Happy New Year!

Well, you can't beat this mid-Missouri weather for December! It's like winter hasn't really started yet, and I can take that! I'm already calculating when spring will get here, and this warmer winter weather makes it seem like a breeze. I'm sure I'll change my tune in a few weeks when the frigid stuff hits! Until then, I'm hitting the trail on my bike!

I've been on my Kinetics trainer a lot lately. And I mean a lot. I'm injured again, and this time it seems I have a long road ahead of me. I originally thought I had plantars fasciitis, but now I'm thinking it might be my achilles. I don't think it's worth a trip to the doctor; the treatment for either is similar: stretch, ice, ibuprofen, and no running! I bought the "boot" for PF, and that seems to help a little, but the pain is more the lower outside of my heel. My last longish run was November 29, and the next day I could barely walk. I tested the waters a couple nights ago with a very slow two miles, and the pain intensified the next day (which had me kicking myself in the rear for even trying!). I really miss running and the outdoors, but I think my dog misses it a whole lot more. What a handful he's been!!!

So, despite the great weather, I'm feeling down in the dumps over this injury. The trainer gets soooo boring. I've taken to blasting my iPod and pretending I'm leading a spin class! Ha... I go through all the workouts of a spin class, and that makes it go by a little faster. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to utilize the winter months if I can't run. Weights? Swim? Elliptical? Buy equipment or join gym? I like the gym, I just don't like the extra time it takes to get there and the extra prep time. The same goes for swimming.  There's something to be said for rolling out of bed, into your gear, and hitting it. Every minute counts for me.

I've been looking seriously at a good elliptical. Seems there are so many makers, and choosing one has me stumped. The better ones cost well over $500, and that's a lot of months at the gym! On the other hand, since I plan on being a lifetime runner, injuries will likely always be somewhere in there... and an elliptical would be nice to have.

Sorry, this has been a really boring post.  More of letting me vent, really, than sharing useful information. I hope I still have some readers out there.  And I hope all of you had a great Christmas! May God bless you in the coming year and beyond. Happy New Year!