RUN LNG

Today I ran. I ran in Forest Park for the second consecutive day. I've identified the cause of my running depression--injuries. The runner's knee is bad...kneecap hurts most of the day and especially when walking down stairs or running after Owen in a nursery environment. The back of the knee also hurts which prohibits me from sitting Indian-style (Ben, is that un-PC? I'm serious. Let me know) or kneeling, which is not good when dealing with two munchins. I've also developed some slight hamstring pain in both legs.

So during the first half of yesterday's run I held myself a pity party, and surprisingly enough, no one attended. Last night I got serious with my trigger point therapy and am happy to report a decrease in pain, although it is still there. My inability to reach running nirvana is depressing, but I can't just wallow in it anymore.

The biggest problem is that I want to go for long distances and go over 10 miles. That's when I feel the greatest sense of accomplishment and endorphins. These piddly 35 to 40 minute JOGS drive me batty sometimes.

So.

I am running through the pain. I will get a massage and continue strenuous trigger point therapy (the shit is for real, yo. I'm not kidding.) for my back, legs and knee. I will take control of my own running destiny (cue the Rocky music please).

After I churned out my (slow) run on the trail today, I was driving home and the license plate on the car in front of me read: RUN LNG. And I thought, "Ok, you bastard. I will run long. And I will like it."

Random notes:

• Today is day one of operation bathing suit. Why didn't I start yesterday? Well, because I had to bake chocolate chip cookies to take over to the new neighbor to welcome her and also tell her the fucking German Shepherd that has been visiting her had taken TWO shits on my front lawn. Nice.
• Tomorrow I am running with a person I DON'T EVEN KNOW. She is a friend of my neighbor mommy friend. Get this: she's shorter than me. Totally. She will kick my ass on the trail, but you know what? I don't even care!
• I am taking the boys to the East Coast for one month this summer and I'm already having nightmares about the flight.
  
• I read a great running book: Strides by Benjamin Cheever. Very cute. I'm also re-reading Once a Runner...trying to get my groove back, you know.