Joey meets Bailey

We have had some SUPER cold weather the past few days. The temp has been in the single digits, and the windchill brings it well below zero degrees. When it's this cold, it's so hard to get motivated to do anything.

On Wednesday, I walked Joey to my parents' house, and Nathan (my younger brother) came over with his dog, a black lab named Bailey. I was really excited to introduce Joey and Bailey, because I could tell that Joey has been dying to play with other dogs (every time we go for a walk, he gets super excited and playful when he sees a dog).

When Nathan and Bailey got there, we let the two dogs loose in the yard, and as I expected, Joey was ridiculously excited. Bailey seemed a little annoyed at first, because Joey was right in her face constantly, but once we started throwing the tennis ball for them, they were running all over the place. Joey normally loves playing fetch with the ball, but he was so distracted by Bailey that he just did whatever she did. I'd throw the ball, and Bailey would take off after it; Joey, who was always watching Bailey, took off, too--although he had no idea why he was running, haha.

Needless to say, Joey was always a few steps behind Bailey, so she won the race to the ball each time ;)

This picture says it all: Bailey got the ball, and Joey is watching her with
a big old grin on his face.

My feet were super numb from the cold after about an hour, so we didn't stay long.

Yesterday, I didn't go to the rec in the morning because there is no open swim on Thursday mornings, but I decided to just go in the evening and walk the track while the kids played basketball. I tried taking Joey for a walk outside in the afternoon, but my face hurt from the cold--we only went around the block, and my legs and face were beet red.

A package was delivered in the afternoon, and I knew I hadn't ordered anything, so I was curious what it was. Then I saw that it was addressed to Joey.

The note read: "Joey, We can't wait to meet you. Here is some of our favorite treats. Love, your cousins, Lucy & Remi". Lucy and Remi are my sister's basset hounds. They are pretty spoiled, so I knew that the box would contain some great treats for Joey! There were a couple of toys, an elk antler chew, and several different treats--including bully sticks (which I learned are actually dried bull penises!). Joey loved everything. The elk antler chew is awesome--he chewed on it for a couple of hours yesterday, and didn't even make a dent in it, so it'll last a long time.

Last night, I took the boys to basketball, and while they were playing, I walked on the indoor track at the rec. I turned on a podcast to listen to while I walked, but I was still bored (12 laps equals 1 mile, so the scenery is limited!). I felt like I was full of energy last night, but I had no way to really release it--I wanted to run so badly, but I have to be patient and wait for my stress fracture to heal.

While I was walking, Renee ran past me and waved. I was really jealous seeing her run! She kept lapping me, and I'm sure she ran three miles in the time it took me to walk half that. At one point, I wanted to pass a couple of people ahead of me, so I had to go into the "runner's lane" to pass. The track is so small that you can't really see if anyone is coming up behind you until they're right there, so without thinking, I just hopped into the runner's lane and then ran ahead to pass those people. I immediately realized I shouldn't be running, so I got back into the middle lane; but I was really excited to realize that my ankle feels much better than it did the last time I tried running a short distance.

It didn't really hurt, but I could feel the spot where the fracture is, and definitely noticed it, so I know it's not healed yet. But I felt really good after that, thinking that maybe in a couple more weeks I might be able to start running short distances. After I was done with my walk (an hour and 15 minutes), I was going down the stairs when I realized that I didn't feel any pain doing that. Normally, when I go down those stairs, I feel a little tug of pain when my foot hits each step, but it wasn't happening. After that, I felt so encouraged that my ankle is actually healing!

We have a super cold weekend ahead, so I'm going to have to bundle up to walk Joey. Jerry is crazy enough to play a "Snowball Softball" tournament this weekend--there are about 30 teams that get together to play this tournament, and it's supposed to be single digit temps (with windchill below zero). Crazy, right?!

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Missing running

It's kind of strange how I'm starting to get used to not running. For the last five years, running has been as big a part of my life as brushing my teeth! In 2010, once I got past that initial "I hate this, why am I doing this, I'm going to quit running as soon as I finish that 5K I signed up for..." attitude, it was like I just couldn't stop. I was hooked on it!

My first race: Ragnar Relay Great River 2010

I've dealt with a couple of knee injuries (during most of 2012), but I (stupidly) ran through the pain and eventually was fine again (they would have healed much faster if I hadn't run through the pain). So this is definitely the longest I've ever gone without a run. Any time I would go for more than two days without a run, it became really obvious that I was needing it. I would get really crabby and irritable, and feel pretty restless. Running kept my sanity.

