Torn muscle?

Happy Sunday everyone! It's been a busy weekend around here. Yesterday was stressful as I was supposed to be participating in my first every duathalon ( 3 mile run, 11 mile bike, 2 mile run) this morning, but due to the SNOW it was postponed until next weekend. They did not post this info until almost 4pm yesterday so I spent much of the day worrying about getting a bike rack, and checking the website and weather every 15 min. In the process of this I began to feel slight pain and tenderness around where my lats are on the right side. I had NO IDEA why, and it started off just slightly uncomfortable. Similar to muscle soreness.... however, I havent worked out since thurs and only went on a 2.5 mile run fri. I thought this was weird, but was too busy refreshing weather.com on my computer to notice much. As the day/evening wore on I noticed I had some swelling in the area. And then I noticed I had a lot of swelling. By 10pm last night after asking my lovely boyfriend to look at it for the 10th time I offically freaked out. He looked at me with concern and said " it's really swollen". Insert instant panic. Its much easier to convince yourself that you dont have some horrible thing such as a spider bite taking the side of your body, or a growth that is soon going to consume you when you're the only one worried. When you involve someone else who seems worried as well you develope a whole new outlook that maybe these things are actually possible. So once I had calmed myself down long enough to talk instead of sob into the shirt of my boyfriend off to the ER we went.

I was seen pretty quickly and after noticing that my blood pressure was 128/76 I made a mental note to remember it as being the highest I have ever seen my BP. I think it was the hysterical crying and the walk in the snow that did it. I was seen by a doctor who I'm pretty sure was a resident and then by her supervising doctor. They seemed pretty puzzled and said that they would guess I had torn a muscle. Hmmm.... wouldn't I have felt that? Not sure what to think. I left the doctors with directions to ice, take 600mg of Motrin 3 times a day for 3 days and get in to see my PC as soon as possible. I've currently taken my 600mg twice today with not much relief and perhaps more swelling. I guess its going to be a busy morning of calling my doctor tomorrow. Anyone else ever have something so strange happen? Or tear a muscle on their side?

I guess it's for the better that it snowed and the duathalon was postponed. I have the option of doing it next Sunday or waiting until April. I may wait if this swelling business hasn't worked itself out by then. Here is to hoping the doctors office is slow tomorrow and they can fit me in!

Introduction

Hi everyone!! Welcome to my blog! I decided to start blogging after reading a blog from a friend I went to undergrad with.  I began to follow it almost daily and was incredibly motivated and inspired that she had the nerve and ability to write about her adventures and daily life's ups and downs.runningonwaffles. I wanted to share my stories, and be able to help (hopefully) inspire and motivate others...or at least entertain them.

I'm a runner so I thought I would also use this blog to help stay motivated myself. I thought that if I had to be honest and upfront about my training, my lack of training, and my goals it would help push me a little further. I also knew it might link me to other runners in the Boston area. I've ran several half marathons all over New England and a few in the Midwest. I've learned a lot from each race, sometimes about what I need and enjoy during a race and sometimes what I would never want to do or try again! I.E-GU....other suggestions welcome, gu and I are not friends.

I'm a pretty happy go lucky person, I dont take running tooooo seriously, but I love to race and I'm always happy with a good run and a great swag bag! I started running with a 5k as a junior in college. I was not fast, but it was fun and I got a bright green shirt out of it. How could I not enjoy that? I then followed up with a four mile race sometime beginning of my senior year, and then later I decided that before I graduated I wanted to run a half marathon. The Columbus Half Marathon in May to be exact. I had NO IDEA how to train, or what I was doing. I enlisted the help of a great professor in the Physical Edu department and tried my best to follow her instructions. I don't recall ever going on a "long run" but I guess I must have tried a few 8-9 milers somewhere in there. I ended up getting to the race and looking around in the starting corral until I saw someone my age. I walked up to her ( because apparently when I'm nervous and very scared I'll talk to anyone!) and asked if this was her first race. She said yes and then I asked if we could run together. How lucky!! I don't think I even asked how fast she ran! We busted it out, talking the entire way, she was younger than me and attending OSU. It was a great experience!! 3 years later, I'm still hooked! I would love to go back to Ohio and race the course again, to see what a difference there would be. Maybe next May? I guess that's how I got started. I started that race and I haven't  looked back!

I'm currently working as a personal trainer in Boston and applying to graduate school for physical therapy. Between juggling these things, living with two guys, and running I hope i can at least provide some entertainment and funny stories!  I hope you enjoy my blog, I can't wait to see what this part of my journey has in store! Stay tuned!