After netball training with the girls yesterday afternoon, my left ankle was incredibly sore. Not muscle sore but bone sore and it hurt to put any kind of pressure on it. I could barely walk. Of course, I always think the absolute worst and convinced myself that I had a stress fracture. This wouldn't surprise me at all given that, for the last ten months, I have been pounding out 100+ miles a month on concrete, quite possibly the worst running surface EVER. There is no "give" in concrete and when I run on concrete, my body (joints, muscles, bones, etc.) absorb all of the impact when my feet hit the ground. In contrast, pavement and the earth (trail running) are more yielding & softer surfaces and the additional cushioning helps absorb the impact of my feet hitting the ground. In Nichada, the roads and the path around the lake are concrete and the sidewalks are made out of concrete bricks so there is no other option but to run on concrete!
I took Sonder for his late evening walk and my ankle was still very sore when we left the house. However, by the time we reached the end of our street, it felt fine and continued to feel fine for the rest of our 45 minute walk. This gave me hope that it might just be a sore or tight muscle. Out came the Advil and ice. I did a lot of stretching - flexing and rotating my ankle - before bed and whenever I woke up during the night. The ankle was stiff this morning when I first woke up but it felt fine by the time I got dressed and went downstairs for coffee. I took today as an unscheduled rest day from running - just in case. The only injury I have ever had (at least one that prevented me from running) was when I pulled a groin muscle while doing yoga about two years ago. I couldn't run or walk for 4 weeks and was miserable. To avoid injury, I am very careful about increasing my mileage, I try not to overdo any speed work, and I also make sure I stretch, stretch and stretch some more after my runs. Hopefully, the soreness was the result of a turn or twist during netball and won't escalate into anything more. Fingers crossed.
We had our last official ceramics class Monday evening. I say "official" because we all still have a couple of pieces to glaze and then fire for the second time so we will meet again next week to finish up. I brought my picture frame home Monday night. I glazed the frame in aquamarine and used my standard paisley/fish pattern. The edges are a bit uneven but, hey, that is what makes it a unique, handcrafted piece.
Kevin arrived home from Tokyo late last night and he will have a few days to rest and relax before he leaves again. The Embassy is closed on Monday for the Memorial Day holiday (but the kids are in school) so I expect him to golf with his usual Embassy group. He had a great game last week - he thought his best game ever - and has high hopes for a repeat performance. Both of the kids have plans for this evening so Kevin and I might go to the driving range and then have a drink at the restaurant that is on-site.
No matter how much I practice, my golf still stinks - but I do have fun. The driving range we go to most often has a large pond directly in front of and extending the entire length of the hitting bays. Whenever we go, it is so embarrassing for me (and probably Kevin too) because 7 out of every 10 balls I hit end up in the pond. With a big splash. I just cannot hit them high and far enough to make it over. About 10 minutes after I begin to hit, EVERYONE is looking down my way wondering, "who the heck is putting all of their shots into the water?!?". Yeah, that would be me. There have been times when I hit 6 or 7 shots in a row into the water and then I start laughing so hard at what people must think (most likely, "give it up!") that I can't even take a swing. Even worse is that the driving range is right outside of Nichada and there are always several people we know who are fortunate enough to witness my lack of skill. I tell myself that my purpose in golf is to make other people look good. VERY VERY good. And, in that respect, I am a huge success! I took lessons when we lived in Australia and, depending on what our Fall looks like, I might give lessons another go while we are here. At this point, it can't hurt. Plus, the golf pro is the same guy who has to retrieve all of my missed shots from the pond so he has a vested interested in helping me get better.
Christopher this morning.
Caitlynne recently.
Caitlynne's school softball team and their coach with their 3rd place tournament medals.
Caitlynne has three babysitting jobs lined up for the weekend. She loves the families that she sits for and she doesn't mind missing out on a few social activities in order to babysit. Lady GaGa is in Bangkok tonight and a few of Caitlynne's friends are going so I think it will be a quiet night in Nichada anyway. Caitlynne and I talked about possibly going to the show but never came to a final decision. Everyone I know who is going has "standing" tickets and having to stand for the entire concert with (most likely) a not so great view of the stage does not appeal to me AT ALL. Of course, tickets for proper seats were selling for hundreds of dollars so that wouldn't have been a viable option even if we decided to go.
Have a great Friday!
I took Sonder for his late evening walk and my ankle was still very sore when we left the house. However, by the time we reached the end of our street, it felt fine and continued to feel fine for the rest of our 45 minute walk. This gave me hope that it might just be a sore or tight muscle. Out came the Advil and ice. I did a lot of stretching - flexing and rotating my ankle - before bed and whenever I woke up during the night. The ankle was stiff this morning when I first woke up but it felt fine by the time I got dressed and went downstairs for coffee. I took today as an unscheduled rest day from running - just in case. The only injury I have ever had (at least one that prevented me from running) was when I pulled a groin muscle while doing yoga about two years ago. I couldn't run or walk for 4 weeks and was miserable. To avoid injury, I am very careful about increasing my mileage, I try not to overdo any speed work, and I also make sure I stretch, stretch and stretch some more after my runs. Hopefully, the soreness was the result of a turn or twist during netball and won't escalate into anything more. Fingers crossed.
We had our last official ceramics class Monday evening. I say "official" because we all still have a couple of pieces to glaze and then fire for the second time so we will meet again next week to finish up. I brought my picture frame home Monday night. I glazed the frame in aquamarine and used my standard paisley/fish pattern. The edges are a bit uneven but, hey, that is what makes it a unique, handcrafted piece.
No matter how much I practice, my golf still stinks - but I do have fun. The driving range we go to most often has a large pond directly in front of and extending the entire length of the hitting bays. Whenever we go, it is so embarrassing for me (and probably Kevin too) because 7 out of every 10 balls I hit end up in the pond. With a big splash. I just cannot hit them high and far enough to make it over. About 10 minutes after I begin to hit, EVERYONE is looking down my way wondering, "who the heck is putting all of their shots into the water?!?". Yeah, that would be me. There have been times when I hit 6 or 7 shots in a row into the water and then I start laughing so hard at what people must think (most likely, "give it up!") that I can't even take a swing. Even worse is that the driving range is right outside of Nichada and there are always several people we know who are fortunate enough to witness my lack of skill. I tell myself that my purpose in golf is to make other people look good. VERY VERY good. And, in that respect, I am a huge success! I took lessons when we lived in Australia and, depending on what our Fall looks like, I might give lessons another go while we are here. At this point, it can't hurt. Plus, the golf pro is the same guy who has to retrieve all of my missed shots from the pond so he has a vested interested in helping me get better.
Christopher this morning.
Giving "thumbs up" to his breakfast of leftover pizza and a glass of milk. Certainly not the breakfast of champions but at least he ate something before school (which is usually not the case).
Have a great Friday!
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