Unstoppable For Boston

Group shot before the run. Source.

My local running store Fleetfeet hosted a run Monday night called Unstoppable for Boston. There was a pretty nice turnout, over 340 people, I believe. They sold t-shirts, raffle tickets and beer after the run and raised over $7k. New Balance graciously offered to match the donations for the evening so all told, over $14k was donated to One Fund Boston.

I met up with my friend Mike and I actually got to run the whole time. It was only 2.62 miles so it was perfect to fit in as one of my "all runs" I was assigned between PT appointments. It was a lot of fun to run with so many folks and thanks to the drivers of Capitol Hill for patiently waiting on the side streets for all of us to pass by. Nothing like a little unofficial road run with over 300 people! 

It was nice to be with my 'people'....and go for a run on a beautiful spring Seattle day.

Brokenhearted

I didn't have a Boston Marathon shirt to wear today to show my support....but my wear blue shirt turned out to be perfect. In so many ways. I wore it all day and then laced up for a 3 miler. To show my support and solidarity for the runners, the spectators and everyone who was impacted. Especially for the three who were taken too soon and those whose lives will never be the same.

Good Morning San Francisco

On a work trip but I got in a nice 3 miler this morning and was treated to a beautiful sunrise over the bridge.

March: In Which I am Very Very Lame

Not really sure how that happened. I went a whole month without a single post. How lame am I? Don't really have a great excuse...other than work has pretty much kicked my a$$ this month. I've been so busy and kept meaning to write a post here or there and just never quite made it happen.

Recovery Update: We reduced my PT visits to twice a month in February. That continued through March and we have since decided that once a month is now sufficient. So I will not be back until the third week in April. We'll see how I do managing the tightness in my hammy without that massage. I can keep it at about 70-80% loose on my own with stretching and foam rolling.

My runs, as assigned by PT until my next visit include doing two as ALL RUNS! I've gotten pretty good at tolerating my 5/1 intervals...so the next jump will be to all running. It's time to start getting serious because Rock and Roll is only a few short months away. And then a month later it's Ragnar time. Kind of makes me a bit nervous. But I have realistic expectations so that should serve me well.

Happy Spring! 

February: In Which I Keep Slogging Forward

Feb Miles -  34

 2013 has started off slowly....but that is ok. Winter is now almost over and it's time to start enjoying the changing season and being able to do a run after work and have it still be light!! Love this time of year....It's such a relief after all the dark runs wearing my nerdy safety gear.

Taking it slow is paying off....baby steps aren't fun to document b/c frankly, it's a little boring. And every so often, I get a little excited and over do it a bit and have to take a step back. That happened this month. I was doing well with my 4/2's and got the go ahead to do one 5/1 in the two week period between PT apts but somehow heard that I could do one a week...so I did two runs at 3 miles with almost all running. Not ready for that and the result is that there has been increased tightness and pain. So backing off and sticking with mostly 4/2's right now is the plan. One 5/1 only...before my next PT visit on 3/12. Moving forward, slowly.

I finally got a new pair of shoes! I have been needed a pair for a while but was really unsure of what to get since my Brooks Ghost 4's had been discontinued and I wasn't sure if the 5's would work for me. I spent an hour or so trying on about 6 different pairs and finally settled on a pair of Mizuno Wave Inpires. Verdict after wearing them for a month? LOVE them. I get support and spring, but I can actually feel my feet hitting the ground. The Ghost 4's were pillowy and glidy...and sometimes maybe a bit too cushy. But I'm in love and may just be a Mizunos convert....we shall see!

The month ended with a little reflection on the mental aspects of injury recovery.... I am doing it right...and in the right frame of mind at the moment. It's just requiring an infinite amount of patience.

 

Injury Recovery

Injuries suck. And every runner, sooner or later, will have one. It may be big and take you out for months. It may be small and only briefly interrupt your running. But no matter what, you are sure to go through the "Five Stages of Injury", as coined by Beth over at Shut and Run ~ I give her full credit for laying it out so nicely.

