Permission to be lazy isn't all it's cracked up to be......

I realized today that I haven't posted an update for quite some time.

I've been down in the dumps, to say the least.

09/26
The sports doc thought I'd torn my meniscus and they scheduled an MRI.

09/27
The knee specialist looked at the results and said my meniscus looks just fine.

I do, however, have a bone contusion on the end of my femur....and what could possibly be the beginning of a stress fracture "situation."

2-3 weeks of nothing....no running, walking, cycling, swimming, yoga......

There was a time in my life where I could have taken the doctor's advice and had a field day. My couch, days on end, no activity - bring it on!!!

But now, I find myself almost angry when I see someone out running. I get up in the morning, and stand on the back deck. It's dark out, the sky is clear, very little breeze....PERFECT running weather!

I've talked to family members who cycle and I've talked to the people at our favorite bike shop about getting my current bike ready for commuting to work. I've done the homework before....but never with the enthusiasm I seem to have now.

It's between 15-16 miles one way to work. Not a short distance, but nothing that's impossible by any means. Most of the route is on city multi-use trails, and the remainder is mostly neighborhood streets. I've also thought about the downside of having to show up to work a hot and sweaty mess in the summer...so took some time to check out the city bus schedules.

All city buses are equipped with bike racks, and the cost to ride isn't much at all. The bus would pick me up within 1/4 mile of my house...and drop me off about about as close to work. Same bus line, no transfers. The journey would take about an hour....but that's a great time to read, people watch, nap, etc.

Then, I could cycle home. Getting my daily exercise in....saving money....and doing a little to save the earth from a few auto exhaust fumes.

The bike I have already will work great...I just need to be able to use my darn knee.!!!! :-)

The doc said I needed to stay on crutches for 2-3 weeks, but I could start walking (only walking) again once I could do it pain free.

10/09
On Sunday night I gave it a shot, and there wasn't any pain. None! I walked normally (yet very very slowly and carefully) Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Then, out of the blue on Wednesday night, the pain was back.

Not like it was in the beginning, but there none the less. I'm back to limping around and using crutches.

The light at the end of the tunnel had begun to appear. It was quite a ways away, and still dim, but it was there. Now I'm back to stumbling around in the dark unlit tunnel, on crutches.

Which, by the way, brings up an interesting topic.

Crutches + dark house at midnight = recipe for disaster....or a good scene for a primetime sitcom.


Some joker at work left this tiny little crutch in my area one afternoon. :-)

I'm trying to keep my spirits up. I can't run right now, but so what? It's not the end of the world.

Mot has already said he'd start cycling with me if that's what I have to do. He's been told that running anything more than a 5 or 10K is just plain silly due to the condition of his back.

So maybe we just run short runs, bike long rides, and smile the whole time knowing that we are ABLE to run short distance and bike long rides. There are those out there who can't do that much...and really want to.

Whining about it, fretting and worrying about it, getting mad and depressed about it.....none of that is going to do anyone any good.

I just plain don't like being told I can't do something.

10/18
Knee specialist follow up appt. The nurse led me back to the examination room.....and I sat there in my paper shorts for 53 minutes before the doc came in to talk to me.

53 minutes!!!!!


In paper shorts! Size S/M. They were huge, I'd hate to see what size L/XL looked like.

Anyway, he finally comes in. And do you know what answer I get to my "what activities can I start doing" question??

"If it hurts, don't do it."

Really? That's his med school education answer?

Genius!!!!
"I've got a wonderful doctor. I says 'Doctor, it hurts when I do this. He says 'Don't do that.' "
Henry Youngman

So, the plan is to start doing yoga next week (as long as it doesn't hurt).
Maybe even some spin classes (as long as they don't hurt).
He also said I could try some cardio machines at the gym (as long as they don't hurt).

He did say I'm 100% not supposed to do laundry, dishes, sweeping, dusting, or scrubbing. Those activities will most definitely hurt.

OK...so maybe he didn't say that.

09/25/11: 36th Annual Omaha Half Marathon (race report)

More than 4200 runners turned up for this years event....and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The temps hovered in the mid to lower 40's and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.


Although, while preparing for the 7:00 am race start, you couldn't see anything in the sky except stars and the slightest fingernail moon.


Doug signed up to run the 10K and Inny and I were running the half together. It was her first, and she was pretty excited!


I'm not sure how long it took this guy to get out of the race staging area. But there were nothing but people shoulder to shoulder blocking his way.


Because of the severe flooding the region has experienced this year, the start was moved to the new TD Ameritrade ballpark (only a few blocks away from the original start).


As the sun came up, shivering runners waited for the starting gun.


Let's get this party started!!!






