Injury Purgatory

Ok.  So, I'm injured.  I'd been sort of half-ignoring the nagging feeling in my leg since the end of January.  I mean, it HURT when I ran, so I took about a month off then started running again.  I think I went at it too quickly, full force, because after my 5K it started hurting all.the.time. 

The 5K was on Saturday, so I'm not talking weeks here, just days.  I'm sort of aware of why I felt like I was going to throw up after the 5K now...not because of adrenaline but most likely from the pain of the injury.  The few days of torture, pain, and the complete swelling of my leg to about twice it size after Taekwondo on Tuesday night finally sent me to the doctor.  Stress Fracture.  In my Tibia.  Most likely cause.  I declined being sent to an orthopedist just for them to do a bone scan to tell me so.  My doctor is a runner, and he has had one before, and he said all the symptoms I'm describing and the spot tenderness = stress fracture. 

He was nice though.  He didn't put my leg in a boot or cast.  He told me I couldn't run or do Taekwondo for at least six weeks, but I can cycle.  I think I'll be breaking out the old bike and trying to get my exercise in that way.  I've come too far just to completely stop exercising cold turkey.  I need the stress relief, and I need to burn calories so I can actually EAT.

Hubby looked at me yesterday, and he said, "I guess this means we really need to start watching what we eat again."  Um yeah. 

I do have to admit: Lately I've been horribly inefficient at watching what I eat.  I've been eating a lot more than I should, loving ice cream and brownies and all sorts of goodies that are actually terribly bad for you!  Plus...beer.  I love beer.  It is probably my downfall, and Hubby just bought me a whole pack of Sam Adam's from Costco.  I will have to put in some serious miles on my bike before I allow myself to drink those!!!

Things are always changing, and you can't let it get you down.  I'm disappointed I have to take off from Taekwondo and from running for six weeks, but I just have to throw myself full force into my alternative and not feel sorry for myself or say, "Woe is me I can't do what I want to do."  I really think that is the key to feeling happy: taking a negative situation and turning it into a positive instead. 

Remind me in six weeks to start off slow, ok?  I can't just start running three miles again or doing crazy jump spin side kicks right away.  I have to build back up so I don't reinjure myself. 

Running: On the Mend

I've been altering my workout schedule some this week, trying to get in some running to build up again.  I decided after my shin hurt  when I ran 1/2 mile that I needed to build back up (like I had to do when I first started running).

This week, I went for two runs, and I can tell that the lack of running for a week has thrown off my pace. I'm going too fast, and I know I won't be able to maintain the speeds when I do my 5K in April. 

On Tuesday, I ran 1.10 miles in 8 minutes 58 seconds.  Ok, I really don't think I did that.  I think the GPS on the app I use (Endomondo) was messed up.  But, I looked at the time when I began and when I ended and I'm pretty sure I ran an 8 minute mile or maybe 8 minute 30 second mile.  I stopped, because I started feeling a twitching in my shin, and I was worried about overdoing it. 

Yesterday was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining, high in the 50's. Oh if only every day could be that glorious!  I decided to go for a run in the park at lunch.  I tracked 2.05 miles in 17 minutes 2 seconds.  This time the GPS was pretty much spot-on, so now I know I am running too fast.  The good news is, my shin did not hurt at all!  I have been religious about icing it lately, and I know this is helping a lot.  Now, on the other hand, the muscles around my Achilles tendon ached almost the entire run, but I think that was from doing Latin Funk the night before!

Running Goals for this Upcoming Week:

• Get in at least 3 Runs
• Build up to 3 miles or more
• Pace myself (try to do a 10 min./mile for longer distance)
• If the shin is feeling okay: do a long run -- 45 minutes

Hopefully I can achieve these goals.  I'm feeling a little puny at the moment, and I'm hoping I'm not getting the gunk that seems to be floating around my office...and my house.

Baby Steps: Working Towards Injury Free

I attempted to run this morning.  I guess I woke up thinking that I would knock off 3 miles with no problem, and maybe my unrealistic expectations are what prevented me.  I could have kept going.  I could have walked for a few miles, but I was disappointed.  I did .42 miles in 5 minutes 20 seconds.  That's a whooping 12 minute 35 second mile, and I didn't even go a mile before my shin started hurting. 

