I have registered for the Space Coast Marathon for November 30, 2008. I am very, very excited! It feels good to be committed once again to another goal. I will admit though, it's kinda the same feeling I got when I found out I was pregnant with my 2nd daughter. Which was a mixture of excitement, happiness and that feeling of "OH MY GOD! WHAT WAS I THINKING???" Hahaha!!
I went into the Sarasota Marathon not fully understanding what I was about to do.
I'm going into the Space Coast Marathon knowing full well what I just signed up for...a lot of hard work. A lot of training. One more thing to be proud of. And I'll be doing a couple things differently. Namely my diet. Nutrition is going to be a prime focus this time around. I have never been very good about eating in general. I sometimes forget to eat and at other times I eat until I have to go lay down. Just yesterday morning (oooh, a James Taylor song!) I was headed out the door for a gym class and my husband was still home. He asked me why I was working out without eating first. It didn't even occur to me that I hadn't! But I was already running a little late so I just left anyway. I was planning on running at the gym after class, but my husband's question stuck in my mind, so I went home to eat first. He's right, I need to make nutrition a priority. HEARD!!
Another thing I'll be doing is speed training mixed in with my long runs. Last time I was just going for endurance. I had never run before so I had a lot to learn in a very short time. I see that now. I also see I still have a lot to learn. I didn't even know what a tempo run was until last week.
I haven't really been doing much upper body workouts either. I plan to get in much better shape for this next marathon. I want some Sherry abs!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey, maybe I'll be able to wear an outfit like Deana Kastor!!!! (yeah right...lol)
I have something to look forward to again. I love the excitement of the marathon. I love being a part of something that brings all kinds of people together. Men, women, young, old....every shape, size and color from all over the globe. It was so cool the morning of the Sarasota marathon to look out my motel window and see so many people walking over to the starting area. It reminded me of when I was too little to go to school yet and I'd watch all the kids walking by my house on their way to school. I wanted to go. I wanted to know where they were going and be a part of it too. That morning of the marathon, watching from the window, hearing my husband ask me if I was ready to go....I felt so happy that I could. I wanted to open the door and yell "WAIT FOR ME!" Instead, I walked hand in hand with Bobby, so thrilled to be there, so grateful to have a loving, supportive husband to see me off on that morning. I almost felt like that little girl again, so excited that I got to go.
And now I get to go again. Anybody want to come too?
Showing posts with label marathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marathon. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
I'm Going For A Run....
In a minute! I came in looking for Sherry. Her husband fell 40 feet last Friday and was in ICU for 3 days! He's still in the hospital but doing better. I don't have all the details, Sherry just said she's hoping to get him home for the weekend. I hope to hear from her soon, but she may be tied up for quite some time. Hugs for you, Sherry!
I ran last Friday and have been fine. Yesterday I wore sandals with 2 inch heels and was limping by the end of the evening. My flexor did not appreciate my choice of footwear and complained. I heard and will obey, no more heels for me. Lesson learned.
Off I go now. I have some thoughts to think.
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I ran last Friday and have been fine. Yesterday I wore sandals with 2 inch heels and was limping by the end of the evening. My flexor did not appreciate my choice of footwear and complained. I heard and will obey, no more heels for me. Lesson learned.
Off I go now. I have some thoughts to think.
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Monday, April 7, 2008
Still Feelin' Foxy....
Well HEY! I had a great run on Friday with Jim and I am not hurting any worse! Last time I ran, it put me out of commission for 2 weeks. This time I feel even better! The road to recovery is one I'd rather have run instead of limped, but I'm almost there. I feel FREE!
I was hoping to run today after the the gym this morning, but I worked for Alycia. She's prego and has the flu, poor punkin. I may need to fill in for her tomorrow too, we'll see. Seems like now that I CAN run, I can't find the time. There's a Zoomer run tomorrow night but if I have to work the day I won't make the run. I'm a wife and Mom first! So I'll just make the family run with me! What a GREAT idea!
Most people who know me, know I've taken on the new goal of speeding up my runs. I really want to shoot for qualifying for Boston 2009. I know it's a stretch to speed train for 7 months and get a qualifying time in October but hey....I'd rather try and fail than not try at all. Even if I don't make it, I won't feel like I failed anyway. I love to run and the sense of accomplishment and pride I feel from every run is something I cherish.
I got a little bonus this morning during my core class at the YMCA. During the exercises we were listening to a CD when a song came on we all knew. First let me tell you, Jim teaches this class as well as being my mentor/coach/trainer. He is also a singer/songwriter. I am a music fanatic, I love all kinds of music. I have CDs for cleaning, showering, laying by the pool, running...etc. SO...when Jim said the singer was Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20, I quite confidently told him he was wrong....LOL. I didn't know who it was but I KNEW it wasn't Rob. He insisted it was. I said I'd bet him $50 it was not. He said how about a Subway sandwich (which I do love) but I said NO! Then, my brain kicked in. I had an awesome idea. I'm all giggly just remembering the moment....heehee. I said....how about a speed training session! He got all confident and said IF he WAS wrong, he'd give me TWO speed training sessions. Ooooohhhhhlala!! Can you say JACKPOT babyyyyyy??????? I got all warm inside. I knew I was right. I know Rob Thomas's voice. I also know my ticket to Boston is through my trainer. He got me to the finish line of my first marathon in just under 5 months. His coaching and training methods work for me. I hear the instructions and just do it. This is gonna be GREAT!