After a couple of years of running consistently 3-5 times per week, I realized I never wanted to stop. It did awesome things for my mind and body, and I was really thrilled that I stuck out the tough beginning to get to where I was.

I love identifying as a runner. I love feeling like one of those "elite people" (or so I used to think of them) that can just head out for an "easy 10 miler" on a Sunday morning. I love that running has become the "easy" sport, and I'd rather do it than any other form of exercise. I love that running allows me to burn thousands of calories, so I can eat the foods I love without gaining back the 100+ pounds I lost.

My favorite race picture of all time. I've posted
this no less than 276 times on my blog. 

It's been five and a half weeks since my last run, which ended halfway through a long run, due to ongoing ankle pain. The first two weeks off from running were torture. I was thinking about running pretty much every moment of the day, and I felt horribly guilty for not running. Once I started deep water running in the pool, I felt a little better, but I don't get all of those "love-y" feelings I mentioned above when I deep water run.

I miss running. I miss thinking about running. I miss writing out training plans. I miss setting time goals, and reaching for them. I miss racing. I miss planning races. I miss that little connection, or bond, I felt with other runners.

I know it's only been less than six weeks, but I don't even feel like a runner anymore. It's not the first thing I think of when I wake up in the mornings. I don't plan my days around running, or fit running into my days. It's actually almost scary when I realize that I don't even really think much about running anymore.

I think I'm mostly scared that this injury is going to push me right back to the 253-pound couch potato I was just 6 years ago. After I started running, and I'd lost the weight, my weight has certainly had its ups and downs--bouncing around a 25-pound range between 130 and 155 several times (even a few pounds higher on a bad day). That's nothing new. But the one thing that stayed very consistent was my dedication to running, and training, and setting goals for racing. Even if I gained back all the weight, I would at least have running.

Logically, I know that my stress fracture will heal, and I won't be forever sidelined from running. I realize I'm being a little dramatic. I'm just afraid of getting so far out of the habit that I won't be able to get back into the habit once I'm able to run again. Make sense?

I hope this post doesn't sound whiney. I'm not trying to whine, just trying to explain this whole thought process. People are injured all the time, and I never think much of other people taking two weeks, six weeks, or even six months off from the sport. But now that it's happening to me, I'm trying to stay positive but still be realistic. Even if I have to take several months off, several months is nothing in the grand scheme of things. It just derails my running goals for 2015. This was going to be a great year for my running! Hopefully it still can be.

I'm hoping that by taking the time to heal, regardless of how long that is, I'll come back stronger than ever. And smarter. I've already been planning some changes: 1) Make cross-training a priority, even if it's just deep water running in the pool; 2) Make strength-training a priority, as much as I hate it; 3) Follow my training program right to the letter, and don't "squeeze in" races here and there. Pick a race and focus solely on that, training specifically for that; and 4) Make my "easy" runs truly easy. Even if the pace is embarrassingly slow, I will do them ridiculously easy.

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To lighten this up a bit, I'll end with asking you all a question that Runner's World posted on Facebook recently: What's the most embarrassing thing to happen to you on a run?

Mine was definitely when I got home from a run and realized that I looked like THIS:

Haha! You can read the story here. :)

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Podcasts and dog training

I woke up feeling much better today! The past few days were terrible, but yesterday it turned around. I was worried I'd have to reschedule my Red Cross CPR/AED/First Aid certification class yesterday, but I felt good enough to go. My current certification expires next week, and I have to keep it current in order to maintain my RRCA running coach certification.

It was a long class--five hours! I'm glad to have that taken care of for another two years, though. It's hard to believe that it was already two years ago that I got my running coach certification.

This morning, after getting the kids off to school, I went to the rec center to do a deep water run. I had downloaded a bunch of podcasts to my iPod to listen to in the pool, and it really helped make the time go by quickly. I didn't do intervals today--just a steady run, which isn't as effective, but I ran for nearly an hour. I was listening to this podcast called Risk!, which is a storytelling podcast (where real people share real stories, most of which are embarrassing or funny).

I was alone in the deep end of the pool, but there were several people in the other end, and there was a lifeguard walking around the perimeter. I burst out laughing (out loud) at least three times while I was running--it was very embarrassing, but the podcast was so funny that I couldn't help it! Every time the lifeguard would walk by, I hid my face under the water because I had this enormous grin, and I must have looked ridiculous.

