Meet Me Half Way

San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon/Half Marathon Race Report

This a half  of a report because I ran the half marathon, meaning I'm going to leave out the mile by mile account, (but it isn't any shorter of a report) however, I will go over many of the highlights that made for a wonderful day and a couple of things that made me think "WTF???"

My son drove us to the marathon start area, thank goodness.  We arrived sort of late and missed most of the track club's final stretch before the race. We did arrive in time to sit and stretch a bit with AKA Alice, but then it was soon time to check in our gear, use the port-o-potty (*cough* bushes) and find our corrals.

 AKA Alice multi-tasking - stretching and taking pictures.

I found Rich, who was dealing with some first time marathon pre-race jitters 

Hubs and I in corral 17 waiting for the race to start.

Friends from RU also in corral 17.

 Kirsten, a PT from RU,  running her first marathon just one year after having heart surgery.

The original plan was to run the marathon, but with the foot injury, being out for 9 weeks, and only having 3 weeks of haphazard running, I made the switch to the half marathon.  Thank goodness they offered a half marathon this year.  The course was OK, and we ran more through Balboa Park than in years past, and I liked that.  Again, Coach Paul was everywhere with his bull horn with encouraging words to ALL the runners, not just the track club. 

For most of my run it was overcast, but a little humid.  I also drank the electrolyte on the course, Cytomax, which is something I never do since I bring my own, but it agreed with me, and I think it did help.  The sun came out around miles 10, and it felt warmer than normal, but with about 3 miles to go I knew I could deal with it. I was feeling for the marathoners, though, as the air temperatures really heated up.

Around mile 11 or so, I saw AKA Alice running in the opposite direction, which was so cool because we stopped and hugged.  What a boost for my psyche, and I'm glad I saw her at that point because I knew she was doing good.

At the last .1 mile, I ran in with a track club member.  I don't know her well and I can't remember her name, but I see her all the time.  We sort of sprinted in together.  I can't wait to see the photo finish.

Official chip time - 2:30:55.  Officially my slowest half marathon, but considering everything I went through, I'm quite happy with it. 

Post race I trekked into the medical tent, iced my foot, and went through the finish are to load up on bread sticks, fruit cups, electrolyte drinks, etc, and found Molly.  Funny thing, Molly switched from the marathon to the half marathon, but still had the marathon bib, and received a marathon medal because of the marathon bib.  The volunteers wanted to make sure there were enough medals for the half marathoners. 
 

Happy to be finished! BTW, Molly's bib says " I like cheese." 

Rich is now a marathoner!

I spent a lot of time at the track club tent, talked to friends about their races, and enjoyed the shade of the tent. At one point I did walk over to the track club water station, located less than a mile from the finish.  I did see several friends run by, and I was hoping to see Hubs. I thought he may have passed me, but it turns out he didn't. There's a story about about why he decided to toss the PR.

Hubs ran the marathon and was doing well, setting some course PRs for himself.  Around mile 12 he ran past a track club member who was having a hard time, sobbing.  He decided to chuck his PR and spend time running and walking with her, just to help her get through a few miles until she found her friends on the course. He ran in the rest of the way, knowing he'd finish over 6 hours, but was OK about it, he was still concerned for the young lady. 

Once Hubs was finished, he wanted his free beer, so we gathered all of our belongings and headed over to the "festival" area.  In years past this was at MCRD, in a nice grassy area.  This year it was in the crappy, beat up asphalt area in the Sea World overflow parking lot, which is hard to walk on if you've just run a marathon and can barely walk as it is. The cracked and chipped asphalt was also hot and sticky, and not conducive to staying to enjoy the festivities. To make matters worse, they wouldn't let Hubs into the beer area because he didn't have his ID on him.  Um, helloooo?  WTF?  He's obviously over 21.  He never runs with his ID because he has a shoe ID tag.  We've NEVER had to show ID before.  We also had wrist bands to get free food at PF Chang's booth, but by the time we got there the food was gone!  Thank goodness we didn't have to deal with the shuttle buses because I understand that was logistical snafu, and many people said that it took longer to get back to Qualcom Stadium (where they parked) than it was to run the marathon!
Since my son volunteered at the track club water station, he was able to park near by, and drove us home.

Back at  home Hubs enjoyed his beer and fell asleep on the couch, and I posted a Facebook update.  My son did us a favor and picked up burgers from In 'n' Out.  I scarfed down two protein style burgers, took a shower and was in bed by 8 PM. 

Next race is the Annual Independence Day 5k/15k in Coronado, and probably the 5k. 