"1. Denial – Are you f*cking kidding me? My marathon is in {insert number} weeks and I’ve trained my ass off. There is no way I’m not running this thing, even if I have to crawl. It’s just a pain in my hip. I’m sure I just pulled a muscle dancing on the pole. Or maybe this pain is a figment of my imagination, part of tapering madness. I’m sure I’m fine.
2. Anger – Are you f*cking kidding me? This still hurts, might be worse. Why me? I didn't do anything wrong. Everyone else can run and not get injured. Hell, Dean freaking Karnazes is running across the United States and he never gets injured. This sucks. I don’t deserve this. I pay my taxes, I follow a training plan. I bought the stinking $100 shoes that they told me to buy at that damn store.
3. Bargaining – You are not f*cking kidding me. I’m hurt. I get it. But, I swear if I am healed enough by marathon day to at least complete the race I will never {insert vice: cuss, drink, over train,  do meth, run with scissors, yell at my kids, lick a knife} again. Once I complete this race, I will rest for a really long time and go to the doctor. I swear. Just let me run this race.
4. Depression – (warning: here’s where it gets really ugly). I’m f*cked. I’m out of the race. Hell, I might never run again. I hate swimming and biking and most of all running in the water. I want to run. I only like running and I am nothing without running. I will get fat. I will get lazy. I will lose all of my fitness. Why bother getting out of bed?
5. Acceptance – I can’t race. I can’t even run right now. But, it’s going to be okay. I am still an athlete, I am still a runner, I am just recovering. I will be back. Stronger than ever. Even though I can’t run, there are other things I can do to maintain my fitness. Even though I can’t run, I am still worthy. There is more to me than being a runner."

 As someone who has been out of commission since August, I can tell you this is pretty spot on. I think part of the reason this injury has been so stubborn is partly due to the fact that I was stuck in the Denial stage for so long. It was a rapid descent into Anger, Bargaining and Depression from about September on. Once I fully realized that I was going to be out for a while, I wavered between Depression and Acceptance for quite a while.

In fact, it's only been in the past month that I finally feel like I am solidly in the final stage of Acceptance. Mentally, I've kept my head down so I could focus on recovering stronger than before. Doing something proactive helped alleviate the depression. Not totally of course....actual measurable progress was what it finally took to move past that mentally. And since this has been on my mind quite a bit, it was only appropriate that my current favorite blogger, The Hungry Runner Girl also did a post on injury recovery the other day. This one focused on the mental aspects of getting yourself to Acceptance stage.

These efforts are in three parts - Get Proactive, Focus on the Short Term and Focus on the Long Term, which will ultimately allow you to get to the final part, the ultimate goal- to "Come Back Stronger". Getting proactive means you get to focus on other stuff, like cross training - and taking a break from running allows you to examine what might have led to the injury in the first place. Focusing on the short term is really just another way of saying 'Take it one day at a time". Looking at the long term will keep the focus on coming back smarter and not getting re-injured. All of that makes you tougher...and better able to handle the beatings our bodies take while we all try to become Kara Goucher.

Good advice. I wasn't sure I'd be able to run the same way again....But now I think that I'll be back. And be stronger than before.

Moving Forward

I am alive! I swear. And happy to report that the 'running' is going well. January and February so far has been marked by inching forward. Small steps that take an extraordinary amount of patience. But I feel as though I am actually getting 'somewhere'....

Last night, for the first time in many months, I went on what I can actually call a run. Yay!! By the end of January, I'd progressed to doing 3/3's (3 mins running/3 mins walking). A couple weeks of that and I was able to move to 4/2's. Since I've done several of those with minimal pain/tightness, I got the ok to do a 5/1. Barely walked at all during that 3.3 miles! It felt SO good. I seriously cannot wait until I can do long runs again. That is still a couple months out, realistically. But I am so close.

By March, the goal is to be doing all running for that 3-ish mile loop. Things have been progressing so well that I definitely feel this is doable. The patience is paying off. And I hope that it renews my motivation to once again immerse myself in all things running. I've taken a 'break' from the obsession the past several months, mostly so I didn't lose my sh*t too much over this injury. Now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, I am ready to rejoin the ranks.

I am also going to spend the next month or so revamping the blog and experimenting with some different layouts and designs. I am getting bored and since the blog is officially a toddler now, it's time for a makeover and update. So bear with me....don't hesitate to tell me if you think it looks stupid or if you have suggestions. Thanks for sticking with me y'all. It's been quite the roller coaster the past 6 months.

Giving Mizunos a Shot

My new shoes. I've spent the last year and half running in Brooks Ghost 4's. They have been replaced by the Ghost 5's --which don't feel nearly as good. So I took a chance on another brand. Taking them out for a test run in a bit....we'll see how they feel.

