June recap.

June was packed with lots and lots of activities -- both for the kids and the adults. I found myself turning to a little more cross-training than in recent months, which is probably a good thing. After the hamstring injury I told myself I'd be a lot better about cross-training. And I've been only OK about it. Except in June. June I was good!

My running mileage wasn't very high, though. No matter. I'm running as I feel like it and getting in the cross-training.

June mileage: 57.5

It's fine. I did cross training probably twice a week, all month. I'm happy about that!

And I'm feeling good on my runs. I'm enjoying it. Sometimes, that's all that matters!

Happy July, folks!

April and May.

Well. Here I am, two months after my last post. Where have those two months gone?

They were filled with baseball games, birthday celebrations, and essential oils classes, mostly! It really has been a bit of a whirlwind around here.

I also got in some running and have been progressing fairly nicely.

April miles: 59.3

May miles: 63.9

Compare that to where I started the year -- a measly half-mile at the end of January -- and, hooray! I'm happy for the miles I'm running these days.

I'm also happy for the fun my two boys have been having playing baseball. The regular season has ended for both of them but my little guy had a great time in his first season of t-ball and my big just-turned-8 year old loved every minute of his farm season. His team did well in the playoffs, making it to the championship game, but ultimately losing in a hard-played game. He's now moving on to All-Stars so we have another "season" of baseball ahead of us!

T-ball! 

Getting a hit in the semi-finals.

The 8-year-old requested a baseball stadium cake -- so I got busy and made one :-)

 Have a great week, everyone!

Post-running injury disorder.

As I've been making my way back from my hamstring injury in November, I've realized something about myself: I am, on the one hand, full of joy because I am running. On the other hand . . . I am full of fear . . . because I am running.

This is real.

I've been contemplating signing up for a 5K now that I'm able to run 5 miles comfortably. But, I haven't pulled the trigger. I just keep contemplating it.

And I keep talking myself out of signing up.

Why? Because I'm afraid of re-injury, sure. But why else? Because I'm -- and this is so vain I don't even like to admit it -- well, I'm afraid my race time will be too slow.

Now, before you jump all over me and say that slow is relative and my slow is someone else's fast and all that  . . . let me stop you and say, I know all that. I do. And I get it.

However, it does not change the feeling that I have about my times. I don't really care what my times are in relation to anyone else's times. I care what they are in relation to me. And now I'm feeling like my speed is gone. Like I'm at that point where I'm not getting any faster and, in fact, will see only slower times ahead. Like I'm the Pokey Runner. 

This is totally a case of post-running injury disorder.

See, I spent 9 weeks not running At. All. And when I got back to it I was running only a half mile at a time. I can totally understand why I was feeling unsure about my running back then. Even when I'd gotten up to a full mile, I was still feeling pain.

Now, though, I'm not. I'm good to go. Good to run. Good to race.

So, why not go for it, already?!?

It's the fear. I know. And I know I've got to get over it.

Today, I actually made a little progress. I ran 4+ miles and then tacked on 5 hill repeats (for about another mile). This was the first time I've run anything close to speedwork since before the marathon. It was a big step, for sure.

We'll see if it helps shake the fear. 

I need that powerful weapon back!

I'll be working on it. 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

March recap.

And justlikethat my mileage tripled!

In February, I ran that half marathon over the course of the month. In March, I logged a full 36.4 miles. Look at me go! Almost 10 miles a week. A far cry from where I was last fall -- and also a far cry from the big fat zero miles I ran in December and the half mile I ran in January!

So, there's that. And I'm not mad about it.

In fact, I'm thrilled. Because, really, my running is picking up right as the weather is brightening up. And what could be better than that?

I'm ready for April! Ready for more miles! Ready for springtime running!

Almost . . . almost . . . ready to get a race on my schedule. Almost.

Baby steps. Or baby runs, as the case may be!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Getting real.

Last weekend, running got real.

It has been a long, long time since I've felt like I was really running. A long time. Ever since I started my gradual build-up from nothing to something in February, I've been on the treadmill. This winter has been too cold, too snowy for me to try anything outside during this early stage of recovery.

Saturday, though, was a sunny day. A dry day. A no-snow-on-the-roads day.

So I ran. Outside. In the sun.

Folks, I have missed it. And I didn't truly realize how much I have missed getting outside for a run until I actually did. Yes, I knew I missed running. I mean, c'mon. Of course I did. But, I'd convinced myself that it was OK to be on the DL. That it wasn't that horrible to not run.

And, in many ways, it wasn't that horrible to not run. But it wasn't great. And even when I started running again and I was logging half miles and then miles on the treadmill, I still wasn't getting the full experience.

Once I did, it all came rushing back to me.

Oh, running. I've missed you. I've missed you so very much.

Sure, it was only 3 miles but they were 3 miles IN THE SUN! With brisk air -- downhills, uphills, twists, turns. It was wonderful!

This week the weather looks like it will cooperate again and I should be able to get out for more outside runs.

Life is good.

Have a great week!

February Half Marathon.

That's right. I ran a half-marathon in February!

Not all at once, mind you. But, over the course of 28 days I ran 13.1 miles.

13.1 miles. In 28 days! Look at me go . . .

Now, 13.1 miles may not be a lot. I know that. It is a lot, however, when compared to the half mile I ran in January and the zero miles I ran in December. Compared to those monthly totals, February was a monster.

And March? Well, I have a good feeling about the month. It is full of promise -- the beginning of spring, the return to substantial mileage. Heck, I might even run a marathon this month!

Just not all at once.

