Although I loved my spring break, running-wise it did not end well for me. I had gone to the outlet mall with one of my friends last minute and I was excited about going. We generally go on holidays because most of the store do sales like 60% off plus an additional amount, but we decided last minute to run up there on the Friday of spring break. I ran that morning and had taken myself out to lunch so I was feeling pretty good and I thought a few hours of shopping with my friend would be the perfect topper for the day.
Shopping started off great! We went to our favorite purse outlet (Kate Spade!) and I found the cutest little backpack purse in a mint green color. I was in a spring frame of mind so it seemed perfect. I also found out that on top of the 60% and the additional 20% I could stack a teacher discount of 15% on top of that-so I feel like I scored in a major way!
We wandered around for a while and ended up going into the Gap Outlet. I usually never find anything there (I feel like their clothes fit me weird) but Anne wanted to grab some things so we went in. She was looking for something specific and I happened to spot what I thought she was looking for out of the corner of my eye. As I shifted my body, I felt my ankle catch and turn. I had a moment of, ”Oh crap” and in slow motion I felt myself falling. I wasn’t able to catch myself but twisted my body to the right and went down on my knee. My bad knee. The knee I had surgery on.
I perched that way for a minute, still on my right knee, my left leg out behind me at a weird angle, with my hands splayed out in front of me. My purse and my shopping bag were on the ground on either side of me, my purse had spilled out and I heard something rolling out. Anne immediately rushed over having heard me hit the ground. I was still stunned as I rolled over to sit on my butt. My knee was stinging and so were my eyes as I fought not to cry in the middle of the store. Amazingly the commotion was apparently not as loud as I thought because no one from the store came rushing over, even though there was a girl straightening clothes on a rack no too far from us. She never even looked over or acknowledged the fact that I was on the ground and Anne was bending over me to make sure I was okay. Anne asked me if I was okay and the first words out of my mouth were, ”If I can’t run on Sunday I’m going to be pissed.” She had to laugh at that.
I couldn’t figure out why I had fallen. I was wearing a pair of wedges that I love. They are super comfortable and give me about 2 extra inches. I’ve worn them dozens of times, but have never had and issue with my ankle twisting, tripping, or having any other problems with them. Then Anne pointed out the drain in the floor next to my foot. I must not have been paying attention and I didn’t see it in the floor. It actually had a little raised lip, and I must’ve hit it with my shoe as I turned and because it was so uneven, that’s what made me stumble and fall.
I got up, gathered my dignity my things, spying my favorite lipstick about 5 feet away from my purse where it must’ve rolled out. I cautiously stood up and took a few steps. My knee stung really bad, but didn’t seem to be causing me any great pain, so I tried to shake it off. We debated back and forth if I should say something to someone just in case my knee had issues later. The girl hanging clothes on the rack, was still unaware, just doing her own thing, (the pessamistic part of me was thiking she was just avoiding the whole situation and very purposelfully NOT looking at us). We ended up leaving the store and not saying anything afterall.
As we continued walking around the mall, my knee started aching a little more and it certainly stung, but I couldn’t really see any blood or anything, so I figured it was fine. We spied a Dairy Queen as we were wandering and we both decided the whole situation called for ice cream! I ended up with a Mint Brownie Blizzard and it was so yummy!
We sat inside the DQ while we ate our treat. By the time we got up to peruse the mall some more, my knee had tightened up a little. It didn’t look swollen or anything so I figured it was just sore and a little traumatized. We kept shopping and Anne found some cute shirts at the Adidas outlet. That was the last stop on our circut around the mall so we headed out to the parking lot and parted ways. Except for the embarassment of falling, it was overall a pretty great day.
Needless to say, I was really sore when I woke up the next morning. Not just my knee, but my whole body, especially my back. I think from bracing myself and twisting, I must’ve tightened up my muscles. My knee was still a little tender so I ended up not running on Sunday and I was indeed, pissed. I for sure did not want to tempt fate and run on it when it was even a little bit sore (see how I’m actually making good choices this time??)
Between going back to school after the break, and my knee still smarting, I ended up not running the whole week. I was very disappointed and mildly frustrated, but I knew it was for the best. The last thing I need is to reinjure that knee and wind up having the rest of my meniscus tear, or worse and not be able to run at all!
The week we went back to school was also a full moon. I swear I must be part werewolf or something. I don’t sleep well at all during the full-moon time. I have trouble falling asleep and then staying asleep. For the full 3 days of the full moon it was the same: take forever to fall asleep, feel myself tossing and turning all night, wake up before my alarm and be pissy all day.
The kids at school were out of sorts too. It’s the start of the 4th quarter and they know they’ve got state testing coming up, which is always a stressful time for them, the 8th graders are getting ready to leave for high school and the 7th graders are getting ready to be the big fishes. It’s a weird time for them. I think everyone gets anxious for the end of the school year. 4th quarter feels like it’s so close to the end of the year, yet so far…
The other day I was running through my hood and I swore I kept seeing the same white pickup truck driving by me. It was starting to creep me out a little and so I looked at the first letters of the license plate so I could verify if it was the same one, or if I was making up scenarios in my head. I also clutched the pepperspray (that I never leave home without) a little tighter and put my finger on the trigger. (Flashbacks from the pervert in the black car that follwed me a few years ago were making me paranoid).
The next time around it was coming towards me so of course I couldn’t see the license plate, but I did see it was being driven by a guy and there was a woman in the front seat. She saw me and her eyes lit up and she started clapping and I could see her mouthing the word ”Yay!” I did not know those people, and I don’t even know what they heck she was doing, but I pretended that she was cheering for me because I was actually out there running. After that I thought I saw the truck a few more times off in the distance, but it was never down the bock in which I was running. It was probably my imagination running away with me, but it gave me a little motivation so I continued to try to run a little faster.
I did encounter my metal dinosaur friend when I was running. This time it was dressed up and ready for Easter. Somehow I don’t think kids would be as thrilled if a fanged giant was hiding Easter eggs and hip-hopping down the bunny trail.
This post has been FOUR weeks in the making. I promise I’m not slacking again. I’ve just been so busy with school and getting ready for state testing I barely have time to run, let alone write about it! Plus it’s been so blasted hot after school that I feel like I’m almost putting myself in danger by running in that heat. I tried it once when it was like 85 and I felt like I was going to pass out and throw up when I got home. It took forever to cool down and I had the worst headache afterward. I even made it a point to take water again (which you know I hate doing).
Honestly at this point in the school year, my goal is to get a blog post done once a week. Hopefully I can write more in the summer when I’m not trying to juggle two jobs, get ready for standardized testing and trying to also close out a school year. This is the time of year I should be running more to help relieve my stress, but I don’t have as much time, and it’s getting so blasted hot that it’s becoming borderline dangerous to run after school (life as a desert brat!)
Hopefully I can post again this week, I’m crossing my fingers!
Runs Through Sprinklers 