Injury, depression and recovery! From March to now...

I had the best race of my life. I was in the fastest running shape I have ever been - and this is saying a lot for me because I am quite an average, middle of the pack, type of runner mom. But not on March 19. On March 19, I pr'd my half marathon by almost ten minutes! 2:07 or 2:08:28 as per the official race time but my watch said 2:07. It didn't matter.  Either way, it was close to a ten minute pr and it was the sub 2:10 half marathon I had been chasing for years since I started running. It was pure gold for me.

All was great. I kept up my training but then April rolled along and it brought a sharp pain with it on the front side of my right leg, beginning from the ankle stretching upward. Immediately I thought stress fracture. I have an incredibly demanding job as a PE coach covering 8-10 miles a day. I figured a minor stress fracture and a few weeks later I'd be up and running. Then there was the doctor. Three words - posterior tibial tendonitis. According to him, "it really never goes away and you don't quite heal from it. Orthotics help but might not and speedwork usually makes it hurt and oh yeah, if you run through the pain, it can lead to permanent damage and/or surgery..." SH*%!!!!

So, along came the boot for six weeks and it went with me to a trip we went on to North Carolina for the kid's spring break.....

Back home we went.  At the end of May, hubs and I went to participate in the Keys 100 relay race. I walked most of it and felt miserable. I should have been running my distances. I made the best of great company and a great team but deep down, I was bummed. I got back home depressed.

June came around and along with it came the end of school, the end of long days on my feet and I decided that I was a healthy Mommyathlon. I had an injury but it's still me and I never give up. So I continued to be incredibly safe and would spend my time on the spinner more than running. I have been an OTF addict for two years now and I would do the spinner one day then I started to incorporate the treadmill the next day. I started slow with minor inclines and I focused every second on forefoot striking. I was going to completely change the way I run. I had always been a mid foot/heel striker. Little by little, and very slowly, I have adjusted my running to forefoot striking. I haven't done incredibly long distances but I have done three miles and guess what? NO PAIN! 

I continue to play it safe and incorporate the spinner in between treadmill days but I am getting stronger and the injury I thought would take running from me is sitting quiet while I change my stride. What felt uncomfortable and awkward is starting to feel relatively normal. It's not familiar but it will be one day. I'm searching for my stride, albeit in a new way. I'll find it again one day. After all, I'm a mom. We don't give up and we never take the easy route. But we get it done and we always do our best.

Nathan Firecatcher Hydration Vest Review - Running Bliss!

Two moths ago, my husband gave me the Nathan Firecatcher hydration vest for Christmas. Being one of those women that hates carrying things on a run, I had not used it. I usually take a water bottle and my arm pocket and I'm good to go. I believed that I would hate every minute of wearing a heavy vest and that it would be incredibly uncomfortable.....  I WAS SOOOO WRONG!!!!!

A few weeks ago, my husband and I went out for a longish run together. I took my usual water bottle in hand and he took his vest. By the middle of the run, I had hot water and he had cold water. By three quarters of the run, I was looking for a water fountain to refill my bottle and he still had cold water. And by the end of the run, I was drinking from his vest and he still had cold water! Fast forward to this past Monday.

I'm currently registered for the Sarasota half marathon and doing my long runs as part of my usual training. I had been in Orlando with my children and decided to do my long run on Monday as I returned late Sunday night. I was going for 10 miles. That's not a very long run but long enough in Florida with the hot weather that you want cold water. I decided to try the vest thinking I would hate it. I even put my arm pocket in the car and thought if I really couldn't stand it, one mile in, I would go back to my car, take it off and grab the arm pocket instead and a water bottle which I left in a cooler in my car. I woke up early Monday morning, grabbed my vest, filled the bladder with a ton of ice and a lot of water. It felt heavy I thought. Definitely heavy enough to be uncomfortable but I was willing to give it a try. I also put a mini speaker in one pocket and thought, wow, this is great, it fits!  I love to listen to music on my runs and my cell phone cover limits the sound plus the arm pocket holding the phone limits it as well. In my right pocket, I put my phone and pepper spray. In two additional side pockets, I put some toilet paper and Gu's. I was ready.

Small round speaker in my left pocket.

Cell phone and pepper spray in right pocket.

I got to my running destination and threw my license and keys in the back pocket of the vest and then adjusted all the straps for a snug fit. I started my run wondering how long I would be able to stand the vest and found myself gliding quite comfortably on my run. It didn't feel as heavy as I thought it would. The adjustable straps work great even while running to tighten the vest for a practically bounce free ride. I was so surprised. Around mile 2, I went to have water. It was so cold and refreshing! I was in heaven. I decided to then turn on my speaker and connect my phone which I was able to do so in seconds because I didn't have to unzip my arm pocket and fight to get the phone out and in back again. The vest pockets are so easily accessible. I was jamming to loud music and the miles began drifting away as I could drink cold water whenever I wanted to without taking off a cap. Just sip it anytime I wanted. Ah yes, before I forget, when you take the first sip after not having had water for a little while, the water in the tube becomes warm. My husband had warned me to spit out that first gulp. So I would just spit that one out before hitting the wonderful, really cold water!!! HEAVEN!  I thought, this is running heaven. Sounds dramatic doesn't it? But I seriously felt elated. I took a Gu at mile 5 without stopping b/c I just unzipped the side pocket, got it and continued on my run. I also hit the Key Biscayne bridge at this mile just as Journey came on singing "Don't Stop Believing". I had runners thank me for the great tune up the bridge. The speaker was loud and I could hear it clearly (as could other runners). I had turned into the great person sharing a jam or the annoying person with way too loud music on a run - you pick! I loved it. 

At about mile 8, I stopped for a bathroom break and of course, no toilet paper in the bathroom but hey, who cares?!?!?! I have some on me in my other side pocket!!! It was like running with a backpack full of things I like to have on my runs. And don't forget, COLD WATER!  In hot Florida, I had COLD WATER! AND LOUD MUSIC!!! I found myself thinking of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and how I could be her right now singing "A Whole New World" to my Nathan vest. Yes, that's how happy I was! At about mile 9, I cranked things up and did negative splits on my last two miles and even added an extra mile because I was feeling so darn happy.

So my final words on getting a hydration pack...

"A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you (my wonderful vest)"

Has it really been almost a year?

I just went online and realized it has been almost a year since my last post...  Let'see, in a nutshell...

1.  We went to Atlanta and did Ragnar for a second time and had a blast.  We had cold weather and enjoyed every minute compared to last year's monsoon! 

2.  I completed two half marathons - Miami Beach Halloween Half - I GOT A NEW PR and then the hubs and I were off to Las Vegas for the Rock n Roll Las Vegas half marathon - OH MY GOSH, HOW FUN!!!!!

3.  I ran a 5K and got a PR of 27 minutes - never thought I could do that!

And here we are.  There's been a lot of mommy moments, good and bad, and life in general, good and bad.  It's baffling how fast a year goes by when you are working full time and trying to do the best you can in many areas.

We all wear so many hats - so here's to all the mommies making the best of every day!  I will try to post more for this year!  :-)