Several people have mentioned the podcast Serial, and how addicting it is, so I listened to the first episode of that last week. It's basically a real-life murder mystery, and this woman tries to solve it. I think I would really like the podcast if there was an actual conclusion, but after I listened to the first episode, I asked my friends about the end. It's left open-ended, so I decided not to listen to any more of it. I hate not knowing the truth! It's like that TV show called Disappeared, where people just vanish into thin air, and they are never heard from again--there is no conclusion, so you're left wondering what happened to them.

But anyway, I do love storytelling podcasts, like The Moth, and that's what I've been listening to lately. That will get me through a ton of deep water running! My guess is, it's going to be at least another 3-4 weeks before I can run on ground again.

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Joey has been doing great! I still consider myself a "cat person" all the way, but Joey is certainly making me see dogs differently. Today, I was lying on the bed talking to Jerry, and Joey parked himself right in-between us ;)

I think we're learning little bits and pieces about his past based on his behavior. (The only thing we knew from the shelter was that he was brought in as a stray, and nobody ever claimed him). He doesn't bark much at all--he'll let out one or two barks if someone comes into the house (when he hears the door open), but that's it. He doesn't bark when he sees or hears other dogs, when people walk past the house, when meeting new people, or anything like that (yay!). But when I was walking him down our street a couple of days ago, our new neighbor (James) was outside talking to another neighbor (Corey), so I stopped to chat.

When Joey saw the James, he started barking, backed away from him, and looked scared to death. James was really friendly, and tried coaxing Joey to come over to him, but Joey was freaked out. He went right up to Corey, and let Corey pet all over him, though. So it made me wonder if James just reminded him of his previous owner or someone that was familiar to him? I don't know. Eventually, Joey let James pet him, but he was very cautious about getting close to him.

Another clue to his past: Yesterday, he completely tore apart the $16 Kong tennis/football that I'd bought him. I couldn't believe it! Jerry and I were laughing about how quickly he destroyed it, and I gathered up the pieces to put in front of Joey to take a picture (I wanted to show my brother, because his black lab tore his entire house to pieces when he first got her).

As soon as I put the pieces in front of Joey, he looked broken--his ears and tail dropped, and he ran and cowered like he was terrified that I was going to hit him or something. I felt awful! So I think he probably used to get punished for chewing things.

When I was at the Purina Better With Pets Summit, there was a dog trainer there who talked about the effectiveness of using positive reinforcement training, as opposed to "alpha dog" training (praising/rewarding when the dog does good, versus scolding/punishing when the dog does bad), and hearing her talk was really what sparked my interest in getting a dog. She explained things so well, and I decided that if we ever did get dog, I was going to use the positive reinforcement training. (Wow, I feel dumb now! I just double checked the itinerary of the Summit for the trainer's name, and it sounded familiar from the training article I just linked to above--turns out the trainer was Victoria Stilwell from "It's Me Or The Dog" on Animal Planet! I had never seen that show, so I had no idea. Anyway... she was a great speaker, and I loved what she had to say.)

I had to explain to the kids and Jerry how to do it, so that we're all on the same page, and so far, it's worked wonderfully. Joey has learned the following commands: sit, stay, come, drop it, leave it, bring me your ball, down, and back off. And that's within a week! I think the positive reinforcement is good for him, especially considering he seems scared of certain things.

The kids absolutely adore him. Today, Eli was spinning a top on the kitchen floor, and Joey was so curious about it. He kept sneaking up to and trying to tap it with his paw (much like a cat would do) and Eli was cracking up. The kids love that Joey comes to them when they call him, because the cats would never do that (they usually come when I call them, but when the kids do). I really wish I could get Joey to sleep with them, but he always ends up on my bed.

But anyway--that's the update. We've only had him a week, but I'm so happy with how well it's all going!

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Motivational Monday #97

Happy Motivational Monday! As you know, this has been a crazy week for me. Adopting a dog has been super fun, and entirely exhausting (in a good way). I've been walking Joey a LOT, so I've been getting in a ton of steps this week. I've been neglecting the deep water running a little because of it, but hopefully once we get settled into a routine, it'll be easier to get in my own workouts. Today, I went to the pool in the evening with the kids and did a deep water run. It was nice having the waterproof iPod! 

I've also been SUPER sick this week. Yesterday, Jerry ended up taking a vacation day from work just so that he could help out at home and I could rest--that's how sick I was. My head was really congested, my throat was absolutely killing me, and I was coughing up a lung. I got a total of about eight hours of sleep in four days because my throat was hurting so badly. It's kind of weird how quickly I felt better, though. Yesterday and the day before was the worst I've ever felt from a virus; and today, I felt about 60% back to normal. 

