Good morning! It’s so beautiful and crisp out, with just a slight breeze in the air.  I’m quite excited for the nice autumn weather (yes, even in Florida)!

I wanted something simple and comforting for breakfast this morning, so I made classic oatmeal (and coffee, obviously!).

My oatmeal contained:

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large sliced banana
• Toppings: 2 tablespoons granola, a handful of raisins and dried cranberries, and a sprinkle of brown sugar.

It’s very funny to me that I didn’t even LIKE oatmeal a year ago, because now I’m addicted to it! I still don’t like with without the addition of a banana (thanks for this recipe-saving idea, Kath!)

Oh No, Not NOW!

I didn’t mention this in last night’s post (mostly because I didn’t want to complain about TOO many things at once!), but my right leg  and heel is killing me…. yes, my 15k is on Saturday and my half marathon is a week after that.  Not good timing at all! I am really concerned that I’ve actually injured myself, and that this isn’t just a fluke.

I iced my foot all day and nervously ran last night to "test out" my leg.  Although the first 3.0 miles were only irritating, the last 3.0 were torture.  I kept stopping and stretching out, and I ran on the grass (as opposed to the sidewalk) half the time.

When Future Husband got home from clinic, I immediately asked him to give me acupuncture.  After giving me a diagnosis (in case you wondering, inflamed nerves = blood and qi stasis in Chinese medicine), he stuck with with about 8 needles.

Obviously, I need to do a better job shaving my legs.

I waited for about 20 minutes, and Future Husband would occasionally come over and "manipulate" the needles to help my chi flow more freely.  The needles in my ankle were about 1/2 inch deep, but I honestly couldn’t feel them! The amazing thing about acupuncture is that the needling does not hurt, but you can feel your qi (energy) being released from the point.  It feels itchy and warm.

I felt significantly better last night, and today my foot feel more sore than painful, which is a definite improvement!  After all, pain is one of the easiest things to treat with acupuncture. It’s a simple problem (your energy is either gathering or ignoring a certain point or nerve) with a simple treatment plan. 

The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture has a listing of licensed acupuncturists in every state.  Or you could just marry one and get free treatments, whatever.

Have a wonderful day! See you for lunch.  And yes, I’m taking today off from running. I’d rather be safe than sorry!