Plan B

I have worked my way through anger and denial and am (almost) fully ready to deal with my sore ribs. After running four times and experiencing increasing pain with each run, I am forced to admit that I'm hurt. Thus, I give you Plan B.

Plan B has three components:
  • B1--Go get the ribs X-rayed. If they are cracked at their two specifically bothersome pain points, I'll know to lay w-a-a-y off on the exercise so they can heal.
  • B2--Stop my "stinkin' thinkin'"--that is, be thankful that I'm still a very healthy person, someone who can walk tirelessly for miles and also pursue other forms of exercise for a while until I'm healed up enough to run again. This step includes scaling down my plan to run a marathon May 5 and acknowledging that I may end up doing "only" the half marathon or even "only" the 10-K.
  • B3--Have some fun loosely following Dr. Gary Small's Memory Prescription. This I am taking from Dr. Small's book, which lays out a 14-day program designed to "Keep Your Brain and Body Young." I'm getting some great menu ideas and also doing some perplexing memory exercises. And deep breathing, too (Ommmmm). Full disclosure: Dr. Small is on the faculty at UCLA, where my son the doctor has been studying for the last four-and-a-half years.
Wish me luck on Plan B. I'm sure it will beat Plan A, which consisted mainly of rigidity, annoyance, and general intransigence.

I was out walking and biking today in between the gusts of rain and wind, and it was exhilarating. Lovely! It made me see how selfish and boring I've been lately, whining about not being able to run. And me so blessed, alive and well in this miraculous world. The birds are rioting--they know it's spring, as do the peach trees blossoming with abandon in the rain-wet BART parking lot.

And before long--A's baseball! So will Matt Holliday provide the team with a much-needed "big bat"? Will Chavy really return to his old form? All much more fun to think about than a couple of cranky ribs.

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