Ready to Run

Sitting on the trainer: Beans decided to jump up on me during a cycling session. Luckily, I was cooling down at this point.

Reasons I need to get back to running:

1. Sparta has too much energy and won't listen to me anymore. I need to take her down a few notches.

2. P.T. clinicals are stressful and nothing beats stress for my like a good run.

3. I have done so much lifting this winter that my body looks more like that of a bodybuilder than a triathlete.

4. Running doesn't require me to have to go to the gym (at least usually), I can leave from my front door.

5. I have races that I want to do this summer (Enough said!)

6. There is nothing like that new running shoe smell.

I'm definitely a little stir-crazy right now. The weather has been unusually mild here in Michigan for February. Most of the snow and ice disappeared last week with the 60 degree(!!!) temperatures. I am SO ready to get back to running. In fact, I'm finding it difficult to keep my feet stuck to the ground. When I'm walking (in the evening, for instance, when I'm walking to the gym and it's dark and no one can see) I find myself sometimes trying to break into a job. Rather it is a cross between a hop and a race walking shuffle. Most of my antics though have been taking place in the pool where I can hop around all I want because it isn't placing any pressure on my joints. I've been just goofing around so far but I am planning on starting some serious pool running next week because I am tired of the stupid elliptical machine.

I probably could start running now. I'm 5 months out of surgery. However, I do still have some stiffness and a slight amount (almost unrecognizable) swelling in my knee. Another month and that should be all gone. I also haven't gotten the okay from my doctor to do it and he told me in the beginning- 6 months. I plan on running for a long time on this knee so if it needs another month, that is what it gets. I'm looking long term at this situation. So it is a countdown right now to March 16 when I see him again.

I'm just feeling so much better. I can kneel and sit on my heels now. Joan, my clinical instructor, gave me the idea to sit with a towel underneath my knees in order to gap the knee joint a little more and stretch out the scar tissue.

(Seated Warrior Pose, I believe it's called)

I feel that I official have a herd of cats. This weekend, we are watching the cat of one of Aaron's coworkers. We originally found Oliver at a park last year but Aaron did not want another cat at the time (notice that I said Aaron) and we gave him away. He has turned out to be a very friendly and gets along really well with the rest of the brood. Sparta, a herding dog herself, takes her duties seriously of finding each and everyone one of them and nudges them out from under the bed or out from behind the furniture.

The one and only Oliver (glaring at Sparta)