I'm hoping this week will be more normal--no sickness, and working out a good routine with Joey. I hope everyone has had a great week!

Just a couple of Motivational Monday stories to share today. Enjoy!

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First up... my mom! ;) My mom (Sue, on left in photo), who is 62, walked a half-marathon in Hilton Head, South Carolina on Saturday! Considering she lives in Michigan, she's been doing a lot of her training on the treadmill and even with the Aqua Jogger (she tried mine and really liked it, so she bought one, too). A friend of hers, Isabel, who is 65, joined her to do the race. Isabel lives in Florida, and did her training with a 76-year old neighbor who walked 12 miles with her in one of her training walks! Isabel and my mom had a great time during the race, but felt a little panicky when they realized they were the last of the half-marathoners. Their goal was to finish in 4 hours (walking), and they came in at 3:57! The volunteers were awesome and supportive, knowing they were last--cheering them on, walking with them at times to keep them on the right path, and making sure they had water. It was a great experience! This was Isabel's first half and my mom's fourth.

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Last year, after having her second baby, Diane decided she needed to do something for herself--so she started running. She began by walking, then adding a little jogging here and there, and eventually, she was running. She even lost 15 pounds in the process! After doing it on her own for five months, she gave herself a goal to run her first 5K race--and on her last day of being 34 years old, she did it! She even clocked her best time yet: 33:25. She was so overcome with pride in herself, and hearing her daughter cheering at the finish line, that she cried as she ran across the finish line!

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This story from Martha cracked me up when I read it. Martha was thrilled to run a really great 5K race this weekend--she even scored a PR of 32:14! She finished the race with the pancake breakfast that was included with the entry fee, and when she looked up her results later, she noticed something odd. Just after her own name, with her shiny new PR, she saw her son's name with an "incomplete" next to it. It hit her then that she'd signed up him for the race as well, and she'd completely forgotten! ;)

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You can check out some more stories on the Motivational Monday Facebook post. Congrats ladies!

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Indy virtual training series: The 3-Miler

I had forgotten that when I registered for Indy, I also registered for their virtual training series. They've always done a training series in Indy--a 3-miler, 6-miler, and 10-miler--which is put on like a race, and it falls on the days that typical running schedules have you doing those distances. Obviously, four hours is a long way to drive for a training series, so I wasn't planning to do it, but when I learned that they were going to offer it as a virtual option this year, I thought it would be a fun way to stay motivated during training.

Basically, you do the runs at home, and after you're done with the 10-miler (in April), then you get a bib, t-shirt, and medal in the mail for completing the series. Today was the first run of the series--the 3-miler. I had planned on running this hard, to see if sub-2:00 would even be a good goal for Indy, but obviously that changed due to my stress fracture. I didn't want to skip it altogether, so I decided to walk the three miles with Joey and the kids.

We went to the State Park this morning at around 8:45, and I realized when we got there that the Muskrat Run 5K was today (also at the park) at 11:00. That's a race I've always wanted to do, but I've just never actually done it. Usually, we get a ton of snow right around race day, and the thought of running on the icy bike path doesn't appeal to me. Today, however, was a perfect day for the race! It was about 33 degrees, and the path was plowed pretty well. If I didn't have a stress fracture, I certainly would have done it!

The kids were excited to be able to walk Joey, and thanks to that harness I bought, they were able to handle him. He still pulls a little, but not enough to knock them over ;)

There was a LOT of stopping and going, but over a period of an hour and twenty minutes, we managed to cover three miles. So I completed my training "run" for Indy, at a super slow walking pace. It was so funny to see the Garmin pace chart, because you can see that you stop and sniff every 20 seconds or so when walking a dog ;)

We managed to finish just before the Muskrat Run was going to start the kids' race. The kids were really worried that we would be on the path when the runners came through ;)

I had planned on going to the rec center today to do a deep water run, but I am seriously SO sick that I couldn't even think of it after walking at the park. I went through all six Kleenex that I'd brought with me on the walk within the first two miles. I have no idea how my head can hold so much snot!

I was hoping that the three mile walk would be all that Joey would need today, but after dinner, he was really wound up, so the kids and I walked him to my parents' house to let him play in their yard again, and then we walked home. Now he's super tired, and he's passed out on the floor. Jerry's work schedule is less than ideal right now; I just really hope this cold I have goes away quickly!

The next training run in the Indy series is the 6-miler, which takes place on March 7th. I would really love to be able to run that, even if it's super slowly and carefully. I don't even want to test my ankle for a couple more weeks, though, minimum. Indy is just coming up so fast, and my stress fracture is really starting to make me worry that I'll never run again (dramatic, yes).

