My Running Career Is...Over?

Yes, you heard it first.  My running career just may be over.  Well, I was told it should be over.  And that it never should've begun.  Whatever...

I hadn't been feeling well.  The back of my neck felt as if it was filled with warm marshmallows and my lower back was aching.  I could feel that my body was in a state of inflammation, one which the usual anti-inflammatory foods I ingest in large proportions just wouldn't touch.  So I bit the bullet and scheduled a session with my cranial sacral therapist. 

I am a HUGE fan of cranial sacral work when done by this therapist.  There are several schools of thought where c/s is concerned, and I respond immediately to this particular treatment as delivered by this particular therapist.  I drive nearly an hour to these appointments, but they are worth every mile...and every penny.

It's always great to hear, as he's getting a baseline for what's happening within my body...

Him, after assessment:  "okay, so what did you do to yourself?" 
Me, trying to see just how good he is:  "I dunno, what?" 
Him, proving just how good he is:  "well, you've got this tightness here in the occiput that originates riiiiiiight abouuuuuuut...here (finger at my right knee)."
Me:  "well, now that I think about it...I recently took up running.  And I..."
Him, interrupting:  "you what?"
Me:  "ya know, running.  I decided to run."
Him:  "oooooookay?  Have you tried walking?"
Me:  "yeah, but my friends run."
Him, not listening to me:  "how about swimming...swimming is a great workout and there's no impact."
Me:  "I always wanted to try that, but my friends run and I wanted to run with them."
Him:

(yes, that space was left blank, because he did not respond.  No fair to use "pretend you're sleeping" on me in a conversation!)

After 75 very exhausting minutes of work (for my therapist), my body felt completely at peace.  That might sound a little funny.  My body is kind of like, feisty junior high girls.  Always itchin' to fight, having to be held back and restrained, but breaking through once in awhile to throw down!  When you think about it, that's probably a fair assessment where autoimmune disease is concerned.

So my session was euphoric like always and I got to see some awesome folks...because I so love everyone at this center.  I thought about his advice the whole way home.  Maybe taking up running so that I could exercise with my friends wasn't quite the best strategy.  Maybe I'll just be the "call her whenever you need her" friend, the "have a piece of cheesecake" friend, or the "let's meet up for coffee" friend.  Truth be told, I never felt God's presence when I ran like my friends said.  In fact, there was nothing heavenly about how I felt while running.  Heavenly exercise for me would be, oh I dunno, none?

I so need the cheesecake...