I even made him shake on it....lol
I guess I should tell you, Jim said if it wasn't Rob Thomas, it had to be Chad Kroeger from Nickelback. He was right about that. I didn't think it was, because I'd never seen Chad with short hair except for the video to the song we were betting against. So technically Jim did know the singer's name. I only knew it wasn't Rob Thomas. I offered to call it a truce but Jim was kind enough to call me the winner. So I get some speed training from the one person I know who can get me to Boston. I almost feel guity. Almost.....
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I was hoping to run today after the the gym this morning, but I worked for Alycia. She's prego and has the flu, poor punkin. I may need to fill in for her tomorrow too, we'll see. Seems like now that I CAN run, I can't find the time. There's a Zoomer run tomorrow night but if I have to work the day I won't make the run. I'm a wife and Mom first! So I'll just make the family run with me! What a GREAT idea!
Most people who know me, know I've taken on the new goal of speeding up my runs. I really want to shoot for qualifying for Boston 2009. I know it's a stretch to speed train for 7 months and get a qualifying time in October but hey....I'd rather try and fail than not try at all. Even if I don't make it, I won't feel like I failed anyway. I love to run and the sense of accomplishment and pride I feel from every run is something I cherish.
I got a little bonus this morning during my core class at the YMCA. During the exercises we were listening to a CD when a song came on we all knew. First let me tell you, Jim teaches this class as well as being my mentor/coach/trainer. He is also a singer/songwriter. I am a music fanatic, I love all kinds of music. I have CDs for cleaning, showering, laying by the pool, running...etc. SO...when Jim said the singer was Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20, I quite confidently told him he was wrong....LOL. I didn't know who it was but I KNEW it wasn't Rob. He insisted it was. I said I'd bet him $50 it was not. He said how about a Subway sandwich (which I do love) but I said NO! Then, my brain kicked in. I had an awesome idea. I'm all giggly just remembering the moment....heehee. I said....how about a speed training session! He got all confident and said IF he WAS wrong, he'd give me TWO speed training sessions. Ooooohhhhhlala!! Can you say JACKPOT babyyyyyy??????? I got all warm inside. I knew I was right. I know Rob Thomas's voice. I also know my ticket to Boston is through my trainer. He got me to the finish line of my first marathon in just under 5 months. His coaching and training methods work for me. I hear the instructions and just do it. This is gonna be GREAT!
I even made him shake on it....lol
I guess I should tell you, Jim said if it wasn't Rob Thomas, it had to be Chad Kroeger from Nickelback. He was right about that. I didn't think it was, because I'd never seen Chad with short hair except for the video to the song we were betting against. So technically Jim did know the singer's name. I only knew it wasn't Rob Thomas. I offered to call it a truce but Jim was kind enough to call me the winner. So I get some speed training from the one person I know who can get me to Boston. I almost feel guity. Almost.....
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Monday, March 31, 2008
Still No Running =(
I don't know how much longer I can stand this. Someone mentioned a cortizone shot and I thought that might be the ticket, but I asked Jim this morning about them. He said it just takes away the pain. That's no good, because I'm planning on some serious speed/hill training. I'll wind up hurting it worse. It would be like bashing your numb hand with a hammer. Would it hurt? No. Would that stop the damage? No again.
So I guess I need to learn a little patience. That's something I have never had. I open presents on Christmas Eve and rewrap them before anyone finds out. I search for birthday gifts like a 9 year old child. I don't play any games I have to wait my turn for. I can honestly tell you, patience is NOT my best quality. It's not one of my qualities at all. Yeah....whatever.
I do have a slight problem. I can't think of a single hill here in Florida. Can you?? Maybe the bridge in Sarasota, but I don't see me heading out that way 4 times a week. Maybe I could run the beaches. That's supposed to be a workout and a half. But I'd just lay in the sand, I know me. I love the beach. Maybe the stairmaster??? GOD, I will hate that thing. Safe to say I most likely will avoid that particular machine. If the pool were not so flipping freezing I could do some stuff in there. Like float around on the raft with a beer and a book....HA!! Too bad I'm serious.
Well ya know what? My kids and husband are home this week. I will plan on going to the gym early and doing my regular stuff this week. Like a little break I guess. I'll pretend I WANT a break from running. I'll trick my mind a little.
