I just couldn't help myself...

Yesterday was the Fort Wayne Fort for Fitness 4-mile and Mini Marathon. I was registered for the 4-mile and had resolved to walk the race due to my recent surgery and lack of training. In fact, I promised my doctor I wouldn't run it. I lied.

I really did think I would be OK with walking. Disappointed, but OK. But when I arrived at the start line with my friends, also running the race, and saw the enormous crowd gathered to cheer on the thousands of runners, the adrenaline started pumping through me and I really couldn't help myself. I had to run. Unfortunately for me, I made a wrong move at some point between the 1/2 and 3/4 mile mark and dislocated my left patella. I honestly couldn't say what happened exactly. Maybe I stepped on a crack in the road or just landed too hard on my leg. All I knew was it HURT! Thankfully, I avoided a fall and only stumbled slightly. At this point, I should have quit the race and had the medics check me out. I'm an EMT...I should know better, right?

WRONG. Instead, I stopped long enough to pop my patella back in place and kept on running. Oh yes, I was still very much in pain, but I had a race to finish. That was my only option as I saw it.

I still ran the majority of the race, walking occasionally to keep from killing myself completely. I finished all 4 miles with a time of 56:20...not a PR by any means. I was simply happy to finish and was actually a bit emotional when I crossed the finish line. I would have collapsed from the pain had there not been a sturdy pole nearby. I proceed through the finishers line...received my participation medal, got my "goody" bag, and scarfed the food and water the volunteers were giving to the runners.

When I finally got back to the hotel and showered, waiting for Keith and Julie, I sat in the quiet of the room and reveled in the fact that I did it!

Next goal: get back in shape and run the Indy Mini 5k in May 2011 :-) I just can't help myself.

And we're walking...

So excited! I finally found a workout partner! My friend Sara and I made a plan to walk together in the mornings a few times a week. Yes, I know it's a bit late in the year and it's going to get chilly. We're walking outside until it's too cold for her baby girl, Madilyn, to be in the stroller. Then we will move the workouts inside. We are hoping to get our hands on the Insanity videos. I have to say, it will be much easier to get motivated now that I have someone to talk to. Yay!

Today we walked about 2 miles. I made the mistake of wearing pants...ha! I was all sweaty and itchy by the time we got done. Madilyn seemed to enjoy the stroller ride. We're going again tomorrow morning. I could get used to this.

On, and I'll have to get in gear...Kerry's already dropped 5lbs! Talk about feeling motivated...

I love a good challenge.

So, my friend Kerry joined this weight loss competition through Anytime Fitness called Smallest Winner (or something like that). I, unfortunately, don't have the luxury of joining a fitness center (I live in Amish paradise), but I am quite motivated now that surgery is over. My poor body hasn't fared well since high school. Junk food and stress have taken their toll.

So, in addition to my slightly less strenuous approach to exercise, I started Weight Watchers...again. No, this isn't my first go-round with WW. I tried it last winter and lost 15lbs by mid-February. Less than 2 months after I hit the 15lbs mark, I gained it all back plus another 10lbs without any explanation as to why. I gave up. Well now I have about 35-40lbs to lose overall. I am horrible at sticking to things I start. I have very little willpower. Hoping it's different this time now that I have a buddy. If only I could get Ryan on board...

To help with the motivation, I made a deal with Kerry. Since she has to pay in $1 per lb to the program every time she gains weight, I am paying her $2 per lb. Maybe that will help my poor willpower...

One week...

Surgery was just one week ago yesterday...and I feel about 90% back to normal! It's amazing to be able to eat without fear of having a gall bladder attack!



What's even more amazing is that despite the fact that I only lost 5lbs from surgery, the pants I bought a mere 6 days before surgery are HUGE! Girls, you know that feeling when you have been trying to lose weight and your "fat" jeans are finally too big? It's amazing! I can actually pull my jeans off without unbuttoning or unzipping them! I was so happy when I found out that I screamed with joy...and Ryan was off the couch running because he thought I was in pain. LOL! Poor hubby. I'm not really sure why my jeans are so big after only losing 5lbs, but I have theorized that my gastrointestinal system and the surrounding tissues were so inflammed due to the lack of function of my gall bladder that removing the gall bladder decreased the bloating and inflammation and consequently made my jeans fit looser. Whatever it was, HALLELUJAH!



