Flexing Little-Used Muscles

We just spent a few days with New York friends at their family cabin on a little lake in the southwestern part of the state. We all got along splendidly except the dogs. If not for the dogs, it would have been a perfect trip. We had a cornhole tournament consisting of adult-child teams and a late night game of Who-nu. Everyone stayed up way too late but at least slept in. The weather was gorgeous and the lake beautiful. The meals were casual and relaxing, eaten outside overlooking the lake (well, one lunch was on the boat). There was lots of swimming and jumping off of the high deck, boating, tubing, and...

I got on water skis for the first time since I have had children. Super fun, loved it as always, but it did take a couple times to get up, which was not so in the past. The first time, I forgot to straighten my arms all the way. The second, I stood up way too fast. The third I was up, but then forgot how hard you have to hang on and how you have to somehow make your knees like springs when you go over the wake. Fourth was the charm and I went around for awhile. And then I went one more time. And afterward I went on a few tube rides with the kids.

That was Friday. Saturday morning I woke up very aware of some arm, chest and back muscles. I didn't do anything too physical that day past a long brisk walk. But I felt those muscles when I moved them.

This morning I had promised Sharon a medium run. I heard the rain pouring before I even looked out the window. Strike 1. I started getting out of bed and not only did I still feel those arm, chest and back muscles, I felt some shin muscles too. Feeling shins is the dread of runners. They could mean shin splints. I expressed my concern to Jeff who was not quite alert. He rolled over, opened his eyes and looked straight at me for a second. Then he said, "Um, honey, you run A LOT. You did not water-ski that much. I'm sure if you overworked something skiing it was because it was something that you do not use when you run." Always so rational, that Jeff.

Sharon and I ran for 8 soaking wet miles. I didn't hurt anything additionally, but it was not exactly an easy run. And I still feel all those sore muscles.

Tomorrow starts a new round of classes for me. My kids are not in school yet, and my husband, being a professor, is officially in fall semester too. While I am thinking "Oh bummer, it can't be! Already?!" and I'm certain in the near future I will experience my semesterly "I can't do this!" panic, my school muscles have only been on a three week break. It seems like a long three weeks, but it's only been three weeks. Not like when I first went back to college. There hasn't been enough time for them to forget the rhythm of lecture notes, reading, writing, and taking exams.

I must admit that water-skiing on very out of shape muscles is still much more fun than taking classes with well-used ones. Running eight miles in a downpour might even be more fun. But I guess I'm trying to find the good in something that will so cruelly take away that free time I got used to in those three weeks. Free time muscles don't seem to experience fatigute, even if it's been forever.