I'm on the disabled list, and disappointed as can be.

I've done despair and depression, too, but life's too short to mope around for more than a day or two.

The long and short is that my hip's messed up, and I can't race anymore until I get right. My hip flexors, ITB and TFL (I forget what that one means) are wound so tight they're fit to pop, and they're pulling my hip out of joint.

I got a prescription anti-inflammatory to ease the pain, and I'm doing physical therapy twice a week, lots of stretching and some rather boring and silly looking leg lifts to correct imbalances (some muscles are strong and too tight because others weren't doing their share).

The good news is that my Physical Therapist, Mary K., says I can do a few short, easy runs on level terrain every week, and I can bicycle. I used to do an awful lot of cycling, before I switched over to running, and it looks as though I will get my fill of it this summer.

Right now it's too soon to tell how long it will be before I can start training again. I'm hoping to be ready to race in the fall, if not sooner.