Minor League Ouch

Welcome, it is time for out weekly installment of Aches & Pains : Whinging About Stuff that Hurts. It's a nice time for a break from all that wacky positive self-talk. Let's dive right in.

-Saturday is my cross training day. I hate cross training, because that usually means I have to go to the gym. I really hate the gym. Last Saturday I used the stationary bike for half an hour. It wasn't much fun, especially because the only thing on TV was that Lifetime movie about Amy Fisher starring Alyssa Milano. I kind of wanted to light myself on fire.
This past Saturday, I decided I didn't want to go to the gym and that I'd be "lazy" and stay home and do a kettlebell circuit for 30 minutes while watching the Red Sox get their arses handed to them. That's basically 30 straight minutes of minor squatting and swinging around 15 solid pounds of iron. Throw in some pushups and lunges and stuff, and you know what you get two days later? That's right, Tight Biker Shorts of Pain. I had a good 4 mile run on Sunday, but that didn't really help the TBSoP sitch. Currently I am hobbling around like an old cowboy. Stretching would probably be a good idea, I should get on that.

-Tuesday on my schedule says "2 miles or cross". So today I strapped on my trusty backpack again and ran to work. Boy, was it a perfect morning for a run. Sunny, cool, breezy. The problem is, I can not run in the morning. That worries me in and of itself, but is a discussion for another time. Anyway, I rolled my L.A. out of bed this morning, threw on my clothes and backpack, had some iced coffee and set off. It was tough. Yes, my 2-mile run is the toughest run of the week. Maybe because I had a backpack on, maybe because of the TBSoP, maybe because I had the wind in my face the ENTIRE WAY, maybe because I kept running past people walking around in their work clothes and wanted them to think I was badass so I ran faster than I should. It. Was. Harrrrd. To add insult to injury, I totally ate pavement right in front of South Station in the middle of the biggest crowd of suits ever. I did my best not to look at any of them and just got up and kept running. Urgh. My palms are all skinned.

-My knees are starting to bother me. I'm a bit oversensitive to pain since I started running, because I've historically had a habit of ignoring stuff until it turns out I have two sprained wrists or pneumonia or whatnot. So every time I have a twinge, the referee in my brain throws a flag on me faster than I can blink. I don't want to develop knee problems. I also don't want to have to buy new shoes every two months, which is what seems to help every time the knees start wimping out.

-Speaking of shoes, mine are too small and they make my toes go numb. I'm okay with this because I'm in the minority and like my shoes to fit small, especially in the forefoot. My feet are tiny, delicate flowers made of bones and stuff and they like to be cradled closely in the confines of high tech mesh and foam and not sliding all around in a "roomy toe box". My Asics are the same size as my street shoes (7) which I believe is somewhat unusual for running shoes. I'll probably go up a half size on my next pair.

-Also my back hurts and I think I'm coming down with a cold. And I have to go to the dentist today. Wah.