Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Post-Boston Stuff

My internet is down at home today ERRRR); I feel lost and disoriented without it. Like a junkie without her fix, I can’t get online and do what I need to do. Frustrating. So I’m at Panera Bread Co having an ice tea and filling ya all in on Jill land post-Boston. This will be a hodge-podge of stuff, all random of course, cuz I only have about a half hour to crank out an update! I apologize for being so far behind in blog world due to this lack of connection to the world! Hopefully back up tomorrow, Mr. Internet Man is suppose to come tomorrow to fix this mess!

First, I have to say a HUGE thank you, again, for all the Boston well-wishes and the birthday wishes/cards that were sent to Meg for the little celebration afterwards (and all the commented ones in my blog, too). I had a great time opening the abundance of cards and reading your sweet messages. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am so blessed! The post-race celebration was exactly what I needed. I got back to the hotel probably an hour before the festivities were starting, and even then, after a short little meltdown after due to just the whole release of Boston being over and the journey I took to get there (more on that someday), I got to the party about an hour later than planned. I wasn’t the last one there (ahem, Katie) but nevertheless, it was a great evening spend in the good company of dear friends.
That Meg girl thinks of EVERYTHING, even a pink cupcake. It was devine!
I don't have time to link these bloggers but from left to right: Meg, Katie A., Jenn, your truly, Bethany and Ryan.
Bloggie friend birthday cards. THANKS, guys!!

Okay, remember me whining about that agonizing heel problem in Boston? Well, it’s been bothering me upon return, too, when I started back up running again on Monday. I researched and researched online and went to a running store here and everyone was telling me the dreaded Plantar Faciitis. Well, okay, but I no longer think so. Typical PF problems are tightness of the muscle in the arch of your foot which causes a lot of pain when you wake up (I had none) and stretching helps (I have nothing to stretch). More research and more talking to couple running experts and I totally fear I have, and I’m going to whisper this because that will make it less-so, a stress fracture in my heel (gasp!!!). I’d rather have the PF!!! I talked to another soul today and he thought maybe it was just bruised so suggested I start with new shoes (got ‘em) and take a couple days off (okay) and then start out and see how it feels. I could go into a lot of babbling denial words like how I barely trained this season … but I’ve felt this little annoyance since last summer (though less-so painful than now) and if I go back and look at my insane running last year, well I can see it. But let’s hope for the best and see how plan A goes with the new shoes and a little rest. Dang it!!! cuz I can’t even tell you how relieved I was to have Boston done, finished, caput, finit-o, so that I could spring back and get into prime racing condition again. I've been feeling soooo good. I guess if something serious is going to happen, it’s better it happen now before I get into the middle of training, like what happened for Boston, and my whole desposition is shot along with the training. Okay, enough of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ryan, twin #1, ran a 5-mile race on Sunday. Well, he attempted to run a 5-mile race and was doing superbly when, at mile 4.5, he suddenly couldn’t breathe. A bunch of runners around him stopped to help him and an ambulance was called. Talk about scary, we couldn’t find him after the race and knew he should have been there as we saw him at mile 3 and knew he was running well. Well, to make a long story short, he fell off his bike about a week earlier and the handle bars jabbed him in the chest and apparently, after chest x-rays and EKG’s confirming he didn’t have any chest or lung damage, he bruised his insides and they were shouting to him to stop just a half mile before he crossed the finish line. Talk about scary!!!!!! I can’t even express my gratitude to those runners around him who stopped to help; who knows if they were on course for a PR and this was just “their race” – they stopped and helped. It makes me tear up just to think about it. He's okay, just needs to take a couple weeks off running to heal. Hum....couple weeks off sounds familiar (above).....
Ryan at mile 3, looking good and very strong (ran a PR 5K in the midst of this)
Ryan at mile 4.5 :(

Finally, my friend, Leslie, is about to do her first full Ironman Triathlon this coming weekend in St. George, Utah. Leslie’s an amazing woman – a mother of 3 with the littlest just turning 2, works, wife, friend…she cranks out all those titles and trains an astonishing 4+ hours/day. Everyday. She sent me this cute little pink arm band today and asked me to wear it Saturday, as she will also be wearing hers, when she races in hopes of qualifying for the granddaddy of all Ironmans: Kona. If you can, please send her some cheers, she’s been having some leg problems and hasn’t been able to run in 3 weeks so the marathon portion is scaring her a little right now, I know she'd love the support!! She has the biggest heart and is always so nice and encouraging to me! GO Leslie, GOOOOOO!!! My pink wrist band and I will be screaming our lungs out for you Saturday!!!