This woman ran with the garbage bag around her waste for AT LEAST the first 5-6 miles. Neither Inny or I could take the "swish swish swish" any longer and passed her by.






The support from cheering residents along the way was fun!


At around mile 8 there's a hill. A big hill. And it lasted for well over a mile. Inny was cheering because we'd hit the top.

We hadn't yet, as we would soon find out. :-)


Our time was pretty good considering it was her first (yeah!!!) and I wasn't wanting to push myself hard. The pain in my lower legs is finally 99% gone, and I didn't want it to come back.

Maybe I should have? My knee (of all things) ended up sending me to the doc and an MRI appointment the next day anyway. :-(


After I was done running, I jumped in my car and drove to mile 22 of the full marathon route? Why 22? That's where Mot was volunteering for the day as a human cone. (that's literally what his shirt says!!)

The put the "human cones" along the route to direct running (and non running) traffic. He was having a pretty good time. I stayed over there with him for an hour or two, then headed home for a shower.


The medals, for the second year in a row, are made from recycled glass. There is a glass studio in Downtown Omaha that does them for the event. At the end of the race, there was a line of Marines in full dress putting them around the necks of the runners.
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13.1 miles, just over 2 hours 39 minutes, overall avg pace 11:58, 455 ft elevation gain, 1487 calories, 185 Max HR, 172 Avg HR

09/26/11: Do these crutches make my a** look fat?

I ran with my sister in her first ever half marathon this weekend (race report to come soon). She rocked it, and we both had a blast!

About 8-9 miles into the run, my knee started to catch. With each step, I could feel it pop. Nothing huge, nothing audible....but just a catching feeling on each step. It didn't hurt, but it was annoying.

Mainly it hurt because I knew that chances were it was GOING to start hurting.

It DID start hurting at about mile 11. We were running our 1:1 intervals, and the first 5 to 10 steps of each running interval hurt...then the pain would go away and I'd finish the minute without another thought about it. I babied it on for the last couple of miles, and by the time we hit the finish line, I'd stopped noticing it at all.

As we were standing around after the finish, I could feel my knee getting tight. Again, I really didn't think too much about it. I run put it through 13.1 miles....and, sure, there was a slight "hitch in my giddy-up" ***** for the last 4 or so of them, but it wasn't bad enough to make me think I should stop.

My tune changed later that evening. Being able to bend it at all was a thing of the past.

There was one point in the evening where Mot was grabbing his keys and wallet for a trip to the ER.

I decided against it....took some pain meds from from the medicine cabinet....and tried to go to bed.

Tried being the key word. Every little move hurt my knee. Pulled on my knee. Pushed on my knee.

And I want you all to take a second out of your day today, and try to sit on a toilet, then stand back up...while not bending your left knee at all.

At all!!!!

Thank goodness I've been taking quite a few yoga classes lately.....

Mot called the doctor first thing this morning. Doc had me lay down on the table and started manipulating my leg and knee a little....when "POP"!

I could hear it, I could feel like, the doc knew it immediately. He put my leg down and said "it's time for an MRI....you might have a torn meniscus".

Well hell.

I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to not cry. My silence must have spoke volumes. Mot asked if I was OK. I said "yes, but St Louis is in 4 weeks."

"Oh" says doc "you won't be running."

Double hell.

They scheduled an MRI appointment for me later that afternoon, recommended crutches and we went home.

The MRI appointment was intense. Not only was it loud (louder than any other MRI I've ever had)....but about half way through, I had a total anxiety/vertigo attack. I actually had my thumb ON the call button at one time....but then my absolute stubbornness kicked in.

My nerves were frazzled. I've been dealing with this mysterious pain in both of my legs for months. I finally get rid of it...and BAM! I'm confident enough that I sign up for my first full marathon (for the second time)...and WHAM!

I took many deep breaths. I opened my eyes and looked around the room as much as I could without moving my body.

I was NOT going to puke, I was NOT going to pass out, I was NOT going to call someone in for help. I toughed the rest of it out....and then we went home again.

The doctor office called home a few hours later.

No rips, no tears (no surgery!!!)....but a definite bone contusion.

I didn't fall, I didn't hit it, and I didn't get hit.....but I have a mega bad deep knee contusion (bruise).

I have an appointment with the knee specialist tomorrow, and we'll see what happens next.

But I'm going to go everything I can to show my "you won't be running" doc that it's not that easy to keep me down! :-)


***** That reference was for you Liz!!! :-)

09/22/11: What goes up, must come down....(and a request for advice)

I'm nearly done writing about my injured legs. I know reading about them probably gets old for all of you....but this blog is a way for me to talk about what I'm going through and experiencing. It's the way I can put what I'm thinking out there, without driving my hubby or friends nuts from hearing about it constantly. It's a way for me to track my progress, a place for me to go when I need a little mental boost. I can read about all the things I'm doing now, that I never thought I'd do. Ever!