So did I mention I ordered up some spikes???? I went left-wing and got a pretty bluish-purple color. Okay, so I couldn't get the pink in my size, but these have pretty flowers on them. And I can always spray paint them pink, right? No? We'll see. So much for tricking my mind, huh.
I'll just admit it, I want to run.
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So I guess I need to learn a little patience. That's something I have never had. I open presents on Christmas Eve and rewrap them before anyone finds out. I search for birthday gifts like a 9 year old child. I don't play any games I have to wait my turn for. I can honestly tell you, patience is NOT my best quality. It's not one of my qualities at all. Yeah....whatever.
I do have a slight problem. I can't think of a single hill here in Florida. Can you?? Maybe the bridge in Sarasota, but I don't see me heading out that way 4 times a week. Maybe I could run the beaches. That's supposed to be a workout and a half. But I'd just lay in the sand, I know me. I love the beach. Maybe the stairmaster??? GOD, I will hate that thing. Safe to say I most likely will avoid that particular machine. If the pool were not so flipping freezing I could do some stuff in there. Like float around on the raft with a beer and a book....HA!! Too bad I'm serious.
Well ya know what? My kids and husband are home this week. I will plan on going to the gym early and doing my regular stuff this week. Like a little break I guess. I'll pretend I WANT a break from running. I'll trick my mind a little.
So did I mention I ordered up some spikes???? I went left-wing and got a pretty bluish-purple color. Okay, so I couldn't get the pink in my size, but these have pretty flowers on them. And I can always spray paint them pink, right? No? We'll see. So much for tricking my mind, huh.
I'll just admit it, I want to run.
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Cape Cod, Ma Marathon
OOOOOOOOOHHH....guess what I found out????? The Cape Cod marathon is a qualifying marathon for BOSTON! But, I'd need to shave 1 hour, 47 minutes to do that. In seven months. For a 42 year old woman, I need to have a finish time of 3:50:59 from a qualifying marathon. I need to run this past Jim. He'll tell me like it is. I already asked him what he thought my finish time would be for Cape Cod, he said 5 hours, but that was before I started thinking about Boston. I saw Jim this morning but he was busy and I was too chicken to ask....LOL
This is all happening because I can't run, so I went and bought a couple of books about women who run. I was up past midnight reading about these phenomenal women, they made me so excited I couldn't sleep. I got out of bed and started looking at marathon maps and happened across the list of qualifying races for Boston. I thought "NO WAY", then I thought, "Well, why not?" I feel excited just writing this!
I wonder if I should do a half sometime in July as a gage. This flexor better hurry up and heal. I have some plans, babyyyyyyyy.........
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This is all happening because I can't run, so I went and bought a couple of books about women who run. I was up past midnight reading about these phenomenal women, they made me so excited I couldn't sleep. I got out of bed and started looking at marathon maps and happened across the list of qualifying races for Boston. I thought "NO WAY", then I thought, "Well, why not?" I feel excited just writing this!
I wonder if I should do a half sometime in July as a gage. This flexor better hurry up and heal. I have some plans, babyyyyyyyy.........
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
14.4 Mile Run
Oh, just typing in those words puts joy in my heart! Yes, it's true....I ran 14.4 miles last Saturday! And lived to tell about it....LOL
I had taken about 10 days off and had only run a few short runs because of the dog bite. I was worried I'd missed so much time and had fallen off the schedule a bit. I had run 11 miles 14 days before and did very well, so I decided I'd try the 14.4. If I couldn't do it, then I'd have to rethink the marathon.
I worked the night before and didn't get to bed until after 1am. I woke up about 8am and immediately wanted to stay in bed. I woke my husband and told him that. He told me I'd be very unhappy with myself if I didn't give it a shot. He said he'd come out and meet me here and there to give me drinks and encouragement and if I wanted to give up he'd drive me back home. Which he knew I wouldn't like either. He knows me too well...lol.
Jim told me to try to keep to a 12 minute per mile pace. It seemed like a very slow pace but he explained that it was the best way to conserve enough energy to finish such a long distance. When you're running a long distance, he said by running too fast in the beginning, trying to "bank" some time would only make me "bankrupt". There is no banking time because time is energy used. Use too much too fast, you won't have any near the end when you'll need it the most. His words of wisdom stayed in my head. Jim has given me so much valuable information, it's because of him I've gotten this far, so how could I ignore his advice now?? I couldn't!! I listened and went sooooo slowwww in my first 3 miles at about 31 minutes. After that I was just tired enough to be able to stay on pace without too much effort. I watched my time only to do the 30 second power walks every 10-12 minutes.
At about 6.5 miles I saw my husband's car up ahead. I ran up and he gave me some gatorade. He said he saw me running and I looked like an athlete!!! LOL I was glad to know I didn't look like I was about to fall over. He couldn't get over that I wasn't out of breath. I hadn't even noticed that! I felt great. Not too tired either. I got back into it and looked down Salford. UGH....it was such a long road. I kept picking out spots up ahead to run to so I wouldn't pay so much attention to the distance. It seemed like within moments I was at the end and taking a right toward the turn around point. And then I heard it. A dog. Oh no. I stopped short and waited but it stayed on his porch. I walked slowly by and it didn't bother me. I got out of it's sight and ran to my turn around spot. I called Bobby to let him know where I was. I still had my gatorade so I was good, but he got worried when I told him about the dog. We stayed on the phone as I passed by it again, then off I went.
