I'm BACK!

Several years ago when I started this blog I primarily wrote about my running/training life.  Not that I'm was or am an elite athlete.  I wrote for myself, but I also wrote to tell a story about how even ordinary people can meet goals, run races, and sign up for the "impossible" and make it happen.

My "impossible" was first a marathon (yep I trained and ran a marathon will little experience).  I didn't start with the 10K or the 1/2 marathon, I went right to the "big race"- the Chicago Marathon.  This was back in the day when anyone could get into the Chi-town Marathon.  I ran my first marathon in October 2003.  It was a slow race, in my book, 5 hours 34 min and 55 sec. I cried at the end.  I was so overwhelmed at accomplishing this feat.  Three years later, 2006, 4 hours 52 min 10 sec .  Then Chicago Marathon 2009 4 hours 31 min 38 sec.  Chicago marathon 2011- 4 hours 27 minutes 8 sec and last Chicago Marathon 4 hours 23 minutes 11 sec in 2012. 

I then took a break and did a bunch of 1/2 marathons and some sprint triathlons.  I again decided to take the leap and signed up for a 70.3 triathlon-  half-iron man distance.

August 2014 I did a 70.3 triathlon that solidified me feeling like I had accomplished something in the athletic world (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run).  It took me 7 hours an 11 minutes.  Again I wasn't fast compared to my peers but I accomplished something.   This was the race that it finally hit me- the last 13.1 miles of running... " I am a runner".  As fate would have it a month later I would find out my ACL was torn for the second time in my life and I would undergo a second ACL surgery on top of the realignment of my tibia- non-weight bearing for 6 weeks.

Fast forward to 2019- 5 years later I'm again running.  I've decided for my own "me- ness" I need to prove to myself I can do another long distance race.  Per my orthopedic surgeon's recommendations back in 2014 he really didn't see long distance running- marathons- in my future (had arthritis of a 60 year old on MRI at 38 years of age).  So I've decided 13.1 miles will have to do.

I wanted to do it right so I did PT for 2 months and pretty much got told my right butt cheek needed to learn how to "fire again"- and so began a lot of strengthening of that right butt cheek (you need it to run).

Today I signed up for a 13.1 race and my training plan began last week.  Due to being older and me being off running for almost 5 years my speed really SUCKS!  This is humbling, but my "coach" and "logic mate" aka husband- reminded me "do you want to finish healthy or is it about the time".

So I'm BACK!  I'm BACK running, I'm BACK writing about being an ordinary person trying to reach a goal.  It, I'm sure, will be an interesting ride, but I'm really working on focusing on the positive- you can run, you are pain free, you are accomplishing something.

Today I ran 4.25 miles and it felt like 8 miles.  My legs were tired, and I was dehydrated, heavy legged, and feeling old.  However, I felt happy and OK with my progress.  I started as a 5 hour 34 minute marathoner, and ended up 9 years later running it over an hour faster.   Progress.

Cypress Park Tamp, Florida

PROGRESS!