I'm a runner. I'm not going to break any land speed records....I'm not going to win any awards (unless "sticking with it no matter what" is an competition). I'm much slower now than I was a year ago. Hills used to be my friend...and now they are a foe. Getting up early in the morning used to be easy, but now I struggle. I hope that as my confidence comes back, and the pain keeps going away, I'll find some of these things coming back to me.

But until then, I'm still a runner....just a much slower one. And, compared to what I've been going through this past year, I can deal with slow. Slow will work just fine for me.

I ran near my house this morning. There was no getting in my car and driving 15 minutes to a flat trail. Nope. I just threw my gear on, and walked out my front door.

Bliss!!

And, even though my time wasn't anything to cheer about, the fact I was running up and down hills without excruciating pain was!!

Were my calves burning? Were my lungs screaming? Hell yeah! But they're supposed to do that...and I welcomed it with open arms.

Hmmm...OK, maybe not open arms. I mean, burning calves and screaming lungs aren't the same as staying in my comfy bed and getting an extra hour of sleep. Let's be honest. :-)

I was also reminded of how many streetlights the neighborhoods around my house DON'T have. I was running with my super dooper awesome headlamp.....but I was still finding myself not fully striding out. Potholes are like ninjas. They hide in the shadows and take you without notice. :-)

I've done 10K's, I've run hills, and I've done long runs over 8 miles....all without the pain of my injury in my legs. I'm not going to jinx anything by saying you wont' hear me mention it again.....but I will say that I feel I'm nearly to the end of this journey.

Thank goodness!!!!

So now, to finish up this post, I want to ask all of you a question.

I'm going to start training for my first full marathon once the half this weekend and the one in October are finished. The marathon is 30 weeks from my half in October....and the training plan I'd found to use was.....get this...exactly 30 weeks. Kizmet??

But, on to the question.....what are everyone's thoughts on the run less, run faster theory? My doc and PT's have me running, right now, three days a week. Two shorter runs during the week, and one long run on the weekend. No running two days in a row.....period.

The training plan I'd found says the exact same thing....but somehow the idea of training for a full marathon on only 3 days a week seems.....lacking? Don't get me wrong, only three days a week of pounding on my body sounds great. I'll fill in the other days with cross training and rest.

But can I actually complete a full marathon on only three days a week of training? Hal Higdon wants me to run at least 4....the leader of the running group I belong to wants me to do 5.......

Am I just asking for injury the more I run. Will using the shorter runs for "speed" and hills and long runs for stamina do what I need them to do?

I'm going into the full marathon with the same thoughts as my first half. No time limit. I'm doing it to finish....period. Normally, I'd say I'd be happy with a full finish in under 5 1/2 hours....but now I'm not sure what to expect. I guess I'll find out. :-)
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3.01 "hilly-ish" miles, 37:33, 12:29 overall snail speed pace, 343 calories, 182 Max HR, 162 Avg HR

09/18/11: Omaha Corporate Cup 10K

I went back and forth on whether I was going to run it again this year. I didn't get around to organizing a team at work (I've been swamped there with new duties), and I didn't want to register as an individual like last year. It's much more fun if you run on a team.

Oh, heck. It's cooler because you get a team t-shirt. Let's all be honest. :-)

(giggle)

Anyway, both Mot and I signed up to run/walk on the Omaha Fire Department team. Because he's still battling with his back and knee injuries, he opted to be good, and just watch from the sidelines, and I ended up running the 10K.

I was a little nervous, to be honest. I haven't run two days in a row since this spring when my doctor and PT's told me not to. But, it went fabulous!!!! I had to stop and stretch along the way during mile 2. The lower legs weren't screaming at me...but I could tell they were about ready to start. After a couple stops....they didn't give me any issues the rest of the event!!!!!

It wasn't a 10K PR by any stretch of the imagination (9:56 average pace last year)....but, I completed it, without pain, and a 11:06 min/mile average. To say I'm not upset by that is an understatement! I actually felt like I was able to stride out and run. It was great!!!!!!!




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6.25 miles, 1:09:28, 11:07 overall average pace, 727 calories, 192 Max HR, 177 Avg HR

09/17/11: Air Force Weather Agency Corn Man 10K

I happened upon the listing for the Corn Man 10K a month ago. I was already planning on running a 10K on Sunday of that weekend...but the premise of the Corn Man was too much to pass up.

When you register, you put in your expected finish time. They group everyone running into timed groups based on your entry. Then, the day of the event, each group gets a Corn Man....someone literally dressed up in an ear of corn costume. The idea is to beat the Corn Man from your group.

