why bother, Pooh....

I'm slightly gloomified today. Part of that is probably because I worked overtime this week; Wednesday and Thursday were both over 10 hour days, and I'm tired. But there are a couple of things that bummed me out today......

(1) I went for a walk with a client yesterday, because kids generally will open up a lot more if you're walking with them. I don't know why, but it's true, and it was a beautiful day, and the client was saying she felt cooped up, so I suggested a walk. Right after I did, I remembered I'm not supposed to do extra walking, but I've been feeling better, so I shrugged it off. By the end of the day, I was almost limping again. Not quite, but I was in some pain, and I was in some pain when I woke up this morning.

(2) I asked the PT if I was crazy for wanting to run a half in three weeks. He said yes. I asked if I'll be running at that point. He said maybe walk/jogging. I asked if I could walk/jog a half marathon. He said maybe. But I don't know that I want to walk/jog a race, and furthermore, I don't know if my stubborn competitive (with myself) brain would let me.

(3) They have this pump and run event before the Pig, either (a) for people to be able to deduct time off their race time for every successful rep (not officially, just for the purposes of the contest) or (b) for injured people or non-runners. I checked it out online and thought that maybe I could do one of the non-running events, if nothing else - the pump/run/row, or the gauntlet (which adds on incline situps with an 8 lb medicine ball, jump rope, and step-ups - the latter two, of course, I can't practice). However, today I tried to see if I could bench/curl the weight I would have to do for the "pump" part. Not. Even. Close. Well, the curl is maybe close. Not the bench. I know it's more for the weightlifting types, and I do high rep/low weight strength training, but still. Something else I can't do.

Just call me Eeyore now.

There is good news, which I'm trying to keep in mind. I can elliptical now. I hate the elliptical, but it means I can squeeze in a workout when I'm pressed for time, since I don't have to go to the gym - the apartment complex has an elliptical. I actually made up a 30-minute circuit training workout - 5 minutes of elliptical, 5 one-minute reps of various strength training exercises, repeat - holy mother of god, that kicked my butt. The other good news is I can bike. I tried the stationary bike at the gym and it didn't hurt. This weekend the weather will be awesome, and if I can't run, I can probably bike as long as it doesn't start bothering anything.

The other good news is that I can balance on my bad leg now, something I haven't been able to do because it previously felt like it would snap under me. And the PT let me do the leg press machine, one of my favorites. I couldn't load it up with weights and show off (because that's probably my best weight machine, go team thunder thighs), but it's one more thing that's not verboten now. (Well, ok. As the PT made it clear, I can do it UNDER THEIR SUPERVISION. And there is no showing off in PT land.)

Oh, one more piece of good news - I have a great PT. He's funny and motivating and self-depricating about the fact that he's the same height as I am (and btw, I'm not very tall!) So at least I like going to see him, and I feel like he's really helping. Not a damn thing in the world can make this injury heal faster, but they're helping everything else get stronger.

I'll be happy when the Pig is over, one way or another, because it's HUGE around here and it's a bit stressful to think about. Right now, all I can do is retain my cardio fitness and sanity every way I can.