Oh, I do have to share a little bit of a race report from my awesome friend, Tim, who just completed his first 100K in Kansas. He is the one that gave me the advice before Boston when I was concerned (freaking out) about my speed, or lack thereof. I thought it was funny, in the midst of what I'm certain was just dreadfully painful:
Lap 1: RUN OVER CHIP TIMING MAT, Dry trail, mud, mud, rocks, stream, mud, hill, roots, mud, rocks, rocks, mud, rocks, dry trail, mud, aid station, mud, mud, rocks, hill, rocks, stream, roots, mud, roots, hill, rocks, jagged wet boulders, jagged wet boulders, cliffs, jagged wet boulders, stream, mud, mud, rocks, hill, mud, mud, washed out trail with 10 foot cliff, mud, hill, mud, knee-high creek crossing, mud, rocks, mud, AID STATION, hill, mud, mud, rocks, mud, hill, mud, mud, rocks, rocks, mud, hill, roots, stream, mud, rocks, stream, rocks, STUBBED TOE, mud, mud, mud, mud, rocks, roots, ankle-high creek, mud, rocks, rocks, AID STATION, mud, roots, mud, rocks, mud, dry trail, mud, dry trail, mud, roots, roots, mud, rocks, rocks, mud, dry trail, hill, mud, hill, rocks, roots, roots, rocks, mud, hill.

Lap 2: Dry trail, mud, mud, rocks, stream, mud, hill, roots, mud, rocks, rocks, mud, rocks, dry trail, mud, aid station, mud, mud, rocks, hill, rocks, stream, roots, mud, roots, hill, rocks, jagged wet boulders, jagged wet boulders, STUBBED TOE, cliffs, jagged wet boulders, stream, mud, mud, rocks, hill, mud, mud, washed out trail with 10 foot cliff, mud, hill, mud, knee-high creek crossing, mud, rocks, mud, AID STATION, hill, mud, mud, rocks, mud, hill, mud, mud, rocks, rocks, mud, hill, roots, stream, mud, rocks, stream, rocks, mud, mud, mud, mud, SOUL HAS BEEN SUCKED INTO THE MUD, rocks, roots, ankle-high creek, mud, FACEPLANT, rocks, rocks, AID STATION, mud, roots, mud, rocks, mud, dry trail, mud, dry trail, mud, SMASHED HEAD ON TREE, roots, roots, mud, rocks, rocks, mud, dry trail, STUBBED TOE, hill, mud, hill, rocks, roots, roots, rocks, mud, hill. SMELL OF BURGERS AND BRATS - MMMMMMMMMMMM, COERCED BY PONY-TAIL GIRL INTO DOING ANOTHER LAP.

Lap 3: RAIN BEGINS. Wet trail, mud, mud, rocks, stream, STUBBED TOE, mud, hill, roots, mud, rocks, rocks, mud, rocks, wet trail, mud, aid station, mud, mud, rocks, hill, rocks, stream, roots, mud, roots, hill, rocks, jagged wet boulders, jagged wet boulders, cliffs, jagged wet boulders, stream, mud, mud, rocks, hill, mud, mud, washed out trail with 10 foot cliff, mud, hill, mud, knee-high creek crossing, mud, rocks, mud, AID STATION, DARKNESS SETS IN, HEADLAMP ON, hill, mud, mud, rocks, mud, hill, mud, mud, rocks, STUBBED TOE, rocks, mud, hill, roots, stream, mud, rocks, stream, rocks, mud, mud, FACEPLANT, mud, mud, rocks, roots, 5 MILES LEFT, WALKING REST OF WAY SO I DO NOT KILL MYSELF, ankle-high creek, mud, rocks, rocks, AID STATION, FINAL THREE MILES = 70 MINUTES, mud, roots, mud, rocks, mud, wet trail, mud, wet trail, mud, SMASHED HEAD ON SAME TREE, roots, roots, mud, rocks, rocks, mud, wet trail, hill, mud, hill, rocks, roots, roots, rocks, mud, hill, FOLLOWED A FLASHLIGHT TO THE FINISH, CHIP MAT GONE, BURGERS GONE, BRATS GONE, THREE LOVELY FOLKS LEFT, PONY-TAIL GIRL EVEN GAVE ME A HUG.

