Good morning! It was a fun, busy, and chilly weekend down south. If you are catching up on posts, check out the latest on RWS:
Get Healthy Starting NOW! As a FitFluential ambassador, we were asked to give 7 things you can do to get healthy starting now!
Childhood Obesity Vlog: Video of me chatting about childhood obesity. Yes, my dog DID try to take center stage, but I prevailed.
Sunday Randoms: Random pictures and thoughts from this past week.
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Since I told you I would, I wanted to share a little bit about what it has been like physically and emotionally to be in the boot so far. After today I will have been in the boot for two solid weeks. Have I gained weight? Yes, but not much. I am hoping it won’t take long to get back to how I was before. More than anything I just feel a bit more …..squishy than I did then I was running and lifting weights. Now that the YMCA is open I hope that changes.
More than anything this has been a mental struggle for several reasons. First of all, as Reese Witherspoon would say, “exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy!” This is so true. I will admit I have been quite grumpy the past couple weeks. When I finally got the chance to workout Friday morning, I felt SO MUCH BETTER afterwards, I had more energy and felt better than I had in weeks. Sometimes you just need a good sweat session.
With that being said, I have had my fair share of hard days. Not going to lie, it has been really, REALLY difficult to see everyone’s Twitter feeds full of race recaps, long runs, and PR’s. This is my third injury, all three of which occurred right as I was passing that threshold of being faster than I have ever been before, and then I get hurt and don’t get back to where I was. It is really discouraging and I have done my fair share of moping.
I can’t help but think by the time I can start really running again and getting back into form, half marathon season will be over. (It ends down here after March for the most part!) and then we get to the hot months and I won’t get another chance until next fall. I REALLY am scared I am going to start running and my foot pain is going to come back…or my knee pain, or my hip pain. I know you are supposed to run for fun and I DO have fun, but PART of the fun to me is getting better than you were at the last race. It has been a hard pill for me to swallow that my goals for this spring may not be reached. I’m not saying it’s not possible, but sitting here with this thing on my foot, some days I find it hard to be hopeful.
Not trying to be a downer guys, but just wanted to express how I have been feeling. Christmas is my favorite time of year and I have been a bit more blue that usual, for a couple of reasons. One I hope to be able to explain at a later date, and then of course, the boot.
Wow I didn’t mean to get this wordy, just wanted to give an update! Physically my foot feels fine, but that’s how it felt before I ran the Turkey Trot of pain as well. Fine. I am so scared of my first run out of the boot, I’m not sure how I will tackle that yet! Fingers crossed that I will only have one week to go.
*In other news if you are a blogger attending the Princess half marathon and want to be involved in a meet up, vote on the poll one the right sidebar of the blog For a day and time.
*Send me a picture of your Christmas Tree or outdoor lights and your blog link. I will be posting them this coming weekend as a virtual Christmas lights tour, and fun way to get new readers!
QOTD: Have you ever had a fitness related setback? How did you handle it and were you able to be better than you were before?
Really sorry about your boot and how things are going :(. I do see your YMCA workouts on daily mile so it’s good you’re doing that at least. Strength workouts and abs and stuff really are no joke and sometimes that can be even harder than running!
I had severe anemia last May and had to take 5 weeks off completely. When I was able to run again, even a mile and a half was super difficult… but I bounced back quickly. Part of me thinks my body just needed the rest and cross training… it was super hard though, the worst thing about being injured is just that it makes you feel lazy and you miss the happy feelings- and those who you live with have to deal with it! I think that’s worse than the amount of fitness you lose (which for me came back fairly quickly after those first few hard runs back).
oh wow that stinks. But yes sometimes rest is good!
I’m kind of a stubborn butthead, and when I first started out using my Vibram 5-fingers, I did too much too soon, not heeding the warning of um, everyone who has used the things… and I ended up with some serious “top of foot pain” that translated into a month of not being able to run. Doc said it was a stress fracture… no fun! Hang in there, you’re over halfway there!
yikes! that stinks! were you ok after that? I am so scared of that first run!
Yeah, I was okay after that, but staying off the foot was a nightmare (because I’m a stubborn butthead). Paced myself coming back, doing only a little bit here and there in the Vibrams and wearing my regular shoes (NB Minimus) for most of my runs… you know, what the guy at the store told me to do in the first place, haha.
Injuries really suck =( I got a pretty terrible knee injury during college that basically had me stop running for YEARS. Of course I was also stupid and didnt get it taken care of like I should have (lack of insurance at the time…) and I often wonder what my running life would have been like if that didnt sideline me for so long! I dont even know what I would do with myself if I couldnt run or even work out at all!!!
Love the virtual christmas tree/decoration idea! so cute!!! Should we send to your email?
~Jenn
yes! runningwithsass@gmail.com
that sucks about your knee!
I know how difficult injuries are – and I think you’re doing great! (I know it seems so much worse…) You’ll bounce back faster than you think – and that strength training should help maintain that speed you gained! Keep your head up – I’m praying for you!
Love the Legally Blonde quote! Yay for being on the downward slide of being in the boot. And for the YMCA being open. My fingers are crossed you are almost done!
I just started running again after a year off (due to a knee injury) and I am taking it slow for now and really trying to listen to my body and not push it too hard. It is difficult realizing I had been so close to a breakthrough before on my running and now I’m basically starting over. But on the other hand, I am trying to be happy I am able to go and run now and that my knee is basically healed!