Oh, and today I need to visit my local DMV to renew my driver's license.  Yay.

Saturday's Song:
The Good Life - Tony Bennett

PEACE

The Good Life

This past week has been a whirlwind of busy. I had all kinds of posts planned, but I just never had the chance to sit down and formulate the words.

As I had mentioned in a prior post, my sister was in town for a bit. We spent more time together on Memorial Day and just chilled out at the beach. It was also the first time in a long time that I was able to spend quality time with my own family. Yes, we see each other every day, but to actually have the five of us spending time together joyfully interacting was wonderful. Life becomes busy and we don't always get the chance to enjoy our own company.

My daughter graduated from Grossmont College with an Associates of Arts degree and a certificate in Dance, and will be transferring to San Diego State University.

Hooray Renee!

Next on the agenda is everything that leads to the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon & Half Marathon on Sunday, June 6, 2010.  I truly wanted to be running the full marathon, but it was not to be.  Next year.  I am thrilled to be participating in the half marathon with no time expectations.  I really haven't trained for it, but I know I can finish it since I already have the mileage base.  I'm not experiencing any pre race jitters, anxiety or nervousness.  I'm keeping an open mind.

Friday afternoon hubs and I attended the expo to pick up our race numbers and swag.  We brought cameras, but didn't take a lot of pictures because it's pretty much the same as it always is, since we've done a few Rock 'n' Roll events.  We did see our niece's BFF, Mandy, working at the Sports Authority  section, who we did not expect to see:

 Mandy has become like another niece. :)

After the expo and a quick trip to Movin' Shoes to use a gift certificate for Gu and a water bottle, we made a brief stop at home, then back out to the San Diego Track Club's annual Rockin' 'n' Runnin' pasta dinner.  I love attending this dinner because we get to see what everyone looks like all cleaned up.  We're used to seeing each other in running garb and sweaty.  There were many highlights of this evening for me.  I shared a table with friends:

"Making a difference" at our dinner table.

Before the dinner started, Hubs noticed a couple of people talking to Meb Keflezighi, 2004 Olympic silver medalist, 2009 New York City Marathon winner and our guest speaker.  Since there weren't hoards of people wanting to talk to him, I took the opportunity to meet him.  He was so gracious.  I mentioned that we shared a similar injury, the hip fracture, and, without missing a beat, he said, "what is wrong with us?"  LOL.  Then HE started asking ME questions about my injury, if I had surgery, if one leg is longer than the other, about therapy and if I'm still running, etc.  I'm sure he's had a busy day, since he spoke at the expo and met people for a few hours there, THEN came to our track club's event.  I was impressed that he took the time to talk to and listen to each of us who met with him. I must admit that I kind of dorked out and was all giddy afterward. 

Meb & me.

Is this so cool or what?

In all seriousness, it was wonderful meeting Meb.  Ever since I found out about his hip fracture, and to come back to WIN the New York City Marathon is such an inspiration to me.  Even though we're at polar ends of the running spectrum, he gives me hope that I, too, can persevere.

I'm well trained as ready as I can be, considering I couldn't run for nine weeks. Hubs and I have reservations at PF Changs for our last carb load meal.  We just need to have an "easy" day. 

It just wouldn't be a pre race blog post if I didn't post a picture of my race number and what I'm wearing:

My new fuchsia tank top and a Runningskirts.com floral print skirt.  If I can't set any PRs, then I might as well look cute.  I have this thing about numbers, and this race number contains 5s, which are usually good for me.

Send some positive thoughts to my hubs.  He's running the full marathon and dealing with plantar faciitis.

See you on the other side of the finish line!

Wednesday's Song:
Don't Speak - No Doubt - Katiefeldmom

PEACE

Life in Technicolor

This Week's Recap:

1. Taxes - Done, and with several hours to spare! Woohoo! Paid some to Federal, getting some back from State.

2. Healing - Still in progress. 4 more weeks, I hope. Still using the bone stimulator.

3. Doctor's/orthopedics visits and Rehab United - Back to both in two weeks.

4. Marathon - Switched to the half. See #2.

5. House - Clean. I had someone else clean it.

6. Work outs - A lot of upper body bands stuff, push-ups, abs work, plus some squat matrices within reason.

7. Nutrition - Back to tracking. Trying to stay with in 1500 calories per day so I don't turn into an Oompa Loompa due to the lack of running. Will fine tune the macros later. Calories first.

8. Sugar Free Jello - A lifesaver.

9. Muscle Milk - No longer works for me. I broke out immediately, even though it's lactose free. *sigh* Back to square one and soy protein.