Hilarious!!!!

I told my sister and about it, and she entered as well. We thought it would be a hoot!!!



It was rainy and low 50's when we arrived at Lake Zorinsky. Perfect running weather!!!


This is the picture of one little finger of the lake.

Poor Inny had some issues with her legs while running. They were cramping up on her (I know exactly how she felt, and tried to be as encouraging as I could). We took it easy, stopped when needed so she could stretch. By the time we hit the end, they had loosened back up for her.

I probably drove her nuts along the route. She does like I do....she gets quiet and almost angry when things like this happen. Not "I'm going to rip your head off" angry.....it's that focused "I will make it through this if it's the last thing I do" angry.

As we ran, I sang songs. Yep...I was singing.

What? I was trying to cheer her up, get her mind off of it, bring the fun back into the event. :-)

All in all, it WAS fun! I'm sure we'll both be back next year for the 2nd annual race. The organizers did a great job.


Inny and I at the end, with our ear of corn! :-)

P.S. I'm happy to report that the full compression socks may actually be doing what I'd hoped. I ran the entire 10K without pain in my lower legs. It was magical, to say the least!!!!
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6.2 miles, 1:22:00, 13:13 overall average pace, 712 calories, 181 Max HR, 162 Avg HR

09/15/11: The Ides of September

Today was another two-fer day.

It started with my alarm going off at 4:34 am.

Why 4:34? Who knows. I was turning it back to 4:30, and that's where I stopped. I purposefully do things to make my OCD go nuts. It's a hobby. :-)

So anyway, it went off....I turned it off and got up. No snooze.

Yep, for those of you that know me.....I'll give you a second to let that process.

No. Snooze.

For real.

I had a 4.5 mile run on the schedule.....and I was bound and determined to get it in and done. Because I'm still trying to avoid hills as much as I can before these two half marathons coming up...I have to drive somewhere in the city that is flat.

For those of you who've never been to Omaha, Nebraska....and you've heard it's flat. You've been misinformed. I can't, anywhere near my house, run without going up and down them constantly. Very few flat stretches at all. The city trail that runs through town, runs along a creek.....so it's where I've been heading lately.

I put on my spaghetti strap tank top....shorts......new full compression socks (not just sleeves)....and off I went.

It wasn't until I got TO the trail that I noticed how chilly it was.

Compared to what it has been lately....it was downright cold actually. Mid 40's (about 7 or 8 C).

It's been a while that I've run when it's that temperature....and was reminded of a few things.
1) The area between the tops of my compression socks, and the bottom of my shorts (mainly my knees and some lower thigh) get cold. So cold that when I take a hot shower upon my return, the water bouncing off of my legs is freezing...even though it's hot coming out of the faucet.
2) I have a hard time seeing when I run. Not because it's dark...I have my headlamp. No, it's because I can see my breath. You know how it's hard to see when driving in the fog....and the higher beams actually make it worse? It's the same way with my breath in the light of my headlamp. I find myself breathing out of the side of my mouth. It must be completely attractive. :-)

So, the 4.5 miles went OK. The full socks actually helped some of the pain. But not as much as I was hoping. I've only used them once, so I'm still hopeful they'll make a difference in the long run. (no pun intended)

I made it to about 2 miles when I looked at my watch for the time. Between getting dressed and then driving to the place I was running.....I found I'd really be pushing it in time to get the full 4.5 miles in, get home,. showered and then back to work in time.

My pace from last year is nearly 2 minutes/mile slower. Frustrating does not even begin to describe my feelings on it. I was running slowly, and still running 10:30 miles....now I'm having to really push it to get faster then 12:30. A.N.N.O.Y.I.N.G. But.....I'm running...so I can't complain toooooooo much. :-)

I'm happy to report I came in contact with zero skunks (THREE of them in one single 3 mile run last time I ran the same stretch).....and the only other people I saw were on bikes. One of them was extremely friendly...we passed each other twice. Both times we had a small chat while speeding past each other.

"good morning!!"
"good morning to you!"
"enjoy your run!!"
"have a great ride"

and

"hello again!"
(giggle) "hi!!!"
"how far are you going?"
"not far....4.5...you?"
"until I decide to go home"
"I'm jealous!!!"
"don't be...retirement is boring....HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!"
"YOU TOO"

(by then we're yelling because we've passed each other and are on our way done the trail in opposite directions)

After work I came home for a couple hours, then headed to yoga for an hour.

Yep, I'm addicted. 100% It's a workout and it's so relaxing all at the same time. :-)

Well....I'd better head to bed. Tomorrow is Friday.....it's about time!!!!!! (hehehehehe)
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4.50, 56:05, 12:27 overall average pace, 513 calories, 180 Max HR, 158 Avg HR