Hot and dangerous

So... I DID IT!!  I went to spin class.  I walked in while I saw others "gathering" by their bikes.  As I walked in I announced I had never been there before and asked if anyone wouldn't mind running me through what I needed to do.  Heh, one lady smiled and walked out... but one lady was nice enough to help me.  She said "we all had our first time!!" so, it was really nice of her to help me out.  Now the question is... now that I know my seat settings- how do I move the seat on my own for the next time?  :-)  Ah... the next adventure is tonight.  I am hoping that my sister-in-law will join me. We will see.

I did really enjoy it though and as the title of this post says... I felt hot and dangerous (Thank you Ke$ha for that!).  I think it helped that I have ridden on my bike at home a lot.  The buns weren't dying the next day :-)  Thanks all for helping to encourage me to get there!  I did really enjoy it!

One last thing that I will share.  Because I am taking off time from legit running- I have decided to revamp my whole routine: nutrition and exercise.  I am really excited about it too.  My friend Holley (my very missed running buddy back in UT) introduced me to a 12wk program that she did this last summer and holy cow- she looks amazing! No, there aren't any miracle pills, quick fixes or weird diet food.  It's just a guide to eat smaller meals more frequently along with a mock personal training schedule (list of all the workouts you need to do... without a physical person being with you.  aka: much cheaper!) In order to get myself on track for the right rest days- this will all be starting on Monday.  I know... it sounds like a "new years resolution" that will only last a month.  I meant to do this a long time ago... but I was waiting for giveaways to win money in order to do it and well... as you may have guessed- I didn't win.  Such is life :)

I leave you with this gem I found on my phone... See!  Sometimes my hair looks good!! :-)  I was sporting my awesome "marathon for the cure" tank thing... it wasn't too terrible.  However, once I put my hair up and put on a Bondi Band... I looked like a man... wearing a sack of potatoes (hehe).  At least the skirt helped :)

The morning of RnR San Antonio getting ready at our friend's house.... before I had any clue where I would be 6 weeks later:  injured

I told you... hot and dangerous :-)

Doing something new

Tomorrow I am attending my first EVER spin class.  I am so nervous!  I have been trying to talk myself out of it or come up with excuses to not go.  I always hate going to a class for the first time.  Like the time I went to a weights class at the gym- I showed up completely clueless as everyone who had been there for the 15min abs class before had all of their stuff laid out (mat, barbell, steps, etc...).  I looked silly being the last one to get all of my "stuff".  Then I came back to a mat I left behind near my water bottle only to find that someone else claimed it. Humph. 

I know, I am paranoid!  It's just like the dream you have when you go out into public naked- you panic!  Okay, no, I don't show up naked... I just feel wicked sheepish when I don't know what I'm doing or whatever.

Sunday and today my knees have been aching.  I half think that sometimes my pain might have to do with my job.  I get to play with kids on the floor... so I'm on my knees.  A lot.  Problem? Maybe.  I also sat on a SUPER comfy couch tonight, however, I was too short for it.  My knees barely reached the end of the cushion.  My legs were sticking out a little too.   It was so painful!  Needless to say... no workout tonight.  Sad.

Wish me luck tomorrow!

Do you get nervous when you go a workout class for the first time?   

2010

So, lately I have been hitting the gym and working out on the elliptical- whatever works, right??  Anyways, this last week I reflected a little bit about 2010 and not to sound all prideful or whatevs, but I have a lot to be proud of!

I know I have been focusing on my injury a lot, but I haven't taken the time to really sit down and see how much I really have accomplished. 

My goal for 2010 was originally to run the SLC marathon.  That was it.  I had that as a goal starting in 2009. 

I not only did the SLC marathon- but I ran a handful of half marathons

My last half- 1st place in age div. and I did it in under 2 hours! 1:50 baby!

I also ran the San Antonio marathon... yes my shirt says halloween... it wasn't.  There weren't really any good "after" shots from SA... believe me.  I am proud of myself for doing it... but I never want to relive the end of that race.  Well, maybe the part where a guy on a golf cart offered to drive me back to my car when he saw me holding onto the husband for dear life and hobbling back to the car after the finish.  That was pretty fantastic... yeah, I'd ride in a golf cart again... but that's it for that race :-)

Seriously though!  HOLY CRAP!  Not to mention that I got pretty speedy too.  My fastest mile time was pretty recent.  I ran it in 6:40ish!  Okay, so this is post foot surgery circa 2006... but they say all PR's only have a shelf life of 2 years anyways :-)


So, here is my plan for 2011.  Bowed out of the January marthon.. Check.  Will run the Princess Half Marathon at the end of Feb. with my sister!  I am also taking some serious time off of actual running.  This is a hard thing for me, but I know it's the right thing to do.  That means, lots of spinning, elliptical-ing, foam rolling, icing, pool running... and whatever else my body can do.  This is going to be an adventure for me- but I want to heal and if I ever want to get a BQ- this is what has to happen :-)  Depending on how the healing goes- I so want to qualify for Boston.  This is the ultimate goal (and dream!).  Boston is my home!! Of course I want to run it!! 

