Quick update to last post!

"1 month out of hospital...

4 miles

Isn't life great!"

P

WARNING: This next video is not for the weak...also, if you are currently eating, I would wait.

This is what the leg looks like, a little over a month after the operation.

My brother, along with the rest of my family, was very touched by all your wonderful comments!

Thank you.

Cheers!

Life's Obstacles

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

Christopher Reeve

I'd like to share with you something scary that happened to my brother, P, over the Christmas holidays. Let's just say that this was not a restful holiday season for our family. First, let me tell you a little bit about my brother. We are only 11 months apart and we are very close.  P is one of the most devoted and loving fathers I know, he's super smart and extremely funny. He is a runner. 

Here he is last July on a training run.

Here he is with my Super-SIL after they both completed their first marathon.

September 2010

Only three months later, on December 24th, 2010,  my brother was admitted to the hospital with a swollen and painful knee, fever, and dizziness. The diagnosis: Flesh Eating Bacteria!

On December 25th, I went to see P and when I walked into his room, I took his hand, and with tears in his eyes, he looked at me and said, "I'm scared" and then pointed to the photos of his three kids.  

He spent Christmas in the ICU and New Year's on ward 6A. The first week, he was operated on four times and by the second operation they had made a cut all the way from his groin to his ankle (sparing the knee) deep enough to see the muscle. They do this because these bacteria do not survive well in oxygen and they wanted to save his leg. Thank goodness, he did not lose his leg. The last operation he had was on December 31st when they sewed him back up.

My brother, P, is a runner and like most of us runners, he is very determined and likes to do what he can to heal quickly. Some people would use this as a very legitimate excuse to take it easy for a while. Not P. On January 1st, the day after his last operation to sew up his whole leg, he was walking and making jokes. My SIL (J) called on the phone and P was with his BIL (D).
J, "How is he doing?"
D, "We're walking in the hall."
J, "What!"
P, "We're doing our laps in 5.04 mins." laughs
D, "We're doing 10/1."
P, "Walk ten steps and stop for a minute; then start again."
J, laughs

I was in awe...instead of staying in bed and complaining because his leg was all cut up, my brother was taking that one step.

He came home on January 6th after two whole weeks in the hospital. Within two days, he was training on the bike and walking on the treadmill.

On January 24th, exactly one month after entering the hospital, my brother called me, "I ran today!" He was so excited and I was so proud of him. He ran a little less than 1K, but the next day, it was a little more than 1Km. He's on his way. His goal: "I just want to be able to run for the rest of my life." I have a feeling he'll have no problems reaching his goal. I love you P and I am impressed by your determination and strength. I know how hard this had been for you, both physically and psychologically. Yet, you refused to let this obstacle push you down. Your perseverence has surpassed all expectations (especially those of your doctors)!

It is impossible to tell you about my brother, without telling you about my SIL, J, his wife. Throughout all this, she has been an absolute rock for her kids and especially for my brother. Thank you J, for being who you are.

Taken in September, carbo loading dinner with J & P before the Montreal Marathon!

I love you both very much.

Cheers!

Pour ceux qui lisent le français, on parle de moi sur l'excellent blogue de Maman Marathonienne.  

Three Things Thursday!

“Luck is believing you're lucky.”

Tennessee Williams

1. I am awesomer ;)

A little while back I won a cool sticker from Matty of Matty Run Run and this is the sweet message that he wrote on the back of the enveloppe.

2. Here is the very cool sticker I received:

I stuck it on the first page of my agenda...I love this pink unicorn!

Thanks Matty!

3. Here are some pictures of the Kahtoola Microspikes I won from Abby at Have Dental Floss will Travel. I have not been able to try them on to run in, because I can't run yet (PT continues). Soon I will be able to give you some feedback on how they feel out there. There is one small problem...they may not be so great for my Saucony's.

Note how they are squishing my shoe, which is made of very light material.

However, they do fit well on the sole, but the sole is very thin and I can really feel the spikes when I walk on the carpet. It may be different out there in the snow. They're like mini-snowshoes :)

They fit great on the Asics though.

Whether it's on the Asics or the Saucony's, these microspikes will not slip off while I run!

The fit is nice and snug.

The Asics are a thicker shoe and if that's the kind of shoe you are wearing to run, you will feel good in the Kahtoola Microspikes. Thanks Abby!

*Edit. As mentioned in the comments, these spikes may be more for hiking and climbing...I will also try them for that, because I can do that even if I can't run :)

I'll be back again soon...have a great weekend!

Cheers!

Why my PT is rich!

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."

William James

Now, let me tell you why my PT's clinic is getting rich, mostly off me! The latest in my string of minor, yet annoying injuries is a pull of the ligament of the Large Adductor that connects to the pelvic bone.

My left foot slid slightly while I was running and I must have pulled in to avoid falling. This minor movement caused the ligament to pull and this pull caused the pelvic bones to shift and they are now not perfectly lined up. So, PT for a few weeks, plus exercises at home and who knows whether I'll be able to run my Hypothermic Half in 4 weeks. The PT did not want to commit one way or the other, "We'll see", she said. Yes, it's a she...I did not see Joseph this time, though I am at the same clinic. Here's why:

No, that's not me, but that's where the PT sometimes needs to work, so yeah, I got a female PT this time.

I'll keep you posted.

Coming up...I've received my Kahtoola Microspikes (yeah, I wish I'd had those a couple of weeks ago...could have avoided PT...except I hadn't won them yet :)) Oh well...I'll let you know how they go...and I'll post a pic. Plus, I've got an inspiring story to tell...that's coming up soon too!

