To Oblivion and Beyond

First some general announcements:

1. Per the Queen of Optimism's request, I've added a subscription thingy. I think. Check the side bar and let me know if it works.

2.We fixed the electrical problem and learned we are very, very, very lucky our house did not burn down. Also, very, very, very lucky the hubby is handy.

3.The dog food had a dead mouse in it. New bag. Contacted the manufacturer and never heard a thing. Nice to know they care. (I know this has nothing to do with my health, but it has really been quite remarkable around here lately with all sorts of weird ass shit happening. Also, evidence that I am not crazy, my life is.)

Okay, so let's talk about squats. Namely the fact that, unless I'm having issues with prednisone, my legs don't ever tell me when it's time to stop. Instead they go numb and I happily squat myself into oblivion.

As in I can't walk for a week.

As in I once crawled up and down the steps at a Gloria Estefan concert. (My friends pretended not to know me.)

Normally, I compensate pretty well and don't push it to the max. I have learned when to back off.

However, recently, I did one of my favorite workouts. One I haven't been able to do since before I got pregnant in '07. Not sure if it has an official name or not, but I call it interval running.

I'm not really a runner. I've tried. I run like a hippo with missing limbs. Which is okay, I don't really like running. What I do like is running, skipping, galloping, chassee-ing, hopping, walking front kicks, lunges and walking for a couple miles.

So the workout consisted of walking 200 steps, running 200 steps and then interval running for a mile. Knee didn't even bother me until the very end and all the pain was clearly muscular in origin, which I consider to be good news (unless a ligament blows, in which case, boo hiss).

It was a blast. Nothing better than a chassee spanning 50 feet, no?

Yes, I'm a little strange.

Anyway, I felt great physically. The asthma flared a bit on the stairs, but that was actually a good thing, because once it has its little fit, it tends to leave me alone the rest of the workout.

Plus, my toddler came with (and hubby) and ran with me for a bit, which is awesome as we want her to enjoy exercise.

The problem? My legs did not give me one. single. solitary. hint that I was overdoing it. Nada. Worse, I haven't been able to walk properly since. Major bummer.

My calves are so inflamed, Advil alternated with Tyelnol can't even touch the pain. Hell, I can't even touch my legs, they are so tender. Today, I finally forced myself to do some massage to try and rub out the worst of it. Didn't help at all.

And...Ow!

Also, once again, I'm a temporary single parent as the hubby is out-of-town. How is it every time he's left town this year, it's been an absolute mess at home? I can't squat down to shampoo the toddler's hair right now! Stairs are not only painful, but dangerous as I can't control my legs very well. Fortunately, she's in a mellow, cooperative mood. If she dug her heels in about bedtime, for example, there is no way I could pick her up and carry her up the stairs.

Hopefully, by next week I'll be able to at least do the elliptical or walk the dog. I'd like to do one more interval run before we leave for vacation just so I don't lose ground.


P.S. Did 100 push-ups the other day. I'm building strength but my arms still look like cotton candy gone horribly wrong, which not really the goal, you know? I told the hubby, I'm a transformer in disguise. Under all the fat is a good amount of muscle that no one can see.