August 18, 2015

12-year anniversary (and new marathon plans)

Well, my long run didn't exactly go as planned on Sunday, and certainly not as I'd hoped.

On Saturday, Jerry and I went to his cousin's wedding. I wanted to make sure my run in the morning would be as pleasant as possible, so I didn't have a single alcoholic beverage at the wedding, and I ate plenty of calories at dinner to fuel up for 15 miles. I tried to get a nice picture of Jerry and me, but when he tries to smile instead of making the "Jerry face", he just ends up looking creepy ;) (It reminds me of that Friends episode where Monica is trying to get Chandler to smile for pictures.)


I left at around 9:00 so that I could be in bed by 10:00. I set the alarm for 5:00 in the morning, in order to get an early start before the sun made it feel a thousand times hotter than it was. Jerry said he would come with me, and ride his bike while I ran. I felt as prepared as I could be for this run!

We parked the car at 5:45, and headed out onto the bike path. Immediately, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my ankle, including the spot where my stress fracture was. I was totally taken aback, because  out of all the things to go wrong, I really thought my stress fracture was done giving me trouble. I stopped to stretch for a second, and heard my ankle pop (in a normal way, like cracking your knuckles). I though that had to have been the problem, so I tried running again, and I couldn't even do it without limping. I knew I had to stop. I also knew that if I skipped this 15-miler, there was no way to "catch up" on my training for the marathon.

When that realization hit me, as I was limping back to the car, I stopped and just sat on the ground and cried. I did everything right--seeing a physical therapist, doing the PT exercises, getting my training approved, taking it easy when I felt the need to--but it didn't make any difference. Jerry felt really bad for me, and kept trying to help make me feel better, but there really isn't anything that can help.

We stopped at Kroger before going home, because we were invited to a barbecue later and I needed to make something to bring. When I got out of the car, my ankle felt totally fine. I hopped on one foot--again, no pain. I ran around the parking lot, and there was nothing. It felt totally normal! I knew I hadn't made up the pain earlier, because it was so bad I was actually limping even while walking to the car.

I briefly thought about starting my 15-miler from Kroger, but I think my body was probably giving me a harsh warning earlier that I was doing too much, too soon. Even if I got through the 15-miler, I still have several weeks of training and the marathon itself to get through. What if the pain came back, and all the training for was nothing? So, I stuck with my decision to drop the marathon, as awful as that made me feel.

I was glad we had something fun to do on Sunday, otherwise I would have let the marathon bother me all day. Sunday was Jerry's and my 12-year anniversary. On Saturday, my friend Eric and his wife, Maris, put together a last-minute barbecue at their house on Sunday, with several of our good friends from high school. It sounded like a fun way to spend our anniversary!

Maris made grilled chicken, Mexican rice, and refried beans (all delicious!) and we spent the whole afternoon hanging out with friends. Eric and Maris's house is just around the corner from the chapel where Jerry and I got married, and someone suggested we go take a picture there for our anniversary. Amy and Maris even cut some flowers from Maris's garden and made me a bouquet! I thought the photos were a great idea, so Jack, Amy, Adam, Jerry, and I walked to the chapel, where we took some fun photos.


Adam, pretending to marry us




It was a super fun afternoon, and even though we had thought about going out afterward for our anniversary, we had had a great time and decided to call it a day. We spent the evening at home watching a movie.

It's hard to believe it's been 12 years since we got married and 16 years since we started dating! In other ways, it feels like it's been so much longer. I can't even remember what my life was like before I met Jerry (as a junior in high school!). Our friends are awesome, and I feel so lucky that we still keep in touch.

The marathon was still on my mind all day, but there is really nothing I can do about that. I am just hoping that I'm making the right decision. I could drop to the half-marathon if I wanted (I have until August 26 to decide), but I don't even know if that's a good idea. I'm thinking maybe I need to focus on other things for the rest of the year--running short distances (10K or less) if I'm able, and doing more cross-training and "fun" ways to stay active (tennis with Noah, or riding my bike, etc.).

I have an appointment with an orthopedist next month for my back, but I'm going to talk to him about my stress fracture as well, and see what his advice is. For now, I have no "schedule" of what to do as far as exercise, so it feels odd; but I love the relief of not worrying about the marathon anymore. I was feeling SO much pressure to get my training in so that I could be prepared for it.

