Three Things Thursday....The S Edition

1. Sorry.......am I sorry I kept running in Maine after I stepped in the pot hole, fell quickly as I threw out the F bomb loudly (no one was around, mostly vacation homes)?  Well yes and no. I limped a few feet and then ran the two miles back to the hotel. My leg didn't hurt and although it occurred to me not to lengthen my run I never considered cutting it short. All my thoughts were on running the next day. Before I got back.... it still wasn't hurting but I was aware I could feel something which I soon found out was my ankle touching my shoe where my ankle doesn't usually touch my shoe. Must have been that whole swollen thing.  I may have wish I'd been smarter and known to stop running but I don't see me doing it differently at the time. In the future the same thing may cause me to take a different course.  And of course I didn't exactly give my ankle a lot of TLC the rest of the day either. Oh we are so much smarter with hindsight.

2. Smart....am I being smart now and listening to my body?  Why yes I am. Thank you for commenting and telling me to listen to my body. I checked my blog comments several times in the last couple of days because I needed to hear others telling me not running is smart. I so badly wanted to run today.  It didn't hurt like yesterday.  But I had publicly said I would not run today and I didn't!!  I do plan to swim tomorrow but I am not sure when the whole run thing will happen again. I have not been singing running's praises for quite awhile so I am amazed at how much I miss it but man I do. Johann said it best in my comments with yet another S word: "Even though it sucks big time it is still the fastest way back to full recovery." 

3. Swimming....how I love you swimming!  Your low "impactedness" allows me to get a workout in.  I may not be any good but you don't care.  Up and down the pool, up and down the pool.  That's not the way to get better?  Who cares!  I am working out, I feel good when I am done, my confidence in swimming is building, I know I can do the distance and not drown and most important of all, you are keeping me sane.

And I'm aware that I am hitting the publish button on Wednesday, not Thursday, but in order to be sure there is room for me in our newly crowded pool I need to get up at a ridiculous hour and get there.  No time to check Facebook, play Words with Friends or publish a post.

I'm Listening

Okay, I was a tad excited a bit too soon about my running ability.  Things seemed great Saturday, Sunday and even Monday as I walked and ran my on the treadmill. I may have changed the walk to run ratio too soon.  My ankle/foot/leg was not happy today.  I even noticed it when I was swimming.  It ached all day.  Not a lot.  But enough for me to rethink my current plans and decide for now I could have no plans.  Tomorrow will be a day off even though my bag is packed and ready to go out the door with me in the morning.  Yes, it will be.  I repeat. Yes, tomorrow will be a day off.  There I've said it in public so now I need to do it.

No more talk of training.  We'll see which halves I get to do.  It's all in the future but right now I'll try to appreciate the days I can run and not pick it up too soon.

Back in the Hokas Again

I ran both days this weekend.  Yesterday I walked 3 and ran 1 mile on the treadmill.  The treadmill never looked so good.  No potholes to worry about and I could stop at any time.  The mile I ran was the slowest mile I ever ran on the treadmill but it felt so good.

Today I went back for more and felt ever so much better. Today I ran 3 miles with 2 miles of walk breaks peppered in there. I could go somewhat faster and it felt completely good. I am wearing an ankle brace which helps me at least mentally.  I am so happy to be running again.  I know I have not been shy about my preference for biking but in Vermont the love of biking only takes you so far in the long off season. The trainer just doesn't cut it and that wasn't feeling so great either.

Last week I swam 4 mornings.  I could tell my ankle was really improving so I skipped Friday with a short walk/run on Saturday in mind.  Swimming was CRAZY this week. It was like January 1 and everyone had just made that New Year's Resolution. But people it is March.  Why are you coming so early in droves now?  I was at the pool before 6 the other morning and there were already 9 cars there and two women got out of the car next to me.  The pool is not a big one.  So far I have been able to get in but it's much more fun when not so crowded. I am glad I can reduce it this week and get some serious aerobic workouts in. It is hard for me to make swimming particularly aerobic with my lack of speed and whatever it is I am missing.

Now I am wondering what I do about my half marathon training plan.  My first spring half is mid April. I don't feel I'll be ready for that but I have two more in the spring.  I know people miss two weeks all the time and keep going but since I have options I am rethinking this.  I have one on May 5 I think which is 9 weeks away.  I am thinking maybe I will go back to week 4 of my training plan and train "hard" for that one.  Then I also have one on May 29 or so and I could do that one but both Emily and Jameson will be racing it and I would like to just have fun and not worry so much about my time.  The trouble is May 5 is a hilly one but a goal to do better than last year would be a worthwhile one IMO.  Thoughts?  How long have you missed and jumped back into a training plan?  I am not sure how completely I can do it even now.  This week will be a bit of a trial and error for me.  I am still a little hesitant going down stairs and I can't do my stretches yet.

