On This Date: Past, Present and Future

A year ago today...

I was in Boston, Massachusetts.

I woke up in my la-tee-da hotel and got a balloon from my bloggie roomie.

Ryan Hall walked right by me in the hotel lobby, actually looked at me, smiled, and nodded (I was drooling).

I met these A-MAZ-ING blog ladies in line to catch a bus to Hopkinton:

Elaine (e's thinking and running); Marcia (the studly runner); MOI;
Katie (one run at a time)

I was running my 2nd Boston Marathon.

At mile 2 in the race, I felt this shooting pain in my heel and I could barely run; I hobbled as best I could on my forefoot for 24.2 more miles.

This fabulous woman stuck by my side for most of the race and sang Happy Birthday to me about 20 times during those long, painful miles.

Finished my 2nd Boston Marathon with the worst time ever in a marathon; yet one of the most memorable by the special friendships forged.

Had an awesome blogger birthday party thrown to me by my roomie, and met some of the best bloggers ever.

Jenn!!!!!  (Running Sane)

Meg (meg runs a lot); Katie (one run at a time); Jenn (running sane);
ME :); Bethany and Ryan (our love on the run)

I opened all my bloggie birthday cards.

I hobbled to Walgreens and bought a pair of flip flops so I didn't have to put my heel in that painful shoe.  Ever again!

I went to sleep in my heavenly bed.

I woke up.... and I never ran again without some degree of agonizing pain since that infamous Boston mile 2, 2010.

Today...

I got up and ate a bowl of oatmeal and a banana.  No balloon.

I'm way over last year's weight, and lost almost all my muscle tone - which just really irks me (but I'm working on it!).

I wrote this blog.

I'm headed off to work.

I will read blogs about Boston and running.  Happily.

I will yell at kids all day at school to "Pull up your pants" and "Those shorts are too short."

I might do some work.

I'll do my PT exercises.

I will probably email Tara about 5 times venting about my heel.

I get to go to physical therapy at 3:30 and have needles stuck in my leg and ask my PT another two thousand questions.  Of which he'll give me some answer that leaves me with more questions and not actually understanding the original.

I may stop at Whole Foods on the way home and spend an hour picking just ONE of these:

I'll then get to see my family and have dinner with them.

I'll try to ride my bike trainer while watching Cupcake Wars.

I'll go to bed and try to be thankful I don't have some sort of terminal disease.

Happy Anniversary, stupid heel!

Next year on this date....

I'm throwing a damn I'm Healed and can run again celebration party!

And best of all:

Who's in?  I need to start prepping now - it's going to be the biggest backyard gala you've ever seen!  Bring your running shoes!

In other news...

- Congrats to all the Boston Marathoners out there; I stalked most of you all morning and got very little actual work done.  It was so hard not to be there but I am so happy for every one of you - truly I am!!!  And to BDD who ran his first half marathon and Andrew who smashed his sub-30 5K goal!  So proud of all you guys.

- Thanks to all who voted for my awesome physical therapy dance video - this may be hard to believe but I WON!!  Matty said I squeaked by with a mere 3 votes - so I thank you dearly.  I now own a Matty clam shell flamingo canvass - how cool is that!?!?  I'll be sure to take a pic when it arrives.

- My son, Ryan, is finishing up his freshman year of track and so far his PR in the mile is 5:28 and 12:01 for the 2-miler (both in very fierce winds).  Very proud - I think he's going to shine next year when he adds a little meat to his scrawny body.  It's been a blast working with him and all the track kids this season.

Last week:
Monday: 33.27 miles biking
Tuesday: 10 miles bike; core work
Wed: 12 miles biking; 50 minutes core work and weight training
Thursday: 30 minutes stairmaster; core work
Friday: Nothing
Sat: 9 miles biking; 50 minutes core work and weight training
Sun: 51.17 miles biking (That's a biking PR!)

That's all I got.

Run Strong, friends!

Physical Therapy Dance

Wow, is it April already?  And I haven't posted yet?  So unlike me. 

I'm going to be honest - my heel still hurts and it consumes me constantly.  Sad, but when you can't walk most days and wonder if you will ever run again, it's extremely stressful and causing me to evaluate what I'm doing: If you need something, seek it. If something no longer serves you, let it go.  PT helps some, trigger point massage helps some, but in the end, the pain is still there; combing the internet and reading a million articles which all contradict one another - absolutely has my head spinning.

I cannot say I have always handled this disappointment with grace and gratitude.  I could dive into that deeper but instead just want to say thanks to all those who have been understanding.  It's so hard when we say yes to something and God continues to say no. I wonder if it's a matter of timing, effort, perseverance, or faith. Or maybe God speaks the way I do to my children sometimes when I know they cannot or will not understand or accept my reasons: "Because I said so."

My head hurts - I'm driving myself crazy trying to find the magical cure and my head's had enough!  Most of us listen with our heads; but that's where all the noise and chatter reside. The heart speaks with a quieter voice, yet it says the things we most need to hear - and my heart says it just needs to take a break and let go a little. I am ready for my head to quiet down so my heart can speak up and I need to take a little break from my obsessing over this heel.  I need to focus on eating well, de-stressing, biking and enjoying some of the simple things in life I have not allowed myself to.  After a few weeks, I'll see where I'm at and rethink this madness....

... but I think it's going to make a noticeable difference.  I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime....

My good friend, Matty, has a hilarious blog - seriously, he makes me laugh everyday and beyond just the daily smile on my face, he emails me frequently just to make sure I haven't snapped.  Some days, I'm sure he regrets asking as I fire up my typing skills and send him an earful (and often tearful) reply.  But he hangs in there with me so when Matty decided to do a video dance/singing contest thingie and asked me to participate, I couldn't say no (after an initial anxiety attack!).  If you don't follow his blog, you really must - he will truly make you laugh.

I scoured my brain cavity for something to video about; I can't dance nor can I sing well (just ask my kids!).  I can't run, no running video here.

I can do physical therapy exercises pretty dang well ...  well ok then, so let's do a video about it.

Hopefully this little number will make you laugh...or think to yourself it's the dumbest thing you've ever seen (as my son Brendan told me!  Ha) - either way, here's my submission for the contest:






Awesome, right?  Yeah, I thought so.  Now if you can pleeeeeaaaaseee do me a favor and go over to Matty's contest site and vote for me, I'd greatly appreciate it (I'm begging, folks!).  I'd get to win the most unbelievable prize....(aside from  a million dollars); who wouldn't want a canvas of Matty doing some sort of inner-thigh clam shell exercise while two flamingos are figuring out how to peck him to death?  Oh man, I'd love that hanging in my physical therapy exercise bathroom for total daily inspiration!   Click here to vote
(just don't look at the other videos, ok?)

The much-needed infamous canvass poster

Thanks guys, you're the best. 

Run strong (for me)!