Okay new plan

Yesterday....love was such an easy game to play... (stop it Beatles, get out of my head!) 

Eh hem!  Starting over. 

Yesterday... I cried.  Oh how I cried.  The tears started when I was half way home from my failed run and didn't stop for nearly an hour.  I was defeated both physically and mentally.

Running isn't fun when I can't do it for more than 3-5 minutes at a time before my tibialis anterior shin muscles cramp up with a burning, sharp pain.  Why would I want to run if it hurts so much?  I thought perhaps I should take up biking instead.  Or swimming!  Or any other lower impact "sport". 

How would I tell Terra?  She'd kill me!  haha  And Ragnar....I think Kelvin would kill me too.  He did say I couldn't get out of it.  ;O)

I didn't care how much money I'd spent on the races for 2011 though.  Or my equipment.  I was finished.

So where does this leave me?   Am I a quitter?  Yes.  :)  But not on this. 

Today I have a plan!  After a terrible night's sleep (blah) but then drinking a bunch of coffee (oh how I love thee Tassimo!  First a caramel latte then a triple shot espresso and now a double shot cappuccino...) combined with watching Doctor Who (David Tennant!  Four episodes into season 2 and I want to have his babies...) makes my brain start to click with a plan.   Oh yes, another ice fix this morning on my legs (shins, calves and achilles, oh my!) and some Doctor Hoy's pain relief gel definitely helped as well.

The plan:

Our bodies were made to run.  I just have 35 years of no running (well...pretend the Junior High and High School running years didn't happen) so of course this last year of running will take its course on my body. 

Why am I freaking out?  Yes my first half is 3 weeks away, but it's not like I can't take a little rest right now.  R.I.C.E.  Rest, Ice, Compression & Elevation.   I'm failing at the elevation...  But I have the other three down.  

• Resting = taking a few days off and then will start up again slowly.  Worst case scenario is I only get a 10 mile run in before the half.  I'm sure I can somehow push myself three more miles and just crawl across the finish line.
• Ice = We covered that.  I have lots of Ice Sticks in the freezer! 
• Compression = In a little bit I'll wear my compression sleeves but I have the Doctor Hoy's working right now. 
• Elevation = Hmmm, I could just put my legs up and make Josh wait on me.... *click click click click* 

I'm also taking low doses of ibuprofen and am working on my calves.   They are most likely my culprit.  Yes, I know, that doesn't make sense.   Shouldn't my calves hurt?  They do...but not enough to stop me from running.  However, they are She-Ra, Princess of Power strong.  Very tight and very strong - so much that when I run they tighten up which then pulls both my achilles and tibialis anterior muscle tight.   Hence the sharp, sharp pain that brings me to tears. 

I'm thinking of seeing a sports medicine doctor.  The issue there is I will only have insurance for two more weeks and then I start a new job with a 30 day waiting period.  So I'll look into it now but then if I can't get an appointment soon, I'll just have to wait until May.  That's not terrible.  As long as I can, hopefully, get this under control before I seriously hurt myself AND before the Ragnar in June.

Any suggestions for a doctor is appreciated.  :)   If it's pre-new job then I'll want to go to TOSH most likely.  If it's after...well, my insurance will change. So, I'll have to evaluate.

I know I need to shorten my gait, relax more when running and well...chill out.  There's also barefoot running...but the problem with that is it is a lot harder on your calves and arches in the beginning and well, that's where I'm having pain.  So that's for another year to consider. 

Where does this leave me?  Out of my double shot cappucinno but feeling more confident that this too shall pass.   And I'll be fine.  Right?  RIGHT?  Oh please be right.