Time For Crutches

I haven't posted in here for a few weeks because nothing has really changed. It has now been eight weeks since that horrible run that has had me limping around, whining and complaining to anyone who will listen. As I had said before my IT band healed up completely but my hip continues to be very painful and won't let me run at all. Up until today I have been going to the gym regularly. While there I lift weights at use the elliptical machine. I began thinking that since so much time had passed maybe it would be good for me to start trying to build muscle around the hip. Last Friday I tried this and I have been in much worse pain ever since. I am thinking that building muscle probably is not the answer. So...like anyone who has something wrong with them and access to google, I decided to try and figure out what is going on in my irritatingly painful hip injury. What I came across as a likely answer is a hip stress fracture. I am keeping this internet diagnoses loosely as what is possibly going on. I am aware that the internet is not the best doctor.

I came across a list of three symptoms that if a patient has them then it is pretty much for sure a stress fracture and I have two...maybe three. The one that surprised me the most was that I cannot lie on my back and lift my leg while it is straight. I had no idea that I couldn't do that until I tried yesterday. Ouch. So I have decided to stop using my hip as much as possible. I am going to walk around on crutches and not do anything that aggravates it. Hopefully this will help. It will heal...eventually.

I wanted to mention that Tish would have been 38 this Friday. I will be raising my glass to her memory and keeping her in my heart where she always is. 

Out For Now, Optimistic For Later

So here I am at five weeks of being unable to run. If I had broken a bone it would almost be healed by now! This healing process is taking forever! I have been sad, frustrated, disappointed, hopeful and optimistic through these weeks. I never would have thought that I would still be unable to run after all this time. Unfortunately that is the case. I am slowly getting better. My IT band is healed entirely which is nice but my hip...not so much. I have been able to get in some great (and some pretty long) cardio workouts on the elliptical and lately have added in walking fast uphill on the treadmill. I added this in with the hopes of building some muscle around my hip to aid in the healing process. I haven't decided if it is helping or not just yet. I still limp through the house every morning but the pain seems to be less and less. In the afternoons and evenings I can walk normal...almost. Running is still completely out of the question. The pain begins with the first step of any attempt to run that I have made. I just need to be patient and let my body have the time that it needs.

Because of my injury taking FOREVER to heal I had to let the Lake Padden Trail Half Marathon go. It is only 10 days away and I had to accept that this is not enough time to heal and train for a half marathon. It was very difficult to come to this decision. There was a piece of me that was holding on to the idea that maybe I could still do it. A voice in my head cheering me on telling me that maybe I could walk/run it. There are 4 hours to complete it, I could do that...I think. That voice in my head was so loud and persistent that I was starting to believe that I could complete the half marathon despite my injury simply because I really, really wanted to. Fortunately I have Travis to remind me to think reasonably and not risk injuring myself further. To remind me that I haven't run at all (not counting me limping through the 5k) in five weeks and that "people usually train for half marathons". I'm glad that he doesn't let me forget to take care of myself. I am lucky to have him in my corner telling me things that I don't want to hear just to keep me from hurting myself. So even though I feel a little bit like a kid who just found out that there will be no Christmas this year I am letting the race go. Fortunately the race director said that it would be fine to give my registration to another runner. This makes me feel a little better because someone else will be able to run in my place. Hopefully this will make another runner happy and maybe get me some good running karma! I could use it obviously!!

So with both of my half marathons cancelled I will be looking for new ones to sign up and train for. There are a couple that I have my eyes on including the Seattle Rock 'n Roll half in June and the Lake Samish Half Marathon in January. There are others that I am considering as well, it will really depend on when I heal and what races are possible for me! I will get back out there...eventually. For now I will take care of myself and be optimistic, enjoy the things that I am able to do and be excited about what life has in store for me. That is what Running For Tish is all about after all. She is so missed, always in our thoughts and carried with us in our hearts.

And just for fun...a cat video. Makes me laugh every time. Poor kitty. 

