Quick update...

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps."
Confucious

During my last PT appointment on Thursday, she did a taping on my ankle. She also encouraged me to take Advil more regularly (NOTE: this PT does not promote the use of anti-inflammatories, quite the contrary, but she felt it might be warranted in this case). Both have helped and I am back out there on the bike. Not too long and no spinning, but at least I'm riding. 10K today and my ankle did okay...there is still pain, but it is not as intense.

That's it, just updating more for myself. Like many of you, blogging is my way of keeping a record of my running journey.

Have a great weekend...enjoy the extra time off!

Happy Easter!

Cheers!

Yeah well...

"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will."

Epictetus

FIRST, CONGRATS to everyone who ran Boston yesterday! You all are amazing!

Second, yeah well, it seems that riding may not have been the best thing to do after all (particularly spinning). It seems to have maintained the inflammation of the ligament in my ankle. At first the PT thought I could still run....NOT, then she thought it would be no problem for me to ride the bike, and now it's basically just take it easy for a few days.

So, I'm taking a break and we'll see how things go, but I've started to accept that running a marathon in 6 weeks is probably not going to happen. I'm still taking things one day at a time and for now, I have no idea what I'll be able to do on May 29th, so we'll see. Of course I got a little teary when the PT mentionned I should forget about the "half-marathon"...I had to remind her it was the full marathon I was registered for. She didn't see the tears (she was working on my foot and I quickly swallowed them). But, I'm okay.

In the words of a very close friend, "You didn't start running just to run a marathon, you are running for your health and because you love it." She's right. If my body allows me to run a marathon one day, that would be great. If not, as long as I can run and stay healthy and maybe do some half-marathons once in a while, I'd still be happy. My body has taken quite a figurative beating since I became seriously asthmatic eight years ago. Today, I'm about to reach 5 months without prednisone for the second time since I stopped and that is amazing. I love my life and I feel so healthy, thanks largely to running. So, I will fix this ankle and then I will focus on just enjoying the act of running for a while. No training plan. If I feel good and want to do a half-marathon in the fall, I'll take it slow and just do it. I think my body has been trying to tell me something...and I'm going to listen. No marathon just yet...I'm only 52 I've got plenty of time ;) :)

Happy running to you all!

Cheers!

Update...and verdict

"Sentence first, verdict afterwards."

Lewis Caroll



The sentence: No running until I see the PT again next Tuesday - biking is allowed. Spinning is encouraged.

The verdict: Inflammation of one of those tiny ligaments in the foot (on the right side of right foot below and slightly to the back of the fibula). The PT is doing all she can to make sure I get back to running in time to finish training for my marathon. Plus, I'm in luck as she has a student with her this week and this means extra time devoted to me and my ankle. Today, they did stimulation of the ligament with massage, ultra sound, and electrical currents. Then ice. At home, I am to do my exercises; massage; ice; take an anti-inflammatory; and of course not run.

The injury is recent and therefore relatively mild, which means there is a chance I will might be able to run next week soon. I am extremely grateful for the support I am getting from my PT...I can tell she wants this for me "almost" as much as I do!

Tonight I am going to try out a new spin class. Must make sure to keep the cardio strong. If it seems to do the job, I will go back a few times a week to compensate for the lack of running. I've gone riding every day since I stopped running and I hope to go speed walk on the trails this weekend to work the cardio with climbing. My daughter will join me if the weather if nice...I'd love that!

Cheers!

The good news!

"If life deals you lemons, make lemonade; if it deals you tomatoes, make Bloody Marys”

Author unknown, but I like it :)

Going for a ride!

The weather is finally Spring-like and that is very good news.

My ankle loves the bike and that is excellent news.

Yesterday 15K and today 16.35K on the bike and that is wonderful news.

Today, the ankle pain is almost nonexistant and that is happy news. (It was the same thing last week, so I'm not about to get out there and run, but at least I didn't make it terribly worse and that news is a relief).

Until I can run again :)

Cheers!

What now?

"Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul."

