Pink Haired Runner: 2017

After the half marathon I was sorta addicted to running! I decided to sign up for a local fundraiser 5K even though my shins had been bothering me. Worse decision ever! Took 1000mg of Motrin the morning of the race and went for it. 3.1 miles of hell! I ran the first mile pretty fast then limped for the last 2.1. I got to the finish line and sat down and then couldn't get back up. I had to have someone bring me ice to stuff in my compression socks and then Melanie had to drive the van up to where I was sitting so someone could carry me to it. Went to the ER, turned out I had a 4 inch diagonal stress fracture to my right tibia, right under the knee. I was sentenced to 12 weeks of no impact and spent the first few weeks on crutches. This came at a really bad time as we were getting ready to PCS from Kansas to Maryland and I had to get the house ready for the packers to come. It was difficult to do anything with crutches so I took to rolling around in an office chair to get things done. Never did master the stairs with the crutches though, had to crawl up and hop on one foot down. At this point I was still trying to lose weight and not being able to run wasn't going to help so I set out to find other means of exercise. I started doing some hard core spin classes and weight training and carried on! I spent the entire summer doing no impact activities but longed to run. I had no idea what would happen at the end of my recovery period. I did my physical therapy and continued my no impact workouts for the entire summer.

Melanie and I

Still happy before the race!

Ice packed shin

Literally limping across the finish line

Final results

First mile was my fastest ever, then I broke my shin!

This picture is of me when I realized I had a stress fracture. My friends told me to delete it, it was pathetic. I didn't delete it for one reason, it is a constant reminder of a bad decision I made. Whenever I push myself too far I look at this and decide to listen to my body!

As 2016 comes to a close I can't help but reflect on my achievements over the year. Last year in August I tried doing the Couch to 5K app and completed it but never really made it to the 5K distance nor did I run very much more than once a week. I got lazy, I got up to 198lbs and hated myself. Depression hit and I spent the afternoons napping on the couch and getting nothing done. In February my friends signed up for the Bill Snyder Half Marathon in Manhattan, KS which was scheduled for May 21st. I thought, what the hell, I never dreamed of running that distance but training with my friends would be fun and a team effort. We could support each other and cheer each other on. So I made up my mind and committed.
I never realized the journey that would ensue after that decision was made. I started a training program as well as going to the gym a few times a week. I ran slow and it was hard to carry my weight. I remember dragging my feet and almost shuffling and it took me forever to run a mile. Hurdles popped up all over the place, I seemed to have an injury every other day. My IT Band gave me trouble and if I ran one day then I had to wait the rest of the week to be able to run again. I would see my friends out doing runs and succeeding and I beat myself up about my inability to keep up. I did as many training runs as my body would allow and started seeing a chiropractor to help with my injury. It was determined that my hips were misaligned and the strength in the left leg was way less than that of the right. After many adjustments the strength evened out. After overcoming that injury the next one set it, shin splints. The furthest I got in my training before shin splints took me out was 8 miles. I remember thinking after that run that I never want to run again! I think I did a 12 minute mile that day. Once my shins started hurting I stopped running for the last 4 or 5 weeks of training and focused on spin class to keep up my endurance. The weight was slowly starting to come off and I needed to go down a size in my workout clothes. Before the half marathon I did a 10K race at Kstate and was very proud of my time considering the very hilly course!

Race day came and I feared what would happen after I hit mile 8 since I never trained past that distance. I joined a pace group and was motivated by them for the first 8 or 9 miles of the race....then I hit my wall. I started getting slower and slower, my knee swelled and hurt and I was running out of gas. Finally I saw my pacers round the corner and keep on going....I was now on my own! Those last 4 miles were nothing but mental torture. I ran, I walked, I encouraged others who were struggling and I ran some more. The end was in site. I came through that finish line hunched over like I was going to fall on my face. I had no more steam in me and nothing more to give but I DID IT! Not only had I done it but I finished faster than my goal time of 2:40.

Mile 3 and I was still happy!