The run back seemed easier than the run out. I felt very tired but overall I felt great. I was walking about every 8 minutes for about 1.5 minutes by about mile 10. Then my left calf started cramping up. I could hear Jim's voice telling me to walk it out. So I walked until it didn't hurt as much, then ran until it hurt again. I probably walked the entire last mile but in a power walk.
I was SOAKED and very salty. I had salt chrystals all over my arms and face. It was so weird. Bobby met me in the driveway. It was surreal. I had run 14.4 miles. I felt like I was in a dream. He said he was so proud of me, that he felt a degree of awe. That means so much to me. He hugged me even though I was soaked (that's true love)...When I got in the house I looked at the stop watch and I'd finish in 2:43. That worked out to a 11:24 minute mile. Just 30 seconds faster than Jim said to go for! I started to cry. I was so completely overjoyed. It seemed like I had walked so much, I really didn't think my time would be good. I wanted to come in at 2:30, but I'm happy with 2:43. Even 5 months ago I couldn't have run one mile.
First thing I did was shoot an email to Jim. I hadn't run into him lately so he didn't know I was running 14.4 that weekend, I knew he'd be surprised. He was very happy too, and in the same sentence told me when to run my 20 miler....LOL...oh, he's such a TRAINER!!!!! LOL
Feb 9th, I'll be running 20 miles. my husband and kids are going to set up water stations along the way and yell out words of encouragement. I'll have my own little mini marathon....LOL...I'm shooting for 4 hours, wish me luck!!!
I had taken about 10 days off and had only run a few short runs because of the dog bite. I was worried I'd missed so much time and had fallen off the schedule a bit. I had run 11 miles 14 days before and did very well, so I decided I'd try the 14.4. If I couldn't do it, then I'd have to rethink the marathon.
I worked the night before and didn't get to bed until after 1am. I woke up about 8am and immediately wanted to stay in bed. I woke my husband and told him that. He told me I'd be very unhappy with myself if I didn't give it a shot. He said he'd come out and meet me here and there to give me drinks and encouragement and if I wanted to give up he'd drive me back home. Which he knew I wouldn't like either. He knows me too well...lol.
Jim told me to try to keep to a 12 minute per mile pace. It seemed like a very slow pace but he explained that it was the best way to conserve enough energy to finish such a long distance. When you're running a long distance, he said by running too fast in the beginning, trying to "bank" some time would only make me "bankrupt". There is no banking time because time is energy used. Use too much too fast, you won't have any near the end when you'll need it the most. His words of wisdom stayed in my head. Jim has given me so much valuable information, it's because of him I've gotten this far, so how could I ignore his advice now?? I couldn't!! I listened and went sooooo slowwww in my first 3 miles at about 31 minutes. After that I was just tired enough to be able to stay on pace without too much effort. I watched my time only to do the 30 second power walks every 10-12 minutes.
At about 6.5 miles I saw my husband's car up ahead. I ran up and he gave me some gatorade. He said he saw me running and I looked like an athlete!!! LOL I was glad to know I didn't look like I was about to fall over. He couldn't get over that I wasn't out of breath. I hadn't even noticed that! I felt great. Not too tired either. I got back into it and looked down Salford. UGH....it was such a long road. I kept picking out spots up ahead to run to so I wouldn't pay so much attention to the distance. It seemed like within moments I was at the end and taking a right toward the turn around point. And then I heard it. A dog. Oh no. I stopped short and waited but it stayed on his porch. I walked slowly by and it didn't bother me. I got out of it's sight and ran to my turn around spot. I called Bobby to let him know where I was. I still had my gatorade so I was good, but he got worried when I told him about the dog. We stayed on the phone as I passed by it again, then off I went.
The run back seemed easier than the run out. I felt very tired but overall I felt great. I was walking about every 8 minutes for about 1.5 minutes by about mile 10. Then my left calf started cramping up. I could hear Jim's voice telling me to walk it out. So I walked until it didn't hurt as much, then ran until it hurt again. I probably walked the entire last mile but in a power walk.
I was SOAKED and very salty. I had salt chrystals all over my arms and face. It was so weird. Bobby met me in the driveway. It was surreal. I had run 14.4 miles. I felt like I was in a dream. He said he was so proud of me, that he felt a degree of awe. That means so much to me. He hugged me even though I was soaked (that's true love)...When I got in the house I looked at the stop watch and I'd finish in 2:43. That worked out to a 11:24 minute mile. Just 30 seconds faster than Jim said to go for! I started to cry. I was so completely overjoyed. It seemed like I had walked so much, I really didn't think my time would be good. I wanted to come in at 2:30, but I'm happy with 2:43. Even 5 months ago I couldn't have run one mile.
