Who Actually Ran the Marathon?

On Saturday morning, I heard Butch power washing the side of our house when I woke up. Hmmm, wouldn't it be great if he could power wash the screened-in porch? That would be an instant clean instead of doing it by hand like I've done many times in past summers. So, without Butch seeing me, I took all the furniture and "stuff" off the screened-in porch and moved the couch from one side to the other.

Don't feel sorry for me when I say that I MAJORLY aggravated the sciatica nerve in my hip.The constant pain runs from my hip all the way down to my foot. I did it to myself. I was STUPID for moving furniture! The pain has been rather INTENSE since then, with the levels rising to an 8. Now an 8 to me would perhaps be a 10 in others books. In my mind, I couldn't imagine what a pain level 10 would even feel like, a 9 is below that, hence what I define as a level 8.

I have a history of spinal stenosis, arthritis of my lower spine and nerves that are compressed by the disc. I've gone to the pain clinic several times over the years for injections in my spine due to the exact pain that I'm experiencing now. Yesterday I called the pain clinic on the way home from radiation because this is NOT getting any better. After a few back and forth calls, the pain management doctor needs an updated lumbar x-ray before I can get injection(s) to relieve the inflammation. Today, as soon as the office opens, I'm going to call my internist to see if she can help me (a) with lining up the x-ray and (b) perhaps a muscle relaxer to make this tolerable.

A dear friend that I admire for MANY reasons emailed me last week to say that she was running a marathon in the valley. She left the fairgrounds on Saturday morning at 4:00 am and was due to return Sunday morning no later than 8:00 am. Knowing that she was just too close for me not to try and see her, I got up early Sunday morning and headed over to the fairgrounds...about 3 miles from my house...to greet her when she came in from her 100 MILE marathon. Yes, she ran 100 miles!!!! I arrived around 6:30 and shortly after 7:30, my dear friend came through the fairground gates! She took her final lap around the track and then I got a hug! During her 100 mile run through the valley in the wee hours of the morning, throughout the day and while everyone slept,  ALL during the night, she ran past the house where I grew up.

I admire this special person for ALL that she is and ALL that she does. She spends each summer volunteering her time and professional talents to the children and villagers of Malawi. She is one of the most compassionate people that I know. She and her husband have raised children that are continuing to give back to people of the world through projects that they have done and their professions.

We've taught together for 12 years! We've done co-therapy together and have had some of the best conversations about helping our students. I admire her for so, so many reasons.

Who actually ran the marathon? NOT the person with the pulled muscle!