It didn't start hurting badly, but I was afraid to push it.  It finally feels mostly better, and I don't want to re injure myself.  I just need to baby my way back into the sport.  Now I'm sitting in the blue recliner, that used to belong to my grandfather (Gipop), and icing the sucker, hoping it will feel completely better overnight. 

Tomorrow, I'm planning on going 1 mile. I know 1 mile was do-able, even today, but I freaked when I started feeling the least bit of pain.  There's always tomorrow.  I'll have to go to Taekwondo tonight to get my exercise, as 5 minutes 20 seconds is NOT enough! 

In the meantime, I'm trying to find some good ideas for my weight loss post, as it's been a few weeks since I've posted an edition.  Bear with me.  I'll try to blog one this week now that my computer is in tip-top shape again (or mostly, at least). 

I spent the weekend mostly stuck behind a book.  I finished Underworld by Don DeLillo, and I recommend it to anyone who's willing to commit to reading an 827 page book that takes a little bit of thought processing.  Now I'm reading Amsterdam by Ian McEwan.  It's short.  I'll finish it today, maybe even after I finish this post, but I have firmly decided that I'm not a McEwan fan.  His subject matter is interesting, but his delivery is boring, or his characters, or something about his writing:  BORING.  And it could be that my mind is still engrossed in all the little nuances of Underworld.  The book wasn't perfect, but sometimes when you finish a book that you're absorbed in, totally interested in, it's almost like a grieving process at the end.  You feel like the character's lives have come to an end, and it's hard to move onto a new book, a different writing style, and new characters.  

My Dad also celebrated his birthday this weekend, and my Mom came down for the party, taking a break from the twins.  It was so nice to have us all together, with my brother and his kids: talking and talking, eating, drinking, and just having a great time.  I really enjoy our time when we're all together, even if my boys were hyped up by the end!

A Long Trip

I'm back!  I took a break to go to Nashville to visit my sister and attend a ballerina party for my 3 year old niece.  Good times! 

My other sister came down from Massachusetts, and we had a great time hanging out.  It's always good to get home though, and I loved sleeping in my own bed last night.  I missed writing so much while I was away.  I felt a little directionless.  Now, I have to start revisions on work number one.  Today is the day to begin.  I am a little overwhelmed by the thought of this, but I know I can do it! 

While in Nashville, my sister Kels and I ran around the Greenway.  It's a 3 mile run.  The first time, I did it with minimal walking.  I DO NOT LIKE HILLS!  We don't really have hills in Alabama, and the hills killed me.  The first day we did the run in 32 minutes.  We skipped the next day, and then tried to go Thursday, but my shin was killing me (on my left foot), and I overcompensated by turned my foot a little bit.  So when I go to 1.5 miles, I stopped and let Kels go on without me.  I walked fast, and I still made the 3 miles in 38 minutes, so not bad.  Then I came back to Ali's house, and iced my leg.  I think running is out for two weeks, so I can try to heal it. In the meantime, I'm going to go to taekwondo, work on my strength training and walk.  I'm disappointed, because I was really getting to the point where longer distances were becoming much easier for me.  I'm still going to run the 5K in April.  I just need to let my leg rest, and then hopefully hit the ground running again (pun intended). 

We had an absolutely amazing time in Nashville though.  The twins have grown by leaps and bounds, and they filled the weekend with their smiles and laughter.  The ballerina birthday party was fantastic.  The little girls were so cute in their tutus. 

Number Two and I were able to escape one day and go to the movies.  We saw "Escape from Planet Earth," which was actually better than I expected it to be.  Kels and I took the little ones down to Vanderbilt on a freezing cold day and then we ate SATCO, which Number Two refused to eat because he was obsessing about Subway.  Big Daddy ended up taking him to Subway when we got back to Ali's house.  It was nice being with my sisters and my Mom and Dad, despite the fact that all the kids were just loud and noisy most of the time!  We missed my brother though.  It would have been nice to have EVERYONE all together. 

Darling Daughter and my sister's daughter get along splendidly.  I can't even believe how well they share and how sweet they are to each other.  My Dad described Number Two and my sister's oldest son as a pack of wolves!  I think that was a great description!