10. Daytime TV - Still sucks.

11. Dreams - Been having some weird ones. I had a dream I was a shopping at Macy's in Chicago, went to the top floor, but could only get to the first floor by getting on a water slide. In another dream my PT Bryan carried me across a football field while I was sitting in a Igloo ice chest. The crazy thing is that I've stopped taking pain meds 2 weeks ago, so I can't use the drug excuse. Analyze if you wish, but on the surface it seems I have travel issues, but how in the heck did I end up in an Igloo ice chest?

Yeah, I look *just* like this when I sleep. *cough*

12. Lentil stew with brown rice and warm, crusty bread - It's what's for dinner.

Wednesday's Song:
Winner - Justin Timberlake

PEACE

I'm The Map!

I've just found out the new San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon route. It's almost making me want to switch to the half. Almost. I have mixed feelings about the new route. Miles 1 through 18 are just about the same, with some minor tweaks to fit in the mileage. It's miles 18 through 26.2 that have changed the most. We all knew the route was going to change, but I really didn't think they were going to divert the route through parts of Mission Bay Park, Fiesta Island, and finishing at Sea world. Although this makes for a much flatter finish (no going over the Ingraham Street Bridges, which seem like mountains if/when you've just hit the wall at mile 20), there's a couple of miles of running on concrete (ouch) at Mission Bay Park (but scenic), and Fiesta Island -- although asphalt -- doesn't make for a pretty run when you're trying to dig down deep to get in those last miles. There's not a lot of scenery on Fiesta Island, just a lot of sand, dirt, an asphalt road, a Boy Scouts facility, and some bushes. I'm not sure, but it looks like part of the last mile into Sea World for the marathoners will be on concrete. Ouch. The route also overlaps a few times between the marathon and half marathon, which I HOPE isn't confusing.

*sigh*

Maybe this new route will be a good thing? I hope so.

Thursday's Song:
Walkin' on the Sun - Smash Mouth

PEACE

If You Love Me Like Music, I'll Be Your Song

I have a song request.

I'm putting together a playlist to get me through the last 6 miles of the marathon. Here's where I need your help. I'm asking, pretty please, to select ONE song for me to put on my playlist that will get me through those last 6 miles of the marthon. I normally don't run outdoors with an iPod, but if past experience is any indicator of what my state of mind is during those last 6 miles, I will need to dig down deep to bring it in. In addition, when I hear that song I will think of you, and run those song minutes dedicated to you. I listen to just about everything, so don't even think about what I would like. Think about what you like and what gets you pumped or motivated. I like just about all genre's of music.

And, finally, here's the last picture of me at our last long run with the track club. Can you find me?


I had a hard time finding me!

I'm right here...









Saturday's song:
Keep The Faith, Baby - Tony Bennett

PEACE


Photo courtesy of SDTC

Passion Play

Over at Runner's Lounge, the theme of this Thursday's TIART (Take It And Run Thursday) is the marathon. More specifically:

Why Don't They Get It? The Marathon-Explained.

The marathon is something most non-thrill seekers or non-runners will not understand. A marathon is one of those things you have to experience for yourself, whether if you just do one or several. Some people run in their first marathon and are immediately swept away in the accomplishment and know they want to participate in more events. Some people run in their first, swear they're never going to run in one again because of the sore muscles and recoup time, but once that pain is over they start looking into other races. They're hooked. Others run one marathon and they're done -- They just wanted to say they did it at least once.

For me, it all started with fitness. Running sort of manifested itself out of losing 30 pounds and becoming more fit. Prior to running, I swam a lot. I discovered that I actually enjoyed running and eventually signed up for a 5k. I had a blast.

My first marathon was inspired by a friend who decided to run at least 5 marathons before turning 50. I believe she gave herself two years to achieve this goal. At the time, I was about 45, and figured I could perhaps do at least one marathon, and I was 5 years younger. I signed up to run in the San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Marathon for June 5, 2005, just 4 days shy of my 46th birthday.

I dragged my reluctant husband with me, but did most of the training on my own, with the guidance from the book Marathoning For Mortals by John Bingham. It was a lot of work and a lot of alone time. I soon discovered that running those long distances gave me plenty of time to think and solve the world's problems. I had no real time expectations for my marathon, but I just wanted to finish on my own two feet.

