"Femoral Stress Fracture"

Gulp.

I was sitting in the doctors office, finally getting that pesky quad issue checked out.

"I don't really need to hear more, Caitlin- you are getting an MRI"

But, how? Why? I booked the next available MRI appointment and my doctor promised to email me my results from his vacation. I cancelled the flight to Chicago that I had booked earlier that day, and tried to gather my thoughts.

In truth, my bones have not been the only thing cracking lately. The job I love has started to slip, leaving me with the mounting pressures and responsibilities of exiting coworkers. Responsibilities that excite me, but fill my plate none the less, leaving little room for anything else.

Debilitating chest pains and the cycling of stress induced cankers, I feel as far away from my normal self as possible. Sometimes I grind my teeth so hard it is difficult to open my mouth in the morning.

Running has always pulled me out of this before. It gives me a schedule in which to build the chaos around. So, you see, I have been banking on the Chicago Marathon to be my savior.

Ok, things are a bit crazy, but soon I'll be training and everything will even out.

Oooorrrr not.

As I gear up for my MRI tomorrow, I am trying to think of a plan B. Another goal, another schedule, for which to fit the uncertainty of life around. With bouldering and running out the window, it is sure to be out of my comfort zone. And that's a good thing! It actually reminds me of my favorite quote: One of the greatest and simplest tools for learning more and growing is doing more.

So, I am going to do more of something new for a bit. Maybe, as Andy suggests, it's swimming a full mile. Maybe it is using this time to learn the Uke. I'm not exactly sure what I am going to do, but I am open to suggestions.

In the meantime, I am excited about the future. Maybe my MRI will come back clean and I can hit reset. Or, maybe it wont and I will have to find a new path for a bit. Either way it is totally ok. I still go to sleep laughing with my loved ones and that's enough for right now.

Psst: Know of a fun goal I should work towards? Let me know, I'm all ears! And thanks, as always, for sticking with me!

Time Out Chicago