Douglas MacArthur

The back-story: When my body cooled down after my 23K run last Sunday, I felt a new pain on the right side of my right ankle. Shit...so I did the smart thing and got on the bike trainer instead of running on Tuesday and Wednesday. I also iced and even took some ibuprofen since I had a cold and a headache too. It all "seemed" to be working perfectly.

Today: Beautiful sunny day, no wind, groin all better, no more cold and the ankle seems fine. I was SO EXCITED about getting out there for my run. However, the minute I started running I felt a little twinge in the ankle and excitement quickly turned to caution. The pain remained relatively mild until a little after 4K, at that point there were little stabs of pain and they were growing more intense. Damn. I walked the last 2.5K until Uber H came to get me with the car...and yes, I cried a few tears.

What now: On Tuesday, PT so at least I'll know what I'm dealing with. Lots of sunshine expected tomorrow and Saturday, so this evening I took the bike off the trainer and it is ready for the road. Lots of biking this weekend!

Here is what was going through my mind while I was walking today... “It's not age because lots of older people run”... “The corticosteroids have made me more vulnerable to injury, but I seem to be healing well from all the injuries I’ve sustained so far”... “Apart from my ankle, I felt no other pain after my 23K”... “What if the minute this injury is healed, another one occurs”... “When will I know whether I should forget about marathon training and stick to half-marathons and perhaps duathlons”. Sigh...I watch the videos and I know that I am NEVER NEVER NEVER supposed to give up and I’m definitely not about to.

The plan: Do everything I can to be ready for my marathon on May 29^th and unless I can’t run at all, or can barely walk, I will be at the starting line. There are walkers at this marathon, so although I won’t do it if I can’t run at all, at least I know that if I must walk more than expected, the finish line will still be there.

Once again, I’ll keep you posted.

If it is in any way possible, I will run my marathon in May.

Cheers!

Success!

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."
Abraham Lincoln

If you've checked out my "number of days off prednisone", you know that my body has succeeded in fighting this cold without exacerbating my asthma. This has never happened since I developed asthma more than 7 years ago. Wow! I still have a cold, they do last about a week, so I've got a few more days to go. But, I'm  slowly feeling better and...

Today, I ran 23K, which means that my lungs are holding up, a sure sign that this cold will not get the better of me! I don't think there are many of you out there who can understand how excited and amazed I am that I was able to complete this run. Apart from the fact that I am fighting a cold, I kicked asthma's butt and today was my longest distance ever! Granted, it took me forever and I needed a couple of puffs of Ventolin when I got home, but I did it!

When I got up this morning I didn't know how it would go. I had taken a decongestant to sleep and one again at 6am. I did feel a bit better and I managed to eat a big breakfast, but I just didn't know if I'd be able to hang on for so many kms. Throughout our run, Uber H would ask me "Are you doing good?" and I'd respond, "I'm doing okay." One foot in front of the other, feeling okay, and the plan was to complete my run.

Success!

Here's hoping that next week, I'm feeling strong and the weather cooperates for my 26K.

Cheers!

 

Asthma Alert! ...but the good thing is

"Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets.”

Anon

The good news is that my groin is feeling really good and that I ran a solid 8K on Tuesday. Yay! I was looking forward to my next runs...I was feeling strong. Then I heard that noise...waup waup waup

The not-so-good news is that Wednesday morning I woke up with a solid cold. For most people, that means a few days of taking precautions and then we're back to normal. For someone with severe asthma, like myself, it could be the trigger to exacerbated symptoms and a week or so of prednisone. Not good. If  you look at the number of days off prednisone in the sidebar, you'll see that today was day 116...that's almost 4 months! This morning I saw my pulmonologist and we did the lung capacity test and for now, I'm good. Yay!He did give me a prescription for 7 days of prednisone, but I am to take a wait-and-see attitude.  If my peak flow goes down and I am getting worse, I must take the drugs. However, if I can somehow manage to stay relatively stable and just get through this cold like people without asthma do, then there will be cause for serious celebration. I'll keep you posted.

For now, I'm going to hope that I'm well enough to do my 23K on Sunday.

Happy training everyone...Cheers!