.

My left ankle had grown fragile after a break a fracture and countless sprains over the years of hard court basketball. I've learned to understand pro-athletes who are under enviable multi-million dollar contracts and unenviable ailing injuries that prevent them from performing at their best. Too often we hear fans grumble morosely their displeasure for pro athletes valiant but poor efforts to perform due to these ailments.

I am once again in the agonizing ordeal of nursing a severely sprained left ankle, a far too familiar place (basketball again). Two weeks in a row I have done this and this time prompted a Doctors visit after four days of unrelenting pain. Luckily there was no fracture or break, Doc prescribed anti-inflammatory and a dose of "take it easy for a while".

After two weeks I'm finding it difficult not to do any type of exercise. It's still far too painful to play ball, even the treadmill with running shoes on a decline setting strains my fragile ankle. But i wanted to exercise and my body was craving for it. Then I thought, what about the stationary bike at 24 hour Fitness where I go every Wednesday anyhow?? I seem to recall some older people reading books while leisurely dabbling away on the bikes. So I grabbed my current novel "Post Mortem" by Patricia Cornwell and headed out to 24 Hour Fitness. I spent the next 56 minutes burning 305 calories which normally takes me 22 minutes on the treadmill next to an old Chinese lady (same one I see every time) reading the new Cosmopolitan Magazine with Scarlett Johansson on the cover. I wonder if she noticed me trying to steal a glimpse of the cover (maybe she even thought I was checking her out and liked it, gross!)

Well until the swelling and the pain subsides i'll be with the Chinese Lady!

Sorry for this Picture (appropriately depicts the pain though, does it not?)