The view from here...

This is an all too familiar view for me (p.s. I have on shorts! Haha!). Waiting on a dang doctor's table. This is how I spent my Saturday afternoon. The newest challenge...an injured ankle. Dang it.

I've been running (more like a funny fast mall walk with a bounce) for the past few weeks and it started with a little ache last weekend, but I kept powering through each day until finally, this weekend, I was doing a funny limp around the house and the dang thing was swollen. Shoot! Had some X-rays done and it's just Achilles tendinitis. No big deal. But I'm pissed. It's another reminder that my body has been through the wringer and I'm not going to be picking up where I left off in October last year.

I can't explain to you the feeling I had recently when I made it to the top of the hill by our house for the first time with our kiddo. I have wanted to walk Austin to the park there so many times in the last 10 months, but I couldn't physically do it. Some days I couldn't even drive us there. Austin was cheering from the stroller 'go mommy, go!' And I funny fast mall walk bounced us there. I cried. I was so damn proud of us for making it. That mile to the park with my kid was a BIG accomplishment for me. I haven't had the feeling you get when you work hard and your body can do something it couldn't do a week ago in a long time. I am getting stronger every dang day. You would really crack up if you saw this 'hill' I'm talking about and the pace we were traveling. I get lapped by senior citizens with fanny packs (p.s. no offense. there are some very fit senior citizens out there. haha). Seriously. I have been so excited to be able to get my butt up everyday and push that stroller as far and fast as I can go and all of a sudden, my body said, hold on there lady...what in the heck are you thinking?! Where are you going? I'm shutting this operation down. Slow down. Relax. You are there already! Ankle throbbing, swollen. DANG IT!

So, this afternoon when Austin wanted to go to the park, what do you think the stubborn control freak told her husband who suggested we drive instead of take the stroller?? Yup. I hobbled my throbbing ankle back up the damn hill with the jogging stroller and got my kid to the park (and then I sat on the bench for an hour! ha!) When will I learn?! A special 'I'm sorry' to poor Jonathon...he might have gotten the brunt of my 'I am woman, hear me roar' rant...and I'm sure he still would've picked us up if I called for a ride home, but I am waaay to stubborn for that kind of move...we made it home. And now THIS is my view from here. hahaha.

It made me think of several years ago when I walked the Susan G Komen 3 day 60 mile walk in honor of my bestie KC's amazing mama who lost a 15+ year battle with breast cancer. KC had a stress fracture that flared up pretty much at about mile 3, but she walked every darn step of the remaining 57 miles without a peep. Her mom couldn't walk the walk, so KC did. Every painful step couldn't compare to her mom's battle. I get it now. I just feel like I need to get my ass out there and do my dang thing. Every single step. With my kid cheering me on. If I want to get to the top of the hill, I'm going to do it. I will not accept that I need to slow down. I'm going to get better. Every. Dang. Day. I just had my booby cut off. A swollen ankle does not scare me!! But maybe icing it is a little bit scary. Eeeeek!!! sooooo cold!!!!!

Get out there friends. Win the day...and keep your ringers on...I might need a ride home from the park tomorrow!

Love
Jenn