already suffered an injury in the same spot.  If it was a stress fracture, I would think it would hurt when I pushed on it anytime...

I am walking 100%.  At the point of the worst pain last time, I had a very obvious limp, couldn't walk, cried when I went downstairs to tuck my son into bed one night, and felt like someone was hitting me in the shin with a hockey stick with each step. I am nowhere near that level of pain, so there's my optimism, but I'm scared boys and girls.

I talked about it to my son before anyone else last night, he responded my just giving me a hug. It's amazing how much he understands me. He knew that words weren't necessary.

Ironically, I will be seeing my chiropractor this weekend, but not for a treatment. He and his wife have invited us over for dinner on Sunday as a thank you for helping them move this summer, at which time I was in my air cast, and put together bed frames for their daughter's room and guest bedrooms like a champ!  No beds collapsed or fell apart, and no injuries were reported... maybe I am handy enough to screw my shoes like Marcy.... if, of course, there is any running left for me. :(

I promise to be careful, listen to my body, all that good stuff. The last thing I want to hear is that I am out for another 6+ weeks or perhaps forever if this is going to be chronic.  I will take it day by day and see how I feel. I will make my next run a short one, whether tomorrow, or after a few more days rest if I feel I need it, to see how I feel post-run.  I'm not happy right now at all.  I actually think I might cry, and my son is with his dad for the weekend, so no hug from him till Sunday.

Do you think it's too late to send a letter to Santa asking for strong, injury-proof legs? I've been good this year, I promise...

Good luck to Stuart, D10 and Hecubus racing this weekend.  Sorry if i've missed anyone!

***Sorry this is such a Debbie Downer post... I am just so sad and frustrated. I hated running as a child... figures now that I actually enjoy it, something always seems to go wrong...***