Day 7.193 Time Heals

My hip is sore.

The left one.

I have been here before.

I know the pain.

It comes from overuse.

Let us take a closer examination, shall we?

ONE: Most, (I cannot in all humility say all), injuries of this sort come from one source. Miles. Miles, or kilometers if you like. They are a necessary component. You must run, and run long, and sometimes hard, to bring about this not-so-subtle reminder of the complimentary counterpart to exertion, rest. We need time to recover, for it is during this respite that the body goes into magic mode and heals, strengthens and instigates a recruiting mission to add numbers to the fight. To put boots on the ground. Make those muscles bigger sergeant.

So we should be happy that we are sore. You have earned it. Way to get to here. In his later years Bogey used to tell the make-up artists not to cover his facial wrinkles using the explanation that he had earned them and he didn't need to look like something or somebody that he was not.

TWO: I should know better by now. Inflammation happens. Whether you are riding or running, or both, tremendous pressure is managed in the anatomical area we call the core. Take your finger right now and find the bottom of your rib cage, now take another finger on your other hand and place it at mid thigh. See that area? that is your core. Big muscle transfer station in the center of town.

THREE: The answer is complex. They always are. As an athlete on a mission, you need to work. We ride early and run late. We are all undergoing muscle loss, known as sarcopenia. It takes longer to warm-up and to cool-down. We don't stretch enough. We don't get enough massage. And we charge through the china shop like Red Bulls of courage*. Folks, we need to be smarter. This is what they mean when they say that.

FOUR: I know why I do this to myself. It is because I want to feel like the effort I have been pouting forth is valid. That we are once again moving in the right direction. That there is a degree of urgency attached to this. To everything. Because there is.

FIVE: It is later that we think. It's what we do with the time remaining that heals these tiny wounds. Take that trip!

*  A new RCVman record for mixed metaphors!