And I am Good to Go!

I had my final follow up with the surgeon last week. Good news is I am good to go! No restrictions, per say. The surgeon told me to follow my Physical Therapists's plan. Last week, before my appointment, I was able to swim 350 meters! I felt so great! I can't even tell you how much I have missed being in the pool.  I will be joining an adult swim team and my first practice is tomorrow night. I'm not even kidding, being sidelined has certainly made me appreciate being able to workout. This isn't anything new, it always happens. It's not until you're down with the flu that you realize just how awesome it is be healthy. I hate how it takes something like this to really make you appreciate how great it is to be able to be physically active. At home I have been slowly easing back in to my yoga practice, adding poses each night. My plan is go to my first class in one week. I know it's going to be tough, and depending on how much time we spend in down dog,  may not make it all the way through. But I am ready to try!


And now, my good friend over at  CACKALACKY TRANSPLANT has committed to 30 days of blogging. And the cool thing is that she used a random topic generator and now has 30 days worth of topics to write about. I have decided to join the fun. I decided to generate 30 of my own topics and here they are:

1.  Checking the closets before going to bed

2.  Your worst enemy

3.  Getting a divorce

4.  Going to the movie alone 

5.  Your ever-changing goal in life

6.  Things you wish you had

7.  Finding your soul mate

8.  Getting a new phone

9.  Going to the movies with your friends

10. Getting up in the morning

11. Bad hair days

12. A word that means something to you

13. Write a letter to someone you need to forgive.

14. The best moment of your life

15. 20 Quick Tips About Health

16. 20 Myths About Marathon

17. Why We Love Love (And You Should, Too!)

18. 10 Signs You Should Invest In Health

19. 7 Things About Marathon Your Boss Wants To Know

20. What is the first thing you do in the morning?

21. What is biggest regret this week? 

22. What was the last gift that you received?

23. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

24. What do you like to do on a rainy day?

25. Who do you envy and why?

26. Happiness is...

27. What do you sense you're supposed to do before your life is over?

28. What is changing in your life right now?

29. What relationships have had the greatest impact on your life?

30. What's the biggest step you've taken this year?

Some of these are pretty intense, especially since this is a fitness and running blog. But I figured that since I have had a difficult time blogging lately (and by lately I mean in the last 3 years) maybe this will get the spark going again. These topics paired with my new motivation to get more active and bak into shape should help. I hope.

So join in the fun if you want and let me know if you do! Be sure to check back tomorrow because I know you are DYING to hear about me checking my closets before I go to bed....

In Loving Memory of Lazy Dog…

You remember Lazy Dog, right?
It’s been just over a week since we had to say goodbye to the best dog I could ever ask for.  And even though I called him lazy he was far from it. He began having hip problems about 4 years ago. Up until then he could run with me a little but but not more than a few miles. He preferred to run at his own pace, to and fro, not on a leash.

All dogs go to heaven...It must be the best doggie play date Lazy Dog has ever seen, and he’s had some good ones.  Carson has seen a lot in his short 11 years. From Choctaw, OK to TX, NC to WA and back to NC, and back to OK and every state in between, Carson has had his paws in the Atlantic and the Pacific. He has climbed mountains, ran trails, frolicked on the beach. He's felt the wind sweeping through the plains. He’s chased rabbits and cats, and deer. He caught a bird once (and surprised himself and let it go), eaten bees, and begged for salmon. Carson had a big job, to protect his family. As soon as LB could walk Carson became his shadow. He saved my life three times that I know of, and who knows how many others. There will never be another Carson, named on a car ride between Wichita Falls, TX and OKC, because we were in the car and he was our first born, hairy son....Carson.

Saying goodbye is far from easy and I have a huge hole in my heart. But I can say that today I am better because he lived.

 

He is already missed dearly and will be missed for the rest of my life. Hopefully this weekend I can get out and run some miles in his honor.

If anyone else wants to join me feel free! Let’s see how many miles we can run for Lazy Dog!

My shoulds are wants...

I actually FEEL like something inside my brain has changed. A shift has taken place and  finally what I know I should do and what I WANT to do are coming together. They finally match up!! 

I know I should run. I should work out. I should eat healthy.... But for the first time in a loooooong time the should, need to, ought to's are matching up with my want to. 

