Cramps

Men are lucky they don't have to deal with this.

I woke up this morning with cramps. My period is starting and all the muscles in my pelvis have gone on strike.

Mind over matter...and body.

"I won't let this stop me!" I definently said to myself.
20 minutes later I was dressed and ready. I didn't bother eating. I didn't mess with my ipod, I just turned it on and let it go.

I ran Otter Trail.

By the time I got to the park, my cramps were gone. Funny thing about running...every pain you were feeling while you were still disappear and are sometimes replaced with new ones you had no idea you could feel. But as soon as you stop, the old familiar aches come back. It's like taking a break, a slice of time to focus on something else. I don't feel pain anymore when I'm running. Perhaps I've mentally programmed my mind to concentrate on the most inspiring reasons for running. The air, sky, wildlife, etc. Therefore I don't feel the pain that might actually exist. Your mind can do anything. It can block pain...or increase it. I choose to block it. Hmm? I should try that while I'm NOT running. Can I block it all the time? Sure, I don't see why not. Although it sounds hard to do...like trying to hold up an elephant with one arm. That could be my problem. My perception is that blocking pain is hard. Maybe it's not. It's only hard because I think it would be hard. What if I truly believed it were an easy thing to do? Like picking up a kitten?

Was that confusing? Sorry.

Today on my run I saw a cat. This cat had a huge rat in it's mouth. It reminded me of last night. Last night I went into the garage and almost stepped onto a dead mouse. Actually it was half of a dead mouse. I suspect Danny (our cat who just had kittens) brought it home as a teaching tool for her babies.
"Look kittens...mommy has something to show you. This is a mouse. They are fast and fun to catch. They smell good. We can rip them apart with our sharp claws...go ahead, give it a try."

I think the other half is behind the dryer. yuck.