First thing I did was shoot an email to Jim. I hadn't run into him lately so he didn't know I was running 14.4 that weekend, I knew he'd be surprised. He was very happy too, and in the same sentence told me when to run my 20 miler....LOL...oh, he's such a TRAINER!!!!! LOL
Feb 9th, I'll be running 20 miles. my husband and kids are going to set up water stations along the way and yell out words of encouragement. I'll have my own little mini marathon....LOL...I'm shooting for 4 hours, wish me luck!!!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
My Story (long post)
I started this post talking about waking up on the morning of the LaMarque Run, but it's turned into my story. I wasn't planning on being this personal but since I was bitten by the dog I've found myself reflecting so much. I've met some wonderful people since I started running and many have asked what got me started. I usually just say I went to the gym and met Jim the wellness coach and blurted out my desire to do a marathon. I've only told 2 people part of the story I'm telling here. It's not a big deal really, but it's a big deal to me.
When I woke up on Saturday morning at 5:30 for this race, I almost went back to sleep. I worked until 12:30am Friday night, didn't even get to sleep until about an hour after that. My leg was throbbing and I wasn't even out of bed. I lay there thinking about all the people I've talked to over the months. The injuries they've had and races and goals they'd missed. Having to learn which pains to treat with rest, which were part of conditioning. My doctor told me that, yes, this bite will be painful, but I would not hurt it worse by running. I'm going to jump back 2 years and give out a little info on how I got to where I am now.
I had ignored some pains a couple years ago, not realizing I had two serious problems going on. I had been having lower abdominal pain off and on since my son was born, about 9 years ago. It usually ached all the time, sometimes it hurt a lot and other times I'd be on the couch all day. Most of the time I'd ignore it and take some Tylenol. I never mentioned this to my doctor, don't ask me why. By the time I moved to Florida, it was getting worse. Sharper pains lasting longer. I still ignored it for 2 years. My husband told me to go see the doctor, I put it off. Finally I stopped telling him when it hurt. I was busy, I had "stuff" to do. Around the end of August 2005, I was getting headaches. They didn't feel like migraines so I started taking Excederine, twice a day. I was not feeling well at all. I wasn't eating either. I didn't have an appetite so I didn't notice this either. I had a few bites of food here and there, nothing substantial. Within 2 weeks I was only getting dressed on the days I had to work, otherwise I was in jammies on the couch. I was in constant pain by that point. One day, late in Sept I was having a great day, feeling a lot better and decided to walk over to get the kids from school. It's just 2 streets over. I got dressed and off I went. Half way there I realized I had to hold my pants up. They were falling off! I knew I weighed about 148 back in August, this was weird but I felt kinda good about it. When I got home I hopped on the scale. I weighed around 125. I was THRILLED! But wait....how'd THAT happen??? My husband told me to go to the doctor. I shrugged it off and went on with my life. But by the end of Sept it got even worse. I could barely stand straight. My throat hurt, stomach hurt, my head was pounding. I went to the doctor. I love my doctor. He's very gentle, he has a relaxed personality that just puts people at ease. He's kinda cute too...LOL!!!! Anyway....I told him what I just wrote here. He looked in my throat, it was very red, he touched my stomach and I almost hit the ceiling. It hurt so bad. There was not a spot on my abdomen that he could touch without hurting me. I was also down to about 118 by then. The doc told me to stop the Excederine, he gave me some Nexium saying it probably damaged my digestive system. He also sent me for bloodwork. Something came back questionable and he called me with an appointment to see 2 specialists. My doctor told me the bloodwork showed something abnormal and he wanted an upper and lower GI series (OH YAY).The other doctor I'd be seeing was an oncologist. I know exactly what an oncologist is. I lost one of my Grandmothers to cancer in 1993. She had breast cancer twice, 20 years apart and we lost her to lung cancer. Still makes me cry, I miss her so much. My other Grandmother had uterine cancer 11 years ago. She had a hysterectomy and I'm very, very lucky to still have her today. She is cancer free!
I listened to my doctor on the phone, he said not to worry, the doctor I was seeing was the best and would take care of everything. I pretty much was silent (which does not happen often) and the next day I saw this new doctor. When he came in, I just cried quietly. I was so scared. He calmed me and said he wanted to check my abdomen. He pressed and it still hurt everywhere. He said my pancreas was enlarged, my uterus was enlarged and with the blood work he got from my doctor, he wanted me to see a gyno and he took more bloodwork. 2 days later, I was having an ultrasound at the gyno. My uterus was as big as a 4-5 month pregnancy. There were masses in there. He told me he wanted to do a hysterectomy the next day. I would keep my ovaries though. I freaked. I said no. I wanted to talk to my doctor first. I made the appointment for the surgery a week away and went home to call my doctor. My doctor told me if I were his wife or Mother, he would want me to have the hysterectomy. Ok then. I trust my doctor.
