I never thought it would turn out like this. All along, I was waiting for the turning point, and knowing that it would be when my hip started to heal and I could run again. At no point did I think that it was all going to turn to shit. And yet somehow, it has.

So I went for a run last night. Just a little one - once around the mulch track at China Creek park - but it didn't go as well as I had hoped. I had been feeling better and, planning this little test days in advance, I pictured myself falling right back into stride as if nothing had ever happened, going on to complete the 6 K at tempo that was on my running schedule for yesterday.

I'm still not able to run, or put too much weight on my right leg, because of the possible stress fracture in my hip, but it also occurred to me that I don't necessarily have to be doing nothing either.

Not really knowing what was wrong with my hip, I was trying everything -acupuncture, physio, chiropractor, heat, ice, various anti-inflammatories, whatever, but today the physiotherapist repeated an idea that he had had at the last meeting - that it sounds like a stress fracture.

The Hip Update:  I am entering week 3 of this pain in the ass - I mean hip - and no running and even though I have now been to both the Acupuncturist and the Physiotherapist and they were encouraging, I am still kind of depressed to be losing this much ground on my training.

After hurting my hip during last Sunday's long run, I attempted and aborted a 6 K run, skipped a 10 K run, and moved the 8 K run to the treadmill and instead of going away, it is getting increasingly more painful. Where it used to only hurt well into a run, now it aches all the time and I have trouble with stairs and chairs and balancing on one foot.

Yesterday was a bad day for my body. I had a reasonably good day, but my body didn't really, and I am still aching today. I started off with my 16 K run yesterday AM, early.

OMG, DO NOT EVER DO BENCH PRESSES AND CHEST EXCERCISES AND THEN THE NEXT DAY GO FOR A RUN! DO NOT DO IT! NOT EVEN THE BEST SPORTS BRA IN THE WORLD WILL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU!!!!

ouchies.

Now that I've found my running schedule, I figured I may as well post it. Then I can have a good look at it every day and make sure I'm on track. Today is an "OFF" day (what glorious words) but because I'm in serious catch-up mode I went to the gym AND a yoga class. Running will resume tomorrow. Phew, that was close.

When I was very Serious about snowboarding, the days that were pure powder and sunshine were blissful and meant for nothing short of maximizing joy. The not so good days, however, were designated learning days, so that there was always something to be gained. Ice and rain were perfect opportunities to practice riding goofy; fog was an excellent reason to play in the half-pipe.