My waterproof iPod finally arrived from Amazon, so I'm really excited to try it out in the pool! I downloaded a bunch of podcasts to listen to and help pass the time. If I'm not super congested, I'm going to go tomorrow. Hopefully it'll make my deep water runs go by more quickly!

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Adjusting to life with a dog ;)

We've had Joey for three full days now, and the transition to becoming dog owners has been so much easier than I was expecting! I was picturing a very difficult time with housebreaking and chewing everything that's not nailed down, and chaos with the cats--but Joey is fantastic.

Yesterday morning, I went to the rec center to walk on the indoor track (the pool has very limited open swim hours on Thursdays, so I decided to walk instead of doing a deep water run). I left Joey alone in the house, and he did great. It was a SUPER cold day yesterday (wind chill temp was -8), so I took him for a few of short walks rather than one long one. When the kids got home, it warmed up a little, so we took Joey to my parents' house to let him play in their yard again. The kids had fun playing fetch with him while Jerry and I shoveled a bunch of snow for my parents.

The kids had basketball last night, so Jerry and I dropped them off while we went to run a couple of errands. We went to PetSmart to get some sort of leash solution for Joey to stop pulling on the leash. I had planned on getting a prong collar, because I've heard that they work really well; but when I saw them, I just couldn't bring myself to buy one. They look so scary! ;) I returned the Gentle Leader, because Joey hated it and refused to walk with it, and I decided to try a no-pull harness. I figured I'd save the prong collar idea for a last resort.

When we got home last night, I put the harness on him to take him for a quick walk down the street and back to test it out--and I was so excited that it worked! He didn't pull at all, and walking on the leash was much more pleasant. It was a little too big on him, so I ended up having to go back to PetSmart today to exchange it.

First, though, I had to take Joey to the vet. I noticed white things in his poop, which I assumed were worms. When I took him to the vaccination clinic, they gave me a little cup for a stool sample, but I didn't have to go back for two weeks--I didn't want to wait that long, so I just made an appointment with our regular vet.

I was really proud of Joey when we went to the vet's office--he was SO well-behaved. The receptionists commented on how polite he was, and as we sat and waited for the vet to come in the room, he just sat there like a gentleman.

The vet even commented that he was a very polite dog. After checking him out, the vet said that he looks extremely healthy--eyes, ears, teeth, skin, all of it. He said it was tapeworm segments in Joey's poop, so he gave him an injection to take care of that.

He has one more vaccination in a couple of weeks, as well as his sterilization surgery, and hopefully after that, he'll be good on the vet stuff for a while. There are a lot of things to do (and buy) when adopting a dog! Jerry just got a bonus at work, so it was good timing ;)

Like I said, though, everything is going so much better than I could have imagined. The cats are even getting more adjusted to having a dog in the house. They've progressed to the lower levels of the cat tree rather than the ones closest to the ceiling...

Chandler loves to pretty much taunt Joey by walking around right in front of him, and giving him a "Just try to touch me--I dare you!" look. Estelle is hilarious in that she sneaks as slowly as possible from one room to the other. She walks SO slowly, it looks like you're watching a video in slow motion, and she's constantly looking at Joey to see if he's paying attention to her. Phoebe avoids Joey during the day, but she has no problem sleeping up near my head at night while Joey's on the bed. So I'm not sure what she thinks!

I've loved having a walking companion for the past few days, and I've been getting in a ton of steps on my Fitbit. It's fun having him walk with me to and from the bus stops in the mornings, and taking him for an afternoon walk each day. Like a reader mentioned in a comment, it's nice to have a real reason to walk--and not walk because of trying to burn calories, but to walk in order to make the dog happy.

One of the unexpected bonuses of having a dog in the house is that I have been eating all meals and snacks at the dining table--nowhere else. I know that eating on couch would pretty much just invite Joey to jump all over me and/or beg for food, and I don't want him to develop that habit, so the dining table it is. Eating at the table makes it so much easier to stay on track!

I've been pretty sick for the past few days. My throat has been killing me, and my voice sounds horrid. And today, I developed bad congestion in my nose. I know this sounds weird, but I'm kind of glad to be sick now--I leave for Portland in 34 days(!); also, it never fails that I get sick the week before going to Indy in May. I usually only get sick once or twice a year, so if I'm sick now, I will likely be just fine when I go on my trips :)

Speaking of Portland, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the Shamrock Run. It's a 15K, so even if I'm able to run by then, I don't want to risk re-injuring my ankle by suddenly running 9.3 miles. Even walking that far might be a risk as far as my ankle is concerned. So I may just end up spectating. I'm feeling bummed about it, but I really want my stress fracture to heal and to never have to deal with this again! I'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks before deciding for sure.

