Nashville: Let Me Just Sum Things Up in Two Words: Injuries and Illnesses

I’m baaaaaaaaaaacccckkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry to disappoint all of our faithful followers – and by faithful followers I mean all four of you: mom, Erica, Ben and Ben’s brother, Josh. It has been nearly a month to the day that I have posted team TMOB’s latest running accomplishments. I wholeheartedly apologize for the delay and for keeping you in such suspense!!! However, this training has been plagued with injuries and illnesses.

It all started while doing a workout called the 30 Day Shred by the world’s most hardcore trainer, Jillian Michaels. (Please see Exibit A: Her famous quote on the black t-shirt and evidence of Jillian's hardcore ways) Every morning at 7:15 I go to Erica’s and workout in her living room….but this morning in particular was almost a Half-Marathon-Career-Ender! While shreddin’ that ass, we had to do an exercise called “Walk-Out Push-Ups.” During this maneuver, the victims….I mean, Erica and I, have to reach down, touch our toes, walk out on our hands into a plank position, do a push-up back into plank, then walk back on our hands touch our toes , then stand up again – sheesh! I broke out in a sweat just typing out the steps! Anywho, Walk-Out Push-Ups here I come! I touch my toes, walk out on my hands, hold the plank, do a push-up and as I start to move backwards all of the sudden the most deafening snap, crackle and pop happens from the base of my head down my spine to the middle of my back. I am literally lying face-down on Erica’s floor and can’t move. All this is happening unbeknownst to Erica as she is so diligently workin’ that upper body. I proceed to tell Erica, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up! She helps me sit up and then every neck and shoulder muscle proceeds to cramp up and I can’t turn my head to save my life. It hurts to even hold my head up so I lie back on the floor, admiring the paint job on Erica’s ceiling.

I want you all to know that this is not the first time this has happened to me. This is a result of an old tubing injury two 4th of July’s ago when I was thrown off during a “circle of death” move where I barrel rolled across the lake while losing my bottoms and top – quite a feat considering I had a life jacket that should’ve held the girls in! So on this fateful morning, I had no other choice but to call my sweet dad and hero who quickly phones in a prescription for muscle relaxers and hydrocodone. Some of you might think this is a bit drastic but I promise it was a life saver! The only thing is that I had a job interview that afternoon while I was hopped up on pain killers and muscle relaxers – but that’s another story for another blog. I was out of commission for a full week while resting my neck and shoulder.

After taking a week off I am chomping at the bit to hit the park and run again. Ben, Sadie and I take off and run about 2.5 miles consistently at a good pace for another week. Very exciting and nothing to be concerned about there – except this brings us to the beginning of school for all elementary students in the greater Nashville area and that also means germs, sickness and several reported cases of the swine flu. Ben proceeds to get sick. His sweet little sister, Stephanie, who specifies that she is seven-and-a-half and not just a seven-year-old, gets sick. Ben’s stepmother also gets sick. And what do I do you might ask? I spend the entire Labor Day weekend with all three of them. A pure sign of intelligence right there. So as I am typing this I have my visine, nasal spray, box of Kleenex and Sudafed all within an arm’s reach. Needless to say, this training is struggling to get off the ground but mark my words folks: We. Shall. Overcome!