January: In Which I Hibernate & Reflect

Last month was very quiet.....it brought a little bit of reflection and a little bit of regrouping. Overall, not a whole lot happened. I have been focusing on getting myself back on track and decided to do a post that covered all of the injury - total recap, timeline and current status. 

That was a good thing for me because it allowed me to get outside myself for a moment and try to really look objectively at my injury, what led to it and what I am doing to come back from it. Looking at where I was last August and where I am today was just the affirmation that I needed. I am doing this right. I am taking my time and the patience is paying off. I will be back. And not only will I be a runner again, I will be a stronger and smarter runner.

I also tried to objectively look back on the year and examine my goals from the beginning of this journey and how I did with them. It was interesting to examine which things I succeeded at and what I missed the mark on. Some of it was out of my control due to injury, however, I also wanted to examine why those goals may have led to the injury in the first place.

Taking a closer look was a good thing. It helped me re-evaluate my larger goals and figure out where I might need to put some focus. It turns out, the focus needs to totally shift. 100%. And shift it has.

No more craziness. No more Too Much Too Soon. 2013 is all about Building the Base. Small, reasonable goals. That are aligned with my current abilities (both injury-related and in general). Keep it simple. Build slowly. Keep racing to a minimum. Focus on strength.

I am ready. Let's do this!

2013 - Goals for the Year

What do I want to see in 2013? Well the biggest and most important goal is to get 'off the injured list'. But big goals are nothing without breaking it down into bite sized chunks. And in a nod to my 'too much too soon' injury, this year is all about keeping it simple and not trying to accomplish stuff my body is not ready for.

Big Goals:

• Progress in my rehab so that I am able to 'run' again. I cannot wait until I am able to run a full 3 miles without having to do walking intervals. Likewise, I can't wait to do a long run again. It's been 5 looonnnggg month since I've gone on a long run. 

• Build strength and flexibility. My PT exercises and work focus on strengthening my core, pelvic floor, hips and glutes. I do a series of exercises every day and do my run/walk 3-4 times a week. Once I 'graduate' from regular PT visits, I'll be focusing on a regimen that will include yoga, more strength training and hopefully a lot of cross training amidst all the running I hope to be doing again this year.

• Focus on building a solid base. I really neglected that last year and have a pretty awful injury to prove it. I will not make that mistake again. That means I will be extremely cautious in increasing my mileage when I am back to running full time. It also means I will be a total zealout when it comes to stretching, recovery methods and fueling my body. I will be a smart runner who doesn't take chances. I love it too much to allow this sort of injury to occur again.

• Keep the racing to a minimum - no matter how much I am tempted to do other fun races. That means that my first 6 months of the year will be focused on training for Rock and Roll in June and Ragnar in July. Past that, if all goes well, I'd like to do the full Seattle Marathon in November. If a full is too much for this year, I have no problem doing the half instead. But I am not planning on any more and think that keeping the focus on these will be better for my body.

• Not suck at blogging. This was a mirco goal last year....Not sure how well I am doing in this regard but since I now have a full year of blogging under my belt, I'd like to get better, more consistent and savvier. 

And that is it. No crazy big goals this year.....and no specific tiny goals either. Just going to be realistic, listen to my body and go with the flow. We'll see how that approach works in the coming months!

2012 Goals: How'd I do?

My hardware for 2012

I had grand plans for 2012. I started the year off totally high from my first half marathon that ended up propelling me to over-ambitiously over-commit. To recap - my goals for last year were doable but a tad bit ambitious. I actually knocked out the big ones, with only a couple exceptions.

Train year round - for the entirety of the 2012: 
~ I was very consistent with my training right up until I was forced to deal with my injury....so half credit on this one.
Run 1 race per month- 12 races for 12 months:
 ~ Ditto for this one. I did a race a month until August, when I started treatment for my injury. The only months I did not race were August, September, November and December. Not bad for a gimp.
 
Run at least 3 half marathons: 
 ~ Done! I ran 4 half marathons in 2012
 
Run my first full marathon:
 ~Done! At least in as far as walking across the finish line goes. I walked it so it only half counts in my mind.....so there will be a 'rematch' on the 'first marathon' in 2013 I hope.
 
Become more social with my running- join a running club, go to Fleet Feet group runs, connect with other runners to train and race with:
 ~I made some really awesome running friends this year....I couldn't have survived this injury without their encouragement and support. 