I have a long way to go before that happens again :-)

Have a great week, everyone!

Three months.

At the 3 month mark of my injury, I'm feeling really hopeful.

My recovery is going very, very, sloooooowly. But, anything worth doing takes time, right? And recovering well is totally worth doing. So, if it takes a long time I have to be OK with that.

I'm running again. The most I've run so far is 2 miles, a couple of times. But, 2 miles is SO FAR from nothing!!! It is a pretty big deal.

I'm also still using the ellipitical and bike and I'm doing the tv workouts.

The only thing that has a tendency to discourage me is the snow and cold. At first, I kept telling myself that if I was going to be injured, a cold and snowy winter was the time to be injured. I mean, what would I be missing? Running in the freezing cold? Slipping on the ice? Who needs that?

But, now --- now, I'm recovering. I'm ready to start running outside but I can't. I can't risk slipping -- or tearing a too-cold and stiff muscle -- and setting myself back 3 months. I just won't do it.

And that rots. Because, right now, if I could run outside, I'd be farther along in my recovery. Running on the treadmill uses the same motion over and over -- especially because I can't use the incline at this stage of my recovery. So, I get to a point where I have to stop. Yes, I'm taking walk breaks and that helps. But if I was running outside . . . oh, well. I'm not. No sense making myself crazy with thoughts of what could be!

Spring and the promise of wonderful outdoor runs will be here soon! Until then, I'm content to just be able to run again :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Progress!

Slowly but surely I am starting to run. My longest unbroken run has been a mile but I've only done that once since starting back. Mostly, I've been running a half mile, walking for a quarter mile and running another half mile. It is what I can do right now. I'm glad to be doing it.

Would I love to be logging more miles? Would I love to have the confidence in my body to start considering a fall marathon or half-marathon like most of my running friends are doing?

Yes and yes.

But am I sad? Am I discouraged?

Honestly? Maybe a little. But probably less than you might expect. I mean, it rots, this whole not-able-to-really-run thing. But I'm doing other things. I'm riding the bike and using the elliptical at the gym. I'm exercising along with the "master trainers" on the Radius programs. I'm lifting some weights at home and at the gym.

None of it is the same as running, for sure. And I do miss running more than a half mile at a time.

This I know: I'll be back to more significant distance soon. In the meantime, I'll just be hanging around, working on my endurance!

Have a great week, everyone!

Half and half.

Well, friends, it happened.

I ran.

Yup, I ran.

In fact, I've run twice. Twice!

This is a big deal here in Happy Runner-ville. I mean, before these two runs, my last run was Thanksgiving day. (A.K.A. Horrible Hamstring Injury day.) That was waaaaay back in November.

But on January 30th, I ran again. I was walking along on the treadmill and I decided to just go for it. Try it out. See if I could run. Even a little.

And I did! I ran a half mile. A HALF MILE!!!!

It was awesome. Yeah, it was slow as anything and my hamstring was barking for the last half of that half mile, but I RAN!

Best part? Afterward I felt no worse than I felt before.

So, I went for it again and ran on Sunday. This time, I really pushed the envelope and ran a little more than a half mile. I think I made it all the way to .6 of a mile. Again, I felt it in my hamstring for the last half of the run but I didn't feel any worse afterward.

Good signs.

If I can keep this up, I'll be running a mile in no time :-)

To me, this is a super-duper development in my recovery plan. I've been soooooooooooo patient and I just hope that all of my patience and rehab exercises work so I can come back this spring and start to actually log some decent miles. I believe I will.

Even if I have to do it half mile at a time!

Have a great week, everyone!

Monday Motivation.

I read a sentence the other day that just hit me, and stayed with me, the way some things do sometimes.

"Why not choose to do everything you do with joy and enthusiasm?" 

Huh. I mean, really. Why not? Why not choose to do that? The way you live your life, the attitude that you have, those are both your choice, right? Right.

And if you choose to do everything you do with joy and enthusiasm, it makes sense that everything you do will be more enjoyable. More joyful.

At least I think so.

No, I don't think so. I believe it.

Sure, it is tough to always be enthusiastic about some things. I get it. But, if you choose it, you'll be more likely to get it.

So this week -- why not choose it? Choose to do everything you do with joy and enthusiasm. You'll feel better. Give it a shot :-)

Have a great week, everyone!

* The quote is from The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Two months.

I've been avoiding this blog. Not because I don't love it. And, certainly, not because I no longer love running.

I've been avoiding the blog because I haven't been running and what the heck do you write about when you're hanging around on the disabled list for months?

In my case, nothing. You choose not to write about anything because if you did write about something it would probably sound like whining and, honestly, who wants to read that?

No one.

And so. Here I am. Two months into living with my injured hamstring. I tried to run earlier in January and it did not go well. So I am sticking with cross-training these days. I use the elliptical a few days a week and sometimes still ride the bike. I've also been doing some HIIT workouts that I've found on the trusty TV. Their fun -- and different. 

What else?

Well, I've been going for chiropractic treatments and my chiropractor recently started doing the Graston technique on my lame hamstring. Working toward full recovery!

I've also been very busy with my doTERRA business -- teaching lots of classes and sharing my enthusiasm for natural wellness solutions and essential oils with anyone who wants to listen :-) This time of the year, I am especially grateful to have these things in my life -- as people all around me are catching one illness after another, my family and I are staying healthy! Woo hoo!

So, that's where this happy runner is these days. Recovering. Working. Enjoying my boys. All good.

Of course, it would be better to be running. But, I'll take what I can get :-)

Have a great week, everyone!