’round the corner

Sometimes the answers are just ’round the corner’. 

For nine years we have lived ’round the corner from a massage therapist.  I have never received a massage from this neighbor – because he’s a MAN!  I couldn’t imagine lying under the sheet waiting for a massage knowing my neighbor was about to see most of my body.  This is the same neighbor we saw at the OKC Marathon at mile 11.  Whatever.  I scheduled an appointment with him and went to it.  While asking about my massage history he inquired as to why I contacted him & I nervously blurted out “I heard you were good but I didn’t want to be naked in front of my neighbor!”  He chuckled a bit and said, “well. don’t say that. just get comfortable.”  duh.  An hour of massage and discussing what has been occurring in the last two months to make my legs ache so much & I was a new woman.  We discussed my plans to run faster and he said, “maybe you put too much on yourself“.  I talked about work stresses and he said, “I wonder if you could let some of that go?”.  I shared about other life stressors and he mentioned that “maybe there are unresolved issues from your past that are manifesting themselves in your calves”. We finished.  He left the room.  I cried. 

This morning I ran my first pain-free run in two months.  Two short miles with my good friend Michelle who lives ’round the corner (the other direction).  We woke up early to take our 8th graders for a quick run to prepare them for Cross Country.  Michelle was a state CC runner and has not run since.  For years I have asked her if she thought she would run again.  She always responded “doubtful“.  But Michelle surprised me earlier this summer when she told me she had started running again.  She was waiting to build up to 3 miles and surprise me by offering to go for a run.  Today was a perfect day to start.  BigFoot & I met Michelle & her daughter at the half-way point between our houses.  We started out at a nice easy pace (PAIN FREE) and directed the kids where to turn.  At one point her daughter yelled back to us, “Should We Go All The Way??” (pointing to the next corner)  My response?  “I think it’s a little early in your relationship don’t you?”   Running with 8th graders is F.U.N.!!  We ran two miles in just under 20 minutes.  The time flew by.  Michelle and I had great laughs.  So glad she’s running again. – she won with a nickname for my upcoming weekend.  That’s a secret. **

After the run I decided to squeeze in a little yoga with another neighbor who lives just ’round the corner.  I have participated in her classes before and she does not let me down.  She’s quirky.  Laughs at her self.  Talks constantly. She is a miracle worker.  So glad to be doing THAT again!!

After a shower and breakfast it was time to load up the 8th grader and take him to his sports physical.   When I scheduled the physical with “Karla” her nurse assured me she would not be asking my son to undress.  If that were the case, we would have waited for his usual Dr. (a male) to see him.  While the kid was in the appointment LittleFoot and I waited and caught up on celebrity gossip.   Karla walked out to talk to me about my son’s acne and needing another immunization (don’t get me started).  I asked her what was taking so long and if she had to “. . .uh. . . touch. down. there?”  She smiled and said, “Yep.  I touched your kid’s private parts.” and walked away. I died laughing.  Karla is the youngest sister of a childhood friend.  She’s very cute and boys tend to notice her.   The kid came out a few minutes later.  I apologized for leading him astray and he proceeded to tell me and his sister ALL of the details of his physical; beginning with “are you sexually active?” which he responded “Uh. I’m 13!!” and ending with “Have you had a good erection lately?” in which he responded “I guess.” I said he should have asked her what makes one any better than the next.  He said, “next year“.  He finished by calling his dad at work and describing his physical as “the most magical day of his life“.  He’s fluent in sarcasm.

Somewhere in the last 12 months our son turned ’round the corner and became a MAN! 

That was the best 24 hours I’ve experienced in a long time!

Three days until my next 1/2 marathon where my only goal is to run pain-free and FINISH!

Run on!

**edited.