Blood, Sweat and Tears

So I've made it almost 40 years without a cast of any kind or crutches...and I'm a total klutz!  Well I start training for a marathon and BAM!  1/2 a mile into my 7 mile training run, I'm taken out by storm debry!  By storm debry I mean a twig the size of a hot dog.  Luckily  (???)  a very nice county worker saw me and stopped to ask to help.  He drove me back to my house where I hopped on one foot up my steps and into the shower.  Yes I needed to shower before I went into the ER.  ;) 

After my shower, I went to the ER where I had to hop around the entire parking lot because of the curbs and the design was not intended for gimps that are alone seeking medical help.  lol  My one leg should look like iron after all of this hopping.  Anyway, after waiting for around 2.5 hrs. I was finally able to be seen by a doctor and was given some ibuprofen.

As I sat waiting for xrays, I started crying. That's not something I do often.  I'm still not sure if the tears were because of the pain or because I had been training for so long and just the thought that I couldn't run my full marathon was too much to handle.  I'm sure it was a little of both. 

I did get some great news!  My ankle wasn't broken it was just a bad sprain and I would be able to run my marathon.  Of course every doctor, nurse, cleaning person I came in contact with knew about my marathon and wished me luck as I used my crutches to get to my car.  Thankfully it wasn't my driving ankle. 

It's been a week and my ankle is much stronger and I'm able to put weight on it.  BUT I'm still crying each time I see a runner as I'm driving by...or looking out of my home windows, or see a post on Facebook about a run.  I am a runner!!!

Thanks for checking me out and I'll see you at the races!!! 

New Shoes! New Shoes! New Shoes!

I honestly never thought I'd stray from my long time love affair with Asics, but when my feet slipped into these Newtons, it was LOVE!  They feel like I'm wearing socks...but with support!  It's amazing!  And the more obnoxious the color on my running shoes, the better, so I'm elated that Newton only makes bright wonderful colors. 

I ran 5 miles this morning in the new kicks and my feet feel great!  The Newtons are a bit different than the Asics, but both are meant for my neutral gait.  The Newtons are "hopefully" going to help get me away from the heel strikes I have a habit of doing while running.  Only time will tell if that happens and I'm not trying to re-invent my running style, totally, while training for my first full marathon. 

So yesterday while I was talking to the very knowledgeable sale man and FitNiche about my shoes, he told me that the only other thing more challenging I could do to prepare for 26.2 in Savannah, was to run just after a rain here in Florida.  Well this morning I thought my run would have to be on the treadmill because a rainstorm came in with a vengeance.  It was short lived, BUT when I started running, I could see the steam coming up from the roads and thought "This is going to SUCK!"  and it was difficult.  I'm still not familiar with the new hood so I had to make up my route as I ran, which isn't ideal for me, but it somehow worked out pretty perfect. 

I finished and feel great about the run!  My daughter wanted to "train" like me when we got home.  She put on her new Reebok school shoes and put her best buddy in his stroller and ran around the house.  How cute is that?  Before we left the house she told me that she didn't want to go for a run.  I told her I didn't either, but I had to because I committed to run the race, so I have to train for it.  I think it might have sunk in...at least I hope! 

Have a great day and I'll see you at the races!