Mixing things up

I am really sore today, but it's not from running. Well, not exactly anyway. I'm hurting from playing basketball yesterday. I met up with a couple friends, took the day off from plain ol' running, and hooped it up, which we're going to do once a week this winter.

I hadn't played basketball in probably a year and I haven't played regularly since college, when I'd get together with some coworkers and classmates and play twice a week. A few weeks before graduation -- so late April of 2005 -- I grabbed a rebound and came down on my right foot awkwardly. My foot hasn't been exactly the same since.

It didn't swell up like your typical sprain, which I've had a few of on each ankle (once a doctor told me I would've done myself a favor my breaking it). During the most recent mishap, I think I tore or severely strained some ligaments. I went through X-rays and had a physical therapist look at it and no one was exactly sure what I did. All I know is it didn't swell, it hurt a ton and every so often, if I'm not paying attention while walking, it can flare up.

What's been funny over the past two years is that it has never hurt while running -- just walking on occasion. I've been working so hard with running over the past year, though, so I finally decided that it was a good time to test the ankle out on the basketball court again. We played two games of 21 and my ankle never flared up once in all the starting and stopping. So, the weekly games will go on until my foot has other plans.

Back to my point, though, I'm super sore because that muscle memory from playing bball all the time went missing. Even after a few shots I could feel a slight sting in my right arm while it tried to remember what it was doing. I'm glad I'm playing again, though. I had fun and it will help add some variety to my increasingly boring workouts.

Boredom has been my biggest problem lately. I might not be winded and my legs might feel fine, but I just am so bored jogging on that treadmill. I mixed it up the other day by running on the track with Kelly and I might run outside today since it's actually nice outside. On my off days from running, I'm also still working out in the weight room to make sure I'm not going strictly arobic with my routine.

Also, thanks John for pointing me to the Runners World Web site -- I've been finding a ton of cool little tips on there. I also checked out that Garmin watch, which seems to trump that wimpy Timex I was looking at. Hmmm, now to convince the misses that spending nearly $300 on a watch it worth it! Maybe I'll have to start a Gunning for a Garmin fundraiser. My sis says all her friends swear by theirs, too.