Bronchitis, sinus infection, pneumonia, OH MY!

Just when I thought I was getting back into a routine I was hit hard with illness! Back in November my allergies/asthma started to act up and I got a bad sinus infection and bronchitis the weekend of what would have been the Richmond Marathon. A z-pack and 4 other prescriptions later I was feeling better but the cough hung with me. That lingering cough eventually turned into pneumonia and another severe sinus infection which put me back on the bench. Now I am facing the reality that cold weather running might not be in my cards this year which means training for DC Rock n Roll in March may be completely out of the question. #runnerproblems #asthmasucks #livingonantibiotics

OBX Running

Feels AWESOME to be running again… minus the asthma and this cough that WILL.NOT.GO.AWAY! I love the two paths that I have ran in OBX and tonight the sunset was breathtaking. Lilly has been my little running buddy and keeping up with a fast pace under 9:30! 

#hope #fellowflowers #newrunninggear

DC Rock n Roll

                                            I finally convinced Katie to run a half marathon.

 I sent her the pic above to help her along with the decision and she quickly responded with this:

Touche Katie and welcome to the club! 

Decision day is Sunday, November 30th! Look how close I am to registering…! Wanting to get in a few longer runs to make sure my knee holds up and my lungs decide to play. 

Holy Hills

Got in an awesome 3.11 from school but holy hills. My lungs are NOT happy!

Run Happy

Today was my first real run since all of my knee issues! It wasn't pretty and I wanted to Q U I T after .01 miles but it made my soul happy! I didn't really want to quit but it wasn't an easy run and I became frustrated at the endurance I have lost due to injury. 

Adding Pink

I am slowly adding more pink to my Marathon Training schedule which feels awesome - well awesome-ish. As soon as I get through the heartache of not running the marathon next weekend I will replace the calendar with a new running schedule. I don't have a big race on the calendar yet because I am really waiting to see how my knee/hip do over the next few weeks and on some longer runs. I am excited for a new white plan that will slowly become a solid block of pink minus all of the scribbles and sad faces. 

We like Color Runs

Katie and I really like color runs! Run or Dye is where I started my running journey what seems like forever ago. Katie asked me to do that race with her for over a month before I finally showed up on race day in white. I can't help but be a little sentimental :)! The Color Run at Nat's Stadium was our 3rd color run together!

November Race

Hello November! Where did you come from? October came and went and I didn't get to run a race but I kicked off November with one of the #happiest5ks - The Color Run with some of my favorite colleagues! It was a chilly morning and I kept reminding Katie (and everyone) that we've ran in colder and worse weather (rain, snow, sleet). The Color Run course is usually at National Harbor but this time we got to race through National's Stadium which was REALLY cool. We started the race running into the stadium and around the bases and made our way throughout the whole stadium and parking lot from bottom to top (which my knee wasn't a real fan of). My knee/hip held out and it was almost a PR which is awesome for stopping at least twice for #runfies - 27:47. Everyone had a blast and  even "the nonrunners" are already asking to do this race again in the spring :)! 

Marathon but not so fast...

I don't even know where to begin but I am crushed with disappointment which may explain why it has taken me so long to post because that will make it all the more REAL. Following the Diva Dash Half I have not been able to walk, let alone run without severe pain. I took the end of September off and started seeing a chiropractor. He is an amazing doctor and we exhausted pretty much all treatment options. October came and went with little improvement. I had to pass up running the Army 10 Miler and I wasn't able to run at the Marine Corps Marathon with Kimberly. I also had to make the decision to defer the Richmond Marathon until next year which hurt my heart and soul. I know to most people it's just a race, and a silly race at that. Honestly, who would want to run 26.2 miles? Most people don't even like driving that far but 26.2 has become so much more than a number to me. 26.2 has taught me so many things and instilled a unique sense of confidence and strength knowing that I can do anything that I put my mind to. I may have shed tears over this decision but I also realized that the start line will be there next year and it is about so much more than crossing that finish line. My journey has truly been amazing and I have come so far as a runner over the past year. One year ago when Kimberly and Eileen had just finished the marathon I remember thinking that I while I admired them, marathoner was not a title I ever wanted to chase. So my running journey continues just not exactly how I had planned... which seems to be the story of my life.

