Pain Be Gone

School has now started for my kids and I've already been stumped by my daughter's beginning Algebra. I decided to write my own story problem.

Blaine decides to run a 207 mile relay. It takes his team 30 1/2 hours to complete with only 3 hours of sleep. The next weekend Blaine decides to run the South Valley Half Marathon the following weekend.
He then drives 6 hours in his car with his kids to Las Vegas in 118 degree heat with a radiator that is failing only to turn around 2 days later and drive back.

How well will Blaine be at running when he gets back from Vegas? Will he?

a. Run like the White Kenyan that he is.
b. Run in such a way that Runner's World contacts him to be with Kara Goucher on the next cover?
c. Run in a manner much like the drivers in this area (weaving in and out of lanes, stopping in the middle of the road to chat with a friend, deciding to cross four lanes of traffic on the freeway so they can make the exit)
d. Fail miserably and contemplate a new program called The 5k to coach plan

I know you want to say A or B, but my running after Vegas was much more like D with a good helping of C as I was staggering back home.

Why would anyone carry their money around this way. It's
like saying "Mug Me."

It must have been a combination of everything, but I noticed my ability to run through the hotel hallways at night naked race my kids to the elevator at the hotel was resulting in a slight tenderness in my right side going down my inner leg. By Friday night, the mild discomfort was turning into something more ominous. I had a 15 mile run scheduled for Saturday morning.

The plan was to get up, get in 15 miles then be back in time to take my son to his first High School Cross Country meet. The reality was me getting out the door, stretching just a little and only being able to go 3 or 4 steps before my body informed  me it wasn't going. Two more unsuccessful attempts to "run it off" resulted in my staggering/limping back home (where answer C comes into play).

There is a style that I
just don't have yet..sigh.

It's been almost two weeks since I've put in any sort of run.  I considered the possibility biking, but I just don't look good in a hat.

Today was the magic moment. No pain in my day to day movement since Tuesday. After the kids got to school, I kissed my wife, put on my Garmin and headed out for an easy 3 mile run. The result? A little stiffness, but no pain. If all goes well tonight and I wake up pain free tomorrow,  I'm calling myself healed.