I can't believe there are only 34 days until Portland. I'm so excited!

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Joey's first day

Joey's first night here went SO well last night. He slept on my bed the entire night, didn't make a peep, and didn't have to go out to pee or anything. I was expecting it to be a rough night, but he was an angel.

I thought it was so interesting to read the comments on yesterday's post about black dogs. I had no idea that black dogs are generally considered undesirable. My brother's dog, Bailey, is a black lab, and she is gorgeous! When we told Eli we were thinking about getting a dog, his only request was that the dog was black. When we picked Joey, it had nothing to do with his looks, but lucky for Eli, he happened to be black ;)  Anyway, I just thought it was interesting that black dogs are harder to adopt out.

The kids had school today, so after they left, I wanted to go to the rec center and get in a deep water run. It was sad leaving Joey, because he saw me getting my coat and shoes on, and he got excited like he was going somewhere. When I got to the rec, I did my favorite 8 x 2:30 interval run in the pool. The tether that I made works perfectly! I love that it holds me in place in the water so that I don't have to "run" laps. It's easier to just let my mind wander while I run in place. It'll be even better once the waterproof iPod arrives!

When I got out of the pool, I realized I forgot to bring my towel. So after rinsing off under the shower, I had to just peel off my sopping wet bathing suit and dress in clothes while I was still wet. Not fun! I guarantee I won't ever forget my towel again ;)

When I got home, Joey was super excited to see me. He was very well-behaved while I was gone--nothing was chewed, or peed on, or anything like that. I ate a quick breakfast and then took him to a low-cost vaccination clinic to get his first round of vaccines. There was a list of clinics at the shelter yesterday, and I grabbed the list on my way out; and there happened to be a clinic going on today, so it worked out perfectly.

It was at a pet supplies store, and there were several people in line when we got there. Joey was dying to play with the other dogs, I could tell. He was tested for heart worm (negative), and given his vaccines. Now we just have to make an appointment to have him neutered.  When we got home, I ate a quick lunch and then decided to take Joey for a walk to my parents' house. My parents have a large fenced-in yard, so I figured Joey could play in the snow over there.

He LOVED IT. I was cracking up watching him run all over the yard, prancing through the snow. He found a stick and brought it to me, so I played fetch with him for the longest time. He was so funny carrying it around.

We walked back to my house, and it was snowing really hard by that time. I could barely keep my eyes open because the snow was so heavy.

Joey was totally exhausted the rest of the day. He'd walked to and from Noah's bus stop, to and from Eli's bus stop (which totals one mile); to and from my parents' house (2 miles total); and he'd run like crazy all over my parents' yard for an hour.

My next-door neighbor asked if she could come over to bring Joey a treat, and I said sure. I was curious how he would react to someone knocking on the door. He barely moved a muscle when she got here. He accepted her treat, and the promptly just laid on the couch and slept. I don't know if it was the vaccinations or all the exercise, but he is one tired doggy tonight.

I was thrilled to see that I got over 10,000 steps in today, too. I don't think I've done that in about a month (ever since I injured my ankle and had to stop running). Joey is not great on a leash (he pulls), so I'm hoping to work with him on that. My arms are tired! But if that's the only fault he really has, I can certainly manage.

My friend Bonnie sent me a birthday gift which arrived today... wine from a vineyard in Virginia, and one of the bottles is called The Black Dog. Ironic! (When she ordered these, she had no idea that I was even considering getting a dog).

I can't wait to have a glass tonight!

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Stress fracture; and a new addition!

So, today was my podiatrist appointment. Since my ankle was taking so long to heal, I made the appointment just to get an x-ray and "make sure" that I didn't have a stress fracture or something like that. 

They did an x-ray, and then the doctor maneuvered my foot a bit to see where the pain was coming from, and of course, I didn't feel any pain--figures! I told him that the pain is just when I run, and it's on the side of my leg, just above my ankle. He checked my x-ray, and lo and behold, I have a stress fracture!

The fracture is on my fibula, right where I told him that it hurts when I run. He told me that there are three things you can do for a stress fracture:

1) Rest

2) Rest

3) Rest

He said they typically take about 6-8 weeks to heal, and that I shouldn't do anything that hurts. So if running hurts, don't do it (obviously). Since the water running doesn't hurt, that's fine to do. Walking doesn't hurt, so that's fine as well. 

