Sharp pains in the upper-front muscle of my left leg are mostly gone now, but they were rather troublesome for much of September and October (and did provide a near-perfect excuse for my wimpish performance at the Marathon in the Parks 2003). What caused the damage, I do not know — perhaps a minor muscle tear or tendon strain, unnoticed at the time, while stepping over something on the living room floor? Or perhaps excessive enthusiasm during a late-summer training run?

But whatever the origin(s), I definitely felt severe twinges while climbing out of the driver's seat of the family's youngest car, a low-to-the-ground 1992 Honda Civic. (The '87 Topaz and the '72 Dart are slightly higher and much easier to enter and exit.) After much experimentation I devised a relatively pain-free tactic: swing both legs out and plant both feet parallel on the ground, knees together, before attempting to stand. That method distributes the weight better and prevents sudden twisting-tension on the left quadriceps. (American cars have the driver on the left.)

A friend laughed when I described my technique to her recently. She told me that I had simply rediscovered the classic exit strategy for a modest lady in a miniskirt ...

TopicHumor - TopicPersonalHistory - TopicRunning - 2003-12-06

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