During all this I saw a GI doc. He explained the Excederine was aspirin based and I had taken too much. It didn't help that I took it on an empty stomach too. The GI series was scheduled the day before the hysterectomy.
So the results of both procedures pretty much came back all at once. NO CANCER! And the bloodwork even came back all normal. Turns out I had poisoned my pancreas from too much Excederine, burned my entire GI tract along with it and I had Adometriosis, which is another form of Endometriosis. By now I weighed 101 lbs. I had to start eating with small amounts 4-6 times a day. Eventually I could eat normally again and now I've gained about 25 lbs back. My stomach still hurts now and then. I have had a couple days that kept me from running but nothing too bad. I'm an expert at ignoring most pain....lol. The bulk of the recovery process from the surgery and the stomach/pancreatitis took a good 4 months. By the end of January, I was a whole new woman. I look back sometimes and I can't believe I lived with so much pain for so long. I see how lucky I was that it wasn't cancer.
Now for the part that lead me to running...
I heard somehow, somewhere, that Disney was doing a marathon for cancer. I had 3 reasons why I wanted to be a part of that marathon. I lost one Grandmother, I have another Grandmother who was a survivor and for myself because I got a scare and was lucky enough not to have had cancer. I told my husband about the marathon, I didn't give the reasons, just said I wanted to run a marathon in September, this was April. He laughed. The dirty rat!!!! LOL I told my daughter Kerri. She laughed. Hmmmmm....I told my other daughter Kirstin. She was rolling on the floor laughing. I was not amused, however.
KIM: I don't see what's so funny guys.
BOBBY: You don't even walk to the mailbox Kimmy (he calls me Kimmy when he's trying to tell me something I won't like but still be affectionate)
KIM: Yes I do. It's at the end of the driveway. (but I thought about how I really pull up to the mailbox when I come home, instead of parking the car and walking down the driveway)
KERRI: Mom, you used to drive to Karen's house when we lived in Plymouth.
KIM: Yeah, well Emily was an infant and I had a lot of stuff to carry.
KIRSTIN: Mom, she lived across the street, and she had a daycare. You only had Emily and a diaper bag.
KIM: Yeah, whatever....(but I knew they were right)
Ok, so it's been determined that I'm not the most active person in the family. Or in Florida. But I'll admit their reaction, though justified, made me give it up. Meanwhile, Bobby kept mentioning that I should join the YMCA. He'd been working out for a while (and was looking HOT may I add) Finally one day last October on his day off he took me to the YMCA to find out about joining. I met Lynn and Kelly at the desk, they talked to me about the classes offered and the weight room. They told me after I signed up, the wellness coach would show me the equipment and tell me how to use it all, etc. I came back the next day by myself and signed up. I walked into the gym and met Jim, who did explain everything to me and that's was when he asked me if I had any goals.....the whole time I was telling him I wanted to get in shape and have more energy, the marathon was on the tip of my tongue. I thought to myself, "this man does not know me, I wonder if HE would laugh if I said I wanted to run a marathon?" I took a deep breath and kind of blurted it out. He did not laugh. In fact, he said I had time to train for the Grouper Run in March! He had no idea what he had given me. That one little spark of confidence resurfaced in that instant. He told me the runner's club meets on Friday mornings at 10:15 and invited me to run. I thought I'd better tell him I don't really exercise much. Or at all. Ever. He didn't even hear that. He said if I really wanted to do it, I could. By the time I got home, the spark was a bonfire. I was on a mission. I was going to run a marathon. Jim said I could, and I believed him. Most of the time.
I have had many, many days where my self confidence took a plane to California. Any negative comments would set me back. When I was feeling that way, I'd mention it to Jim and he'd immediately remind me I had the power to do anything. His favorite saying is "You are your own captain". That works for me, I love being the boss!!! So now when I'm feeling like I can't do it, or I don't feel like doing it, I tell myself the captain never abandons the ship. The captain takes responsibility for the ship in smooth sailing AND during a storm. Just like me. My body is my ship and I'm taking it to Sarasota in March to run in that marathon.
When I woke up on Saturday morning at 5:30 for this race, I almost went back to sleep. I worked until 12:30am Friday night, didn't even get to sleep until about an hour after that. My leg was throbbing and I wasn't even out of bed. I lay there thinking about all the people I've talked to over the months. The injuries they've had and races and goals they'd missed. Having to learn which pains to treat with rest, which were part of conditioning. My doctor told me that, yes, this bite will be painful, but I would not hurt it worse by running. I'm going to jump back 2 years and give out a little info on how I got to where I am now.