I also have some other news that is exciting (and a little scary)--I am going to be coaching cross country for second through fourth graders this fall! It's something I've been thinking about ever since I got my RRCA certification, and my friend Renee mentioned that she was thinking of it, too. So the two of us are going to coach the elementary kids. Renee came over this afternoon so we could plan. I was nervous, but after talking about it with Renee, I'm less nervous and more excited. Should be interesting, if nothing else! ;)

38 comments:

  1. Keep up the great work Katie. Congrats on the Anniversay!

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  2. How fun!!! (About the coaching) My daughter got to participate in the Girls on the Run program that focuses on body positivity, setting healthy goals, and body acceptance during the "tween" age years. Their coaches were awesome. I'm sure that you and your friend are going to be just as awesome with your cross country group!!

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  3. Have you considered working with or starting a Girls On The Run program in your area? With your running background you love of nutrition and your life experience I think you would be a phenomenal coach. You are so motivating to your online friends I think your local girls would truly benefit from a coach like you

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    1. Thanks! I'll see how the coaching goes this season, and maybe consider it next year. Girls are a little intimidating to me because I have two boys! ;)

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  4. I'm so sorry you've been derailed, again. I've survived a bunch of derailments myself and it's always hard. But better to slow down and re-evaluate than do permanent damage to yourself. Good luck going forward. Run for fun, and fitness, and getting the body you want back again. You're always an inspiration.

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  5. I think you're right, that your body was trying to tell you something. Try not to get too down on yourself, it happened for a reason. I'm sure soon enough there will be signs that it was the right decision to drop the race.

    How exciting that you're going to be coaching!! I admire how much you're stepping outside of your comfort zone, good for you!!

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    1. Oh, and Happy Anniversary to the both of you!! :)

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  6. I love the chapel photos, how sweet! Our anniversary is the same day (we just hit 'one'). Congrats on the coaching job and the anniversary!

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  7. Injuries are so frustrating. I recently started running and I was actually enjoying it! My knees started acting up; I think I have runner's knee. It's so hard to be positive when your body can't do what you want it to! Hang in there and be patient with yourself. Thank you for your blog, you are so inspiring and I really enjoy reading it! 😊

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  8. Wait, one tweak of pain and you cancel your entire plan? Isn't that a bit fast? You have now been running for weeks ... why such a sudden decision?

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    1. It wasn't a "tweak" of pain, which would have been normal for the healing process. It was excruciating and definitely not normal. Most people have done 16+ miles by now for the Detroit Marathon. The most I've done is 12. Playing "catch up" at this point is very likely to cause injury, if it's not reinjured already. I want my leg to heal more than I want to run another marathon, so it was a judgement call.

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    2. OK, but you were hopping around on it just a short bit later with NO pain, that's what is confusing. Plans can always be adjusted ... your run/walk method seemed to be working with great success so its sad to see you quit the entire thing vs. making adjustments. You know your body best, however ...

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    3. I agree. In fact, I asked a couple of weeks ago about you changing your plans and never following one through… You said you didn't see a problem with it, but maybe I was right. I think that you give up too easily and do whatever you want, but in reality you don't know what you want besides to eat a lot and make excuses for not following through on any training plan. Maybe that seems a little harsh- Hell, maybe it is harsh, but come on. You're 30 something, it's time to get it together. Stop whining, and follow through!

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    4. So harsh :( Katie, don't let these sorts of comments get you down. Plans change.

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  9. I'm sorry to hear about your marathon but I'm glad you made the right decision by listening to your body. I hope this gives you some stress-free runs and will heal up your ankle permanently! Good luck on your coaching :)

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  10. I have been a reader of yours for quite some time and have never commented before, but I wanted to tell you that I admire your drive and determination as well as your dedication to improving your health! I also love your transparency in your writing and your "down to earth" personality. I feel like I can relate to you on so many levels-I too am married to my high school sweetheart and we have 2 boys as well :)

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    1. Just wanted to tell you to keep going! You're doing great!!

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  11. I'm so sorry that you had to change your plans; that really sucks. But it's good that you're taking care of your ankle! If you're feeling pain, taking it slow really is the best way to go so it can heal fully.

    Happy 12th anniversary!!

