Running...oh, Sweet Running!

Life has been hectic and crazy and everything that describes hectic and crazy. School has been totally overwhelming this year with the expectations wearing me down. I can't keep up with the blogging, and for that I apologize. Plus, nothing has been very exciting until now.

Yep, I have officially started my walk to run program. It began last weekend with 2 minute intervals, on a very flat, well-groomed trail. My walking time was 8 minutes after I finished the 2 minutes of light, and very easy jogging totalling 2 miles (I had already walked 2 miles multiple times). My muscles are great, my hip was good too, but my cardio...ugggh! As much as I have done spin and even a Bosu class (hard) this week, the cardio has not kept up. So this process will be a bit of stretching out the lungs as much as breaking in the ole' hip.

I went to PT today and went ahead and very carefully told Cameron what I had done. The itch just wouldn't go away, and I gave in. Today, I am one week away from being cleared by Dr. White to do it, so I figured two weeks early (only running once last week) wasn't too bad. Cameron took a little bit of persuading, but he finally said that if two minutes was okay that I could 4 minutes this weekend. I didn't wait. I did a full 1.5 hours of hard PT, and then this afternoon, I hit the trail again. Marc has been great with me and very patient too. We always bring the dogs, and so my goal of being able to run with Tuff again, is happening regularly. I did a 3.3 mile run today (Cameron said 3 miles...) and ran for 4 minute intervals, and then walked for 8 minutes. He doesn't want me to increase my running and decrease my breaks or walking on the same day. So the plan for Sunday is run for 4 minutes and walk for 6. Eventually, I will be running the whole 3 miles. I am planning on doing a 5k in about 4 weeks, just for fun. I am excited about being able to run a race...any type of race. A 5k sounds like a challenge right now, but a realistic goal.

After that, I am going to do a series of races here to get ready to go into marathon training. The series is 10k, 8 miles, 10 miles, and 20K during january and February. I will start training for my first post-op marathon in March. It is exciting to actually talk running again. Of course, this will happen as long as things continue on this path, which I am fully expecting.

My pain is non-existant; however, I can "find" it and still have trouble bending my leg certain ways. I am not sure I will ever be able to sit "criss-cross apple-sauce" again, or comfortably lift my foot up to put my shoe on, but every day life is pain free. Cameron just said today that I will be one of Dr. White's star patients: I am pain free, and will be running marathons again. Very exciting! Now if things could slow down a little at school, I would have some time to enjoy all of this.