Half'd It in 2013

2013 is almost over.  And looking back, I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed with myself. 
I went from having ankle surgery to running my first half marathon. 

I had less than two months to train for the half and came no where close to building up mileage appropriately.  I don't recommend this, but my goal for 2013 was to run a half marathon. 

I can't wait to run more half marathons next year!!

Snow!

This is what my run looked like today....SNOW!  

Not quite ready for winter running. 

AND, the normal trail I run was closed. So coming up with an alternative was fun.  

It really is beautiful though! And I think my feet are finally thawed out :) 

*HUGS*

Two Races, One Day

And the medal count continues!! 

Today, my husband and I ran the Veteran's Day 5k and then dashed off to run the OSU 4 Miler!  Talk about exhausting, but accomplished! 

Now we are home, resting, ibuprofen-ing, and using the heating pad.  Making sure to keep those injuries away! 

From Bandages to Casts

 

Today was my first post-op appointment, and I lost about 50 pounds, in bandages.  Thing was INTENSE!  Besides the mass amount of ace bandages, there was a splint under there and at least one pound of cotton.  No wonder it was painful to get up.  Plus, anytime I looked at my leg I thought "Whoa, edema is getting out of control."

Now I have this beautiful HOT PINK cast for the next week and so many days.  The cast is so much lighter than what was hanging out on my ankle.  This is also the first time I've ever had a cast and wow, what a crazy process.  First, you have to try and bend your ankle up to ninety degrees.  Then you have to sit there while the plaster this thing to your leg.  And after that you have to wait for it to dry before you can leave.  Thankfully, Brad went with me to my appointment and kept me company throughout the process.

Late next week, they cut this thing off, take out my stitches and give me a new cast.  I would have put up the picture of my ankle (stitches and all) but I didn't want to gross anyone out.  You are welcome.

And this is what I woke up to this morning.  Bella, a seventy-eight pound Catahoula, sleeping on top of me.  At least she wasn't sleeping on my ankle!

Post-op Day 3

 

 

 

It's day 3........It's only day 3.  The anticipated six weeks of recovery is probably going to be pretty long.

On the plus side, I got my new Runner's World magazine and one of the books I ordered!  Can't wait to start reading it. 

 

My constant companions, Bella and Faith.  I was receiving the stare down from them while eating saltines.  Best portion control ever.  One cracker for me and one for each of them. 

 

It really bums me out that I'm stuck inside, while we are having amazing weather.  I tried to sit outside today, on the front porch, however, two massive bees equals no thanks!  That is the last thing I need, bee stings.  I think I will have to pass. 

 

Hopefully, I can convince Brad to let me go with him to Vitamin World and then maybe head up to Fleet Feet to pick up our Boston shirts.  Fingers crossed!  I'm getting tired of sitting on this sofa! 

Surgery and Day 1 Post-Op

 Lesson Learned.  When you feel like you might have an injury, get it checked out.  Or wait for MONTHS and continue to run on it and end up like this:

Yep, I'm stuck with a propped up, bandage ankle.  Apparently the surgeon told my husband it was a nasty tear.  I did some real damage.  And now I'm stuck with what feels like a fifty pound bandage.  And some awesome green surgical scrubs because my pants wouldn't fit over the bandage!  Plus they have a nice pocket on the side which makes them useful to carry my mason jar of water!

All the necessities: Gatorade, crutches, saltine crackers, and a stack of magazines including: Shape, Runners World x2, Cosmo, and Glamour.  Still waiting on my books to get here from Amazon.

 

And the cutest nurse ever, Bella.  While Brad takes care of meals and helping me get stuff, Bella is there for comfort and cuddles.  And currently stealing my pillow.  But she is cute, so she can get away with it. 

 

Hills, Head Wind, Shin Splints

 

Another Sunday, another 5k race!  Again, since I have an injury, I took it easy, or as easy as one can with hills, head winds, and some SERIOUS shin splints (in one leg). 

I did well for the first two miles.  My first mile was the fastest, possibly due to going downhill.  Mile two a little slower but not too shabby.  Mile three.......oh mile three.  First it was all UP hill.  Then there was a good head wind to contend with.  And third, shin splints, in my right shin.  Now I love shin splints, I really do.  But during a race, not so much.

I also made sure to wear a yellow ribbon to show some Boston love and support. 

There was also some pretty good swag after the race.  Along with all that stuff I had a blueberry bagel from Panera.  And not a quarter of a half of a blueberry bagel but a whole bagel.  It was delicious!

 

Now to relax for the rest of the evening.  Maybe celebrate with a little wine ;)

 

 

Been A While....

 

 

 

 

Wow!!  It's been a WHILE since I wrote on here.  Don't worry, haven't missed much....well okay, maybe.  First things first, I completed race 2 of 2 for the Scioto Miles.

 

First race, which I had to drop down to the 5k, was in March.  I ran the race in 41:53.  For me, that's sad.  However, I'm dealing with torn tendons in my ankle so I'm cutting myself some slack.  My times/mileage broke down like this:

Lap 1: 12:54

Lap 2: 13:56

Lap 3: 13:28

Lap 4: 1:35

Could I have done better?  Maybe.  Was I going to push it too much to possibly rupture my tendon? Nope!

Today was the second race in the series.  I followed the same method as the last race.  I wasn't about to push it or go crazy. 

The breakdown:
Lap 1: 12:24
Lap 2: 13:22

Lap 3: 13:24

My final time was 42 minutes.  I forgot my Garmin and had to use my iPhone to record my run.  Always remember the Garmin!