I did finish on my own two feet in about 5:30, and so did my husband in about 6:18. My runner brother even flew down from Northern California to run our first marathon with us. We were sore, tired, exhausted, exhilarated, and euphoric. My husband's office took bets to see if he would walk into the office the Monday morning after the marathon. He limped into work just so he could show off his medal. My once reluctant husband now had his own marathon story, and beamed when he talked about it. I also had my own marathon story, complete with tidbits about what I saw, how I felt, and how I was already looking to next year's SDRNR Marathon. Yeah, I was hooked.


After the marathon -- Karl, me, and Michael
Posted by Hello


Since that time I have run in two more SDRNR Marathons, a handfull of half marathons and 5ks, and everything in between.

The hardest thing I've had to deal with was getting serioulsy injured just 2 weeks prior to last year's SDRNR marathon. I was able hang out at one of the hydration stops, see the elites glide by, greet all of my friends, encourage my husband, and spend time with other injured runners. I must admit to feeling a bit wistful when I saw video clips of the runners going through the finish line. I was thrilled for everyone, but I cried because I wasn't a part of that. I must admit to feeling heartbroken. No medal for me because I now had to deal with metal in my leg.

This year, with the stamp of approval from my doctor, I'm running again. I'm also training for my final SDRNR marathon. Some people think I'm nuts for wanting to complete another marathon, but it's still a passion, and a matter of unfinished business. My thoughts of attempting a BQ time have diminished, but now, as with my first marathon, my goal is to finish on my own two feet. I've gone full circle.

The marathon thing: It's all about passion. Whether if your passion is running or collecting stamps, find YOUR passion. We can all relate to passion, right?

Yesterday's song:
Rehab - Rihanna, Amy Winehouse - Barbie2be, 2nd Chances

PEACE

Anticipation

I'm just waiting to hear how everyone did at the Nike Women's Marathon & Half Marathon today!


Yesterday's song:
Today - Jefferson Airplane

PEACE

We Live For Love

San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Marathon 2008

Saturday, May 31, 2008 - Expo
The day did not start out as planned. We had originally planned to hit the expo early as possible, around 10 AM, but we did not get to sleep early enough the night before because our neighbor across the street felt the need to party (loudly) until wee hours of the morning. We made it to the expo around 12:30 PM. We quickly found our friend Sam then retrieved our race numbers, t-shirts, and Michael's timing chip. We walked around the expo for a while. I purchased a pair of Ininji socks, found a shirt for my grandson that says "My grandma is faster than you," chatted with the Runningskirt.com twins and purchased another running skirt with the compression shorts, then hooked up with Dori (She Do Run Run.) Our time was limited but it was as if we'd known each other for years, even though we had only met one other time. I also checked out the San Diego Track Club booth and chatted with a few members who wanted the details about my injury. Once we were finished with the expo, we went with Sam for a quick lunch, then home for a little rest before heading out to the track club pasta dinner.

Dori and I meeting at the expo.

Upon arriving at the pasta dinner, we were quickly greeted by one of our track club running buddies, and she invited us to sit with her and family at her table. It was kind of funny to see everyone in normal clothes, since we normally see everyone in sweaty running garb, with hats and sunglasses on. (We didn't think to get dressed up.) As a group, the track club actually cleans up well! More people arrived and I had to explain my entire story again when they saw the walker. It was fun to catch up with many of the people I had run with, and how excited they were about the marathon the next day. During dinner we had some words of inspiration from our coaches and a local news anchor who runs. After dinner it was more of the same, catching up with our new friends and telling our coaches thanks for a great training season. Once we were home, it was lights out for me. I have no idea what time Michael went to sleep, but I know it wasn't early.

Amy, Amy and I - just a couple of months ago, running at Torrey Pines State Park...

...and here we are at the pasta dinner

Sunday, June 1, 2008 - Marathon Day
The alarm was set for 4:00 AM but we didn't get out of bed until 4:15. There really wasn't much to prepare for, just get dressed, eat, and go. Our son, Erik, was the driver, so he was also summoned to be up early. Because of prior marathon morning traffic experience, we've learned to take a back route to the start area. It took only 10 minutes for us to make our way there. I figured it would take Erik and I 10 minutes to get to the volunteer parking. I was wrong. It took about a half hour because we got stuck in marathon traffic and a road closure that I completely forgot about. Once we got out of traffic, it was a smooth drive to the volunteer parking area, and somewhat of a short walk to the 23.5 water station. After signing in and receiving our volunteer t-shirts, Erik quickly went to work helping to pour water into the cups, and I set out cups. After that, it was a matter of waiting. Several people there knew about my ordeal, but a few didn't, and I had to explain all over again what happened. Other long time runners talked about their injuries, some no longer run, but are still active in the running community. They volunteer. It's a good group of people to belong to.