I want my shoulder to get better so I can swim. So I can get back to yoga. So I can throw some weights around. I want to find a trail and go run it. I want to sign up for the OKC Marathon!! All these wants are not because I feel like I should or need to or ought to! I want to! 

I also want to live near the beach.....

Maybe it was the trip from Middle America to the bottom half of Florida that did it....something about toes in the sand gets my thoughts in order. The waves almost hypnotize me...

And twice in barely a month I have been able to hang with the TFF! She recently moved from the PNW to FL and of course we hung out! And now I have an excuse to make it to Florida any time I want!

But here I am, back in Oklahoma. I've already gone for a run this evening and am looking forward to doing it gain in the morning! Because I want to!

Chargin' the Garmin...

Yep. It's charging. It has been dead for over a year. I plugged it in and kid you not it took about three minutes for it to even register 1% charge!

So what does this mean?? Well, it means that I have been released from my sling and the surgeon... After weeks if not being able to do anything I really realized I miss running. Isn't that always how it goes? You only need te light when it's burning low, only miss the sun when it starts to snow... Only know you love her when you let her go...and I let her go...

So now I know, I let it go and I see know how much I missed it, how much I need it... How much of a part of me it is...

So what does this mean? It means I'm charging my Garmin and going for a run in the morning. 

Catching a Break.....

Yeah. Catching a break apparently is like winning the lottery.  At this point in time I'd be happy with either. Break. Lottery.....

It's hard to work out and run and do yoga when you...er, can't.

Two weeks ago I had shoulder surgery. I'm not good at being broken. I hate not being able to work out. I had been so excited when I moved here and joined the YMCA. It has a huge swimming pool! I was going to join an adult master's swim, and bike around the lake, and run and lift. I had hoped to do a triathlon in early September. But one week into my gym membership I hurt my shoulder and have been doing only things like walking on the treadmill, the elliptical, and a few of the leg weight machines.

Soon I will have my first trip to the gym post-surgery. I am pretty excited to try something...anything. There are a lot of things I cannot do and I don't want to set my recovery back at all.  If all goes well in 4 more weeks I can take this stupid sling off and maybe start running.

Until then I am dreaming of trail runs and races....I am hoping to do a half marathon in the winter and a full in the spring. We will see though, we will see......

I'm a NooB. Again.

I have been out of touch for a loooong, long time. I feel like I have no idea what is going on in the Running World anymore. I am out of the loop, the loop of any and all things running/racing related. I am a NOOB. Again. 

And that is OK.

I kinda like the idea of starting over, from scratch. I like the idea of getting back in the groove and finding the local races and community. I like the feeling of newness. Things had become a chore. Running was not for me anymore. It was for the blog. Then the blog wasn't enough to keep me going and I got bored. But now things are new and exciting again! There are new places to run, new races to run, new faces to see when I run....everything is NEW! Everything is awesome (insert corny Lego Movie Everything is Awesome Song here)!

The only thing that is not awesome is my stupid shoulder. Being on The Injured List is not awesome. Just sitting around waiting to feel better stinks, especially when you have nothing but time to kill. Since moving to OKC I have been flying solo. LB is in Cali with his dad so its just me....and Lazy Dog and Crazy Dog. I haven't started working yet so as you can imagine sitting around not working and not working out is kinda lame. Although the down time is nice I had hoped to be working out and getting ripped for the summer...OK, OK... at least getting back in shape.

I did joint the YMCA and have been able to use some of the cardio machines without using my shoulder too much. I have also been creepy stalking a few local organizations and have joined, at least in my mind I have joined their ranks! I found the Oklahoma Trail Runners Association and cannot wait until I am able to meet up with them on some of the local trails! I also found the The Landrunners  OKC Running Club. And then there is the local tri club....The Triathlon Club of Oklahoma City....I had big plans for at least two tris this summer but that is not going to happen now. So for now I will creep their web pages, long to join them all, and look forward to the day I can show up to at least one of any of these club's events.

So things are coming together here in OKC. It feels pretty good to be home....

So Much Has Happened!

Wow wee! I remember telling y'all some time ago that BIG things were gonna happen and change was coming. Well it finally happened. I no longer live in The Land of the Pines on the East Coast. I am now an Okie again, landlocked in Middle America. 

 

I went from this....camping on the beach.....

To this.....

This is only a few of 5 Mile Nieces and Nephews. 

So, "How do I like it?" You ask.....

