October 29, 2011 Run Away Pumpkin 1/2 Marathon

    October 29th, 2011 Run Away Pumpkin 1/2 Marathon in Lebanon Oregon

I often wonder who makes the rules when it comes to running.  I decided myself early in my running career (like 3 months ago) that I would do what my body felt was right not just what someone else feels is right.  Now this does not mean that I don't read and pay attention to what other great runners have to say because I have read so many running books in the last 6 months and I have used so many of their words of wisdom.  But in the end I feel that every body is different and needs to find their own path.  So when someone said it was wise to take a break after running a marathon I thought really why?  I feel great, my body feels great, my feet feel great....so off I went and this was my best run to date! 

This was my first run where I passed more people then people passed me.  I was no where near the back of the pack and I had a personal best time of 3 hours and 2 minutes.  And yes I looked like a punk-kin!

Three Generations Running

 Forest Grove Lions Club 5K Run for Sight. A cold rainy day with my Mom and Granddaughter Dakota who is 8.

                         Opa, Dakota & Oma after the Run for Sight

Run to Remember 9/11

                                       September 11, 2011 Run to Remember in Salem Oregon

  Jan rode his bike around while I ran.  It was a very solemn affairs.  They had asked for a silent run through the flags.  I ran behind a group of Army National Guard Soldiers.  Very emotional day.  Each flag had the times of everyone who lost their lives on 9/11

My first Marathon Long Beach California Oct 9th, 2011

At the Long Beach Marathon Expo the day before the run. I have written my theme on the big sheet of paper...Because I can! 

Race day! I had to be there by 6:30 am and my corral started at 7:30.  Here I am sporting my Oregon Road Runner Club hat! 

I did it!  5 hours and 56 minutes after starting I crossed the finish lines having truly accomplished something very few will ever even try.  I ran 26.2 miles and YES I ran every step. 

The course was amazing!  It actually had no hills nope not even one! A great beginners choice. Myself and 24,000 ran from the aquarium on the Long Beach Harbor around the island where I had just departed on my girls cruise a month before, along the Long Beach Board Walk and through a college campus. 

I will forever be grateful to my friend and elite runner Billy Strick because he gave me some great advice before I left for this run. 
         1. Fuel before you feel like you need to.
         2. Take a mineral supplement  so you don't get dehydrated along with your water.
         3.  Run the race at your pace.
He also told me if you feel that you are in trouble before mile 13 you are in trouble if you feel it around mile 18-20 you are normal and if you feel it after mile 20 you are blessed. 

I am grateful to say that I was blessed!  At mile 13 I felt great, right on pace I was averaging 14 minute miles and still feeling strong.  I had been fueling every hour along with stopping at every bathroom along the course since I was being so good to drink water every few minutes.  At mile 18 I still was feeling great and trying to decide what "hitting the wall" felt like, then I figured if I had to wonder if I was hitting the wall I was probably not hitting it.  By mile 20 my only complaint was that I was chaffing under my arms and could not wait to see the next first aid station for some Vaseline to put under my arms.  Once I checked that off my complaint list I really was feeling good.  I could feel a few hot spots on my feet and knew that I was going to have a few blisters but they were okay for today. 

Mile 25 was where I had my only real challenge and that was my left leg (the kinda numb one) decided to give out for just a few steps.  Even this was not too bad just caused me to slow way down....yes it is true the almost slowest person in the race can go even slower if it means finishing. Funny at this exact moment where my leg gave out I was following a person with a t-shirt that said "Run Walk or Crawl Just Finish"  I finished the race with an 18 minute mile in the last mile but I did not care I was just so happy to be finished.  As for that wall I never did hit it. 

I will forever be thankful to my amazing husband who was standing on the wall a the finish line screaming for all he was worth.  Seeing the tears on his face as he hugged me Priceless!  The question would I do it again my answer YES a thousand time over.  I love to run and will do so until I can not longer put one foot in front of the other and then who knows maybe I will have to crawl.

It All Began With An Accident.....

Two years ago today my life was forever changed and yes it all began with an accident.  I was minding my own business driving down highway 99 exactly 2 years ago this very minute when I was hit from behind by a young women not paying enough attention to where she was going.  My little 1999 VW Beetle did not stand a chance against her Subaru Outback and my own back did not stand a chance against the massage table that was in the backseat not strapped down.  So as you can guess my car and my back were totaled.  Fast forward 4 months, lots of Chiropractor, Naturopathic and Doctor visits, 2 MRI's and lots of other tests and the big decision operate or not.

I opted for operate, at the time I was in constant pain and could not imagine not having some relief.  June 15, 2010 was my first back surgery on L4, L5 and S1, and who said it could not get any worse!  My first surgery was easy, in and out in 4 hours, home and in bed for a few days and sure I would be back to normal in NO time!  Right!  My back did in fact feel better,  but I had not expected to have either no feeling  in my leg and foot or complete pins and needles.  The pins and needles were the worst ever, I could not hardly put my foot down and could not wear shoes that had any sort of back because I could not stand to have anything touching the my Achilles Tendon.  The other issue came as my left leg started to forget that it had a job to do like walking, or even holding me upright.  I would be just walking along and it would simply give out.

Because the healing had not gone as expected my Neurologists suggested a 2nd surgery.  I remember thinking no way not again but I knew that I could not continue with the issues I was having with pain, numbness and loss of use.  The final decision came after I fell on November 14th, 2010.  I was leaning over the tub wiping down the far side of the tub and my bad leg gave out and I fell straight down on the edge of the tub right onto my right rib cage, breaking my 6th rib.  My 2nd back surgery was done on November 24th,  2010.  This time the doctor assured me that surgery would work and I would no longer have the issue of my foot feeling like it was always half asleep with constant pins and needles.  Little did I know that the only way this would be accomplished would be for him to sever the perennial nerve, replacing the pins and needles with complete numbness!  (My word of advice is to be sure you KNOW everything about your doctor!  I did not know that my surgeon had a history of needing to do multiple surgeries and never having the issues resolved. Information for another post.)

How do I feel about the car accident that forever changed my life....today I feel thankful for the amazing and healthy changes I have made to my life since the accident and resulting issues.  I feel that out of every bad situation we must make a choice and for me I choose to be healthy, positive and to set an great example to others who may not believe or have been told that they cannot take that first step, run that first mile or even Run Across America!