It is still miserably hot, and my stomach is still not my best friend, but I braved the heat and the pain for a good 3.63 miles today.
My stomach wanted to stop before I even started, but I’m running this show, right?
I had on my new knee brace (not neoprene, thank goodness!) and it worked surprisingly well. There were a few pangs of ‘ouch’ but nothing I couldn’t handle.
Limits were pushed, even if on a small scale, and I feel really good about that.
Today I’m not feeling wonderful. Okay, I’m not even really feeling good. I’m hurting in a way that is hard to explain and that I’ve just come to know as a ‘Crohn’s Day.’ I hate these days as they get in the way of everything. It’s a Saturday so my plans were minimal, but if I did have them, they most assuredly would have been cancelled.
I didn’t get out for any substantive training today as I was pretty sure that had I tried, I would have ended up sitting on a picnic table wondering what the odds were that a park ranger would magically appear in a club car to take me back to my car. Remembering that the first picnic table or bench is a good three miles in on the trail, this didn’t seem like a wise idea.
The fact that I didn’t get out for a walk to train for a half marathon to raise money for Crohn’s and colitis research because of Crohn’s is some sort of ridiculous irony. I’m frustrated by it, but I’ll just take that and put it into the steps I can take, always remembering that this isn’t just for me and I’m fortunate to have gotten as well as I have to be able to do this.
But I still hate Crohn’s. A lot.
I got in 7.29 miles this morning before the air turned to liquid and the temperature spiked. Things were going rather well until somewhere around mile 5. My right knee ached. Not a dull ache, but a searing hurt that made me want to curl up and cry. But I kept going. After all, I drove myself today and needed to get back to my car. The biggest downside to this trail is that absent the parking lots, there are extended stretches where you couldn’t be easily picked up or gotten to in case of emergency. But I digress…
I kept walking, doing the best I could, but the only way I was able to take step after step without falling down was to turn my foot outward and try not to bend my knee. Every so often my knee would give and I was afraid I’d tumble, but I’d stop for a moment, try to get things situated and go on.
At 7.29 I was coming to a spot where the trail goes under an overpass and there was a well-worn trail leading to the sidewalk running to the road. I limped up the little incline, sat down on the sidewalk (it’s not a heavily traveled road so it’s not like I was sitting in the midst of lots of traffic. although at that point, I may have) and called X, tears in my eyes and after apologizing for the unexpected wake up call, X was out the door to get me.
I got to my car, slowly climbed in and made my way home. It’s not how I thought this morning would play out, but I have a better idea of my limits as far as pain is concerned. And 7.29 miles is better than no miles at all, right?
My sister is the best. Part of this whole thing is knowing that I’m not doing it alone. That goes for the half, but even more, it goes to Crohn’s, and really, everything I do. My sister a huge support in everything and with all of this, I know that she gets it. Really, she’s the best.
The heat index is again topping 100, with the humidity and dew point unbearable by mid-morning. There’s presently one of those very middle-America-completely-out-of-nowhere thunderstorms going on. I’d love to think that the rain will break the heat enough for me to get in a walk, but I’ve been here long enough to know that isn’t going to happen. So for tonight it’s sit ups and some yoga.
But tomorrow, it’s up early, really early, for a long walk before the air turns into pea soup and I melt.
I heard thunder rumbling when I woke up this morning, but it seemed to be off in the distance. Wanting to get out and do something, anything really, I slipped on my shoes and made my way out for what I thought would be a nice four mile walk, with hopefully a bit of jogging mixed in.
I wanted to try a 5/1 today (running for minutes, walking for 1), or at least as I could get to it. I had my knee wrapped and thought I’d be good to go for that. I started off walking for a few minutes so I wouldn’t completely frighten my muscles. I got to a slight downhill in my neighborhood and cleverly thought that would be a good place to start the jogging. It was a nice way to save energy so away I went. I had been running for a few minutes and enjoying the cool air when I was startled by a very loud crack of thunder.
It wasn’t raining so I kept at it. That lasted another 5 seconds before I saw a gorgeous lightning strike. I’m all for things of beauty, but I’m also for not being struck by lightning. At this point it occurred to me that I needed to get home. Fortunately I hadn’t gotten too far so I turned around and back home I went.
It started raining some as I was a few blocks from home and when I got there it was a full on thunderstorm. So only 2.3 miles today, but my pace was good and my knee mostly cooperated. And most importantly, I did not get struck by lighting.
Every time my phone buzzes with a donation, I get butterflies. December 5 seems like an eternity away, but I’m really excited to get there. I’m excited about the training. I’m excited about the half itself. And I’m excited that this seems to be just the mental jump I needed to keep pushing the physical in the right direction – away from where I was when I was so very sick. I still have days when Crohn’s is more present than absent, but I’m worlds away from where I was and every day I am looking more and more forward to 13.1.
I am shocked at the immediate response to my fundraising efforts. On Thursday night I sent out a link to my fundraising site, http://www.active.com/donate/lv10national/abbeinvegas. By Friday afternoon I had over $500.00 towards my $4000.00 goal. I am in awe of the kindness of people in supporting a cause that may not be the most glamorous and may not even affect anyone they know.
Thank you to those who have donated. And thank you to those who are helping me make this journey happen.
I set out this morning from the finish end of the Little Blue Trace Trail and plans were again for a pick up when I needed. I took a copy of the map with me so I would be able to compare the miles I had walked according to the app I loaded on my Blackberry, RoadRunnerGPS, and match up at which shelter or parking lot I was.
I set off and right away noticed that the KT Tech Tape I had on my knees and right hip were working well. I felt less wobbly and less pain. I started off at a good clip and felt good when I reached the parking lot I ended up at last time. I knew I had gone almost three miles and I was still feeling really good. I was enjoying the weather and letting my mind wander some.
My mind again went back to the hospital as I thought how much better I felt walking this morning knowing what was around the next bed, the same way I felt better on the days when I knew what treatment and routine to expect. Spontaneity is great but it certainly has its place.
I lost a bit of speed as the miles went by but I still felt good. I hit mile six and there was a shelter. I paused the GPS and took a few minutes to enjoy sitting on a picnic table and stretching a bit. My right knee was starting to ache and I thought about calling for X to get come me, but I wanted to keep going so I sucked it up and did just that.
I wasn’t thrilled with my knee by mile 7, but it was either turn around and go back to the mile 6 shelter, or keep going another mile or so and get to the next parking area. I kept going and until I had to walk down an incline things were bearable. I thought about continuing past the parking lot to the next shelter, about another mile, as I still had enough energy to keep going, but not wanting to make things worse, I called it a day at mile 8.4.
Reviewing the data from the GPS, I cut some time off the pacing from my last long walk, something I feel pretty good about. So as long as I can figure out the knee/hip issues, I think I’ll be good to go.
I’ve officially registered for the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Half Marathon, to be run/walked/jogged December 5, 2010. I spent a good long while setting up my online fundraising website, http://www.active.com/donate/lv10national/abbeinvegas, and sending out a first round of emails.
I went through the map of ‘my’ trail today to figure out how this weekend’s longer walk will go. I think I have it sorted so I can walk the opposite direction as I have been and give myself a few more options on distance. There are a number of shelters/parking lots clustered towards one end of the trail so my plan is to use that end as my end direction so I can push myself but not worry about where I’ll end up when my little legs can go no more.
Today, I’m excited. Really excited.