FINAL DISTANCE ~ 60 MILES FORWARD, 4 MILES SIDEWAYS, 2 MILES IN REVERSE. FINAL TIME 16:09:33.

It’s friends like Leslie and Tim (and y’all) that make me get up each day and run my guts out. Enough said!

Run strong, friends!

38 comments:

Melissa said...

I'm so glad you had a great Boston experience and a great party. LOVE the cupcake!! :)

Melissa said...

oh, and I soooo hope you are wrong about your heel.

Anonymous said...

oh no about your heel! hope that it starts to behave. congrats again about boston and glad you had a great bday celebration post race :)

ajh said...

Hope your heel is just fine after resting for a short time. What fun to celebrate your bday with bloggy friends. Did you celebrate at home later I hope? You've got to milk those bdays as much as you can.

I Run for Fun said...

What a wonderful birthday and Boston experience! And so scray about Ryan! Hope he feels better soon.

KC (my 140 point 6 mile journey) said...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you on the heel pain. Hopefully the new shoes and some non running days will help the pain subside. Glad you had a great birthday and got to run the Boston marathon too. What an awesome b-day!

Running and living said...

Jill, 2 days after Boston I woke up with heel pain. I could feel a discrete tender point inside it, toward the R side. I freaked out and thought of the big SF, but the pain was no unbearable and jumping on the foot did not send me to the moon (I've had 2 stress fractures, that pain is unbelievable). After more reading I found several other possible dg: bruised heel, and something about the cushion of the heel getting pushed over toward one side (don't remember exactly). So I put some makeup pads in the heel toward the right, and walked like this for 2 days, and then, boom pain gone. Weird. So what I am saying is sit and wait and don't jump to conclusions. Don't run through pain, though. Fingers crossed that is not a SF.

Marlene said...

I would be a wreck without my internet fix at home! :p Hope it's fixed soon!

Sorry to hear about the heel troubles. Don't say those dreaded words! I will be hoping this works itself out, and FAST!

Wow, so scary about Ryan. Thank goodness for the kindness and concern of others. I'm glad he's okay! I'm sure he'll be seeking some 5 mile redemption soon!

Heather said...

How scary about Ryan, thank goodness he was okay.

I hope your heel is okay and the new shoes, a little rest, and positive thinking with cure all!

DRog said...

Totally scary with Ryan ... glad he was able to get help.

I hope your heel gets better....time for a turnaround?!
-Derek

Julie said...

Hi Jill,
I am so glad that you had fun at your b-day party:) I love the pictures...you look so happy!

Remember to get some rest and take care of that heel!

Thank goodness your runner dude Ryan is okay. Oh my gosh, he even PRd!?! Take care of yourself Jill:)

JonathanMarathonMan said...

Good post as always. Well this is week 4 of big races for me - marathon, marathon, 1/2 marathon now another half marathon then a week off ( actually doing 12-15 all downhill) then the Ogden marathon, my A race of the year - BQ ? ( hopefully) so please keep me in your thoughts and prayers May 15th when I will give it my best shot, which I did last year but missed BQ by a measly 2 minutes. Be good and run safe.

Unknown said...

Hey Sweet Girl, you must be lost without your internet! How is the texting, ok? I just sent you your favorite pix from Boston, hope you post it soon, ha ha!! It's condom-related. Hugs to you and I hope your PF doesn't cause you too much trouble. I've had it my whole running career and it's a pain...literally but not impossible to deal with. New shoes are a great place to start! Hey, Ryan is a tall drink of water, I can't believe him. Nice runner too, I bet you're proud.
Ok, take care, keep in touch and post that new photo some day soon!
megsie

AM! said...

so sorry for lil (well not so lil' i guess) twin #1. owie!!!

and just fyi the link you posted is incorrect..i bet it's supposed to be triathlon mom...;-)

Steel Springs said...

I completely rely on the internet now. I have to have it!

I hope your heel feels better soon! Hopefully it's not a stress fracture. How scary about Ryan. It is so wonderful that people stopped to help him. I'm glad that he's fine. Congratulations to him on his 5k PR!

Jennifer said...

I love your crazy blogs. So fun to read. I sure do hope your heal doesn't turn into anything serious. Had a stress fracture two years ago in my foot. No running for 6 weeks, I sure did get good at biking and swimming! Take care!!

C2Iowa said...

Good luck with your heel.

About your son - your good deeds in Boston did not go unnoticed - he received help from true runners who understand the kinship of running.

