Running Hiatus?

I pulled up my blog this morning and had the royal wedding post staring back at me, and realized that I had not posted anything since last Friday.  OOPS!!  It seems like the wedding of Will and Kate was forever ago, what with all that has gone on in the past few days.

We are still suffering from the effects of TOO MUCH RAIN.  Our ground is saturated, rivers are flooded, and spirits are damp.  My sister Jessica’s school has been out for going on two weeks now due to flooding.  It is really sad to see so much devastation from so much water.  So it makes me seriously happy that the sun is back to shining the past couple of days because the dreary, rainy weather was really starting to get to all of us.  Bring on the sunshine, please!!!

On the running front, I’m afraid that it has been non-existent since last Friday.  In a new-ish development, both of my lower legs are pretty achy and hurting.  Now I have noticed this on-and-off for the past month or so, but the past week has been very noticeable.  I stepped on the treadmill on Monday morning and after walking for a minute or two, thought I’d get up to a jog and just see how it felt…YEOUCH!!  Um no.  No running.  Period.  The impact hurt so bad.  And I was frustrated.  And a little sad. 

And no this picture is not me, obviously.  But this is where is hurts (fronts and backs) on both legs. (source)

And just to tell you how much sympathy I get around here…In telling my brother that my legs hurt, he responded “Well it’s about time!”  Hahahaha!  He said it with humor, and it really did make me laugh.   After 7 years of running and a bazillion miles on these legs, this is the first time I have ever dealt with anything like this.  Good one, Matt!

So after Googling everything from shin splints, to stress fractures, to compartment syndrome, to bone metastasis (because that’s what every cancer patient does), I did what I should have done very first…emailed my doctor.  His response: “First- It doesn’t sound like cancer.  Second- Unusual to have stress fractures simultaneously in both legs.”  Great on both accounts!

SO- He moved my appointment up a week (I was scheduled for a checkup next Friday) and scheduled me for a bone scan this Friday.  I am very ready to see what’s going on.  I’m betting on a good case of shin splints, but because of all the running and activity I do, I need to make sure that I don’t have any kind of stress fractures going on.  I know that they can sneak up on you and once they do, you are sidelined for a long while…something I definitely DON’T want.  So we shall see!

In my running hiatus I am getting my heart pumping in other ways, because this girl knows how important it is for ALL of us to get some daily exercise but especially for us cancer survivors it can be life-saving.  I have been doing exercises that don’t bother my legs too much and have less impact than pounding the pavement.  I’ve done some kickboxing, lots of squats and lunges, some ab work, and just other low-impact floor aerobics – which make me feel like I’m straight out of an 80’s Jane Fonda workout.  I feel like I need to go put on a leotard when I do those!  Ha!  But I’m sweating when I’m done so mission accomplished.

I’m off for now.  See y’all later!

xoxo