09/07/10 (test run)

I told myself I wouldn't do it. I promised myself that hiking up and over a mountain was enough. I swore that I'd take this week off and actually let the darn thing heal....but did I?

Of course not.

(sigh)

Two days after my "wipe out" I left in a car (a small car....full of four adult humans....and a week's worth of gear each) towards Big Sky Country...Montana!!!!

On Friday I still couldn't walk, and on Saturday morning, I was heading out for a week's worth of backpacking.

Which, last I checked, required walking....

.....with two legs.

(double sigh)

With the help of knee braces and good pain killers, I made it. I hiked up the mountain like I was in mint condition.

Coming back down was another story all-together. That, unfortunately, was excruciating. I played it down, I acted as though I was OK. But I couldn't hide the limp....and it got impossible to hide the pain on my face.

On the hike, after the hike, while walking up and down the three stories of stairs to our lodge room one night, during the many zip-line runs (where stopping requires you to hike up your legs, and slam your knees into a bright red "cushion"), and after two days of driving home in a car where I was unable to elevate or straighten my legs......during all of these things, I promised myself over and over that I was going to be smart. I was going to get home and rest my knee. I wasn't going to run for a week. I was going to let it heal.

Yeah...well, I didn't.

I made it almost exactly 2 days.

I could walk....there wasn't any pain....the road rash had almost completely healed over.....the bruising was very small......why the heck not???

I got home Tuesday from work, put on my running gear, and headed out for a quick 2 mile test run.

It ended up as more of a "1.78 mile, walk at least half of it, why the heck did I try this, will I ever learn, I hope I can walk tomorrow" run.

I'm happy to report that I can walk fine today.....and that the swelling doesn't seem to be bad at all. I thought I'd maybe get on the bike tonight, but now I'm worried that bending and straightening my knee over and over will be a bad idea. I went from "tough gal I can handle it" to "wuss woman I can't do anything".

Sometimes you have to push through the pain, and sometimes you have to sit and let it get better on it's own. How do I know what time this is??

How do I know if I'm being a wimp, or being smart?

I have a half marathon in October. I knew I was going to have to take a week off, while out of town....but now I have to add another week of non-running?

It's a little daunting.