Erik helping out.

Getting ready for the runners!

A couple of hours go by and the first chair participant goes by, soon to be followed by a couple more chair participants. Not too long after the lead male runner goes by, and everyone begins to cheer. I'm sure the guy is working it, but he makes his run look effortless. A few more male runners go by before the female leader goes by about 20 minutes later. Since I normally run in the marathon, I never see the elite runners. I'm probably somewhere near the halfway point when they're finished, and probably already back in their hotel rooms when I do finish. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see such athletes go right by me, as I attempted to get their pictures.

A few of guys from the track club had wondered what it would be like to run with the elites, so they decided to follow one for a few feet. I'm not sure how often that happens, and I'm not sure what the etiquette is on that, but it was kind of funny, and I'm sure it's something these guys will definitely remember for a long time.

It wasn't much longer, but the masses began to stream in. I saw several of my track club friends and gave them hugs as they stopped by. I spotted the 4:30 pace person and group go by, and felt slightly melancholy that I wasn't a part of the group, but happy for them that they were just less than 3 miles from the finish, and still all together.

Cindy cheering on the runners!

Michael finally came by, and with 5:15 on his clock at that point, and with less than 3 miles to go, I knew he would have a new PR. He was happy to see me and I gave him a big kiss and a hug. He poured water on himself, swigged down more electrolyte, and was off. A while later Sam went by. He said he was hurting but was determined to finish. Then Dori came by, was having some pains as well, still smiling and still looking like she had enough in her to finish, and she did.

Michael ahead of schedule!

Dori still smiling!

Around the 7 hour point, Erik and I called it a day. There were several walkers still on the course. We gathered up our things and trekked back to the car, and then to MCRD to meet up with Michael and Sam at the track club tent, where they were enjoying their post marathon beer.


Once we were home and rested, Michael decided he was feeling well enough to attend this year's post marathon concert featuring Pat Benatar. (How can someone so tiny have such strong vocal pipes???) She sang most of her hits, and we did enjoy ourselves. The concert wasn't that long, though, and we were home before 10:00 PM.

Post Marathon Day - June 2, 2008
It's back to work for Michael, and he brings his medal to the office as proof that he did yet another marathon. As for me... I'm not sure what happened, but I could not even hold down water for most of the day. I can't pin-point what I ate to make me feel so crummy, but I am glad it only lasted a day. Michael is still feeling fantastic about getting under that 6 hour time hump. I think this is the first time I have seen him really excited for himself about running and excelling. He's usually mentioning something about the pain at this point, but this time it's not so much.

Official Results:
20494 Michael M San Diego CA 50 M chip 5:49:23 clock 5:57:16 pace 13:20 10K 1:08:32 half 2:28:51

Yesterday's song:
Slow Motion - Third Eye Blind

PEACE

Slow Motion

Being on the side lines does have some advantages. You get to see all of the elites, and, just perhaps, get some pictures of them as they go by.

I've been a little busy today. I have more pictures to post from the expo and the marathon, plus my two cents on the day.

Yesterday's song:
Getting There - Terri Clark - Barbie2be

PEACE

EDIT
It turns out that I managed to get photos of the winners as they ran by. The Men's winner was Simon Wangai (2:10:07), in the green singlet. The women's winner was Yulia Gromova (2:28:32), the last picture. The chair winner was Brad Ray (1:46:23), in the yellow chair, second picture from the top.

Getting There

Just a very quick post.

Michael broke 6 hours! Today he finished the marathon in 5:49!!!!!



I had a good day at the water tables with my son, watching the runners and wheel-chair athletes go by. I'll fill in the details tomorrow.

Yesterday's song:
Perfect Day - Hoku

Perfect Day

Today was the expo for the marathon. I picked up my race number and t-shirt, but not timing chip. I'll be at water station #17, which is located at mile 23.5, right where people water or encouragement most. I was able to meet with Dori, and it was wonderful to see her once again. I'm hoping to see her as she runs by... I'm actually pretty excited about tomorrow, since I get to watch most of the runners go by, including the elites. I rarely see the elite runners, since they're probably finished and back at their hotel by the time I'm done with any race. We also attended the pasta dinner. It's funny how different everyone looks in regular clothes. We ususally know people by how they look in their running gear. I'll update about the marathon in a day or two.

