thoughts | when I wore sweatpants

A few weeks ago, some friends were in town and we decided on a impromptu rock climbing party.  A Target run was required for certain members of our group who didn't own sweatpants (we're fancy people).  In between climbing runs the comment was made several times "These are so comfortable, I can see why people wear these to the airport, but don't worry!  I won't do that!".

Right.

It was a few days later that I found myself needing some sweatpants, because its winter, and not exactly warm at the Crossfit box (well, I mean, it is after about 5 minutes, because you're already sweating).  I found a great pair at T.J Maxx, nice wide waistband, ankle-length, almost like a super-comfy version of the J. Crew ankle pant.  Almost.  And I wore them to the box and was pretty pleased with life.

Then I woke up with this crick in my neck.

Are the cool kids calling it that anymore?  I'm not sure, all I know is that I had shooting pain through my shoulder and up my neck.  Crick sounds about right.

I wisely decided that working out that evening would be a bad idea and tried my best to stretch my neck out throughout the day.  I figured that maybe I slept on it wrong, had some unresolved tension that settled there or perhaps my pillow was two sizes two small.  It'll be fine tomorrow was my mantra.

Or not.

By the next morning it was worse, I couldn't get out of bed and mom called my "chiropractor-since-birth", Dr. W. (although that is misleading, I've been to his clinic approximately 2 times in the last 24 years, but still, he did used to adjust me when I was a baby.  Funny rabbit trail: last time I was there I was convinced that I had something seriously wrong with my rock-solid lymph nodes located behind my ear, I massaged them until I was bruised.  Dr. W took one look at them, walked out of the room, walked back in with a medical textbook and said "Abigail, that would be bone, do you see this chart of your skull and how it extends, that is your bone and if you press hard enough it will break."  Then he forbid me from touching my neck anymore.  He's great!).

Anyway, in spite of our last meeting, he was concerned and asked me to come it right away.  Which lead me to a quandary...  What should I wear?  I was in pain.  I was already wearing my wonderfully, soft, warm sweatpants.  But I couldn't do it.  All I could think of was the confessional text I had received from my friend Chris the day before (aka, friend with shiny new sweatpants), it was a photo of him in sweats and dress shoes at the office justifying the fact that he didn't have client meetings that day.  The struggle, it was there.  But it was so cold outside.  It was COLD outside.  That was it, me and the sweats were headed to the chiropractor and fast.

Do you know how hard it is to put together a decent outfit with sweatpants and the limited use of your shoulder?

Difficulty level: between uncomfortable and dressing a 2 year old.

Off I went.  My sweet mother drove me and even stopped for coffee.  I stayed in the car, no need for all of Peets to see me in this condition.  Then I snapped this photo the above photo and sent it over to Chris for laughs.  Dr. W then examined and adjusted and grilled me on all of my workouts for the last few weeks.

The diagnoses was that it was NOT a CF related injury (yes!), that I needed to apply heat (constant warmth for the next week? you've got it!) and to continue with the mentholated muscle balm (more fuel to the fire for my siblings calling me "grandma". I don't care, I love the smell!).  After about two hours in the office, I got really smart and realized that I could wrap the heating pad around my shoulder, and if I zipped up my down vest, it would stay right on my shoulder.  Simply plug and unplug if I needed to move more than 3 feet from my desk.  Thankfully I didn't have any client meetings that day.

Then I bought some KT Tape and Brooke watched some videos and got me all taped up like a pro athlete and I was able to keep up my workouts and feel ridiculously awesome ("oh, this? it just a little thing with my shoulder, no problem...").

And by now, you've realized that there is no point to this story, except for the fact that the girl who cannot wrap her brain around pj/sweatpants wearing individuals found herself doing that very thing.  Wearing them out in public.  As my sister said "I don't even know you anymore."