Couch to ATHLETE!

Let me start by saying I hope my return to running is 'like riding a bike'!!! I was finally able to ride my bike this week and it felt great! I was pain free for a couple of days so I headed straight for the bike! I feel a little silly about my two little bike rides and my over excitement for these rides but as one of my friends pointed out, I should never discount an accomplishment. I was talking to a friend of mine, who became injured the same weekend I became injured and I was equating my 'measly' half marathon to her big swim! I was also putting a price tag on everything. She scoffed and told me I should NEVER call a half marathon a measly half marathon. I agree! I was trying to rationalize my disappointment over not being able to run the half marathon by putting it into the grand scheme of things, thus the term measly. The reality is, I'm only losing seventy five dollars from that race (the race staff STILL haven't replied to any emails I have sent to ...

Because I am unable to participate in my 'first' sport, running, I had to find something else to get my heart rate up and keep some semblance of an endurance base. I can't ride a bike until I'm pain free for a couple of days; still waiting. I can swim as much as I want though. As of today, I have had two weeks run free. At minimum two more weeks to go, maybe four. On the bright side? In the last two weeks I have logged 16,000 meters in the pool and have made six pie varieties (and will make a couple more before the weekend is over). It has been some time since I have spent a lot of time in the pool. When I lived out in Colorado I loved swimming! I was part of a masters swim team with my sister and brother-in-law. We had the coolest coach and some of the most colorful swimming companions. I remember one woman had this long salt and pepper hair that was often the topic of conversation; I remember telling her, way back then, that salt and pepper hair was sexy. Uh, yea...

This is a 'total' bonus post for the week. I highly recommend reading my previous post, to better understand where I am coming from. You can check it out here .  I am not going to go into details but my name and grandma have been used in a sentence TWICE the past two days. Seriously? Do I look or act that old??? I must... Perhaps it is all the pie making! I am a woman of my word (for the most part, we all falter from time to time) and I mentioned in my last post that there was a chance I was jumping the gun with my dramatic flare related to being sidelined! Well, sidelined I am, but maybe for less time than I initially anticipated. The doctor will tell me my plan in three weeks. The overarching goal? The Chicago Marathon!  While running the Columbus Marathon, last year, I was blessed with amazing spectators and also running companions during the race. One of my companions was my sister. Somewhere near mile 25 she took a picture of me STILL smiling. It isn...

My blog needed a picture of me smiling! If you haven't figured it out I am a philosophical runner. Well, actually, I am always philosophical. Or at least I over-think everything. You decide! I haven't received a final diagnosis for my leg, but I do know that, at least, until Monday I am sidelined from any activity other than swimming. I'm thankful I can swim, but am bummed that I can't run. This post may be jumping the gun a little bit (perhaps a little over dramatic, too) but I want to get it out of my system for now! Two things to think about as you read this post: 1) The quote: 'Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all'?  2) Someone once told me that if you break up with someone, the chances that your relationship will work if you get back together are fairly slim; not impossible but also not favorable. I like to relate running to life and in other cases life to running. Because I am currently sidelined from running, a...

We all heard the warnings, and we have ignored them... Yesterday all my training plans fell apart. I was abandoned by my plan!!! I know it is only a momentary set back but only the doctor will tell me how momentary. Judging by my continued need for the crutches and the squeaky feeling in my leg when I flex my foot I'm thinking it might be a few days or so before I can resume regular activity; maybe longer... Yesterday, while I was running my last couple of miles with my running group I felt a pop in my leg and jumped off the trail so as not to impede the progress of my group. I stood there a few minutes in pain, held on to the fence, flexed my foot a few times and said 'Ouch'. Well maybe I didn't say ouch but I'm sure the words that came out of my mouth in the moment were somewhat X rated and should probably not be shared right now. I started making slow walking progress back toward the high school and my leg HURT. I have noticed that on occassion running fee...

Many of my blogger friends post about their weekly training accomplishments. Because my other blog topic fell a little flat (I still need to work on it a bit, but it is about 'faking it') and I committed myself to a post every Sunday, here I am trying to figure out what to post about instead. I simply don't have the energy to be 'creative'. I figure, there is no better time to provide a progress report on my life journey than now. We are exactly one quarter into the year, so perhaps I will make this a 'thing' and post about my speed bumps and accomplishments on a quarterly basis? We will see what happens as the year progresses, no promises though. SO, here we are, April 1, 2012, and what a year it has been. I have been living this life as it is meant to be lived, without abandon! I've enjoyed the new friendships I have made and, in true Girl Scout fashion, have kept the old. No friendship is better than the other, just different. With that being sai...