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  12. Katie, I think you made the exact right choice to give up your marathon plans. At the risk of sounding like an older person trying to be a know-it-all :-) I think that if your primary interest is long-term health and fitness, your best bet is to mix up your training and keep your mileage on the low end. I'm 63 and can still run a sub-25-min 5K, but my weekly fitness routine consists generally of swimming a mile two days, running 3 or 4 miles 2 or 3 times, and walking about 10-15 miles with friends or my yellow Lab. In the summer, I also ride my bike 15 to 20 miles a few times a month, and in the winter I use an exercise bike occasionally. I honestly think this is what has kept me relatively injury free over the past several decades. I ran two half-marathons in my early 50s but decided two was enough, and since then, I have never run farther than 5 or 6 miles at a time. I hope this helps - I love your blog, and I think you're an amazing person. Good luck with your coaching - I think you will do a great job and have fun with the kids!

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    1. I can't even tell you how encouraging and helpful this comment is for me! I'm stunned at your 5K time--I bet you always win your age group award ;) I've been thinking about cutting back on the running for a while now, and doing it more for fitness than "training" for races. I think it's amazing how active you are at 63, and you could crush my current 5K time! Keep doing what you're doing, because it's certainly working out well for you :)

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  13. The coaching sounds amazingly fun!!! I think you made the best decision about the marathon....your health and well being are the utmost important things!!!!

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  14. I am so sorry about your injury, I know how frustrating and heartbreaking it is when you WANT to run and can't. I think it's great you're going to coach! Another idea I wanted to suggest...here in Oregon one of the local running clubs has a program called "Run With The Dogs". They meet up every week and take some of shelter dogs out for runs before the shelter opens, so that way they get exercise and are therefore calmer in front of potential adopters. The group also does long walks for the dogs who are older or dogs who are tiny and can't keep up on a quick run. I did it a couple of times and it was so much fun! Maybe you could suggest starting a program like that at the shelter where you adopted Joey?

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  15. Very sorry to hear that you've had to opt out of the Detroit Marathon. Be proud of yourself for listening to your body and prioritizing your health. In the long run, it will be the best choice for you!

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  16. You and Jerry remind me so much of my husband and I. We started dating when we were 15, and now we've been married for 6 years this year and have one baby of our own. He makes me laugh every single day!

    Happy Anniversary!! :)

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  17. I am SO excited to hear you will be coaching the elementary kids!! that is a great use of your certification! I think it is SO important for kids to get the right training for sports at an early age!

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  18. I'm so sorry to know you had to change your plans, but I know it will all be okay. You have so many positives to focus on right now. So excited to hear about your experiences in coaching the kids!!

    Happy anniversary!

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  19. Yay happy anniversary! My 12 year anniversary is Sunday and we've been together almost 17 years and I feel the same way some days I can't remember a time when we weren't together and some days it feels as if we have been together no time. Sorry to hear that you are dropping the marathon and your long run didn't go as planned but sometimes our bodies know best even when its not what our mind and heart want to do.

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  20. I don't think Jerry looks creepy at all. I think his smile looks much better than the open mouth.

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  21. Ugh, I am so sorry to hear that! I'm totally surprised like you were - it really seemed like you had done all the right things and you had completely recovered from the stress fracture. What a disappointment. :(

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  22. Oh my goodness you are adorable in that dress! Happy 12th to you and Jerry.

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  23. Every so often I take time to catch up on my favorite blogs. Happy Anniversary! What a fun way to celebrate and... your pictures are super cute. Sorry to read about your running struggles. Have you considered walking the Detroit half marathon? I know it's completely not what you had in mind, but a friend of mine walked the half and found it to be am enjoyable experience. And last congrats on the coaching job. My kids have always loved their coaches and you will definitely have a positive influence on those kids. I swear my kids idolize their coaches. Good luck to you! -Lindsey

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    1. Thanks Lindsey! Walking the half never even occurred to me, but I actually really like that idea. I enjoyed cheering for the people walking it in 2013, so maybe I'll walk it this year. Might as well burn some calories for the post-race party ;)

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    2. Okay, maybe it was impulsive, but I did it... I switched to the half, and I'm going to walk it! Thank you for suggesting it!

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    3. Yay! I'm glad you found a great compromise!

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    4. Yay! I'm glad you found a great compromise!

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    5. Yay! I'm glad you found a great compromise!

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  24. I'm so excited to hear how the coaching goes, what a great way to stay active and get younger kids interested in being active as well!

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