Silver Lining of Setbacks and It's Not What It Seems Folks!

I'm so glad that my 4 year old thinks I'm crazy.  At least I make her tofu, right?  

I've decided that there could be many reasons for this new groin strain of mine.  It could be from:
-- slipping on spilled dog water as I made a dash for the living room to break up my fighting kids
--stepping on a toy truck and rolling across my hardwood floors
--running too many miles when my body was obviously shouting at me to take a break
--trying to increase my weekly mileage by 40% in one week (I now know that you're only supposed to go up by 10% each week.  Such a smart move, eh?)
--running my 20 miles too fast after being so tired all week
--not getting enough sleep
--running in worn out shoes
--not consuming enough protein and calories


There could be many reasons for this current issue.  But it is what it is and I'm choosing to see the silver lining that these things sometime bring with it. I love how setbacks in life can really be God's way of doing for you what you were too stubborn or scared to do for yourself.  I'm finding peace in this break from running even though changes to my "plans" can be difficult.  I think I really needed a step back.  I almost find myself feeling relieved to have an excuse to just sit on my rear, eat pizza and watch a movie with my family tonight without feeling like I need to leave as soon as my husband walks in the door so I can fit in my 7 mile tempo run.  


So, here's my plan:
*  First and foremost, I really need to get a better story for how I pulled my groin.  I've decided to just tell everyone that it happened from too much HOT SEX!  This sounds so much better than tripping over a toy or running 20 miles on tired legs.  I think my husband will prefer this story too.  
*  Take a few days off to just be really loving to my body.  Easy Peezy.  Lots of laying around, letting my house fall apart, icing my crotch with frozen vegetables, and thinking many many positive thoughts and sending them to my groin.  
*  Visualizing myself still running my marathon strong and steady.  If these visions need to change as I get closer to the date, then I guess that is what was supposed to be and I will just have to roll with it and move on.  
*  Be thankful for all that I've gained from my training up until now.  Even if I'm not racing this weekend and I'm going to have to take some time to slow down, I've learned a TON about myself, tricks to use with my training, nutrition, mental focus, and what not to do.  I take SO much away from the past 6 months!  
*  Swim--yes, I am going to get back in that awful pool that I spent so much time in with my hammy tear.  Uggh!  
*  Bike
*  JOG--I don't use this word very much.  


Motherhood Moment


*  My Kinder had her jogathon today!  Yep, pretty big deal.  For those of you that don't know, the kids get to run around the track as many times as they can and they earn money for their school.  Being the competitive mother that I am, I lovingly suggested to my daughter that she should start out slow and then speed up.  She took my advice but the rest of the parents and teachers had no idea that this was the plan.  So, just as my almost 2 year old son takes off around the track in his green froggy boots, I took off after him the best I could.  Of course my 4 year old daughter followed us, tripped, fell on her face and started screaming.  All eyes on this mom just as my E made another lap around the track.  Remembering our plan, I told her "You can go faster now and stop going so slow."  Oh, the LOOKS I got!  Of course all they heard was this crazy mom telling her kindergartner that she needed to be faster and that she was too slow but really I was just letting her know that she didn't need to be so slow anymore (as she was doing on purpose) but she could let her little running legs loose as we had planned.  Good Grief!  How embarrassing.  In a funny kind of way that will make a great story later in life.  


Amanda