So far, so good

Training is going good!  Tomorrow morning will be our 3rd group run (although I missed the 2nd one due to being at the beach - ahhhhhhhhhh.).  Tomorrow morning's run will be at Centennial Park downtown - which is part of the actual course.

My knee feels - tight?  Not sure.  I foam rolled the hell out of my IT band, calves and hamstrings yesterday and it feels much better this morning.  Need to start back with my body weight squats, dead lifts, pistol squats (one-legged squats), and planks.  Pronto.

This is what Fleet Feet looked like the very first day when I walked in - at 6:30 a.m.!

I think there were approximately 75 women running that morning.  Awesomeness.

Half marathon training - TAKE 2!

That's right.  Today was Week 1 (of 12) Day 1 of my second attempt to train for a half marathon - I'm super excited!  Today:  cross train.  CHECK.

I decided to register to train with Fleet Feet so I would be with ... well, people.  And I'm not much of a people-person, so this is mainly for selfish reasons.  Ok, ok.  I'm excited to maybe make a few friends too.  ;)  More importantly, I want to show up at that starting line on September 22nd and finish my first half marathon damnit!!  Injury-FREE!  And this is the Women's Half Marathon so my training group is 99% women, with coaches, pace trainers, and physical therapists all on hand!  Surely I can make it this time with all that.

Our first group run is this Saturday at 7:00 a.m.  I'll have to leave my house BY 6:00 to get there early, sign-in, and the other stuff that no one knows about since it is the first group run.  Which means my alarm will be going off in the 5:00 hour.  On a Saturday.  During the summer.  I must really want this baaaad.  I am also getting a new car that day (maybe sooner) and we leave for the beach for 8 days the next morning.  So I have just a few things going on this week - all good!

I'm baaaaack.

The Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon was this morning - I watched it from the couch with a cup of coffee.

And here is Sheryl Crow (right) running the half this morning:

NEXT.

Today was also the first day I have logged any miles by foot since my last 9-miler in March!  It wasn't a run - just a walk - following doctor's orders.  And those orders are to start walking, then aggressive walking, then run/walk - over a 4-5 week period.  I'll take it!

Pity party is officially over.  CMM Half Marathon is officially over.  So what does that mean?  I need a new goal.

Right now, my new goal is to do the Women's Half Marathon here in Nashville on September 22nd.  The most exciting thing I just read on the website:  "New Faster, Flatter Course!"  Flatter, huh??  Suh-weet!

I've already removed the calendar from the fridge and counted the weeks backwards from September 22nd and it looks like the timing will be perfect - I can take my month to walk and get back in the groove, choose my training program (thinking of going with Jeff Galloway's), and be right on time for the half marathon.  

Stay tuned!

random...

Wow.  Sorry it's been SO long since I've posted!  To all 7 of you.  =D

I've actually looked at my blog everyday since the last time I posted.  And have had time to post a little... but not like I want.  So I haven't.

Here's the deal - this has nothing to do with running - but something I have learned since running.  So actually I guess it does.

I was an "all or nothing" person.  Until I started running 6 years ago.

(do you know what is bugging me the most about this post right now?? my GRAMMAR!  ugh.)

Anyway.  I told my BFF today.  I used to be an all or nothing person - but my running helped me.

(going into all lowercase now - cuz you care)

i now try to live my LIFE as an 80/20 rule. 80% of the time i'm going to eat exact, exercise exact, live exact, love exact, rest exact...... but the other 20% - i'm going to give myself a break.  a treat.  whatever you want to call it.

it's been working.  in all aspects of my life.  to myself (MOST importantly) to my marriage and kids, to my downtime to friends to family to everything.

i will not compromise myself MY happiness for others.

(sounds like a bible verse but i guarantee you it's not)

{lane change}

i think sometimes someone comes into your life for a reason (another cliche' type comment, i know, but just listen).

whether it's a bff, a passer-by-er type, or someone you've yet to meet, or work buddy/colleague, or, these days, online.

i feel really good today because i feel i affected 2 of those above people in a positive or healthy way.  I FEEL.  whether it really was... we'll see.

one is my bff.  one is someone i've met online through my running, found out she literally lives down the street from me, a stay at home mom like me, has a young daughter like me - omg - another bff???

everyone has problems.  everyone has issues.  including myself.  i'm not perfect.

i do know one thing.  i miss my running.  i can't WAIT til may til i can run again.  i am so thankful for my life and my family and my home.  i don't get too wishy-washy and dramatic - or at least i don't try too, but i have ZERO problems compared to a lot of people in the world.

do you?

Busy much?

Spring break is over... now time to get back to school kids!

I would have enjoyed spring break more if I could have done something.  Like... walk.  Anything.  And by the time the 2 weeks is over, I'm usually more than ready for everyone to be back on a regular schedule.  And I am.... but this time it's a little bittersweet (aka 'selfish') because I won't have all my little helpers to help me!  Actually, I'm getting around a lot better.  Cheating more than I should i.e. using 1 crutch so I can have 1 hand.

The boys are already off to school, Lucy starts swimming lessons today, and hubby leaves for out of town.  Swimming lessons are at the gym which means I get to darken the doors again.  I'm SO excited!  I just need to smell it.  I'm only going to ride the bike and stretch, but at least it's something.