 

Fun medals (and the only reason I run) and my second blue t-shirt.  I don't usually go for early packet pickup.  Who knew they would switch t-shirt colors for the race?  Now I have two blue tech shirts.  No problem for me, I will still wear them!

 

And for good measure, Bella, wearing my first race medal.  She loves to show off medals, without putting in the work.

My goal for April is to run as much as possible.  And run the 5k that the Ortho Institute I'm seen at, puts on.  Nothing like saying "You have to fix my ankle, so I think I should run your race."  I know, I make the best decisions.

Acquiring New Running Gear

 

 

Running gear can be expensive!  And I can be stingy (sometimes) with money and not want to spend money on things I need.  However, I decided that I needed a new pair of running shoes and with that, came a headband! 
I went to Columbus Running Company and was fitted with the Brooks (more on that in a different post). 

When I was paying for my shoes, a sparkly headband commanded my attention.  Now, headbands NEVER stay in place when I wear them.  They slide back and eventually, in .2 seconds slide off my head.  Not this one my friends!  This sparkler is from Heads Up Bands.  Didn't move once!  I even took a nap while wearing it on Saturday.  I foresee more headbands in my future! 

 

Brad got me the Garmin Forerunner 10 for Christmas!  And let me tell you, so much easier to watch how my run is going using Garmin rather than my iPhone.  I'm still learning how to use it.  It might be a little easier to use if I would look at the manual but then what's the fun in that?!  Now, if I can remember to turn it off when I'm not using it. 

 

Today, I took my Garmin and Sparkles out for a COLD run.  Well, it wasn't as cold as Saturday's run but it was still only 24 degrees. 

I ran 3.55 miles at a pace of 13:46. 

Now time to warm up!!

16:44

I decided to test out my ankle this morning with an easy one mile run.  And the results: a 16:44 mile.  Two things though about the treadmill and I:

1.  I HATE treadmill running.

2.  It's too easy for me to NOT run on the treadmill. 

So, with that said, I ran a slow mile.  But coming back from an ankle injury, I think it's decent.  And really that's all that matters.  And....I wasn't experiencing much ankle pain!

 

Hot Chocolate 5K.  Last race ran since the ankle decided to become a bum. 

Boo to the Ankle

 

Today started out bright and early and the Ortho Surgeon office.  After dealing with an injured left ankle for two months, it was finally time to have it checked out. 

Check out my cute shoes I got yesterday, one CLEARANCE!! 

 

The dreaded bench.  I hate sitting on those at all doctors' offices.  They make me feel like a patient.  Yeah, I know, I was the patient in the office to see the doctor but I would much rather sit in the chair rather than that bench.

 

The overall diagnosis of my ankle: a deformity.  The doctor told me what it was called, but I already forgot.  All I heard was, "No running for at least a week."  All I could think was, "But this is great running weather and I have some BIG goals."  I was also told that my calves were too tight and I need to stretch.  I HATE stretching. 

Beautiful X-ray of my ankle.  If you look closely at the yellow arrows, you can see the deformity.  Apparently, there is a hump on my ankle bone and it's supposed to be a flat bone. 

So now it's me and biking for at least a week!  Let's hope the pain goes away, quickly, so I don't have to face any alternatives!

 

10 Days of Paleo

I stepped on the scale this morning and about passed out!  The number staring back at me was not a good healthy number.  I know it's "not about the numbers" but for me, if I don't know the number, I don't hold myself accountable for what I consume and my eating goes out of control. 

 

At that moment, was the decision I needed to return to my Paleo eating.  I tried it once before for ten weeks, and I felt GREAT following a Paleo lifestyle.  For me, the food was easy on my stomach and provided me with energy!  I never felt hungry or deprived.  But at some point, I fell off the Paleo wagon and well......you get the idea. 

 

So, I decided to be pro-active!  I consulted Pinterest, of course, and found a link for all foods Paleo!  I put it on our board, mainly because it's in the kitchen and I can't miss it.   

 

 

It's colorful and makes it so easy to figure out what to and not to eat! 

My goal is to follow Paleo for ten days.  Why ten days?  Because my birthday is in ten days and I might want to splurge :)

Am I going to stop after ten days?  Nope! 

Am I going to post all my food on here?  Nope!  But don't worry, I will be honest if I cheat/mess up.  Let's hope not though! 

And I've already started out great today....scrambled eggs and a banana :)  Time to go pack my Paleo meals for work today!

Hello!

 

Welcome to my little corner of the internet!  I'm Julie, but let's be honest, most people shorten my name and call me Juls.  One letter difference, but I'm okay with that. 

This is me, last year, at the Jingle Bell Run.  I was really starting to get back into shape, falling in love with running again, and had BIG plans to run my first half marathon.  Then winter happened.  I live in Ohio, our weather is COLD in the winter (and unpredictable). 

Fast forward some many months, about a year, and I've lost my runner.  And the goal to get in shape.  So, I'm in the process of finding my inner runner! 

 

 See, there was my runner me! 

I'm trying to plan as many 5Ks as I can.  Motivate myself to get out and run more.  To go the the gym, and get myself to my sister's dance studio and get my old dancer self back.  No pressure :) 

I'm mainly using this blog to document and keep track of the exercise I get in during the week.  Follow my antics as I try to get my runner self back, while working (in a psych unit), and keeping up with my husband and dog!