He is certainly not a runner, because he said that he recommends that people *don't* run--ever. That it degenerates your bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. You don't just wake up one day needing a knee replacement--it's from years of abuse (namely: running). I don't know if I believe all that, but I do know that I'm not going to stop running. It's worth it to me! My dad was never a runner, but he just needed a knee replacement. Not running doesn't guarantee anything. 

I told him that not running isn't an option for me, and I briefly explained my history. He told me some suggestions for not getting the stress fracture again, including stretching, and not overtraining. Also, trying not to run on concrete, but on a softer surface (trails--I wish we had some around here! I'd love to try it). 

So basically, I just need to keep doing what I'm doing, and the fracture will heal.

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Now, for some fun news! Today, we adopted a dog :)

We've been thinking about it for a long time, and seriously considering it ever since Paolo died. We were trying to decide if we should get another cat, or if we should wait a bit and then get a dog. I really loved the idea of having a dog to walk a couple of times a day. I like to walk, but it feels rather pointless sometimes; and with a dog, I'd feel like there was a reason to go out for a walk. After going to the Better With Pets Summit for Purina, I've been thinking about getting a dog even more. 

I've been researching breeds online, and trying to figure out what would be best for my family. I have read through SO many little bio's online of dogs that are in the shelters around here. Today, Jerry and I went to the shelter to check out a few that we were interested in. Going to the shelter is so heartbreaking. I wanted to take home several of the dogs, and all of the kitties. 

We walked through and looked at all the dogs they had, and then we asked to see three of them in a separate room, so we could interact with them. The first one that came in was adorable, and the first thing we noticed was how calm he was--he didn't jump up on us, or bark, or anything. We played with him for a few minutes, and I was thinking that he had to be the dog!

Until they brought in the second one. A black lab/chow mix, about one year old. He was just as calm as the first dog, only he was really affectionate. He reminded me of a cat, how when you pet him, he would just fall over and lay on his back to let you pet his belly. After interacting with him for a little while, we decided that he was definitely the one, even before seeing the third dog.

I was concerned about how he would be with cats, though, so I wanted to walk him in the cat room to see his reaction. He was so laid-back! He walked in, and his ears perked up when he saw the cats, but he didn't get aggressive or lunge at them or anything. We were totally sold on this dog!

We filled out the application, and waited around while they processed that. There were several dogs in the waiting area, and ours (who they named "Louie" at the shelter) was so calm. He wasn't barking (actually, I was wondering if he wasn't physically able to bark, because I hadn't heard a peep out of him), and he even laid down on the floor to wait with us. The woman working there took a picture of us before we left, and I didn't know it was for Facebook--before we even got home, a few friends said they saw our pic and wondered if we got a dog! haha

On the way home, we decided to name him Joey. Louie was cute, but we just had to stick with the Friends theme ;)

We stopped at PetSmart on the way home to buy all the doggie stuff we'd need for him, and he was an angel in the car. We took him into PetSmart, and he interacted with other dogs very well, too. As soon as we got home, I gave him a bath, because he smelled terrible. I filled the tub, and he happily jumped into it. He let me bathe him, and then as soon as I toweled him off, the kids got home (they had a snow day today, but they were at a friend's house while Jerry and I went to the shelter). They were REALLY excited, and as soon as they played with him, they fell in love with him, too.

Meanwhile, in the cat tree...

Phoebe and Estelle initially hid from Joey, but Chandler is too old to give a crap about who comes in here, so he didn't let the Joey phase him at all! Eventually, I got the other cats to go sit on the cat tree, and they did okay. Joey is definitely afraid of the cats--he'll sneak close enough to try and catch a whiff of them, but jumps back if they so much as look at him.

Joey's been doing great so far, and I'm SO glad we decided to adopt him! He's such a sweet (and well-behaved!) dog. He's cuddled up next to me as I type this, actually...

He hasn't had any accidents in the house (so far) which is nice. I'm excited to take him for a walk tomorrow!

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Motivational Monday #96

Happy Motivational Monday! We had a ridiculous snow storm yesterday, and all through the night. The picture I posted yesterday (even though it was a bad pic) was at around 7:00 pm. When I woke up this morning, I was shocked at just how much more snow we had gotten. The snow was piled nearly two feet high on the trash barrels!

School was canceled for the boys, which meant that the rec center was closed today; so I used the snow as an opportunity to get in some exercise, and I shoveled the driveway. It took a long time just to clear a path from the door TO the driveway, and then I spent an hour shoveling. I only cleared about half of it before my whole upper body just felt like jelly, and Jerry took over.

