Tackling a hurdle and landing injury free

About 6 months ago I signed up for a double marathon. The New Years Double to be exact, a great race in Allen, Texas. So, this is one marathon on New Years Eve, then another marathon on New Years Day. I thought I could do it and I was determined to start what I had finished. I had been looking forward to dipping my toe into the Ultra realm... Well, my body had other plans.

I had a terrible summer, lots of stress and personal struggles on the home front kind of left me a bit of a mess emotionally. I put on some weight, vowed to start training for my double in September and then I'd take all the weight off, then October came and kicked my ass.

I started October with a hip injury, but I powered through and ran a half marathon with the injury and actually PR'd. So I thought I'd just take a little time off (like a week or 2) then dive into the double training. Then I got strep throat. Then about 2 weeks after that I broke out in psoriasis all over my body, and I literally mean ALL OVER. About a week after the psoriasis breakout, I came down with a stomach bug that shut me down completely for 2 days. Thanksgiving came and I ended up spending  my favorite holiday in bed, along with the 2 days after, completely drained and unable to function. I really just think I was exhausted.

Needless to say my training suffered beyond repair. December was creeping up and I knew there was no way in hell I could run 26.2 miles once let alone twice. So I paid my $10, completely devastated, and dropped down to two half marathons. Still an extraordinary feat of strength and endurance, but in my mind I had failed, I had given up. I cried.

I think a lot non runners don't understand how competitive of a group of people we are. And its not even that we are competitive against other runners its the competition against yourself. I felt like I had made too many concessions and let myself down. I sent a text to my sister, who is also a runner, and just as hard on herself and just as competitive. She talked me off a ledge, made me realize that running two half marathons is no joke. It's something many people wouldn't even attempt and she reminded me of all I had accomplished this year, running four half marathons, while working full-time, raising 3 very young kids. And still being an awesome person (OK I may have added that last part in myself).

But I really think I needed that 2 months off. I am always telling my running friends, just listen to your body, it's telling you what you need to hear. But I was refusing the listen. I shut it out and pushed on and in the end I ended up compromising my health and the fun I have just running.

I completed the Double Half Marathons, finishing faster on day 2, I'm notorious for leaving too much in the tank. But I felt good. I hadn't really trained for even a half marathon, so I decided a month out that I would run 2:1 intervals. It worked out well. No injury, I was pretty sore after the race on day 2 but by the next day, I was able to get on and off the toilet without assistance.

Getting Started

I don't remember the first time I ran. I feel like I've been doing it all my life. And we all have, or at least most of us have...the question really should be "When did you stop running?" I do know the answer to that question. My junior year in college. Beer, boys and burritos became my focus. Not to mention picking up the terrible habit of smoking. And hence my struggles with weight, body image, and self esteem began. Well if I'm being totally honest, I've never had great self esteem and body image, but when you actually are overweight it gets really hard to like the way you look as compared to not liking the way you look when you are actually a healthy weight.

This blog will mostly be a story. A story about a girl trying to figure it out, mistakes I made, what I learned from those mistakes and how I moved on. Somewhere in there, there will be advice, hopefully motivation, ups and downs. I will share details about poop, about how stinky I am and anything else that comes to mind. Because I ain't fooling anyone, my shit stinks and I'm quite certain, I stink when I run.