Unplugged Half - not feeling I'll be ready

Maple Half - hilly but at a good time

VCM - just want to enjoy the day

I also registered for two races this summer.  I have been looking and looking and looking at the Shipyard Half in Portland, Maine.  I like the course, the medals, the brewery putting it on. Those are good reasons right?  I don't know about a half in mid July but oh well.  I also registered for the Biggest Loser race at the end of July.  Link on my sidebar for either of these races if you want to know more.  This race is rather unique (involves a chairlift ride) and I couldn't resist. It is a 5K or a 15K.  The problem is it is the day after my triathlon I have registered for so I went with the 5K option.

Love signing up for races!

Love running again!

What's rocking your world right now?

Maine -the Shopping Post

Okay I can't run. Not much to blog about so it's a great time to showboat my Maine shopping purchases for those who care.

This shirt is from LL Bean and looks quite good.  After I had already bought some stuff I realized I didn't get this. I didn't know if I left it hanging in the dressing room or what. So I went back. I may have gotten a few more things, one rather expensive one.

Horny Toad dress - I have 3 similar to this plus one with short sleeves. It is a very flattering dress as well as being very comfy. It was upstairs in the bargain section (most of Freeport, Maine is outlets) and it was another 30% off that. And it was my size. I HAD to get it.

LL Bean I had seen these quite expensive stretch jeans in the catalogue - supposedly feel like sweatpants. They were in the outlet and were an additional 50% off so once again I had to get them.

LL Bean -  a dress I had seen in the catalogue and wanted to look at. Flattering. Not on sale.

Okay. This is what I got when I went back to L.L. Bean. I so didn't need it.  I had liked it the first time but didn't like the color. Then I noticed they had more and some in this color, my current favorite.  Did I need a new jacket, flattering, lightweight and fun for biking and running?  You probably know the answer to that.

I didn't forget my buddy, Jaxon.  We went to Congdon's for breakfast.  The woman who helps in my class for lunch and recess and is the most wonderful assistant in the world thinks Congdons has the best doughnuts anywhere.  I had tried them a few summers ago and didn't think so. But we went there for breakfast and I had a couple more - only for test purposes.   I still don't think so but both my friends I went with do.  Haven't they ever been to Middlebury Bagel Bakery who easily makes the best doughnuts anywhere!  Anywhere!

I got this shirt at Patagonia. It was the only one left. It was in my size.  It is pink. It was $6.

And it has a bike on it.  Enough said.

This falls heavily into the I didn't need it category. But it was on sale at Nike and was an additional 30% off that. And it is kind of fun.

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Columbia - one of my favorite outlets. They didn't have a lot this time (that's how outlets are) but I loved these pants.  7 dollars.

On sale for almost nothing at NIke and I had to get it.

On sale at Nike but not for almost nothing. 

Another style I have thousands of.  Loved the gray and orange though.

LL Bean. This is for my son. (Sh it's for his bday.) When I took him the dog cookies he 

was wearing a similar looking shirt. I asked him where he got it and he told me I got it for him at LL Bean. He went on to say it was one of his favorite shirts.  (wrinkle resistant is good for him)  

And that's it.  That's enough.  Except for the jacket everything was a good or great price.  Do you buy things you don't need? Do you have a certain thing you buy a lot of?  Shoes?  Purses?  Jackets are the worst for me.

A Pity Party.... Want to Join?

I hate not running.

My foot doesn't like me being on my feet all day at work.

I'm back to icing.

It's a week. The doctor said I could run in a week to 10 days.  It certainly isn't happening in a week nor will it be in 10 days.

Thank God for swimming.

I hate not running.

If I knew the date I could run it would make it easier.

Anyone have the "Future Running Date Crystal Ball?"

Anyone else want to come to my pity party?

Seven for Sunday

1. I HATE being injured and unable to run.  I HATE not knowing when I will be able to run again.  My ankle seems to have stagnated and no longer is improving.  Yesterday I tried biking on the trainer and it felt somewhat worse.  I am looking at 3 halves I have signed up for this spring.  The first one is mid April. I won't be able to race it but will I be able to run that distance?

2. I have organized all of my pictures in Iphoto.  It is a little embarrassing how much I enjoyed doing this. It was a little obsessive. I thought it would take me months and it took just a few days.  My computer's clock is screwed up so they are not chronological but they are organized into events rather well if I do say so myself.  I threw out well over 1000 pictures.

3.  I am looking forward to the Oscars tonight if I can stay awake. I have seen a lot of the films up for best picture which is unusual. I have two favorites.  Argo and Silver Linings Playbook

4. This is the sunrise which is pretty but I am taking this from my hotel room rather than as I am running along the beach beside it.  Somehow it was not quite the same.

5. I usually do a half marathon in Hampton Beach this month but I didn't because the date was different or my vacation was. Well the race ended up getting cancelled because of the storm so I lucked out there.  It's a race I love but I may do the fall version one of these years.

