Each Day Is a Gift

This morning while contemplating what to do, Karen texted me:  "No messages yet from you ladies.  Are we bagging running today?  Is it too nice and warm in bed?.... :)"  Yah, should've stayed lazily in the warm and cozy bed!  Hubby and I ran to meet Karen.  Wendy went to clean the temple.  At least one of us is industrious!  Haha!!! :)

With two days of no running I thought the knee is good to go.  Nope!... at mile 2 it started to nag, then when I stopped for a mere 2 seconds to wait for Karen to get a little rock out of her shoe, the knee hurt immediately when I started back up.  It was ok for the remainder of the run (avoided any decline/downhill or sudden stopping).  Passed the house just a little shy of 7 miles so I kept going (silly OCD!)  Then I immediately stopped running as soon as the Garmin says 7 miles and proceeded to walk home.  WHAM!!!  I was hit with a sharp pain and had to limp home (thankfully it was only 0.15 mile)! :(  When I reached the garage I wanted to stretch the quads but couldn't bend the knee without pain.  Aaaaagh!!!! :( :( :(

Changed clothes quickly and went to the pool with hubby.  Karen got there before us. The limping really slow things down, lol :)  Spent 45 min practicing drills and swam 4 laps. 

Myrtle 10 reps. 

Goucher/Flanagan core w/ Swiss ball. 

Pfitz's CSE. 

So I want to be a good girl and refrained from running or any exercise that might aggravate the injury. Went to the pool only to have it overtaken by busloads of Jr High kids! Sigh! I was able to practice TI drills at the shallow end of the regular pool. I could feel the tugging ache even with just flutter kick (very little knee bend).

Karen was so kind! She asked what I'd like to do afterward, spin or water aerobics! I didn't think the knee would let me spin and didn't feel like doing water aerobics. Trying really hard to be positive and think of what I CAN do... Sigh!

AM:

30 min elliptical.

Walk 1 mile on TM at 3-5 incline.

Myrtle

3 circuits Pftiz's CSE.

Goucher/Flanagan CSE.

Foam roll.

PM: TI drill

Walked with Wendy and Diane meandering east thru the 28th, 23rd, 33rd wards to 1200 E then north onto Canal Trail where we crossed path with Karen running with Sky. Turned south thru 45th and 43rd wards back to "bishops lane" to Diane's house and thru 400E in the middle of 8th ward, our ward! I LOVE the people in my Stake! :)

The morning started with a light misty fog, then the sun peeked over the mountains and clouds. What a beautiful sight: snow capped mountains against a crisp blue sky, calm, clean air and mild temp. Is it really Dec? I LOVE living here!:)

Every 2nd Thursday of the month my friends of 33+ years meet and attend the temple and have lunch in the temple cafeteria together. Every Dec (today) we (there're 8 of us) have our Christmas luncheon at Cathy's house after the temple. We have been doing this for nearly 20 years. Such dear and abiding friendship is a precious blessing! We all moved to the same neighborhood as young mothers, shared each others' joy and sorrow, watched over each others' children, served and grew together! Most of us have moved away but every time we meet at Cathy's (who still lives there) we feel that special love, remember the wonderment and joy of those years and beloved hearths and homes! We feel as though we have not aged, just our children have grown. Today in the prayer and blessing of the food, Nancy said: "...and we are so thankful that our husbands are still with us!". We let out an affirmative Amen followed by huge smiles!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

I was SO excited about the prospect of running this morning that I woke up before 6 and just laid there quietly so as not to wake hubby. A few min. later I sneaked out of bed and got a whole bunch of morning chores done. Kissed hubby goodbye to let him know I'm meeting Karen and Wendy...then out the door I ran like a kid on Christmas morning! :) Naughty but nice! :)

We ran east to Alpine greeted by a beautiful sunrise! It was a bit breezy but running uphill felt wonderful! We stopped at the everflowing fountain to drink and gu. The return trip was fine until we hit the downhill...the entire right lower leg was NOT happy! When we stopped at the traffic light briefly and resumed running across the Timp. Hwy my knee really complained! Stink!!! The last mile home was tough. Wendy's neuroma was bothering her too so was Karen's heel. We were quite a happy hurting trio! :).

Foam roll and stretch but no ice massage because I was freezing! :/

Went to the outlet mall to do some Christmas shopping. Legs felt like I've run a marathon. Sitting for a late lunch made the knee hurt bad! I am going to be horizontal while I fold laundry and watch movies this evening! :)

45 min practice TI swim drills! Could feel slight tug on the right leg laterally.

Viewing and funeral of an elect lady of 101 years old, the mother of our Stake's patriot. She looked as beautiful as when she was a young bride just a few more wrinkles! Her husband passed away 7 years ago. Together they left an amazing legacy. I still chuckled over the tidbit of their honeymoon and their first home was completely paid for...it was a tent in Boulder City where her husband was engineer working on the Hoover Dam! At the age of 85 she hiked the Angel's Landing with her family! Back in the 1930s she and family did lots of camping and hiking. She collected rocks and built a "rock monument" in one of the canyons in southern Utah. Years later other hikers added more rocks to that monument! Reminds me of "Charlie's Monument". I love all the stories she used to tell me of her life...simple, carefree, industrious, and always adventurous! :). She was truly an example of one who loves life, her family, the Lord and epiphany of what it means to endure to the end! :)