I had ignored some pains a couple years ago, not realizing I had two serious problems going on. I had been having lower abdominal pain off and on since my son was born, about 9 years ago. It usually ached all the time, sometimes it hurt a lot and other times I'd be on the couch all day. Most of the time I'd ignore it and take some Tylenol. I never mentioned this to my doctor, don't ask me why. By the time I moved to Florida, it was getting worse. Sharper pains lasting longer. I still ignored it for 2 years. My husband told me to go see the doctor, I put it off. Finally I stopped telling him when it hurt. I was busy, I had "stuff" to do. Around the end of August 2005, I was getting headaches. They didn't feel like migraines so I started taking Excederine, twice a day. I was not feeling well at all. I wasn't eating either. I didn't have an appetite so I didn't notice this either. I had a few bites of food here and there, nothing substantial. Within 2 weeks I was only getting dressed on the days I had to work, otherwise I was in jammies on the couch. I was in constant pain by that point. One day, late in Sept I was having a great day, feeling a lot better and decided to walk over to get the kids from school. It's just 2 streets over. I got dressed and off I went. Half way there I realized I had to hold my pants up. They were falling off! I knew I weighed about 148 back in August, this was weird but I felt kinda good about it. When I got home I hopped on the scale. I weighed around 125. I was THRILLED! But wait....how'd THAT happen??? My husband told me to go to the doctor. I shrugged it off and went on with my life. But by the end of Sept it got even worse. I could barely stand straight. My throat hurt, stomach hurt, my head was pounding. I went to the doctor. I love my doctor. He's very gentle, he has a relaxed personality that just puts people at ease. He's kinda cute too...LOL!!!! Anyway....I told him what I just wrote here. He looked in my throat, it was very red, he touched my stomach and I almost hit the ceiling. It hurt so bad. There was not a spot on my abdomen that he could touch without hurting me. I was also down to about 118 by then. The doc told me to stop the Excederine, he gave me some Nexium saying it probably damaged my digestive system. He also sent me for bloodwork. Something came back questionable and he called me with an appointment to see 2 specialists. My doctor told me the bloodwork showed something abnormal and he wanted an upper and lower GI series (OH YAY).The other doctor I'd be seeing was an oncologist. I know exactly what an oncologist is. I lost one of my Grandmothers to cancer in 1993. She had breast cancer twice, 20 years apart and we lost her to lung cancer. Still makes me cry, I miss her so much. My other Grandmother had uterine cancer 11 years ago. She had a hysterectomy and I'm very, very lucky to still have her today. She is cancer free!
I listened to my doctor on the phone, he said not to worry, the doctor I was seeing was the best and would take care of everything. I pretty much was silent (which does not happen often) and the next day I saw this new doctor. When he came in, I just cried quietly. I was so scared. He calmed me and said he wanted to check my abdomen. He pressed and it still hurt everywhere. He said my pancreas was enlarged, my uterus was enlarged and with the blood work he got from my doctor, he wanted me to see a gyno and he took more bloodwork. 2 days later, I was having an ultrasound at the gyno. My uterus was as big as a 4-5 month pregnancy. There were masses in there. He told me he wanted to do a hysterectomy the next day. I would keep my ovaries though. I freaked. I said no. I wanted to talk to my doctor first. I made the appointment for the surgery a week away and went home to call my doctor. My doctor told me if I were his wife or Mother, he would want me to have the hysterectomy. Ok then. I trust my doctor.
During all this I saw a GI doc. He explained the Excederine was aspirin based and I had taken too much. It didn't help that I took it on an empty stomach too. The GI series was scheduled the day before the hysterectomy.
So the results of both procedures pretty much came back all at once. NO CANCER! And the bloodwork even came back all normal. Turns out I had poisoned my pancreas from too much Excederine, burned my entire GI tract along with it and I had Adometriosis, which is another form of Endometriosis. By now I weighed 101 lbs. I had to start eating with small amounts 4-6 times a day. Eventually I could eat normally again and now I've gained about 25 lbs back. My stomach still hurts now and then. I have had a couple days that kept me from running but nothing too bad. I'm an expert at ignoring most pain....lol. The bulk of the recovery process from the surgery and the stomach/pancreatitis took a good 4 months. By the end of January, I was a whole new woman. I look back sometimes and I can't believe I lived with so much pain for so long. I see how lucky I was that it wasn't cancer.
Now for the part that lead me to running...
I heard somehow, somewhere, that Disney was doing a marathon for cancer. I had 3 reasons why I wanted to be a part of that marathon. I lost one Grandmother, I have another Grandmother who was a survivor and for myself because I got a scare and was lucky enough not to have had cancer. I told my husband about the marathon, I didn't give the reasons, just said I wanted to run a marathon in September, this was April. He laughed. The dirty rat!!!! LOL I told my daughter Kerri. She laughed. Hmmmmm....I told my other daughter Kirstin. She was rolling on the floor laughing. I was not amused, however.
KIM: I don't see what's so funny guys.