I have resolved to change my attitude concerning my running. I have decided that healing my body is the most important thing right now and I will run when I'm healthier. For the rest of 2010, I will concentrate on building myself back up by walking (maybe a little jogging now and then) and strength training. I want to be ready for 2011 when I will start up my serious training again.

My ultimate goal: 2012 Fort For Fitness Mini Marathon.

Surgery...check!

Gall bladder surgery went well! I'm recovering at home. Right now I am just itchy from all the meds. Today I was able to get up out of bed without Ryan's help, wash my hair in the sink, and walk across the alley to go to breakfast (toast and a milk shake, yummy). Sleep is my friend...along with the vicodin. I even felt good enough to crash a fellow firefighter's wedding tonight...Congrats Camron and Tara! That's about all I have today. :-P

I suck...

...at updating! I said I would be better about it but no...I'm not.

So, a lot has happened since I last posted. For one, I started an EMT class a week after my last post, which controlled my life until about a week ago. The class was quite strenuous and did not give me much time for running. I was up at 6:30am to get ready for class, had an hour between class and work at 2pm, and usually didn't get home until 11 or 11:30pm. So unless I could suffice on 5 hours of sleep, I didn't get to train like I had wished. Then about a week and a half to two weeks before my birthday race, I injured my foot (don't ask me how). It felt like a pulled muscle. Walking was a struggle for about 6 days. Needless to say, I was not able to run my birthday race...so I didn't go at all. I was far too depressed.

In lieu of that, I signed up for the Fort Wayne Fort-4-Fitness 4 mile run as my "making a comeback" race. One of my best friends said she would make the trek from Columbus, OH to run with me. Another friend agreed to come from Indy to run the half marathon. I was PSYCHED. I got my registration in, started training again (although on very little sleep), and started prepping myself for the September 25th race day. Then about 3 weeks ago, I was rendered ill by my lovely gallbladder. I landed myself in the ER after work one night, writhing in pain, yet the doctor told me my labs came back normal and sent me home. Mind you this is happening a week after a horribly painful kidney infection so I've not run for about a week at this point. Anyway, I make an appointment with a different doctor than my usual family doctor (he was on vacation), I went through an upper GI endoscopy and a HIDA scan, and found out just yesterday that I will be having surgery in a week.

&*$%#! I just want to run!

So after surgery I am limited to walking for 3-4 weeks. I will be unable to attend the 5K that Parkview Noble is sponsoring a week after my surgery and I will be walking the 4-mile course for the F4F while my friends enjoy the exhilarating race. Talk about depressing. Everyone wants to say they're so sorry about the surgery, and I tell them not to be sorry for the surgery. If anything be sorry that I am going to be a pain in the butt with an attitude until I can run again. I suppose there's always next year. The roadblocks just suck...






And yes, I know I'm whining. Now, ask me if I care.





No, I don't. :-/

I'M BACK!

I'm going to do my best to update more often.

Anyway, I'M BACK! Yes, back in my running shoes, back on the road, back to me. I sort of said "screw you" to the last person that said I needed more therapy. Not usually a good idea, but I don't think my injury was near what he tried to make me believe. If it was, I wouldn't be running now.

Today made the 2nd run of the season for me. I'm starting from scratch...as in I can't even run a mile right now. As hard as it is to swallow, I'm just happy to be back running at all. I did about a 1/2 mile on Monday night, and 3/4 mile this morning. I'm going to be running a "comeback" race in a month for my birthday (July 4th is my birthday, but I believe the race is on the 5th). It's a 5K and I probably won't be anywhere near 3.1 miles, but I'm going to run it anyway. I had made a goal to do it in 25 minutes or under since it's my 25th birthday, but unless God gives me miracle legs and stamina (which you never know, he might) that's just not going to happen. It's not about time for me anymore...it's about running. I'll set a higher goal for the 4 mile race in September if my training progresses ok, but for now, it's just about being able to run.

A lot of bad things have happened the past few weeks. A lot of death. A lot of stress. A lot of things I don't want to relive. But I have my legs back under me, and with God's grace I will not just stand around and let life happen to me, but I will run and make life happen for me.