"Success has been and continues to be defined as getting up one more time than you've been knocked down."  

Fall is Here

Fall is here and it is my favorite time of year to run ... except I can't run. 

Life is Better...

Running really has been a game changer for me and not being able to run the past few weeks has really been taking a toll on me mentally and emotionally. #thatsall 

Hello October

Hello October! I am beyond disappointed that I won't be able to run the Army 10-Miler this month as my October #raceamonth. I was really looking forward to running this race with Eileen and her husband. The chiropractor recommended that I give my knee more time to rest and said that doing 10 miles right now is not in my best interest if I plan to continue training for the marathon in the upcoming weeks. This is hurting my heart and soul more than I can explain. I will be in search of a shorter October race so I don't miss out on my October/10th race of the year. 

2 Awesome and Terrible Miles

Despite a sore knee I decided to try and run for the first time since the half! I was so excited wear my new running gear from the half marathon expo and my #rockstar #fellowflower! It felt amazing to get out and run since it has been OVER two weeks. I wish my knee would agree with the rest of my body, heart and soul. I didn't even make it half a mile before I had shooting pains in my knee. I pushed through and did some walk/run until about 2 miles. 

Bib/Bling Holder

At the Diva Dash Half Marathon expo I purchased a custom bib/bling sign from York Sign Shop in Tennessee which arrived today! How awesome is it? Now the only problem I have is that I don't know where to hang it and the rest of the house is BROWN. Oops?! 

This is my next project…. 

Chiropractor, PT and Tape

I started seeing a chiropractor this week to try and work out my knee/hip issues so I can get back to training because let's be honest, a marathon isn't going to just run itself. The chiropractors at Momentum Chiropractic and Rehab are AWESOME. They have done electrode and vibra therapy as well as adjusting and doing some other chiropractic techniques including K tape! I have heard amazing things about sports tape and have seen tons of athletes use it but part of me always wondered how much this silly colored tape could really do. I no longer believe that it is silly and has made a big difference when I am wearing it. I just ordered my first roll but in PINK of course! 

Not Sure What Just Happened....

So…I may have just signed up for The Color Run on November 1st at Nats Stadium. I already have a November race and I still haven't ran since the half. Not sure this was my best idea yet but I am excited to have a few new friends joining me for this race! Maybe it's because it's the #happiest5k and right now I could use a little running happiness.

My Heart Hurts

Today I was supposed to run 22 with Kimberly and Eileen but I am still struggling to walk. I am so proud of these two ladies for finishing their long run today but my heart hurt when I got the MMR notification because I wasn't able to join them. #injuriesSUCK #runnerproblems 

Post Race Purchases

Not even 5 hours after the race I had to do a little Amazon shopping while popping Ibuprofen and icing my knee. I have needed a foam roller for months. I used it at PT for my other knee and the therapist recommended I get one then. Oops! My second purchase was a pair of Crocs. Kimberly has been telling me to get a pair forever. She swears they are the best recovery shoe. I've put it off and made fun of her fashion choice but I thought I would give them a try, well since I can't even walk. They are THE most comfortable pair of shoes ever and she was right! 

13.RUN

I'm not a huge fan of car magnets or stickers but I love my 13.RUN decal. Hot pink looks awesome on my new black car and I felt like it would just be wrong not to have one! 

Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."

It's crazy to think how far I've come on my running journey, a year ago I would've laughed out loud and rolled my eyes at the idea of running 13.1 miles. I didn't "get" running. Somewhere along the way though, I fell in love with running. Running has has taught me lots of things and helped me to build some very strong bonds with amazing women. Yesterday I finished my very first half marathon, my 9th race of the year and one of my hardest runs yet. The course was hilly and my knee/ hip were not hearing, "Suck it up, buttercup." There were lots of tears and no mantra I could say was helping the pain. Thankfully I was surrounded by some awesome friends. Kerri , you are a rockstar! I cannot thank you enough for scooping me up and getting me through the last 2 miserable miles! While I'm not wildly happy with my time (02:23:03) I'm so proud to have crossed the finish line. Thank you to everyone for your sweet comments yesterday! We had an awesome "diva" weekend and I'm so lucky to be able to call such fierce and strong women my friends!