Yesterday's song:

Have A Nice Day - Bon Jovi - Simply Pink

PEACE

Rock And Roll

The marathon is just a few days away. I realized that I still have the counter on the side bar for the marathon. I figured I'd just leave it up there because I'm still attending the marathon, I just won't be running in it, and once the day is over I'll move the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon over to the 2008 Events section and put a DNS next to it. It's OK. I sort of figured that if I were to particiape running events for the long haul, there would be events that I've signed up for that I would not be able to attend due to illness, injury, or circumstances beyond my control. It happens to all long-time runners. I guess it's my turn at not running in something I had signed up for.

Pictured on the right are the banners that have been posted all along the marathon route. They went up all over town about a month ago. I always get that rush of anticipation when those banners go up.

Recouping from surgery is amazingly exhausting. I never realized how tired the recouperation process can make a person. I do believe that keeping the right positive mental attitude is everything, and will help with the healing, however, being at home and attempting to do even some of the simplest things can wear me out. I'm good until the late afternoon, then I just want to crash, and that' s without needing pain medications. It's not like I'm trying to do much of anything, I'm just trying to walk around the house, do my PT exercises, get a little sun in the backyard, perhaps make the bed, get the mail, and check e-mails.

Yesterday's song:
Legs - ZZ Top - Diary of an Aspiring Loser

PEACE

Down But Not Out

Sorry I've been out of the loop here, but here's what's been going on:

Over a couple of weeks ago I had posted about feeling a bad cramp in the hip while I was running with the track club. That was on a Saturday. The following Monday is when I went into my primary care doc. The doc I was assigned to seemed nice, and he felt my issue was muscular, but he didn't feel the need to do x-rays, which is probably when we would have known about the start of a the fracture. The following week we took a trip to Disneyland and did other things that required spending time on my feet. Last Friday, I was going about my morning, showered, had breakfast, watered the plants and was just doing some light housework, nothing hard. I was walking between where my bedroom is and where we keep the computer, which is a step up, and suddenly something popped in my hip and I felt extreme pain. Luckily I was just a couple of feet from the computer chair and a telephone, otherwise I would have been stuck. I couldn't put weight on the right leg at all. I called my husband at work to come take me to emergency. His office is not that far from home, but there was a snag... He was pulled over by the CHP because he has an expired license plate. (We've had problems with mail from the DMV being forwarded to our new address.) The cop was a newbie, didn't know the codes and had to look them up, and even though my husband told him he had an emergency the cop was a jerk and told him to call 911. His car was impounded on the spot! My husband called one of his employees to come pick him up to drive him home. Meanwhile, at home, I'm trying to yell for my son, who is sleeping way at the other end of the house and can't hear me. Funny enough, the cats came running...

Eventually, my son does wake up (after 15 minutes of yelling for him.) Once my son gets his bearings, he tries to pick me up out of the chair but it's too painful. DH comes home, and between him and my son, they're able to lift me from under the arms and carefully get me to the car.

At the hospital it's unusually busy. It takes a while but I'm finally seen. The one thing they keep asking me is how come the doctor I saw two weeks ago didn't order x-rays. They asked how the injury happened and I explained training for the marathon. The running and marathon training comment must have gone on the first page because, after that, most every doctor or staff who came in to see me was an endurance athlete. The conversations often drifted to local running events, shoes and which events are next...

The x-rays are taken and come back, and there's no question that the bone is fractured from one side to the other. It's the femoral neck that broke, which is in the hip. Since it broke all the way through, it required surgery. Had this been diagnosed with an x-ray two weeks ago, I might have not been going through surgery. Well, it is what it is. I have a plate and a few screws holding the bone together now, and they say that this bone area is now stronger than it was before, plus I have 20 stitches, well, staples, that come out it a couple of weeks. One thing I wasn't expecting the docs to say is that I should be running with in 6 to 8 months, maybe less.

I was in the hospital for 4 days. They had me on a metered morphine drip that I could control with a button. They called it the "happy button." They had me up and walking in the halls of the hospital the day after surgery. I'm now back at home and getting around with a walker. It feels weird to use a walker but I couldn't get around without it. I'm on a generic version of coumadin (a blood thinner to prevent blood clots after surgery) and another form of vicodin. I have very little appetite right now, but I'm feeling fluffy from being out of commission. My therapy is just walking around the house, some easy pelvic tilts, unweighted leg extensions, unweighted hip abductor/adductors, and just making sure I move my feet around a little while I'm I bed.

