Green Light!

Got the green light GO at my final ortho appt today =) Resume normal activity! YAY! I was planning to have a rest day today because I did double workouts on Monday, then strength on Tuesday....but I couldn't rest on graduation day! 2 miles on the track tonight - almost zero pain. Thanks Dr. P for fixing my knee!

Race Time?

Yeah ok, I know. Not even 6 weeks out from knee surgery....I'm obsessing about my summer/fall race plans today! After Saturday's first run, I ran again on Monday - just 2 miles - but it felt pretty darn good. So where does my mind go? Of course it went straight to when should I race?!?!

I've been talking with friends who wonder why race? Why pay the registration fee - Why not just go out and run 13.1 miles if you want to run that distance? Hmmm....I don't really have an answer. I'm a total basketcase the night before a race, I swear to my hubs that I will never run another one.....then as soon as I'm done, I'm looking for the next race fix! Maybe it's the finsher metal! Love those.

There are a few local short races this summer that I'll do for sure - 10Ks and a 13K (don't really like 5Ks). The real question is which big race in the fall?? There is a 1/2 marathon in my hometown - which would be kinda cool - except it will be super small I'm sure. Hey, maybe I could age place if there's only like 3 in my age group. LOL

I considered Tulsa, or I kinda want to return to the city of my first 1/2 marathon last year - Des Moines - but I remember that awful 6 hour drive home afterward......um no, nevermind.

So a little closer to home it will be. Wichita, Kansas City or do I head to the big town of Council Grove?! Decisions, decisions. I just know my OCD needs a goal, a training plan and some boxes to check off when I've completed the suggested mileage! =)

Oh p.s. I bought my first running skirt yesterday. AWESOME! SO CUTE!!

Testing....testing....

Well. Today was the day. The big test to see if I could run a few steps. The Dr. told me 6 weeks - This weekend marks week 5 since surgery. Close enough. =) Put on my cute toe socks and off I went.
I love my Injinjis
I was super nervous. I mean really. About to cry walking to the track. Went way slow, lap one wasn't too bad, but hurt some. Lap two hurt worse. Stopped at 1/2 mile and walked some - pretty sure that was as far as I could go. About to cry - not because it hurt so bad, but because it hurt. :( Did I expect to jump right back into it, run 10 miles today pain free? Um, yeah, kinda.

Suck it up and try again....lap 3 was a little easier, lap 4 hardly hurt at all. 1 mile down! Felt so good to be running again (even if it was slow), I went ahead and kept going. Yeah, almost cried again when I finished 2 miles.

What a crybaby I am! I just can't explain how emotional this has all been for me. Thank goodness my surgery wasn't major and I had to rehab for weeks or *gasp* even months. I'd go completely nutty. Knee felt a little sore after - and even more later in the day - but it's nothing major. I think I'm coming back!

So there you go, big news Saturday!

Still Recovering....

Well, I don't have a ton of anything to update here - only that I'm still recovering from surgery and starting to get pretty impatient! I started back to the gym a few weeks ago with strength training & light cardio. Then last week I thought I'd go ahead and try spinning class......which you guessed it, set me back and made me rest for 2 days after. Guess I wasn't *quite* ready for a 45 min spinning class.

Will take it easy today and try to start back up next week. Just not 3 days in a row =) I think I'm realizing that pushing it is only going to take it longer to get totally better.....but I also am getting really tired of sitting around.....and feeling chubby!

UGH. I'm *almost* there.....just not quite!

Spinning Saturday!

Got a spinning bike for my basement today! =) Awesome!

Back to the Gym

This week I've gotten to go back to the gym. whoop whoop!

I got back into strength training classes this week, taking it super easy and only being able to do some of the exercises.....but just being there makes me feel a little back to normal.

6am *yawn* was pretty hard since I've been totally out of that habit for 3 weeks now, but today was the 4th day in a row....so maybe I'm getting back into it. Although....pretty tired today!

I've worked up to 30 min on the bike (no resistance and at a snail's pace) but I did actually sweat some today!

Each day is getting a little better! Maybe will feel normal next week?!

A look at my first year of running

May 1 marked a day for me to look back at my past year. My first running anniversary is upon me. May 1 last year I decided that was IT. No more size 16. WoW. Did I just type that? Yep, size 16 - that's what I was a year ago. I was so frustrated with my weight. I could walk 5 miles a day and it wasn't budging. So....hey, let's try running. Really?! Well, let me say that I had never run a step before I decided to take this big one. I was scared to even try because I feared failing miserably! I had no idea it would turn out to be about so much more than losing some weight.

It truly has been a journey of self discovery, frustration, exhaustion, joy, fun, with maybe some pride mixed in.....here is a look back at my first year as a runner.

I've dropped 30 pounds first of all - saying goodbye hopefully forever to my size 16s, size 14s and size 12s.....still working on getting rid of those 10s! Oh and had knee surgery already too!

I have ran these races:
Run Your Buns Off 5K
Chapman 10K
WinterRunderland 10K
St. Pats Day 10K
Des Moines 1/2 Marathon
Gobbler Grind 1/2 Marathon

It's been quite a year. I hope to be hitting the road again soon - just a few more weeks of waiting for my knee to heal from surgery. I can't wait to put those pretty pink shoes on knowing I can get back to it =)