I'll take stupid injuries for 100 Alex.

Tonight was another night at the track. I was dreading it. The air was cold, I was running late and my right shin was still crabby from my Monday run. I think it was actually still crabby from my Saturday long run, then my Monday run on top of that. Either way, I had a sinking feeling it wasn't going to be pretty.

But I pulled up my styling $40 compression sleeves which apparently I got in a size too big because I didn't feel any compression at all. I was barely into the first warm up lap when I knew it wasn't going to be my night. First off, I could hardly get warmed up. I'm not sure I could even get blood to all extremities, let alone warm them up. But the searing right shin told me that my old friend is back full force. Yes, I appear once again to have shin splints. This is what has been my arch Nemesis of running since I ran cross country back in high school. It is always, always the shin pain that sidelines me. Last year though I thought I had finally won the war on shin pain. I had run months and months without a peep out of them through trails here and there. But now, due to the knee (which is a whole other blog story for another day), I can no longer run trails except for flat trails. Good luck finding those here in Oregon. Anyway, it is back to the pavement for me.

And apparently back to the battle of the shins. With a twist of course, because the same old stuff would be too easy. No now the shin pain is strictly in my right leg. Left leg feels good as new. Interestingly enough, my left knee is the one injured. But again I digress. Nope, it is the right shin screaming as I run lap after lap on the track tonight. Slow, fast, they both hurt about the same. But heaven forbid I come to a stop and just stand there. That is the worse pain of all. Well, that and the big old pain in my ass this whole stupid thing is in the first place.

So I guess it's back to the mystery files of trying to figure out what works, what doesn't and if it is really worth the effort in the first place.

The positive outcome of tonight's workout? Sarah. She had a great track workout and she looked amazing out there. I know she was cold too, but she didn't look it. She looked all gazelle like once again. And because of her and because we are doing this together I will go pop half a bottle of ibuprofen, haul out my frozen veggies for my legs and hit the couch for a while. Oh, and I"ll probably haul out some plastic on Saturday after our long run so I can head to Eugene Running Company and start searching for the right shoes because clearly these are not them.

Happy trails. Oh who am I kidding, I'd love happy trails, but that ain't gonna happen. I guess I'll settle for not painful pavement.