Being at home and not being able to do much is kind of annoying, especially since I have time to be still and notice every little thing that is dirty in the house. The house really isn't dirty, but I'm noticing every little piece of dust and dog hair, and my nit-picky side is coming out, especially since I really can't do anything about it. My cat, Lumpy, has been by my side since I've been home. My husband said Lumpy was nowhere to be seen while I was in the hospital. This isn't the best picture, it's taken with my cell phone:

I have to make sure I have that ice pack on my lap, over the right hip/leg, or he'll want to plant himself right where it hurts.

Thank you, blogger friends, for all of your well wishes. It really does mean a lot to me - you have no idea how much.

Song from Thursday, May 15, 2008:
The Space Between - The Dave Matthews Band - Run DMZ

Song from Saturday, May 17, 2008:
Too Legit To Quit - MC Hammer

PEACE

How Deep It Goes

I went to ugent care last night since all the day appointments were taken. I actually ended up with a very nice doc who took the time to listen to my concerns. My issues are muscular, not bone. He prescribed me a week's worth of a somewhat agressive prednisone treatment to help with the healing process and adjusted my asthma meds. While I'm on the pred, he suggested no analgesics, but to use ice instead and gave me an Rx for vicodin, along with a heating pad if I need it at night.

It looks like my 4:45/sub 5 hour marathon is not going to happen this time, that's if I'm able to particpate at all. If it comes to a DNS I'm OK with it. If that's the case, I'll volunteer at the track club tent at mile 23 or something. Michael is still good to go and there's no reason why he can't go. Heh, if I participate we might finish together, which we've never done before... I ususally have about an hour lead on him. There will be other marathons this year and the bulk of the big events are in the fall, such as the Chicago Marathon or the California International Marathon. As of right now I'm planning to participate on June 1, however I'm not going to kill myself trying. Right now the workouts are all about yoga and stretching per the doctor's suggestions. Cardio for the next two weeks is out, even swimming. I really need to be careful with my nutrition right now. I got used to all that carb loading, and now I have to back off. Nutrition shouldn't be too hard, though, as long as I track it on fitday.

A friend of mine asked me if I was upset getting injured with only a few weeks left to the marathon, and I said I actually was not upset. ( I was upset about not being selected for the Nike HM.) I really am OK with not running in it, if it comes down to that. If I do run in it, I'm OK with chucking my 4:45 goal and bring a camera to take pictures along the way -- turn it into a different day for myself -- make it more of a photo-journailism thing instead of a personal record thing. You know, the whole "when life gives you lemons" thing. As Tom (Tom's New Ballpark) always says "PMA." (Positive Mental Attitude.)

Yesterday's song:
The Nurse - White Stripes - Barbie2be

PEACE

We Belong

Tonight's track club workout was supposed to be 7 X 800 meters, with 400 meter cool down jogs between each 800 meters. I only did 4, and ran one 400 and couldn't run the next 400. I'm not sure what's going on but BOTH front of my hips are hurting. I could barely keep up with the back of the pack of C group, and I usually run at the front. I was so frustrated having to stop so soon. I'm not a big cry baby, but I really felt like crying due to sheer frustration. I have a scheduled chiropractic appointment tomorrow morning, thank God,and I hope Dr. Carl can help. For now, I've downed a couple of naprosyn, took a cold shower and used ice. I'm still hurting. I think I've just attended my last Tuesday night track workout until the marathon is over, which is just 4 weeks way. It seems like I get more beat up at the track workouts than I do on the long runs. *sigh*

I'm still deciding about TNT and the Nike Women's Half Marathon. If I could figure out how to get some corporate sponsors, I'd go for it. I have a couple of weeks to decide.

Guess who's headlining the concert with Neil Giraldo after the marathon this year? I hope we're not too tired to attempt attending the concert. Last year we missed out on Seal.




Yesterday's song:
TNT - AC/DC - Barbie2be

PEACE

Redemption Song

Activity: Run
Date: 04/21/08 09:58 AM
Distance: 17.00 miles
Time: 3:05:59
Speed: 5.5 mph
Pace: 10' 56 min/mile
Calories: 1612


I redeemed myself and ran 17 miles along the bay today. The advantage to running along the bay are the restrooms and water fountains along the way. I would have been toast without those water fountains. I needed more than my four water bottles contained, plus I needed an extra Gu. It's amazing how those things work. I was on the return part of my out and back run, around mile 13 and my left calf started to cramp up. I took a Gu and I was back in business. That pesky quad muscle didn't bother me so much today, but it did take until mile 4 to feel really good on it. Temperatures today were in the low 60s, with a cool bay breeze, and that made for a nice run, especially on the return, when I needed that little nudge to finish strong.