So, I have to give myself a pat on the back and not be so hard on myself.  Of course it totally sucks to have an injury, but it's not uncommon and I can use this as a time to learn and also reach out to other runners who have had the same problems.  I have been in contact with so many of you and it has been such a blessing to get to know all of you and to get tips and advice!

At least the Doc was right about one thing... we're all addicts :)

Today I was brave

So, this last week I was feeling strong and I decided to let myself run every other day and see how that went.  I ran 6 miles on Monday- it was awesome! I felt like I was flying!!  I ended it when I started feeling pain.  Then on Tuesday- my knees (note... knees plural... uh oh) were killing!  So I waited out Tuesday and decided to see how I felt by the end of the day and I felt fine.  Wednesday came and I was feeling great.  So, I ran 5 miles.  Same deal.  Went until I felt pain.  But boy... knees just aren't doing much better. 

So, today I was brave.  I e-mailed the race director of the Texas Marathon that is on Jan. 1st and I had to ask them to donate my spot to someone on the waiting list.  You have NO idea how hard that was.  It killed me to do it. 

I am having a hard time with this... but there will always be other races, other things to train for and I can at least volunteer and give back to other runners by helping out at local events until I can get back out there.  This has just been so depressing.  Doctor telling me nothing is wrong... but that I have just over used my muscles and they need to rest.  No other guidance other than to spin on a bike. 

Heh, can you imagine what my thoughts have been when thinking about turning to cycling for recovery??  Biking the race from Houston to Austin... I think it's called like the the MC150 or something?  I don't know... just a thought. I've never been one to be big on cycling.  I think I'm just afraid of falling off.  That's why I run.  I'm not coordinated!  We'll see... that's just a crazy thought.  I threw out my old bike in Utah... so I'd first have to get a bike... all I have is a stationary upright bike at home. 

Anyways, thank you for all of your support through this.  Any advice would be much appreciated. 

Have you had to be brave and call it quits on a race- even when it really killed you to do it?

Sorry for being MIA... I have just been in the middle of a self-pity-party.  Ridiculous, I know.  I think we've all been there though.  All I want to do is run.... and that's the only thing I can't do these days. 

This last week I went to an orthopedic doctor.  I was excited that I would get some answers and much needed guidance.  On Tuesday I got to the doctors office and an assistant brought me into a room and seriously twisted me in ways I didn't know I could move.  I was feeling ridiculous because I came in without pain.  That's how this has been going.  No  pain until at least a mile into a run.  Weird.  So the guy kept asking "Does this hurt?" and I would say, "No"... then he would ask again.. and I'd answer the same.  He then took me down the hall to get some x-rays.  I told him I felt stupid coming in not being in pain and he said not to worry and that it was better that I did come in to get some answers.  After that was done I waited back in the room for the doctor.

The doctor came in with some lady and starting spouting of terms to her that I didn't understand.  Then he told me to lay on the table and he too was stretching my leg around and popping my knee.  Again, no pain.  Nothing.  I was happy with that... but also nervous.  The x-rays looked great.  I was okay.  That was a relief... but why do I hurt after about a mile or so?  He said it wasn't my IT-Band because when he pushed on an area in my leg I felt no pain.  I owe that to the foam roller I think.  He told me that it was probably just over-usage and my muscles just needed time to recover.  I was still relieved... but it was a little anticlimactic.

Then he started talking to me about running being an addiction. He came right out and said "I believe you have an addiction."  That was awkward.  I mean yeah, I love to run and I love how it makes me feel... but if I were to miss a run- I'm not about to lose sleep over it.  Or if I had to decide between running a run/race or healing myself- I am usually good about not running it or stopping if I feel any pain at all.  Am I sad when I can't run due to injury?  Yes.  But that's because it's really my favorite thing to do.  I just shrugged his comment off and then it got a little more weird. 

He started asking me if I drank milk or if I was strict with my diet.  Then he started bringing up eating disorders.  He talked about me being at high risk for fractures because I don't take in a ton of calcium.  Okay, so that is something I need to work on.  But then he went a little further and started asking me about my monthly cycle and if I was irregular and what my history was like.  He then told me that I needed to gain about 20lbs because of how thin I am.  That statement did it for me.  I put up my hand and said "wait a sec.  You do know I am 4'11", right?"  My OBGYN told me to get down to the weight I am and I have maintained it for the last year.  I lost about 40lbs!  There is absolutely no way I am going to gain half of that back! 

Anyways... then he said "I see you are struggling with this... I am okay with you being around 115 (which I am) but you will want to consider gaining weight so you can have children.  Because you won't be able to get pregnant like this"  What? I AM struggling with this... the OBGYN told me to get down to around 115 so I could get pregnant.. and this guy is telling me to gain weight so I can get preggers... I just can't win!  We finally got off that subject and he told me that I need to keep running to a minimum and to "spin, spin, spin".  He said he didn't know if I would be healed in 3 weeks for the marathon- but that time is what is going to heal me.  Time.  I think I knew this all along.   I just got so frustrated with that slap-in-the-face-of-a-marathon and then not being able to run a mile due to pain- it just really got to me.  I am glad I went to the doctor to help me find out that  nothing  serious was wrong.  I'm just still feeling down and out about it all.  

So, that has where I've been... wrapped up in all of this.  It almost feels like a bad break up haha... because chocolate has been a good friend of mine this week ;-)