Best wishes on a fast recovery for both of you.

Teamarcia said...

I am still so bummed I had to leave and miss your party!
What a horrible scare! Glad Ryan is OK!
Best of luck to Leslie. I'll be thinking of her.
As for your heel, I am hoping for the best. Sending lots of healing vibes your way. Prime racing condition here we come!

Anonymous said...

Hope the heel heals :)

I am so glad Ryan is okay...breathing a sigh of relief!!!

Christi said...

I am so sorry to hear about your heel. I hope that Plan A works and that training begins in earnest soon!

I am glad to hear that Ryan was not hurt too bad. I also send him positive healing vibes!

Good Luck to Leslie!

Pining for Pinterest said...

I hope you can get your answers you need for your heel!!

Kenley said...

Internet Down. Ahhh. I know how you feel with that. I first want to say thanks for visiting my site Jill. Sorry if I don't make it out to comment that much. I am working on my sleep now. lol. Great post thoughts on the Boston. It seems as though you had a blast. Having a lot of friends helps with the support. Hope your heel heals soon whatever the problem is. Take care and Happy Running Jill.

misszippy said...

So glad Ryan is ok--how scary for you all! Go see a doc and get a good diagnosis on the heel so you can treat it right. I've had my PF woes, that's for sure, and it can be a tricky devil if that's it. A sfx is no fun either! Hopefully it is neither.

Love the Boston shirts this year!

SeeGirlRun said...

I left word with Leslie. I'm glad Ryan is ok - that is SO worrisome! Man! I hope your heel feels better soon without any doctor, medicine, or time off. (sending healing vibes towards your foot. Feel 'em?) So what's your next marathon?

Tara said...

Pink cupcake? Awww...that was so sweet.

I guess I should have read your post and THEN e-mailed you about running. I really hope it's nothing serious about your foot girl.

I've remember you mentioning your friend and her tri! I definitely a have to go and read up and follow her experience!

ShutUpandRun said...

Nothing better than a cupcake. Good luck to Leslie, I am bowing down to her. Glad life is returning to normal for you post-Boston, with the exception of that little internet issue...Really hoping the foot is nothing...keep us posted as I know you will.

Katie A. said...

Really? You HAD to bring up that I was late? Sheesh!

Irene said...

Oooooh... Cupcake... *Drool*

If you can, get your heel check out by a medical professional. Don't guess.

I'm glad to hear your son is fine! That's scary!

Lindsay said...

i love the pic of ryan "at" mile 4.5. glad he is ok!! yikes, scary. hopefully the new shoes + rest will be sufficient for your heel... i think i'd rather have an sf than pf though? pf to me seems like something that constantly shows back up, but i don't know. hopefully you have neither :)

loved the ultra report. too funny, though not sure i want to do one now. lol.

oh and good luck to your friend!!!

Christy Ashley said...

What a great post about Boston! It was great meeting you as well! I'm so glad you had such an amazing birthday!

Glenn Jones said...

I'm glad that Ryan is okay! Funny how those seemingly insignificant things can become a big deal.

Also - sorry to hear about your heel. I'll be sending you a link to check out a little later today. For now your job is to take it easy and recover!

MCM Mama said...

Hope your foot is just bruised. Glad Ryan is ok!

And totally LOL at your friend's race report!

Sherri said...

I have been so anxious to read about your Boston experience! I am so glad I finally caught up! Loved all the pictures! You are truly beautiful! I sure hope your heel is okay!
Take care of it!

Happy Feet 26.2 said...

Hello Jill - THANK YOU! The Boston poster arrived this week. You are so sweet to send it to me. Urghhh - computer problems are the worst. Hope the heel problem is better FAST. We have some running to do. I will be starting over after 4 weeks. Yikes!

Tina @GottaRunNow said...

Glad that you had a great time in Boston with lots of friends! What a great birthday! Hope your heel improves quickly.

Happy Feet 26.2 said...

Hoping my your "hmm" that means you are thinking about Huntsville. You could run the marathon and catch up with your friends. Sounds like a great weekend to me.

Petraruns said...

So sorry to have missed your party! truly it looks like great fun. And your computer problems I can totally relate to - we were offline for 3 weeks a little while ago and I felt like I had lost half of my life!

I so hope that your heel heals (hrmm) with some time off - it's amazing what time off will do for you. Apart from driving you crazy..

Tim said...

Go Jill Go!