Cheers!

Winter is for real this year!

"Talents are best nurtured in solitude. Character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world."

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Now, I know we all prefer uplifting posts that inspire us...but so far, this winter has been character building, to say the least.

Last year was my first year as a runner (I had no expectations) and also probably the best winter we've ever had (I believe all our snow was shipped to the Eastern US). My husband shovelled the driveway once in January and that was it for the year. Seriously! It was still pretty cold sometimes, but the roads were mostly clear.

This year is my second year as a runner (I now have a few expectations) and we are experiencing a normal winter. Lots of cold and snow...roads rarely clear and I feel like I'm always running in loose sand. Today, I managed to pull a muscle in my groin while slipping around in the snow on the road...ouch! I finished my 12K, but it's still ouching this evening.

Okay, STOP I've changed my mind.

I had written a whole bunch of those last year/this year comparisons...I just deleted them all. Yes, I feel a little crappy and sorry for myself this evening, but seriously, there is absolutely nothing worth complaining about. NOTHING! I have so much to be grateful for.

It's not that I'm not allowed to have a bad day...that's life, we all have those. But, know that beneath the surface of my minor frustations, there's a sh*t load of gratitude :)

 Cheers!

FYTO Virtual 5K and Determination!

“If you're waiting for hell to freeze over, you're skating on thin ice”

Anon

Out here in Québec, Canada...we literally Froze our Thorns Off during today's race. Also, if you've read Jamoosh's report for this race, you already know that the instructions were not so clear and that some of us runners ended up getting lost ;) Although, being female, "I" asked for directions and only went 7 extra miles out of my way and not 19! Uhumm...(seriously, you are a machine Jamoosh!)

So yeah, it was slow going today and if I take my average pace per K for the 16K and multiply it by 5K, I end up with a time of 37m09s. Not too excited about that time, but I got out there today and I'm pretty excited about that :)

Thanks for organizing this cool race Adam and for being so lenient about the rules. I think it's great that you put all this together and actually had a real race out there...I wish I lived closer (I wouldn't mind your weather either!). Oh and I saw your race report...you, Sir, are one speedy fellow...Wow!!

Determination!



Let's just say I've used up every last ounce of it over the last week. I've felt like staying inside wrapped in a warm blanket, drinking something warm (or alcoholic), while reading a good book...sigh. But, I got out there and did what I had to do...and Yes, I was pleased with myself for getting it done and No, I didn't regret it. Still, given the choice...well, I guess I always have a choice and I know which one makes me feel better in the end. Ultimately, I'm glad I'm hard-headed and determined...even if I have to dress like this:

Yup...I'm the ninja in front trying to take a picture of the three of us as we near the end of our 16K  :)

Have a great week everyone!

Cheers!

What I learned in 2010...and Happy New Year!

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."

Hal Borland

A little over a year ago, at the age of 50, I started running. In 2010, I went from a complete newbie, to someone who easily uses the words pace, cadence, hill repeats, fartlek, Gu, Sports Beans, salt tablets, minimalist shoes, cross-training, compression socks, foam roller and Body Glide. I know what PR, PT, BQ, Yasso's and SUAR stand for. I've joined a world where pit stop has a whole new meaning and carbo-loading is a good thing.

It was also a year ago today, that I first started blogging. I guess that makes January first my blogiversary :)

That's a lot of new things and let's just say that my learning curve in 2010 was quite steep!

Before I give you my list of things I learned in 2010, let me show you the cool shirt I got from Stefano of Run with the Black Knight. If you are not yet a member of the Black Knight army head on over and join us.

The words on the top left are "Forti e Veloci" which means "Strong and Fast" in Italian. How cool is that! Thanks again Stefano :)

Also thanks to Giorgio of Giorgio's runners blog, my other Italian friend who sent me this beautiful print of the Vatican in Rome. Very Beautiful.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming :)

Things I learned in 2010 (these relate to MOI, everyone should do what works for them):

• Registering for races is great motivation.
• Take it slow...do not try and do too much too quickly. Always increase gradually.
• Stick to one pair of shoes.
• Do not switch to new shoes without going through a transition phase. Even if they are the exact same shoe, the new shoe will not be the same as the worn in shoe and could cause minor injury.
• Wear a minimalist shoe to maintain good running form (Saucony Type A4 is working FOR ME).
• Land on the mid-foot, then let the heel go down to help with the push off. Give the final push off with the big toe and tighten glute.
• Make sure abs are strong to help with running form.
• Maintain a 180 steps per minute cadence (approximately).
• CROSS-TRAIN (just running is the recipe for injury in my case).
• You can workout from home, no more gym membership (again, this pertains to me as I had been going to the gym for three years and I now feel comfortable doing it at home).
• But, have a personnal trainer make a new program for you every 3 months or so.
• See PT as soon as there is pain for more than two runs. It always helps me avoid serious injury.
• Plastic bags over my long thick socks works to keep the wet out, but make sure the bag is not too tight at the toes, because the toes push through and make a hole.
• Running partners help pass the time on long runs. 
• Whenever possible, run by a washroom at the halfway point of a long run.
• I am always glad I got out there...I have never regretted going for a run.
• The blogging community is a wonderful source of support and knowledge.
• But, real life always comes first.

I could go on and on...but, none of my lessons can be yours, as experience is the best teacher. However, I would like to end this post by reminding you never to take your good health for granted.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I wish you good health, injury-free running and many moments of pure joy in 2011.

Cheers!