Recuperating from a hip stress fracture and groin injury the last month and a half has been no picnic. I hear it has been hard on my family and those closest to me as well. Apparently I whine. I whine a lot. What can I say? I am a busy mom who was forced off my feet during a rather busy and stressful time in the life of my circus. I coped the best way that I knew how…I whined and bitched and moaned and groaned. Thankfully, those who love me best managed to forgive me or at the very least not take me out back and put me down.

So now six weeks after the initial injury while running a half marathon, I am finally on the mend with results that I can see and appreciate. I’m off the crutches and able to walk and ride a bike with what can only be described as tolerable pain meaning if I managed to birth four babies I can surely handle this. I can also appreciate the teensy-weensy gains in strength and flexibility thanks to three times weekly physical therapy sessions. Perhaps someday I will be able to sit cross-legged again. It is there that I have learning a lot about this classic overuse injury and how I can prevent it because, yes, I can’t wait to get the green light to run again. There are more half marathons this year that I am looking forward to running.

As I start to get back on the road again, I’m fortunate to have a very capable, very knowledgeable, very patient physical therapist. She is as sweet as can be which is part of her charm…and that charm of hers distracts me, disarms me while she puts my body through what I am certain are the most sadistic of exercises. She seems to enjoy it a little too much too. You know back in the day when I was in high school trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up, I thought a physical therapist was  for me. I was a total life science geek, a closet jock and I loved helping people. Clearly I diverted myself from that career path. It’s a good thing too. I just don’t have what it takes to be a happy, perky, sadistic task-master. Plus I just don’t look good in leather and chains at all. I’m more of an autumn and definitely a denim kind of girl.