Everybody hurts

Ow OW Ow.

This entry is brought to you by Rule Five.  My favourite.

I noticed maybe Saturday that it hurt to stand, to sit, to go up and down stairs, in fact, most things involving movement of legs.  Big fat muscles in thighs giving it some welly on the stiffness.  Sunday it was noticeable on the bike ride and I chose to ignore it. Last night climbing I realised how the muscles had been put in that condition, and carried on regardless.  Today I cycled in, aware with every stop and start that the muscles were protesting.  But it is a good ache and frankly MTFU.  For indeed, everybody hurts sometimes.

I have very rapidly made an adjustment to the concept of lycra shorts without baggies on the commute to work.  Tra lala as I leave the front door feeling virtually naked with the skimpiness of the clothing, for it's early and I'm in work before 8am so who knows, cares or sees.  Except for the people at work but why would they be looking anyway.

The thing I'm actually slightly ashamed of, or perhaps just mildly embarrassed by is the bruises.  There is a certain threshold over which it's awkward off the bike to have bare legs.  There ought to be a classification of bruises along the lines of burns to decide on when it's appropriate to wear a) shorts, b) 3/4 lengths or c) long trousers whatever the weather.  Notice the subject of skirt hasn't even occurred.  So, shorts would be permissible with bruises at a grade one level or below.  Below this hasn't actually happened for quite some time and is something of a fantasy state, similar to the concept of being in peak fitness.  My imaginary grade one or below level would be maybe just one or two small bruises, restricted to below knee.  This would be one per leg really in an ideal world.  Grade 2 bruises would be a mix of colours, different vintages, potentially really only consisting of those more than 48 hours old so in a state of either grey or some fading yellow.  There would also be a percentage leg cover relating to a grade 2 bruise, perhaps up to about the 25% of lower leg cover.  Grade 3 bruises are a trouser only situation.  These are a mix of fresh bruises in an eye catching tender red mix with grey, and some of these are raised.  This is a 40% plus of leg cover, and may also include thigh and knee bruises.

There are also categories for bruises accompanied by grazes or by cuts.  Bruises which are so sore you can't shave your legs.  Bruises in really weird places where the pedal has smacked into you as you go down, and ankle bruises caused by climbing mishaps.  Perhaps some sub categories for bruises which alone cover 5% of your leg as opposed to that level of cover being comprised of several small ones.  There's clearly work to be done on this subject.

Singing along to REM because everybody hurts sometimes, everybody cries, but it's time to sing along ...