I Feel Your Pain

This morning started as most Mondays have of late ... run to the Y, lift, swim, run home. But the swim was a little bit different today ... it turned emotional. I'd been swimming about 30 minutes when Leslie got in the lane next to me. She'd not been in the pool in quite some time. She broke her collar bone in September and this was her first time back in the water since surgery. She showed me her 4-5" scar and said she had a plate and a pin in there. We chatted for a few minutes (I love her Aussie accent!) about returning to our chosen activities after injury, feeling as she put it "chubby and blech" after utilizing poor substitutes for our chosen activities. She was cleared to swim but was nervous about it. I understood. After swimming another 2 lengths, I saw her walking in her lane. After another few lengths, we were both on the far end of the pool. I could tell by having looked at her take a few strokes that she was having a hard time getting her arm around properly as she didn't have full range of motion. She was hanging on the edge and I turned to look at her. She was all choked up and tears were ready to spill from her eyes. She said she was sorry. I got choked up myself. She had no reason to apologize. I knew exactly how she felt. Worried about re-injury. Worried that she would never return to her "old self". Frustrated at not being able to start just where she left off. I reached over the lane divider and gave her a hug as the tears did literally spill from her eyes and told her I knew exactly how she felt. I did. I totally understood her pain and frustration having just visited The Land of Pain, Frustration, Isolation, "Chubbiness", and still am there to some extent. I hope I was able to give her some comfort and reassurance.

Progress on the lifting front: I can now squat 10 reps of 280 pounds. This is doing nothing to make my thighs/quads any smaller ...

At noon, I delivered the chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies to the Y.

Jim Benike, KC Reed, Dan Edwards, Jim Martinson, Don Gabrielson

Don has a big contraption on his finger. I think he got bit by a dog, had surgery, but it didn't heal properly so now has this "thing" on it and he has to add rubber bands to it.

Then Shaun Palmer came by to collect his cookies. Talk turned to the election and his run for City Council. Hope he wins!

Just as we were leaving for our 4-mile run, Sara and Joe Ryan ran up up the Y.

It was a good day for greeting running buds ... no doubt as it was a beautiful day. Greeted on the run: Kathy Kenny, Bill Volkmar, Ken Persons (who asked if I was still running as we waved at each other as I was running home from the Y in the AM), and back at the Y, Joey Keillor. We chatted for quite a while. He was headed to the track to do speedwork. I'd also seen him roller skiing yesterday out on West Circle Drive.

Then I ran to the Government Center to renew my drivers' license. Always the quandary ... what do I put for my weight on my license? What I really weigh (I don't actually know ... it's too depressing to think about stepping on the scale)? What I wish I weighed? What I think I weigh? I went with what I think I weigh and I think it's pretty close. Realistic, anyway. Total mileage: 6.12 (plus 4 in the AM).

Happy 50th Birthday today to Stacey Edwards. :-) You wear 50 years well, Stacey.

This afternoon I made a trip to Sam's Club. I think my purchases were very healthy.

 Well, mostly.

But the m&ms will go ONLY in cookies ... and given away. :-)

I hear that Randy Moss is a goner. Well, that didn't last long, did it? But I guess you've got to keep your trap shut and if you don't ... well, you're a goner.

Got my Boston Marathon confirmation card in the mail today. Coral and race number assignment happen in the spring.

There's a poll on the Team R.E.D. site to determine what our "costumes" will be for the Living History Farms race on November. Looks to be either tutus or superhero underwear. Either way it'll be interesting.

I've now surpassed 5000 cookies in my 2010 cookie count. Yowza. That's a lot of butter, sugar, flour, eggs, chocolate, nuts, ... So far, George Huston is closest with 6010 for his prediction. I'll be making more cookies this week. Michelle S. (from TX) asked me to make some cookies for her daughter's 6th birthday on Friday. She's going to take them to TX to her daughter's class. I'm honored to make them.

Jean told me about a Chocolate Run in the Chicago area this weekend. 5K and 15K. What a perfect combination ... running AND chocolate. :-) She gave me her copy of our book club's next book ... The Girls from Ames. It's at my house so I HAVE to get it read. That's going to be a challenge. I don't watch TV, and have a really hard time getting any reading done unless I'm on the Stairmaster, and that lends itself best to magazines, not books or newspapers. Maybe I'll do some reading on my road trip.

I made a stop at JCPenney. I love a bargain and I'm not opposed to coupons. I had 3: $10 off a $10 purchase, $15 off a $15 purchase (and this one could be combined with other offers), and $10 off a $25 purchase. So I got this stuff for a total of $8.97...

A pink nightshirt covered with cupcakes (frumpy? I suppose but it's cute and it'll be warm), capris for running and a breast cancer T-shirt. Retail: $78 (but I never pay full price for anything at JCPenney, Kohls, ...) But still, I love a bargain. Or at least I love it when I THINK I'm getting a bargain. :-)

Then it was on to Hiller's to get some carpet samples. I need to replace the family room carpet. It's a berber. Berber can still be purchased but it's more formal looking now (the carpet is 19 years old) ... the new stuff is solid colored and the patterns are more structured. I'm going to go with a frissee (sp?) I think. Doesn't show footprints, vaccuum tracks, etc. like a plush and doesn't look formal like the new berbers. I just have to decide on a color.

At long last (7:00) ... supper. A fully loaded spinach salad and a hunk o'bread.

Time to hit the Stairmaster. Go. Be. Do.