"The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray" could not be closer to the truth. Everyone who hasn't been under a rock knows I've been on a health kick for close to two years now. I eat relatively healthy, I work out about 6 days a week including both cross training and running, I plan to run 15 races in 2015 (and I'll try to PR every race time I had last year), plus complete my share of the 2,015 mi in 2015 Challenge - 672 miles.
So it should come as no shock when I had three races planned for March; a 10k, a 15k and a half marathon. I trained strong going into March, I was crushing my average mile time, heck my last 12k race was an average pace of 8:35/mi. I was doing well. But as it so happens, I planned and God laughed.
The week between committee weeks ending and session beginning I went into the hospital for a test and a procedure that should have put me in recovery for 4 days. When I woke up from the procedure I was informed by my Dr. I had a large tumor and part of my insides removed that would put me in recovery for 4 weeks instead of 4 days. I was crushed. Here I was doing everything right, getting healthy and working hard to meet my goals and in one afternoon I was put in the hospital overnight and on a long, slow recovery back to physical strength.
That afternoon as I laid in my hospital bed in the worst pain, and all into the next day, I focused on the stupid part instead of the bigger picture. I began to feel sorry for myself that I wouldn't be able to run some races I paid for and worried I'd lose most of the physical gains I made, rather than what my Dr. told me - had they not caught it in time, it could have been life threatening.
I don't share this because I want you to feel sorry for me. Rather, I share this because this a blog about my journey to get healthy and fit and sometimes we get some bumps in the road that we don't plan for. Whether it be injury, illness, busy lives, or whatever the case might be, what's important is to face the facts, realize we are human and that the best laid plans can quickly be erased.
I'm a little over two weeks post surgery, with a little less than 2 weeks until I hopefully (praying, fingers and toes crossed, for the love of my sanity) get my all clear from the doctor to return to exercise and running again. And it probably also doesn't shock you that I'm bound and determined to make up for lost time by running Springtime Tallahassee 10k on Saturday when I get my all clear and looking at fun races to run this summer/fall to make up for the three I missed this month. You know, in the event God doesn't laugh at me again.
This whole experience has taught me to be thankful (not going to lie, watching everyone post their Gate River Run photos yesterday put me in the WORST mood, but nothing a little... or a LOT... of retail therapy couldn't cure). And I am especially thankful that I was extremely healthy before the surgery so recovery hasn't been that hard on me outside of the first few really awful days.
But most importantly, I'm so incredibly thankful for the amazing support network I have of family and friends. You can tell the true friends by the ones who will sneak you in Starbucks and visit you in the hospital, who will bring you by food or more Starbucks when you can't drive and are hopped up on pain meds. I'm thankful for friends who will take you to Target to buy all the embarrassing things the nurse should have told you to buy while you had family in town, who visit you and who make you laugh even though your stomach is stitched up, and who text you from near and afar to say they love you and to check in on you throughout your recovery. And I'm especially thankful to my grandparents who drove up to take care of me, and my family in South Florida who expertly and lovingly care for my puppy while I'm recovering and working long hours in the capitol.
This morning Melissa and I got together to walk a few miles around Cascades Park as the sun was rising and then spent the morning church hopping to do bible study with Allison, and to worship at Calvary Church. This morning I thanked Him most of all that this was caught in time, that it wasn't life threatening and that, with His blessing, I will run again soon.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Friday, March 13, 2015
(A little late but) Recapping the Donna Marathon Weekend
Last year the 26.2 with Donna was my very first half marathon. I completed it in 2:38 and change. I was proud to finish but I was hurting all the way from the on-ramp to the finish line. What a difference a year makes.
Last year the Badass Babes were a small but mighty group: the trio who ran the half - myself, Crystal and Mitzi, and the cheer support of Shannon and Allison. This year we were joined by a whole host of new runners! Instead of repeating the half marathon we decided to double the race bling by running the 5k on Saturday and the Marathon relay on Sunday.
On Friday Mel, Becky, Kaitlin and I headed to Jax for the start of a great weekend, with a few important stops along the way. Starbucks for the traditional Badass Babes selfie (duh) then to the Busy Bee for Mel and Becky's first official visit!
We expo'd, picked up our race packets and headed out to grab a bite to eat before getting settled into the hotel.
Saturday's race start was cold! We bundled up and got busy thinking we could smoke the course. Shannon, Mitzi, Erin and I lined up at the front of the race and took off, (speedy Shannon faster than the rest of us). We were determined to try to PR this course to honor those who couldn't race due to cancer, but as we turned the corner and saw the looming freeway entrance, Mitzi and I looked at each other, laughed and said oh well, lets just kill it instead! So we did. Over the freeway hill, around the streets of downtown Jax, over to the landing, up another hill to a bridge and round and round some silly downturns of a parking garage to the finish. We didn't PR but we sure gave it our all - Mitzi finished a hot second before I did to take 9th place and myself 10th place in our age division and completing just shy of 26:50. And Shannon placed 3rd in her age group.