Bellingham Bay 5k

So as most of you know I did not get to participate in the Bellingham Bay Half Marathon as I had planned. Race day showed up and I was still limping and favoring my injured hip. I had pretty much decided to sit the race out but that wasn't sitting well with me as I really, really wanted to run. The day before the race I went to the race expo with Kristy and Jo to pick up our race shirts and numbers. It was an awesome expo! There were so many people there discussing the upcoming race, selling adorable running clothing and educating you on supplements and hydration aids. There was also an opportunity to enter to win entry into the Whistler Half Marathon in June. Of course now I am entered and have my fingers crossed! I was feeling very emotional at the expo because there were so many people that were excited for their race and I was just limping through the room trying not to think about not being able to run. One thing that I love about the running community is how positive and supportive they are. At the expo when people asked what race I was running and I had to respond that my injury had removed me from my race. These strangers all reminded me that it is part of being a runner and that it happens to all of us eventually. They made me realize that I am just doing what all runners eventually have to do. Rest and recover. It's not fun but I am not the first and won't be the last injured runner. On our way out of the expo I stopped at the Lake Padden Trail Half Marathon table. I talked with the person at the table (who turned out to be the helpful person who had answered my questions on the race facebook page a couple months ago!) and felt like crying when I informed him that I was signed up for his race but would probably not be able to run it. He was very supportive and optimistic. Maybe he's right and I will be able to run it...we'll see. Before leaving he had Maria Dalzot (a sponsored trail runner) autograph a hat for me. Everyone we came across at the expo were very friendly and helpful. 

The night before the race we celebrated Kristy's birthday and did our very best not to over eat or drink! Such great luck that we got to celebrate and run a race in the very same weekend! 

While I had said that I wouldn't be running I was still hopeful (as I have been every single day since getting injured) that I would wake up feeling good and ready to run. I tossed and turned all night. I dreamt of running, of the excitement of the race and woke up over and over feeling anxious and hopeful. Finally 6 a.m. showed up and Kristy's crazy scary alarm went off. Before getting up I was SO hopeful. After I got up I ignored the pain and tried my best to pretend it wasn't hurting at all. I put on my running clothes and hoped that no one was going to try and tell me that I couldn't or shouldn't do it. No one said anything about it and before we knew it the time had come to head out the door. Of course there was time for one quick photo.

We Run For Tish

When we got to the race we were about a half an hour early. It was chilly and windy but after the downpour we had experienced the day before we felt pretty good about our luck. We stood in the cold, with all of the other runners, and waited. I had decided that I was going to give it my best try. I was going to run until it hurt (too much) and then I was going to walk. I wanted to run with Kristy, Jo and Bryce so, so badly! As race time approached we began making our way to the starting line. Trav snapped a few photos of us. 

I'm Ready!

Starting line here we come! (Kristy is very happy about this!)

The race started moments later and we were off. It began with a few blocks of hills...This was not what Kristy had expected but she powered through them like a champ! Pretty much right away the rain started coming down. It was just in time for the race and continued through the WHOLE race! We were soaked!! Deep down I had thought that I would likely not be able to run more than a block. Right away I altered my run. Every time my right foot (the same side as my injured hip) hit the ground I landed only on my toe. This made for an interesting 3.1 miles but it worked. My hip was irritated but never too painful. The run was an out and back course that followed the road on the way out and a trail next to the road on the way back. This was really helpful for keeping the scenery interesting. Different is always better. Jo pulled ahead of us early in the race and kept a short distance in front of us throughout the run. Bryce, Kristy and I ran together until we were a couple blocks from the finish line. Bryce had asked early on in the race if he could sprint to the finish line when he saw it and I told him that he could. As soon as he saw it he was off!!

We watched as Jo approached the finish line and were so excited for her!

Not far behind her we quickly approached the finish line. The announcer told us to get our victory high fives.

 All the high fives!

We did it! All of Kristy and Jo's hard work and training had finally paid off! Bellingham Bay 5k...DONE! Kristy's accomplishment was extra special as it was her very first 5k! I am so glad that we were all able to do this race together!! 

Happy faces after the race (that's a pretzel sticking out of Bryce's mouth...he was enjoying the post-race food!)

So we did it. We finished the 5k and for the next 2 days I hobbled around on very, very sore calves and feet. Now as I start to feel recovered from 3.1 miles of bad running form I am hopeful that I will be able to run without a limp again soon. Today marks one month since I injured myself. It has been a long, emotional month. I am not used to having no choice but to not run. Not only that, but to not be able to get any cardio exercise for most of this month was really hard. I am not going to lie, there were many times when I felt like breaking down and crying and a few times that I did just that. As I heal (very, very slowly) I am able to use the elliptical machine at the gym. 

My plan is to use this often and for longer and longer periods of time. Hopefully by doing this when I am finally able to run again my legs and lungs will be ready to jump right back in and endure longer runs. We'll see. The Lake Padden Trail Half that I am signed up for is only 17 days away. I am hopeful that I will be able to run it but I also realize that this may not be possible. 17 days isn't very much time and only running 3.1 miles (with a limp) in the past 30 days, and not currently being able to run (without a limp) isn't promising training. Unfortunately for me races do not refund your money if you are injured. I am beginning to feel very foolish to have signed up for 2 half marathons so close together. This injury is becoming quite expensive!! I have been researching other possible half marathons to sign up for (after my injury is completely healed!). I will decide on which when I am able to run again. 

For now I am just proud to say that we finished a 5k together, for Tish.