I felt like it was an awesome workout, but when I checked my Fitbit, it was only about 1,000 steps. That's lame! Hahaha, considering my whole body was aching, I felt like I'd just run a marathon. Snow is heavy!

Anyway, I'm hoping that school isn't canceled tomorrow--I'd like to get a deep water run in after I get the kids off to school, because in the evening, I have my appointment with the podiatrist about my ankle.

Just a couple of stories to share for Motivational Monday today. Enjoy!

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Jen has company in town, and is extremely busy; but that didn't stop her from accepting the "Weekend Warrior" challenge that her friend set up on Fitbit. She was determined to get in her steps, and during the ENTIRE second half of the Super Bowl, she did the "free step" on the Wii Fit. It came down to about 1,000 steps, but she pulled into first place and won the challenge!

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Laura and her husband planned a vacation in Key West, and even centered the vacation around running their first half-marathon while they were there. Her goal was to run the entire race (except for the water stations), and she is thrilled to report that she did it! The couple had a blast, and are so happy to have finished. At age 47 and 48, they are using running to fight off middle age weight gain.

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This story is not from a reader, but I came across it on the internet when it went viral. It's so inspiring, I just thought it would be perfect to share for Motivational Monday! If you haven't read it already, check out this story about a Detroit man named James Robertson who walks approximately 21 miles round trip to/from work FIVE DAYS A WEEK... and has done it for a decade, because he can't afford a car. (Since the story went viral, he's gotten a ton of donations to buy a car, which I think is so exciting for him!) This is the very definition of "No excuses" ;)

Photo source Detroit Free Press

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Congrats on the accomplishments, Jen and Laura! For more stories, and to share your own accomplishments, you can check out the Motivational Monday Facebook post.

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Snowed in

Last night with my friends was fantastic! I was friends with mostly guys in high school, and they are hysterical. I'm always guaranteed to laugh until my face hurts when I hang out with them.

My younger brother, Nathan, planned a fun night with my kids so that Jerry and I could go out, and we headed over to Eric's house at around 6:00. Eric's wife, Maris, made chili, so I had a bowl of her sweet potato chili and it was delicious. We had drinks, and snacks, and chatted, and the time went by way too fast.

I had told Nathan we'd be back by 12, and even thinking it would be more like 11, but we ended up staying until around 12:30. We played Cards Against Humanity, so we kept saying, "Okay, just one more round!" So it ended up being a late night for us, but so much fun.

We knew that we were supposed to get snow dumped on us all through the night and all day today, so we didn't make any plans for today. I was surprised that when I woke up (at 5:00--I wanted to sleep in so badly, but I just couldn't sleep) that there wasn't much snow. Maybe an inch or two? I assumed that was the end of it, but in the late morning, it started snow again, and didn't stop ALL DAY LONG.

This is a terrible picture, because it's so dark, but you can see on the deck rail how piled up it got.

We had a movie day--all four of us in our pajamas--watching three full movies back-to-back. We started with Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, because I was shocked when Jerry told me he'd never seen it. I've always loved that movie!! I quote from it sometimes, but Jerry never knows what I'm talking about, so now I'm glad that he's seen it. The kids thought it was funny, too.

Next, we watched another movie Jerry had never seen: Annie. Doesn't everybody's mom make them watch Annie at some point in his or her childhood?! Haha, I've even seen the play a few times! So we watched that one (from 1982), and the kids really liked it. They said that now they want to go see the new Annie movie, so maybe I'll take them soon.

We finished our movie fest with Armageddon. Jerry and I love those "end of the world" type of movies, and Armageddon has been a favorite, so I thought the kids might like it. Noah watched some of it, but Eli wasn't really interested.

As we were watching Armageddon, we got a phone call from the school's alert system saying that school for tomorrow would be canceled due to the "inclement weather". The kids were obviously thrilled about that! I'm a little bummed, because when the school is canceled, the rec center is also closed, so I won't be able to go do a deep water run tomorrow (and I didn't go today). I may try this week to get in a couple of "doubles"--once in the morning and once in the evening. My ankle is back to feeling 100% normal again when I walk. I really just wish my appointment with the podiatrist would get here already! I'm curious what he'll say about it.

We didn't have plans for the Super Bowl tonight, but even if we had, we would still be snowed in at home. I usually go watch a Lifetime movie in the bedroom while Jerry watches the game, anyway ;)

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Tomorrow is Motivational Monday, so if you have a photo you'd like to submit, you can find instructions to do so here. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

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