I'm ok with that

The injury report:

I am finally able to walk - most of the time - without a noticeable limp. If I walk too long, or if I sit too long and then try to walk, it comes back, but it's fading. Yesterday's yoga class helped immensely. I hobbled in, yoga teacher took one look at me and said, "Oh no. What did you do?" Without me having to ask, yoga teacher busted out every leg stretch she had, and after an hour, I walked (NOT hobbled) out of class.

Did I mention that I've discovered that yoga is pretty much a necessity for runners, far as I can tell??

Today, I went to the chiropractor for the first time (well, second since I saw him at the injury clinic.) He got to see the limp, since I'd been sitting for a minute before he came in. He asked when my next run was. I said it was supposed to be tonight. "NOT tonight," was the response. No, definitely not. I asked if I could do spin class instead. He said, "I'm ok with that."

That is his line. He is quite deadpan about it. Should I be foam rolling? "I'm ok with that." Here, inspect my running shoes. "I'm ok with those." I'm going to come up with more things for him to be ok with just to see how many times I can get him to say it. (I am way too amused when people have their own catchphrases.)

I can't tell you exactly what he's doing to me. Husband asked me and I stammered through it. He is, far as I can tell, stretching and loosening every single muscle fiber that attaches to my shin bones. And then he used a metal device on the back of my shins that hurt in a very good way. He kept telling me to let him know if it was too painful. (a) it really wasn't, and (b) I would endure pretty much any amount of temporary pain on earth if it means I can enjoy running again.

Besides, don't ask the patient with four tattoos, multiple piercings and a missing toenail if something is too painful. It probably won't be.

They gave me some stretches, which I did before and after spin class. Spin class was definitely not the same as a freeing outdoor run, but it did feel good to get some cardio. Anything out of the saddle was more painful than it needs to be, so after an hour with no breaks, my butt is thoroughly sore. As for the rest of me, while I still hurt, my shins feel a LOT looser than they did before. That's probably good.

The endorphin rush, I think, was enough to keep me from going crazy, as I've been pretty close to doing lately. Running is my main source of stress relief, confidence, and relaxation. Without it, I've been an insecure, neurotic, overreactive hot crazy mess. I feel like I'm beginning to understand drug addicts in a small way. When I thought of that this morning, I realized that I might seriously consider prostitution if I could somehow use the money to buy bionic shins and have the best long run ever.

This is how crazy I get when I can't run, people. (And I've been watching too much Police Women of Cincinnati.)

The good news: the doc not only says I can run Thursday, but he WANTS me to run Thursday, after I see him. Eep. I'm both thrilled and terrified at the prospect. I really don't want nearly three more days of barely being able to walk in the aftermath. If the doc's confident, I'm confident, but the nagging voice says that doctors can be wrong, and I'll be the case that will never heal despite his best efforts. I may never run again! < /drama>

Scratch that. Doc's confident. I'm just crazy. At least until I can run again.