Finally, A Weekend Off

It seems like we've been on the go forever. In reality, it's only been four weeks. Mt. Si was on our home turf, but took the entire day. Eugene and Vancouver took us from one end of Oregon, to the other end of Washington and into BC. Last weekend was home, but working the expo Friday and Saturday chewed up most of our free time. I am soooooo looking forward to a weekend at home. Although, really, it still won't be a normal weekend. We have a good-bye party for Amy Friday night - she's been assigned a new post - then Eric and Steve are running the 12-hour Watershed on Saturday with a goal of 62 miles or 12 hours, which ever comes first, then Saturday night is our friend's annual Hat Party, then Sunday we are going to yet another marathon to cheer on Rick and Cat. In fact, I don't see a stay-at-home, clean-the-house, lay-around weekend coming up until after Western States. One or the other of us will be on the go till we leave for California. Therefore, I decided not to go to the 12-hour race. I'm staying home, maybe doing a little cleaning and prepping some goodies for the party, and hopefully, laying around.

My recovery has gone exceptionally well. Last week, after Vancouver, I had a little tenderness up the inside of my calf, and a knot on the back of my calf. I rested it all week and ran the marathon relatively pain free - till I finished. Then it hurt and my walk became a hobble. I limped around that night, iced and rubbed it out. I repeated on Monday. By the end of Monday, I was feeling pretty hopeful, and by yesterday afternoon knew I'd give running a shot this morning. Rick and I went out for 3.5 easy miles. We walked a little extra to start, then began running - Rick said he didn't think it was going to happen - I was limping pretty good. I told him to hang on, I could feel it loosening up. About a half mile later, it felt pretty good. We finished out the run, I stretched and iced and I've been feeling good all day. Yay! I'll go three to five tomorrow morning and three tomorrow night at the track. I'm so ready to have my normal morning runs back.

The other news is that I am now officially a FOUR STAR MANIAC! I know you all knew it was coming...but it just made the chart today and I am excited. Eric is now officially a FIVE STAR MANIAC. Holy moly! I am going to state right here and now, that I expect to remain a four star maniac forever. I've looked and looked at the criteria for moving up and I just don't see it in my future. Check it out for yourself. I jumped straight from two stars to four - the three stars didn't get posted in the week between events.

My final note of the day. At the expo last week I did a little free screening with a chiropractor. She was able to find several tender spots on my upper back - right where I have trouble when my heart symptoms start. After some conversation, she thought that she might be able to help with the whole ribcage tightening, unable to breathe thing that happens. There was an expo bargain available, so I went for it. I've been twice this week - once for an extended screening, and today for the first adjustment. I've never been to a chiropractor, and haven't been sure if I really wanted to go, but I decided it was worth a shot. She continues to impress me by finding all the sore points without any input from me. She's not expecting me to come in more than about three to four weeks worth, and is giving me exercises to help open my chest up and take some of the roundness and stiffness from my upper back. I've never had great posture, and I know I spent three years kind of hunched over from constantly feeling sick and from having a tight chest all the time, which probably contributed to the stiffness. Anyway, I'm trying it and we will see if it helps.

Signing off from the shady side of the mountains, where the stars have accumulated, the runners are resting and the marathons are on pause.