So far I like it. It's a big change but being near the family is pretty awesome. I've had some kinks along the way though. Moving is not easy and I am now here getting settled while LB is spending the summer with his dad in Cali. Summer just isn't the same without him. 

I've tried to take advantage of my kid-free time and joined the YMCA. Just my luck one week in to working out at the Y I went to a class with a friend and it was pretty intense. So intense in fact that I killed my shoulder. Literally, doing push-ups and burpees, next thing I know I can't do a neither push-up and my shoulder hurt so bad. So instead of running and training for a November marathon as I had planned I'll be having shoulder surgery in a couple of weeks.  Maybe the recovery won't be too bad or long and I can begin training by mid August, but I'm not gonna count on it. I'd also hoped to take this down time between moving and starting my new job to get yoga certified. But that isn't gonna happen with a bum shoulder either. So some things are just gonna have to wait. Being injured stinks. In the mean time I get to hang with the fam and chill pool-side.... And hopefully get back into this blog. It's been too long!!

So there you have it! What's been going on? What have I missed?!

Mother Nature Wants Some New Shoes-New Balance W980 to be Exact

Saturday the sun was shining. I played outside ALL day long.  It was great! Sunday it was cooler. Today it is cold.

Dear Mother Nature,

You're dumb.

Love,
Me

Sunday afternoon I put away ALL my winter clothes. I tucked my sweaters and corduroys in a vacuum bag and sealed them up.  I put my coats away too. And now Mother Nature is laughing at me.

I got to go for a nice run in the neighbor(ing)hood this weekend. I can't even believe I am about to admit this but I have had the SAME running shoes since before Virginia Beach 13.1 almost two years ago! If that doesn't tell you one of two things then I'll be a monkey's uncle.  It tells you 1) I'm a cheapskate and haven't bought new shoes and 2) I haven't been running much at ALL. Ugh.

But the time has come and I finally got some new digs--but I cannot tell a lie. I am still a cheapskate. The nice folks at online shoes.com  sent me these to try.  I have to say, I have been an Asics Die Hard User for the past 5 years and have not really considered going for a different shoe. I do have the the  New Balance Minimus WT10 trail shoe though, and I LOVE it.  Actually I have loved every pair of New Balance I've had but for some reason I've stuck to the Asics for my go-to marathon and road running shoe.  

I've been on three runs with these bright beauties and let me tell you, they are seriously light weight, bright, comfy, and the softness for the toe cage (is that a thing??) was like no other shoe I have worn.

At first I wasn't sure about how bright they are. I mean they are pretty flashy. I've been known to say that if you're gonna be flashy you better have the skills to back it up...which I do NOT at this point in time. However I have since found a bright shoe to be quite beneficial in these ways:

1) I can see them clearly when they are in the shoe basket.
2) I can find them quickly while searching for them.
3) I can easily recognize when Ace (the puppy) runs through the house carrying it.
4) People can see me coming. And going.
5) They make me run faster.

So I've been sold on the bright shoe.

New Balance makes the claim that you can actually feel the science of softness with these shoes and their Fresh Foam technology. I'm not sure if I can feel the science, but I can certainly feel a difference, and I know there is a ton of science that goes in to making these kinds of shoes. These shoes are a neutral stability shoe, just what I need.  It is certainly very close to the minimalist shoe I am used to only with some cush! I could feel the ground beneath my feet, it felt natural yet I could certainly feel the softness. So in comparison to my  WT10s, these felt minimalistic, both are very lightweight, both very roomy in the toe compartment, both fit like an old shoe, in a good way.  I have had no issues breaking these in, it's like they already form to my foot!  They have a padded collar for extra cushioning around the ankle, right where I always get blisters. These have shown no sign of rubbing around the ankle. These have a cushioned midsole but a low heel to toe drop. So it's a cushioned ride, yet lightweight (using new REVlite technology). So you'll be able to run comfortably for ever! Well, you know what I mean, until you get tired and stop running....

If you're in the market for a new pair of running shoes I think you should at least consider these New Balance Fresh Foam W980s HERE. They are a good shoe for summer given the mesh material, cushioning on the sole for those hot summer blacktops and sidewalks, and lets face it, who doesn't want something new and fresh and bright the try to cheer up Mother Nature?

*These shoes were given to me by Onlineshoes.com but the review is my own and an honest opinion about how I feel about the shoe and my experience with it thus far.