I am offically a Marathon Runner!!!!!

Well I did it I ran a Marathon but let me start from the beginning.

It all started at the EXPO.  We had three family members running during marathon weekend so we were all over the expo getting our bibs.  I was able to jump to corrals while we were there at that took a little bit of pressure off of me during the race.

We also got the the expo while they had plenty of Run Disney stuff.  So if you ever run durning marathon weekend I would say get there on thursday if you want Run Disney stuff.

Next up was the family 5K and It was my moms first 5K ever.  My dad and I also did it with her.

Last up for me ( My dad did the goofy) was the full marathon.  It is the longest distance I have ever run.  Due to injuries and illness I was not able to train the way I wanted to but hey I finished.  It was fun to run with my dad.  We took pictures with many characters along the way.

                                      
Those are just a few.  We tried to hit up the hard to find characters.  It messed with out time a little bit but it was worth it.

The first few mile were nice.  It was still dark so it wasn't hot yet.  It didn't get really hot to me until after we left Animal Kingdom.  It also felt like there was no shade after that point.

I was okay until about mile 18 then my knee which I hurt in the fall decided to swell up.  at least at that point in the race we were in the single digit miles.

It was also extremely hot.  Many runners who have ran it in the past said that it was one of the hottest marathons at Disney.

All in all it was a good race weekend.  Not sure if I will ever run a full marathon again.  I guess only time will tell if I do another one.

Back at it!

Well I ran my first race since hurting my knee.  It was my first half marathon since july and since I fell.  I was doing alright until about mile 8 or 9 then the pounding on the hard ground started to bother me.  It was colder than I like to run in (who idea was it to run a marathon in January).  I bundled up and said I don't have choice I have to get these miles in.

getting out of the car was the hardest part until mile 8 or 9.  Thats when my leg and ankles started to bother me.   My knee didn't hurt but I could tell that my muscles weren't at the level that they normally would be at. My ankles hurt because of how hard the ground was.  I never have problems in the summer so this pain was kind of new to me.  I have had issues with one of the them in some winter races before but never both.  Oh wells it winter in chicago so I will just have to get used to it for the rest of my training.  I don't think it will be a problem in florida.  It was a rough race for my dad also.  He normally runs a half with a bad ankle in about 2:28- 2:31 and he finished in 2:49.

I was able to run with a fellow W.I.S.H. run Rick and that was nice because we have run several of the same race but were never able to talk, so it was nice to talk for 13.1 miles.

My next race will be the Walt Disney World full Marathon and I am not sure if that is exciting or scary. I still have a lot of training to get in before we head down but I am looking forward to running at the happiest place on earth again.

Until Next Time.

THey came!!!

I have to start by saying that I ordered my W.I.S.H team running shirts in July.  after I opened them the first time the color was correct but the writing was missing so back they went.  I called and the company was really really NICE and felt bad about this mix up.  There was a few races that we wanted to wear them in but then I got hurt so it was all good that we didn't have them yet.

It took forever to get them back again because they needed to wait for more orders.  I didn't have a problem with that I totally understand that it is more cost effective for the company to wait for a larger order to print than just our four shirts.  Again Every time I called the company was very very nice to me about my having to wait longer for the shirts.

A long story short I now have one less thing I was stressing about for marathon weekend.  I guess now my main stress is going to be the actual running part.

Not Much going on.

Well like the title says there isn't much going on right now.  I have gotten back to training and that is slowly get back on track. Life has been stressful lately which is also why I haven't had time to post anything.  We moved my grandma into a nursing home and that wasn't easy at all.  plus I decided to return to school and that whole process from the financial aid to signing up for classes was more frustrating then the first time I went to school.  Other than that we had a whopping 17 trick or treaters at halloween.

All Clear

well I got the all clear to run from my doctor the other day.  I am so happy to be able to run again.
So I decided to go for a little run yesterday and it was a little run.  I ran about a half mile because my right leg started to bother me and I decided to not risk it.  It didn't hurt but I could tell that it is weaker than my left leg.

Another on bites the infield mix

Some of you already know that I have an injury that has sidelined my marathon training.  for those who don't know let me fill you in.  the good part is that it is an injury that I laugh while telling people.  All of you learned from my post before this one that I am part of a co-ed softball team, well that team made it to the championship game( which we won).  during that game I fell.  Yes I said fell.  heres the part that makes me laugh I fell with out any one really around me well the only person was my teammate who was right behind me.  I played the rest of the game with a ripped up shin.  I didn't know the real damage until later that night.  all the sudden in the middle of the night my knee started to hurt and when I felt it I noticed it was swollen.

The Picture to the left is what my leg looked like two weeks after my fall.  It had to be covered for two and half weeks because my knees brace bothers it.

I also went through two tubes of neosporin and 23 bandages.

This is the worst of the burns.  I also have one on my hip and a small one which is all healed and has a little scar not nearly as bad this one.

The bruises have all healed and I couldn't sleep on my right side for about a week and a half.

Below you see Big Birtha yes thats right I named her.  It turns out my knee swelled because I sprained my MCL.  I knew it that night because I in high school I sprained the same MCL and it is a pain you never forget.

Well since it is sprained I cant do much of anything for a whole month.  at least I am half way through cause I am starting to go a little crazy not being able to run or work out with my trainer.

Not being able to run has set me behind in my training for the Disney World Marathon in January.  I know I will be able to finish the marathon I might have to adjust my goal finish time.

I am also a little nervous about what it is going to feel like when I can start running and working out again.  I remember it taking a little while to get back into the swing of things after I could play sports again.

Well this is about as good as my leg is going to get.  I went to the doctor today and they told me that my leg might look like this forever and it will take up to a year to find out.  It never real scabbed as you can tell from the picture above.

Since I haven't been able to do much of anything I was able to watch my first race ever.  I am always running and haven't been able to watch the whole thing.  It was fun.

Hopefully my next post will be about a race and not and injury.

UNTIL NEXT TIME.

Time to Vent!!!

Why are people so rude?

Let me start this post off by say telling you that before this summer I have never played softball.  I don't think that I ever had to play it gym class.  I was only supposed to be a sub but it turned into a full time spot.  I am former Division 1 athlete but my skills from soccer didn't really translate to softball, so to make a long story short I wasn't very good for most of the season.  I am one of the worst in the league but I am on one of the best teams. I have made huge improvements and can say I not just a body so the team doesn't forfeit anymore.

So this is where my venting comes in

Ready... Here I go...

It is play off time and my team was playing the team right behind us in the standings.  Their pitcher decide he was going to make a low blow about my playing ability while at bat.  I just think that I was so wrong to make comment about someone who already isn't the greatest.  It was comment that didn't need to made and it was also false.  I have hit the ball plenty of times. I don't don't understand why anyone would make a comment about a person who is clearly struggling and is not the strongest person on the field.