Oh boy.  It happened.  The worst case scenario.   Ten days in Florida for spring break, and on Day 1 — I seriously injured my knee.  

I was doing a 3-mile run in the neighborhood around my mother’s house, which seemed to go well.  Later that day, I was playing outside with her new 8-month old puppy Summer (a lab  and dalmatian mix)  and somehow managed to twist my knee pretty badly.   I think the dog jumped on my leg and bent it backward in a direction it was NOT Meant to go.  OUCH.   The muscle, tendon, whatever it is on the outside of the left side of my left knee was swollen and knotted.  I couldn’t move my knee in any direction but straight forward without severe pain.

So there started a week of Icy Hot applications, pain medication and rest.  I was off my knee for a week.  I didn’t run, couldn’t really.  I was getting so worried that I missed my 11 mile long run.  Thankfully Marathon Brian responded to a frantic email from me asking a simple question…”HELP, How SCrEWeD Am I???”  He managed to talk me down off the ledge (like he always does :))  and reminded me that resting and recovery was the mission right now.  That I had done enough training.  I was ready.  STOP FREAKING OUT DIANE!.  Ok, MB, OK!

When I felt improvement I began a walking regime.  Being in Florida made this easy.  Lots of walking ability.  With 2 weeks to go, my running training became walking — but I chose to believe this was as it was meant to be.  Right?  Gotta play the cards you are dealt?  So that’s what I did.  I played the Walking Cards, and  ….. it turned out OK.    Besides, lightning struck a second time, and a few days into my recovery, I caught the flu.    Yup. In bed under the covers, fever, sleeping all day, coughing, sneezing, m.i.s.e.r.a.b.l.e. for 3 days.  CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!……oh well.

I felt better on Friday, and was able to get back out into the sunny Florida air.    Lovely.  Summer.  with Breeze.  It was great.  Saturday was flying home day — our flight was seriously delayed 3 and 1/2 hours.  Our 630pm flight took off at 945pm.    We walked through our front door about 1am Sunday morning, happy to be home.

I think I fell asleep about 3am — and woke to the alarm clock at 8am this morning.  Since I had missed two Saturdays of Weight Watchers meetings, I dragged myself, with coffee in hand , to the Sunday 9am meeting.  I NEEDED it.  I had to get myself back into the program.  With everything else that went on during vacation, I didn’t track a bite.  Oh, and there were plenty of bites.  I simply let myself off the hook….., and my suddenly snug-fitting shorts were reminding me of my lame decision.

I gained 6 pounds.

(Geez, Diane — come back and read this sentence the day before you leave for your next vacation —->>  As Good As You THINK It Feels to LET GO on Vacation (food wise)…… It Feels Really Yucky at the End.  Don’t Do It.  Not worth it Girl!  Remember to Read This Again and Often!)

Ciao for now……Diane