It's been a rough couple of days... Things went a bit downhill yesterday at the gym. My trainer had me doing lunges and, after the first set of 20 (10 on each leg), my knees were killing me and my back was hurting. My trainer said I was leaning too far forward, putting pressure and strain on my back. We bounced the weighted ball back and forth for a while and went back to the lunges, so I made sure to keep my back straight and, after that first set of 10 that go around, I was hurting so bad, I wanted to walk out right then! However, I went on and did the other set of 10 on the opposite leg. When I got through, I ached ALL OVER!!! If anyone tells you lunges are a piece of cake, they LIED!!! I thought I was going to be sick right there in the gym. We were going on to the treadmill, but just walking across the room hurt so badly. I think I scared Cindy, my trainer, because, after the lunges, she suggested we skip the treadmill last night. I told her I just needed a few minutes to get myself together - I was fighting back tears because of the pain in my knees, but I lost the battle and the tears started to flow. At that point, Cindy was adamant that I stop. I was irritated mostly with myself because I felt I should have been able to do that exercise; maybe if I had done it right the first time, I wouldn't have been so pained the next go around. I tried to convince her to keep going, but she said no. Now, I'll be out of town for a few days and won't be back in the gym until next Monday, so I was so disappointed in myself at that point because we had a team birthday luncheon at work yesterday and, instead of partaking in the pizza, I brought my own SmartOnes Pizza and some whole kernel corn and only ate some salad my manager brought to have with the pizza. During the luncheon, I was telling some of my teammates about my workouts as some of them noticed my mobility is better and made mention of it. (That felt kinda nice...) Anyway, after having that victory, not being able to complete the workout felt like defeat, so I left the gym kind of down. Well... on my way home, I usually take the straightest route, but last night I felt compelled to go through a subdivision with less traffic. I'd just crested the hill when I heard this wobbling sound and I immediately lost control of the steering wheel - the truck started veering to the left and I instantly hit the brake. I thought I'd blown a tire, but I hadn't. At this point, I was like "Girl, get yourself to the house." I made a right turn - with a bit of speed because now I'm anxious just to get the truck to my house. Okay, BIG MISTAKE! The wobbling sound came back and the truck then started veering to the right - I had no control of the steering again and almost ended up in someone's yard. If I hadn't hit the brake when I did, I could have very well ended up in their LIVING ROOM!!! I was so scared... There was a lady driving a car behind me who saw what was going on. When I came to a stop, she drove up next to me and asked me if I was alright. I told her I thought I was, but I didn't know what was happening to the truck. She said she saw sparks coming from under the truck by the driver's side front tire. I was at a complete loss on what to do. I was about 10 miles or so from home, in a neighborhood where I didn't know anyone, it's getting dark and I was alone. So, I said a quick prayer and repeatedly said "Please Lord let me make it home". I drove 5-10 miles an hour from the spot where I said the prayer. I said - out loud - "Please Lord let me get home" from that spot to the front of my house - without incident. When I stopped that truck, I was so relieved, I forgot all about the pains in my body and my gym upset. I was just glad I wasn't on the high traffic road I usually travel when this happened. If I had, the probability of my hitting someone or something would have been so much greater. I was not pleased in the least with this turn of events by no means; however, when I stopped and really thought about it, I was glad things happened the way they did. We'd planned on driving the truck to the Atlanta airport for our flight out - what if this had happened while we were on the highway travelling at 65-70 miles an hour? Heck, what if it had happened while I was on the bypass coming from the gym last night, traveling at 65-70 miles an hour? When I got home, I called a friend of mine and told him what happened. He came over, took a look under the truck and said something about an arm related to the steering was broken on the driver's side. He also said it would be expensive to repair. I started getting emotional about having to repair my truck and, now that the adrenaline has returned to normal, my pains were evident again, I almost dropped a few tears, but then when I thought about what COULD have happened, I got alright! I am so grateful and thankful to God for keeping me from the seen and unseen dangers. I could have been hurt, I could have hurt someone else, lives could have been lost, but God didn't see fit to let it be and I AM SO GLAD ABOUT IT!!! I got home, I have a car so I am still able to get back and forth to work, and I'm employed, so I can get the truck fixed too. Again, by no means am I glad things have happened, but I am glad to know, even in the midst of this storm, GOD IS STILL GOOD!!!

Anyway, at this moment in time, my entire lower body - hips, thighs, knees, shins, ankles and feet - ache like nothing I've ever felt before. Cindy warned me that I would be sore and she is exactly right, but I'm hanging in there. After that scare last night, the gym ain't nothing in comparison! The devil meant it for bad, but I'm SO glad, God meant it for MY GOOD!!!

Peace and blessings, Kita