As I mentioned before, I begin PT at the new place tomorrow.  Hopefully I can set up recurring appointments for Tuesday and Thursday's while Lucy is at preschool.  Thursday is also hubby's birthday and report cards come home (happy birthday honey!!  I hope.)  And then the grand finale' of the week - Friday is follow-up with the orthopedic surgeon to hopefully get off these crutches.  (crossing everything)  If he says I can't get off the crutches, I'm going to beg him to at least put me in a boot - PUH-LEEEZE!  I need my hands back.  And my life.  I'll even promise to not run the month of April.  Well, most of it?  The half marathon ain't happenin' anyway, and honestly, I know I need more healing.  I've come to grips with all of this.  Believe me, I've had PLENTY of time to think things through.

Spring Has Sprung

So that was our winter, eh?  Best winter ever in my book.  Only 1 snow, and the rest... unseasonably warm.

Since it is now spring, I thought I'd give a fresh, new look to Peace, Love, & Hamstrings!  Do you like my new background??

Still on the crutches but I did pimp my ride...

That pocket has saved my life!  I carry everything in that sucker.  As long as I have my bottle of water, my phone, and my Burt's Bees chap stick, I'm a happy camper.  For the most part.

So, some of you know how I love Fleet Feet - local (if you call a 40 minute car ride 'local') running store.  I love the staff there and all their products - even beyond shoes.  I follow them on Facebook and get their newsletter via email.  Well, I got the newsletter the other day and it was titled "Love Getting Injured?  Then Stop!"  Is that an article written directly for me, or what?  It even started with "Dear Andrea..."


Fleet Feet has some new, very cool products for staying injury free.  I love all that but I want my leg fixed ... yesterday.  Then I was reminded about their free injury screenings that they have twice/month.  I've thought of going to one a few times.. but now was the time.  I promptly emailed the owner - Christi Beth - and she immediately emailed me back - LOVE that!  Injury screenings are the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 3:00 - 6;00.  PUKE.  That couldn't be a worse time for me - on any day.  Wednesday is smack-dab in the middle of the week (in case you didn't know) and that almost guarantees my husband will be out of town - which in turn means I'd have to take all 3 kids.  Um, no thanks.  And 3:00-6:00?  Kids getting home from school, homework, and start dinner time.  Then Christi Beth said this "We have a screening today, but the schedule is full. Our next session will be Wednesday, April 4th if you want to call and schedule an appointment ... but if you're still holding out hope for the CMM 1/2 then I'd contact Perry Smith ASAP to see if he could see you sooner!"


Holding out hope??  Really??.. I mean... do you really, truly mean there ... still could... be... hope???  I promptly told her I wasn't really holding out hope - until she mentioned it - thanks Christi Beth - now you've got my hopes again!!  Just kidding, but it did flicker my spark a bit.  And it felt good.


Let's sum this up:  So Perry is recommended to me by my favorite RUNNING store, who conducts their INJURY screenings personally, and is a RUNNER himself - I want him to treat me.  I contacted Perry of ProMotion physical therapy - someone from his office contacted me an hour later and we set up an appointment for next Tuesday at 10:00.


I don't know why, but I feel like I'm getting ready to get real and proper therapy, and that my chances of success in running again are going to be so much greater because of the paragraph above.  


I'm so excited for Tuesday I could spit.

Hip, hip, hooray

Went to my first physical therapy appointment today.  Was told it was just a consult = I can take Lucy with me since hubby had to work.  Nope.  Full on exam and then exercises.  But as usual, Lucy was a trooper.  Except when she HAD to go 'tee tee' right in the middle of my IT band exercises... with no toilet paper in the bathroom (which they QUICKLY fixed with my glare)... and then missing the seat with said 'tee tee'... and then staying in there til I yelled 'what are you doing?'  Lucy: 'waiting for you Mommy.'  So, I quit my exercises and hopped on one leg to the bathroom - thank God it wasn't too far from my exercise table - and cleaned the floor, Lucy, and then myself up - all on one foot.

I have weak hips!  Well, howboutchee.  And I'm going to cheat a bit tonight as I need to eat before I pass out, and cut and paste some things about weak hips and why weak hips should matter to runners.  These are different exerts from a great article on the subject from runningtimes.com:

See if this sounds familiar: First your Achilles flares up. The next week your knee starts bothering you. Then your hamstring gets all hitchy. And all on your left side. It can't be a coincidence. It's gotta be the shoes, right?

Conventional wisdom has cast atypical pronation, or the inward roll of the foot upon striking the ground, as the running injury scapegoat. And while the torsional forces caused by atypical pronation shouldn't be disregarded in diagnosing an injury, new research suggests we look deeper, or rather, higher

The main hip muscles to focus on strengthening are the hip adductors, hip abductors, gluteus medius, tensor fasciae latae, piriformis, and hip flexors. If you're already injured, Ferber emphasizes the importance of "positive daily stress." Translation: Do the exercises every day. Once you're out of the woods, two to three times a week is sufficient.







I return to PT on Thursday and then Tuesday and Thursday of next week.  I will be doing all my prescribed hip and IT band exercises at LEAST once/day if not twice/day.