Sign me up for a colonic and a massage....

Well, back from my weekend in Louisville!!! After approximately 16 hours (there and back) in the car...I emerged....stiff and constipated..but HOME!

I drove up on Thursday, leaving about 9 that morning and stopping at Starbuck's on the way...I had contemplated running that morning before leaving, but I didn't want to get on the road too late and I woke up at 7:30...They gave me a free extra coffee at the Bucks, as they made my original drink wrong....either way, I was drinking two Venti coffees and knew I would be stopping soon for the bathroom!! The trip was pretty uneventful, with the stops for gas and bathroom time, and for once, the Mapquest directions were right! The drive was beautiful and the trees were muchmore colorful and vibrant up there! I didn't feel like going to the conference that night, after sitting all day, but I did meet my friends Lisa, Chas, and Ryan to eat dinner with them and say hello. I followed Lisa to "her house" (aka the awesome and cute house the church is letting her stay in as their supported missionary) and we just hung out, talking for the evening and catching up. She has been living in Nepal for the past two years, so it had been awhile!

The following day, I got up around 7:30 to get a short run in before the plenary session that morning...My knee was feeling a bit better, but the Doc told me to wear the Cho-Pat strap on the left leg too, so off I went...... I was actually overdressed, as I stepped outside and it was sunny and in the 50's, at least. I did several loops around the church nearby (it's at least a mile around the campus), and like clockwork, my IT Band was acting up...geez....it seems like 4 miles is the magic number! I was glad to have done SOMETHING, but discouraged that it seems like it's not getting better, but worse......The rest of the weekend was a series of plenary and break-out sessions, networking with various Medical Missions organizations and meeting people. There wasn't anything in particular at the conference itself that really stood out to me, but I did hook up with an organization called Equip Inc. that prepares people for medical trips overseas with an intensive training course in tropical medicine and nursing intervention. THAT was exciting..and I am already making plans to attend next May! It was also nice, albeit brief, to see my friends Chas and Ryan too! One of Chas' friends, Catherine from Jax, Fl and a PA was also staying at the house with us. She is also very much into running, although she loves trail running, and we talked forever about that, including all our injuries and various treatments for them...haahaha...I did get a chance to work out at the church fitness center for about an hour, so that made me feel a bit more lively after all that sitting and eating...ugh..

As we talked I told her about my intermittent IT Band issues and knee stuff, and she mentioned talking a few weeks off running....I was definitely hesitant...and still am...but then she said to just do what I can, take it easy, and run my race, enjoying it...even if I go slow. That somehow gave me relief...I guess I have been approaching the upcoming races with something to prove...a better PR, blah, blah, blah...and worrying more and more how I was going to do that, being hurt...it was almost like she gave me permission to enjoy myself and running again. I thought about it...I don't know how much longer I have to run, I mean, none of us do..I don't mean to be morbid or melodramatic, but anything can happen, anytime... At this point, I am thankful I can run at all...but I want to enjoy it again....and I hope, in the meantime...I will heal. Planning to meet up with Kim and Cheryl in the am and hopefully, not slow them down too much!!