BOBBY: You don't even walk to the mailbox Kimmy (he calls me Kimmy when he's trying to tell me something I won't like but still be affectionate)
KIM: Yes I do. It's at the end of the driveway. (but I thought about how I really pull up to the mailbox when I come home, instead of parking the car and walking down the driveway)
KERRI: Mom, you used to drive to Karen's house when we lived in Plymouth.
KIM: Yeah, well Emily was an infant and I had a lot of stuff to carry.
KIRSTIN: Mom, she lived across the street, and she had a daycare. You only had Emily and a diaper bag.
KIM: Yeah, whatever....(but I knew they were right)
Ok, so it's been determined that I'm not the most active person in the family. Or in Florida. But I'll admit their reaction, though justified, made me give it up. Meanwhile, Bobby kept mentioning that I should join the YMCA. He'd been working out for a while (and was looking HOT may I add) Finally one day last October on his day off he took me to the YMCA to find out about joining. I met Lynn and Kelly at the desk, they talked to me about the classes offered and the weight room. They told me after I signed up, the wellness coach would show me the equipment and tell me how to use it all, etc. I came back the next day by myself and signed up. I walked into the gym and met Jim, who did explain everything to me and that's was when he asked me if I had any goals.....the whole time I was telling him I wanted to get in shape and have more energy, the marathon was on the tip of my tongue. I thought to myself, "this man does not know me, I wonder if HE would laugh if I said I wanted to run a marathon?" I took a deep breath and kind of blurted it out. He did not laugh. In fact, he said I had time to train for the Grouper Run in March! He had no idea what he had given me. That one little spark of confidence resurfaced in that instant. He told me the runner's club meets on Friday mornings at 10:15 and invited me to run. I thought I'd better tell him I don't really exercise much. Or at all. Ever. He didn't even hear that. He said if I really wanted to do it, I could. By the time I got home, the spark was a bonfire. I was on a mission. I was going to run a marathon. Jim said I could, and I believed him. Most of the time.
I have had many, many days where my self confidence took a plane to California. Any negative comments would set me back. When I was feeling that way, I'd mention it to Jim and he'd immediately remind me I had the power to do anything. His favorite saying is "You are your own captain". That works for me, I love being the boss!!! So now when I'm feeling like I can't do it, or I don't feel like doing it, I tell myself the captain never abandons the ship. The captain takes responsibility for the ship in smooth sailing AND during a storm. Just like me. My body is my ship and I'm taking it to Sarasota in March to run in that marathon.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Toenail Necklace
Yes people, your read that correctly. I found an AWESOME blog by a runner named Scott Dunlap. He has this picture on his blog. HAHA!!! Those of you who know me well, know I like my toes to be beautiful and painted 24/7. You also know that I'd FREAK if I lost one of my little beauties. You also know I'd probably not save the disgusting thing....LOL. One more thing you know, if you know me well...I have a sense of humor and this toenail necklace is RIGHT UP MY ALLEY! Funny thing is, is the big toe on my right foot is hurting and the base is a little discolored. Yeah, I'm worried now.....but the necklace maker takes donations. I wonder if he'd like my pretty little pink tonail????????
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Sarasota Florida Grouper Run
Hello!
I'm Kim. This is my very first blog, so bear with me while I find my way!
I signed up at my neighborhood YMCA last October, thinking I'd like to get toned up...maybe even start eating right (ha). I met the wellness coach, Jim, who took me around to check out the machines etc. Then he asked me a magical question....
JIM: Do you have any goals?
KIM: Wellllllllll......
JIM: What brought you to the gym?
KIM: Ummmmmm.......
JIM: Would you like more energy?
KIM: Ok!!
JIM: What type of exercise do you usually do?
KIM: Well, I walk to the mailbox.....
At this point, I decided to be honest with Jim. So I told him I never, ever exercise, I eat whatever I want, I love beer and I put butter (lots) on almost everything I eat. And I'd LOVE to run a marathon some day. This got his attention. I didn't know it, but Jim and his wife are avid runners. They've both run many marathons and even won some! I hit the jackpot and my trek to the Sarasota Grouper Run had begun.........
More to come.....
I'm Kim. This is my very first blog, so bear with me while I find my way!
I signed up at my neighborhood YMCA last October, thinking I'd like to get toned up...maybe even start eating right (ha). I met the wellness coach, Jim, who took me around to check out the machines etc. Then he asked me a magical question....
JIM: Do you have any goals?
KIM: Wellllllllll......
JIM: What brought you to the gym?
KIM: Ummmmmm.......
JIM: Would you like more energy?
KIM: Ok!!
JIM: What type of exercise do you usually do?
KIM: Well, I walk to the mailbox.....
At this point, I decided to be honest with Jim. So I told him I never, ever exercise, I eat whatever I want, I love beer and I put butter (lots) on almost everything I eat. And I'd LOVE to run a marathon some day. This got his attention. I didn't know it, but Jim and his wife are avid runners. They've both run many marathons and even won some! I hit the jackpot and my trek to the Sarasota Grouper Run had begun.........
More to come.....
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