A whole year ago today, my life was in a completely different place. It was a month before my wedding, and I was running fairly regularly, but with no specific race in mind. I had a steady job at a place I loved, and was just happy to be done school and starting my legal career.
On August 18th, 2009, I was running around, doing some things I had to in preparation for the wedding date. I had to go to the second floor of a business, which I had only ever visited on the main floor. When going to go back down the stairs, my shoe got caught on the stair, and I fell down 6-8 stairs onto their tile floor, hitting a radiator with my back on the way down. My full weight landed on my left knee, and I was in immediate pain. I couldn't get up.
When I finally was moving again, I was embarrassed I had fallen in front of the front door, and I was sadly told that I was not the first person to have fallen down that flight of stairs. Staff and clients had done it before.
Over the next few days, I was in serious pain. I developed a huge bruise on my hip, and the pain in my knee made it impossible to weight bear on it. I couldn't sit for long periods of time without having horrible back pain. I even went to the emergency clinic, who sent me for xrays and prescribed pain medication. I spent a month going to a massage therapist before he told me that there was nothing else he could do for me. I was sent off to a sports medicine physician, who again sent me to have xrays and discussed injections to increase the mobility of my knee. While my back and hip healed fairly well, I had numbness, tingling sensation on my knee, limited mobility, and anytime I put direct pressure on the front of my kneecap, I faced intense shooting pain.
Today, one year to the day since I have fallen, I am still waiting on an MRI for my knee. While the symptoms have gotten better, I still have very limited ability to kneel, cross my legs, play on the floor with my dog and the munchkin, etc. I am very thankful that my knee has generally held up during this half marathon training, and hope it continues to work for years to come. I just wish I would have a diagnosis, and that the diagnosis might come with a solution. Long runs are still had on me, and my knee often lets me know it's discontent the evening of a run. But I still do it, because it is important to me, and I don't want to let my injury define me as a runner if it doesn't have to.
My long run on Monday went well, I decided that I would do 13km (8mi) since my last two long runs were big busts. The kms were hard, but I was happy to get back into the game with my long runs. I even took my first ice bath!!! Here's a Captain Obvious statement: It was SO cold!!! But I definitely felt most of my body was better able to recoup after taking it.
My goal for the next month, since it is a month to the day to my half marathon, is to get 100% serious about this race. That generally means two things:
1. I need to start following my training program to a tee. This means, 4-5 runs a week, and getting my hills and fartleks in.
2. I need to EAT like an athlete. There is far too much junk food in my house, and it is magically finding it's way into my mouth. Not good! So I need to drastically limit the amount of sugar I am eating, starting tomorrow.... well, ok, starting today. Other than the treats I am baking for a bridal shower on Saturday, which of course I will have to taste test, no sweets! I will be going around my house and moving things out of sight today to reduce my temptation.
That's all for me right now. Further job news and running updates will flow later this week.
Any more guessers on the fact vs BS about me? I might have to find a prize, because someone is pretty close with their answers..... :D
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