Post race our massive group split up to take part in fun events for the rest of the day. Melissa, Becky, her daughter Kaitlin and I headed to the Jax Zoo to celebrate Kaitlin's birthday. Crystal's crew also headed to the zoo while the rest of the ladies got in some retail therapy. Our day ended with a massive valentine's day dinner and birthday celebration at Latitude 360 - a massive restaurant and arcade/bowling alley/night club/sports bar in Jax. And one of the few restaurants that could hold our crew of about 35 people. After a fun evening we headed back to the hotel to rest up ahead of a long day of racing. But not before we had a little fun with selfies!
Sunday morning we woke up and got ready for the big race! In total we had 4 race teams of 5 runners who completed 26.2 total miles in various lengths. On my team was cheer captain Ashely, Shannon who ran legs 1 and 2, Allison who ran leg 3, Erin who ran leg 4 and determined to finish strong this year, I finished the race in leg 5. Our team smoked the race, completing the course in 3:39:27 and 6th place overall - an average pace of 8:23/mi.
Waiting for your leg to start was probably the hardest part of this race. But at least I was able to spend the time with friends Tonya (Bret Michaels), Crystal and Robin who were also completing leg 5 for their teams. And no better place to hang out and wait for your race to start than McDonald's right? (Oh who are we kidding, leg 3 had the better wait start: Starbucks!) But we had fun and as I got word that Allison had completed her leg and Erin was off, I got prepared to meet Erin and get handed the baton to take off to the finish.
This year the final 6 plus miles were a breeze, as I pushed myself harder and faster than I have in a long while. I thought of each of my teammates and friends who had completed or were completing their legs, and of the many women in my life who battled breast cancer. I was thankful to be able to run and to run pain free this year and even stopped to take a picture of the bridge that nearly killed my knee last year. I encouraged the marathon runners and half marathon runners who were running along beside me, and was so excited to see my teammates at the end of the course as I completed the race.
This weekend was again another epic race-cation of the Badass Babes. And if I had known what was coming for me two weeks later I would have enjoyed it even more!
Last year the Badass Babes were a small but mighty group: the trio who ran the half - myself, Crystal and Mitzi, and the cheer support of Shannon and Allison. This year we were joined by a whole host of new runners! Instead of repeating the half marathon we decided to double the race bling by running the 5k on Saturday and the Marathon relay on Sunday.
On Friday Mel, Becky, Kaitlin and I headed to Jax for the start of a great weekend, with a few important stops along the way. Starbucks for the traditional Badass Babes selfie (duh) then to the Busy Bee for Mel and Becky's first official visit!
We expo'd, picked up our race packets and headed out to grab a bite to eat before getting settled into the hotel.
Saturday's race start was cold! We bundled up and got busy thinking we could smoke the course. Shannon, Mitzi, Erin and I lined up at the front of the race and took off, (speedy Shannon faster than the rest of us). We were determined to try to PR this course to honor those who couldn't race due to cancer, but as we turned the corner and saw the looming freeway entrance, Mitzi and I looked at each other, laughed and said oh well, lets just kill it instead! So we did. Over the freeway hill, around the streets of downtown Jax, over to the landing, up another hill to a bridge and round and round some silly downturns of a parking garage to the finish. We didn't PR but we sure gave it our all - Mitzi finished a hot second before I did to take 9th place and myself 10th place in our age division and completing just shy of 26:50. And Shannon placed 3rd in her age group.
Post race our massive group split up to take part in fun events for the rest of the day. Melissa, Becky, her daughter Kaitlin and I headed to the Jax Zoo to celebrate Kaitlin's birthday. Crystal's crew also headed to the zoo while the rest of the ladies got in some retail therapy. Our day ended with a massive valentine's day dinner and birthday celebration at Latitude 360 - a massive restaurant and arcade/bowling alley/night club/sports bar in Jax. And one of the few restaurants that could hold our crew of about 35 people. After a fun evening we headed back to the hotel to rest up ahead of a long day of racing. But not before we had a little fun with selfies!
Sunday morning we woke up and got ready for the big race! In total we had 4 race teams of 5 runners who completed 26.2 total miles in various lengths. On my team was cheer captain Ashely, Shannon who ran legs 1 and 2, Allison who ran leg 3, Erin who ran leg 4 and determined to finish strong this year, I finished the race in leg 5. Our team smoked the race, completing the course in 3:39:27 and 6th place overall - an average pace of 8:23/mi.
Waiting for your leg to start was probably the hardest part of this race. But at least I was able to spend the time with friends Tonya (Bret Michaels), Crystal and Robin who were also completing leg 5 for their teams. And no better place to hang out and wait for your race to start than McDonald's right? (Oh who are we kidding, leg 3 had the better wait start: Starbucks!) But we had fun and as I got word that Allison had completed her leg and Erin was off, I got prepared to meet Erin and get handed the baton to take off to the finish.
This year the final 6 plus miles were a breeze, as I pushed myself harder and faster than I have in a long while. I thought of each of my teammates and friends who had completed or were completing their legs, and of the many women in my life who battled breast cancer. I was thankful to be able to run and to run pain free this year and even stopped to take a picture of the bridge that nearly killed my knee last year. I encouraged the marathon runners and half marathon runners who were running along beside me, and was so excited to see my teammates at the end of the course as I completed the race.
This weekend was again another epic race-cation of the Badass Babes. And if I had known what was coming for me two weeks later I would have enjoyed it even more!
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