6.  I seem to be looking at lots of race sites and thinking about future races. There is a half in Maine in the middle of July that is very appealing to me. But the idea of Maine traffic in the summer is not appealing.  There is a tri the same weekend (different day) that I wanted to do last year but then couldn't because of my wrist. The tri is closer and cheaper but I really like the looks of the half.  I have quite a few tris lined up in my plans so if I don't do this one I can save it for another year. The most appealing part of it may be that the swim is only 1/4 mile!  And the Shipyard Half has the best medal!!

7. Back to work tomorrow.  Ugh.  Within an hour I will be overwhelmed with stuff to do and it will be like we didn't have a vacation. It was good while it lasted.

The Land of Denial

I woke up Sunday to an expected snowfall.  Remember I like running in the snow and snowing while at the ocean is unusual enough for me that I could be colored very happy.  So up I got and off I went.  I generally run at least  a bit on the beach and I was about to head down the steps to do it this time.  But there were rocks everywhere due to the storm the week before.  I could have crossed them but they looked slippery and wobbly and rather precarious so I decided to be careful and I didn't go down to the beach.

I continued up to Nubble Point Lighthouse which I probably have 100 or more pictures of but I always take another. I particularly like it in a storm when the light is on.  So here is Sunday's picture.  Honestly it is not one I already had.

I headed toward Short Sands taking the scenic route of course.  It wasn't too slippery and I was watching where I was going.  I thought.  Then all of a sudden I was on the ground having stepped in a pothole. (So much for that wise decision to not go down to the beach.) I got up fairly quickly and things seemed to be okay.  My ankle was sore but I could bare weight.  I limped for a few feet and then what did I do?

Did I continue to limp the shortest route home?

Did I call my friends to come get me since they had a car and I had my phone?

Did I try to get help of any kind?

Did I decide it didn't really hurt and continue my run?

If you guessed the last one you are correct of course and I am guessing I am not the only one out there who would have done this.  I did decide not to lengthen my route.  I also planned my runs for the rest of vacation while I continued this run because I was firmly vacationing at this point in the Land of Denial. Another spot I am guessing I am not the only one to have visited.  When I got back my friends thought I must have gone a long ways since I was gone awhile but I said no it just took me awhile.  I then took off my shoe.  Oops.'

Pefectly normal looking right?  Did I stay in the hotel and put my foot up and ice it?  No, we continued to Freeport and shopped as planned.  It truthfully didn't hurt much and at one point I wasn't even limping. I was very encouraged and still planning the rest of my runs for the trip. I did not share these thoughts with my friends  knowing the reaction I would get.  

The next day when I got up (I was wearing a brace I bought at Rite Aid - truthfully to help on the  run I would be taking although again I didn't tell my friends that was why I was buying it.)  But I knew during the night that I would NOT be taking a run the next morning. When I got up and struggled to put on my shoe I heard H whisper to M, "Is she going running?"  I grumpily answered I was going to get some ice and acted indignant that she would think I was stupid enough to go for a run.  So off I went to the next building to the ice machine in my pajamas to get a bucket of ice.  I didn't care at all who saw me as I was now firmly in the Land of Grumpiness.  I then proceeded to do this off and on for the next hour.

I took pictures of it again and was surprised to say it was swollen on both sides. I had not noticed it the day before.  It was turning black and blue and not looking that great. I spent a lot of time googling swollen ankle, when to see the doctor, when you can run again. All the sites seemed to say, "Never say JUST a swollen ankle, it is a serious injury."  Great.  I did not go to the doctor/ER while in Maine.  

I kept my foot up in the car but again I did not stay put just elevating it and icing it all day.  We went out for breakfast and then went to Portland to Shipyard Brewery. Some of our plans had to be changed because it was President's Day and things weren't open but the brewery was. It was rather a fun tour and a good place to pick up some souvenirs!  I liked the Prelude the best of all the samples I had.

I did head back to the room before going out for burger and a beer to ice and elevate.  This was definitely not the vacation I had planned.  When we left on Tuesday there were many people out running along the ocean and I was green with envy. When I got home I called my doctor's office and they had me come down immediately.  The doctor was very impressed with how much it had improved. He seemed to think I had been doing all the right things to reduce the swelling.  He told me I could swim and bike any time but no running for a week to 10 days. 

 So for now I am listening. I have been swimming the past two mornings and it was wonderful! I have not tried the bike yet which is a good indicator that my foot hurts a fair amount and running is not in my immediate future.  Putting a boot on is a bit of a challenge. Going upstairs is much easier than going down.  I read more than once that you can run again after you can jump up and down on that foot three times. Right now that thought makes me cringe.  So I think I have left the Land of Denial.

Have you ever visited the Land of Denial?  How long were you there? What got you there?