"Girl, What did you do to yourself?" AND Some food for thought...

Those are the words my massage therapist said to me just minutes after my 90min deep tissue TORTURE began. They were closely followed by, "Do you stretch AT ALL?" I chuckled and said, "Of course! Well - maybe not as much as I should, LATELY!" Oops :-) Then, I thought about it, what HAD I done to myself over the last 6 days? Here it goes:

Swim: 7,950 yards
Bike: ~80miles
Run: ~20miles
Weights ~2hrs

Hmm, guess THAT would explain why I was such a mess! Anyway - the 90mins went by fairly quick. Except the 2 hours (or what seemed like) that she spent on my left shoulder area. As I mentioned before, that is the side that has been messed up for a couple of weeks, due to my puppy! Well, I was actually starting to get very worried I was going to be making my way back to my second home, Metro Physical Therapy. Thankfully, the massage helped a lot, and I can now safely say that the injury is muscular. I just need to be VERY careful. It's sore today, but much better, with a lot more mobility!

So - heres's what week # 3 looks like:
Mon:
Run 70mins (moderate, low zone 2)
Swim 2500meters (Long, Zone 2)
Tues:
Bike 1:45 (moderate)
Weight training
Wed:
Run 50min (Tempo, high zone 2)
Swim 2000meters (Tempo)
Thurs:
Bike 1:00 (Tempo)
Weight Training
Fri:
Run Long 1:50mins
Swim 2000meters (moderate)
Sat:
Bike 3:00
Sun:
REST!!!

On another note, I wanted to share something very sad that I came across today while out for my run. It's something, or someone rather that I've seen several times before on the same street. The first time I noticed this woman was last summer when I was working one of those Corporate America jobs. I was driving home from work and couldn't help but turn my head and STARE. Not in a "Wow, look at that amazing runner," or "cute running outfit" kinda way. It was in an "Oh my, that poor girl, or wait WOMAN" kinda way. Yes, this woman was so tiny & so frail she looked like an 8 year old girl. It was Arizona hot out, so the cloths she was wearing were minimal. I don't remember exactly what the outfit was, but I do remember that you could easily mistake her thighs for an arm, they were so small. You could see every skeletal bone on her chest. Her elbows stuck out like broken bones. Her cloths hung on her as if she were a little girl, playing dress up and wearing her mothers clothing. Then you moved up to her face & she had the face of a women who has been through a lot. Someone that looked like she was nearing the end. Her face was sunken in, and you could see all the structural bones of her skull. Cheekbones, eye sockets, jaw. And, a sadness. I only saw her in passing but those images had stuck with me for some reason.

Well, today on my run I saw this woman again. There was no mistaking it was her. Only this time, I was right next to her as we passed on the same road I first saw her several months ago. This time we were going opposite ways and I was not in a car. She was wearing leggings, a big bulky sweatshirt & a wide rimmed visor. I could see it in her face though. It was the same women. Her "leggings" hung on her like baggy sweats. Her face still showed all the grooves, dark circles and that same sadness. It made my heart break. Why is it that so many people have to hurt themselves because they can't see the true beauty and character they embody?

I know I'm guilty of it. Always getting on that scale, thinking that all the hard work & healthy eating will eventually pay off. Obsessing about what outfits looks the best, and comparing myself to all the other bodies out there. I know I'm not alone either. Even friends I have, that I would consider having the "perfect physique" are hard on themselves. They are comparing their bodies to others. They are watching what they eat, and pushing their bodies to the limits.

Of course we can do what everyone does & blame the media. All the perfectly posed and groomed celebrities that are supposed to represent us all. But, we also know that these super-humans are blessed with the luxuries of live-in chefs & money to buy the most exquisite products to make themselves "glow" and remain ageless! Now, that's not reality. That's not going to happen to all of us, so why would we let this group set the standard for the rest of us normal folk?

I guess, I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say here. Seeing that poor woman again today just made me think about all of this. And, it also made me pretty darn happy that I am healthy & happy and able to do all of the things that I love. I guess I can get beyond those annoying extra lbs I'm holding on to, if it means having all of those things I really need & want, as well as being able to stay so active & healthy, right?

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