So you think you can get injured...

*Sigh* The downfall of taking on so much dancing at once is that all my injuries from high school sports are suddenly starting to make a reappearance. Sadly, there is only so much you can do with ballroom shoes.

When I ran and I encountered shin splints, I put insoles in my shoes and sat in an ice jacuzzi for 20 minutes after practice. While it wasn't the most pleasant experience at all, it did help. With ballroom dancing shoes, I can't exactly put arch supports in those tiny little sandals. So I guess I'm back to icing and Motrin for the next few weeks. And - sigh - wearing my flats and practice shoes for the next few weeks. So much for breaking in the new shoes early.

What I hate about these injuries is that I KNOW I can do therapy exercises to strengthen the muscles that ail me. Or sit on a stationary bike or something. But when the hell do I have time?

In addition to the shin splints, the kneecap issues are coming back. I can't seem to stand up from a sitting position without getting up with a stiff knee. It goes away fast, but the initial stretch is always rough. I'm not really sure how to fix that except ice and rest.

Overall, I just feel like a little weakling. Ballroom dancing is a lot of work and is a great workout, but it's taking its toll. I really want to get some strength back - but I'm not really sure how.