Down, But Not Out

I’ll get to that finish line again.

Recently, I have noticed some back pain and discomfort not just when I run, but during everyday activities as well. It is not in the same spot that my herniated disc was last year, but it’s something that I don’t believe I should just try to “run off” like I attempted to last time. I won’t go into much detail, but the pain is on my right side this time as opposed to the left. And it’s nowhere near as painful, but definitely something I think I should get checked out. Last year, the pain was also not intense at first and because of this I decided to keep playing basketball. This was the dumbest idea I could have had because all it did was lead to more pain and eventual surgery. It did bring me to a great place in life, but putting that aside, I do not want to go back to where I was. I cannot keep trying to tough things out when I know it won’t be great for my health in the long run.

One Year

Sorry to scare you.

One year ago today I was walking out of Riverview Medical Center. One year ago today was the start of something new, something that has changed my life for the better. One year ago I was going home to begin my recovery process. One year ago I could have never imagined I would have the life that I do now. That didn’t seem possible. One year ago all I wanted was to be pain free. I wanted to live my life again. I had no idea what road I would be traveling on. Life was a mystery. I just wanted to be better. One year ago was when this journey truly began. I would learn little by little that letting Dr. Rosenblum cut into my spine was the best decision I could have made.

Halfway There!!

The bottom of my running shoes. Thanks for having artistic abilities, Jess.

Today marks the end of week nine of my 18 week training program for the New Jersey Marathon.  That means there are 63 days left until I run 26.2 miles. UM, WHAT?  Training isn’t easy.  This isn’t meant to be easy.  That’s why I love it.  So far, I’ve completed 177 miles of running along with hours and hours of cross-training.  I run 4 days a week, while the other days are for riding the bike, swimming, lifting, or a day off once every couple weeks.  I have also been doing core work at least 4 times throughout the week, usually before I run.  I cannot believe how fast this training is going.  The volume is going to begin picking up, and after I added up mileage for the remaining 9 weeks of training, it comes to another 265 miles before the big day.  AHHHHHHHHH!

2012, It’s Been Realer Than Real

2012 was quite an interesting year to say the least.  The year started off and I was miserable.  As those of you who have been reading my blog know, it was the worst time of my life.  Seeing that 2013 is approaching, I’ve been thinking about this a lot.  It’s the end of December and my life is the complete opposite of what it was just a few months ago.  I went from the worst time of my life to the absolute best.  There’s no doubt in my mind that right at this moment is the happiest I’ve ever been.  What I thought would possibly continue to be a crappy year is now one that I don’t want to end.  But I know it has to because this journey needs to continue.  And as much as we may sometimes want to stop time, that’s not possible.  So, I’m taking what I’ve learned from 2012 and bringing it all with me to 2013 because there’s a lot to look forward to and lots of goals I want to accomplish.

I’ve always been terrible at coming up with New Year’s Resolutions.  I’m really not a fan of them anyway.  I like setting goals for myself at any time of the year, not just starting on January 1^st.  Yes, it’s the start of a new year, but I think anyone should be entitled to a fresh at any time they would like.  When the time is right, why wait?  Waiting might mean missing the opportunity that presented itself in the first place. 

My Mind Knows How To Race Too

Kurt and me last year…otherwise known as the celebrity couple – Kurtney. Thanks for the blog idea

Last week after a workout I was stretching on the mats and my roommate Kurt walked over to me and we started talking.  Among other things, he asked me what I think about when I run.  He said he knows that running has to do with mental toughness, but what on earth do people possibly put their minds on for miles and miles?  I told him, “Honestly, anything.”

But this got me wondering.  For the rest of the day I was making a list in my head of what I think about when I run.  It became quite interesting while I was reflecting back.  When I first started running, what kept me going was the thoughts of where I was months ago rushing through my mind.  The excitement pushed me through.  And that excitement lasted way longer than I had expected.  Two months before I began running again, I was lying in bed flat on my back and unable to sit down.  Now, I was moving more in a week’s worth of exercise than I had in months.  The first few runs I went on were tough because I was so out of shape, but I knew the athlete in me would kick back in in no time.  I have always had the will power to continue whatever it was I had set my heart to, and this carried over into running.  I knew I would get to where I want to be.  I’m still not there yet, but this is a work in progress.

Wheezy No More

During one of my runs a few weeks ago I began to experience a little bit of a difficulty.  I couldn’t catch my breath.  I was only about 15 minutes into my run when I needed to stop.  I began wheezing and was unable to control my breathing.  After a few minutes of attempting to get a good breath, I was able to.  It was a struggle and I felt like I couldn’t inhale fully unless I yawned.

I’ve never had difficulty breathing before so this was quite a surprise to me.  I thought maybe this was happening because of the cold weather that had arrived in the Dirty Jerz.  I haven’t really had much experience running outside in the cold weather.  Basketball took place indoors for the most part.  And although some of the gyms I’ve played in have been freezing, it’s not really the same as being outside.

What Am I Supposed To Do Now?

The night after my race my friends and I carved pumpkins. Clearly, I was still excited.

I was sore after the half marathon for a couple days, but it was the good kind of sore…if you believe in such a thing.  I didn’t even care though.  I sure felt it, but the excitement out-did the soreness.  Later on in the day after I finished the race I got back to my house in Glassboro.  I was exhausted, but the exhaustion was well worth it.  When I walked in my house I ran up the stairs (ow) to see two of my roommates, Erin and Kurt.  I told them all about the race.  They were so proud of me.  They probably couldn’t believe what I had just done.  I laid on the floor and showed them every picture that I had from the day.  I told them about the start, the finish, everything.  I couldn’t get over how much I loved the race.  It has been the highlight of my year so far.  I lived up to everything I said I would do.  And I plan to continue setting goals in the world of running.

I may have been walking like I had a stick up my you know what, but I would go back to that moment in a heartbeat.  The week following the race I was searching for more.  I began looking up other half marathons, but the thought of running a full seemed even more awesome.  I toyed with the idea for a while, but wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it.  I knew with the right training I could, so as I have said in a previous post- I’ll be racing in the New Jersey Marathon on May 5, 2013.