Yesterday I had a major cake craving. I usually don't crave cake, but since my boss put out these little bottles with vanilla scented oil and diffuser sticks, I've been craving cake. The scent in the office is of fresh baked vanilla cake. I actually prefer chocolate cake, but that warm vanilla scent just got to me. I made vanilla cupcakes with butter cream frosting for dessert last night. After a couple of cupcakes (OK, it was several) my craving was squelched. I guess I can chalk it up to come carb loading. Come to think of it, my run was decent today, so maybe those vanilla cupcakes helped.

A big shout out to blogger buddy Elizabeth (Run With Me) who ran in the Boston Marathon today. She even had a PR. I'm completely in awe.

Yesterday's song:
Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins & Messina - Be A Good One

PEACE

Proud

Today a patient came in to pick up her new prescription eyewear. She was just beaming, not because of her clearer vision and stylish frames, but because her son will be running in the Boston Marathon on April 21, 2008. He qualified last year at the San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in just a little over 3 hours. It was great because she didn't know that I run and I was thrilled to listen to her gush about her son well before I mentioned that I run. I loved listening to her talk about her son and what he had gone through in his life prior to running. I really can't say much more than that, but the story truly is inspirational. He's hoping to finish UNDER 3 hours. Wow.

In case I forget, best wishes to all those who worked so hard to make it to the Boston Marathon this year!!!

Yesterday's song:
Haven't Got Time For The Pain - Carly Simon

PEACE

The Information

I found a little tidbit of info regardng the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon/Half Marathon event for 2008. It's on October 19, 2008, and if you want information as to when the official sign up begins, go HERE. It still has the graphics for the 2007 event, but the box for receiving infor for 2008 is at the bottom of that page, once you get into the site. The half marathon sold out quickly last year, and the marathon sold out in a couple of days after that. They did open up a lottery to let in more runners because of the sell out, but not everyone got in. I plan on signing up for this year's event, and I'm hoping I'll get in again. The plan is to work out the details of the trip better so that I can spend more time with my blog runner friends and take full advantage of the expo. I felt like I missed out on some of the festivities last year, but that was poor planning on my part. Oh yeah, for completing the event you receive a Tiffany & Co. sterling silver finisher's necklace. Feeling motivated?

Yesterday's Song:
Who Needs Pictures - Brad Paisley - Barbie2be



PEACE

Here Comes Yet Another Day

Activity: Run
Date: 01/12/08 07:14 AM
Distance: 4.55 miles
Time: 0:42:53
Speed: 6.4 mph
Pace: 9' 25 min/mile
Calories: 430

Today was a run with the SDTC, out at Quivera Basin, which is basically at the bay. Kept an easy pace. My husband did OK but had to make a restroom stop mid way through.

One of the coaches noticed my necklace from the Nike Women's Half marathon and started asking me questions about it, and how much effort it took to just sign up for it. It was kind of funny, though, because she went from informative coach mode to excited and giddy mode when she talked about the Nike event.

Gotta go. We're having our backyard ripped up to replace old pipes, and that means NO WATER.

Yesterday's song - Doctor My Eyes - Jackson Browne - Step Away From The Cake

Actually this wasn't yesterday's song. I thought I posted yesterday, and I swear I did, but I must have done something to the "Post Options" and the wrong date came up. Oh well. I put in a picture for the 11th, just to make it for THAT day...




Peace

I Could Write A Book

Rain is predicted for the weekend. I'm hoping rain won't be an issue for Saturday, which is our first SDTC marathon training meet-up.

I've gone ahead and joined up Blog 365. We'll see how well it goes. I'm supposed to blog every day for one year. I was a little apprehensive about doing this because I was so over daily blogging for just a month in November. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to take more pictures and work on my photography skills. Blog 365 is all about posting daily, which includes pictures -- It doesn't have to be about writing.

I'm not sure what's up, but my dog, Logan, and male tabby cat, Lumpy, have been hanging out together these days. The dog has actually shown that she cares for the cat. A couple of nights ago Logan was scratching at my son's door and would not leave my son alone. Finally, my son got up and Logan led my son to the sun room. Lumpy was locked in the sun room and this upset Logan. The past week, these two animals have greeted each other in the morning when we get up with no confrontation what-so-ever. Now, if we could just figure out how to get the other two cats to call a truce with the dog, then we'd have something, but the other two cats have declared warfare on the poor dog. Oh well. One out of three isn't so bad.



Yesterday's song:
Height Is A Beautiful Thing - Silent Violet (Good try, Barbie!)

Peace