My micro goals were hit and miss....I did knock about 17 minutes off my half marathon time in that span of time. But post injury, the pacing and speedwork took a backseat....I also wanted to learn to take better care of myself by eating better and getting in significant cross training. While I did do a better job of taking care of myself while training, I have learned a big lesson with this injury - taking care of yourself while injured is also extremely important. To that end, I am proud of how hard I've been working to get off of the 'injured list'.

Goals for 2013 to come....January has been pretty busy in my house and I just haven't had time for the kind of self reflection that has been necessary to write these 'Goal' posts. So forgive the fact that I've posted exactly twice this month. I'm getting back into the swing of things again...and now that I'm getting close to doing more running than walking, I'll be tracking and writing about my training again. March is right around the corner and that is the goal month to be back up and 'running' so to speak. 

 

6 Months and Counting: Injury Recap & Update

I can't believe it's been that long already. Beginning of July, I started to notice the pain. I had been averaging about 100 miles a month since March, but cut way back to 60 miles in July due to the pain I was feeling. I hoped that rest would help that month and that I'd be good to go in a jiffy. Not so much. By August, it was clear that the pain wasn't going away and it was time to see someone. I started in Physical Therapy the first week of August.

After my first few visits, it was clear that I had some structural deficiencies, as it were. Pelvis was misaligned and my body was totally out of balance. The left side was working way too hard and over compensating for some major weakness on the right. I saw my PT for several visits over the month of August. I had done some full resting, then transitioned to some test runs that had walking intervals. By the beginning of September, it was clear that I was not only not improving, but that it was time to see the Dr. for some testing to rule out some other potential injuries. We paused PT for the majority of September while I had an X-ray and then an MRI.

By the end of September, the results were in. From my post:

And it's not pretty. I actually got the results over the phone late last week and have been mourning processing ever since. I have a "superior lateral and posterior acetabular labral tear", which is a fancy medical way of saying that the labrum (the thing that goes around your hip socket that keeps your thigh or femur in place) is torn. But that's not all! Oh no, there is more fun to be had here. I also have "significant tendinopathy at the hamstring attachment"....which is fairly self explanatory. The tendons attach your hamstring to your pelvis, and when they get angry and inflamed, it's called tendonitis or tendinopathy (essentially the same thing)....

I spent all of September and October (with the exception of that one day I walked a few miles) on full rest. I had been in pain just at rest and it was really hard to sit all day long. By the beginning of November, the full rest led to some progress. I was in a lot less pain and could tolerate walking again without increased tightness or discomfort. I started PT again the first week of November and have been going twice a week since then. Our new plan focused on strength training - I have a set of exercises I do daily and I got to start walking again. We also started doing ultrasound on the tendon and massage on the hamstring. And I am happy to report that there has been some real progress!

The walking was a slow build over the month of December. I started walking three times a week and after a couple weeks of tolerating that well, I've gotten to increase to walking every other day, with one minute running intervals. After a couple weeks of tolerating that well, I'll get to alter those intervals...increasing the running and decreasing the walking. Realistically, following that plan, I'll be back to running 3-4 times a week solidly by March. If all goes to according to plan.

This injury and my fight to get back to running is taking forever it feels like. The hamstring is so big and this tendinopathy is so stubborn. I will always have to baby it and pay close attention to it though. So in effort to make sure that when I am back, I am actually stronger than before and have a lower risk of re-injury, I plan to spend use 2013 as a 'Building my Base' year.

My focus this year is on strength, flexibility and balance. I want to continue running as long as I am able so I plan to take it easy this year on the racing and focus on all the other things I need to do for my body that will ultimately benefit my running. Things like strength training, cross training and yoga. I plan to focus on three races only - my goal is to be back to running regularly by March so I can begin training for Rock and Roll in June. Half marathon only - baby steps. July will be Ragnar - NW Passages again with my Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies. If those two races go well and I am physically ready to build after that, I am hoping to complete my second full marathon in 2013. Again, keeping it low-key, I would like the Seattle Marathon in November to be my "first" full that I run. And that's it. Depending on how things go, I won't rule out doing a 5/10K or two....we'll see how it goes. This injury has taught me that being flexible and listening to my body is key to being a successful runner.

Also a big lesson to my runner friends - if you have a niggling injury - DO NOT ignore it. See your Dr. or a physical therapist. You might have a structural issue that needs fixing. Don't just deal with it - do something about it. Figure out what the problem is and what you can do to fix it so it doesn't sideline you. I learned that the hard way.

I will be a runner again. I am determined to make it so. It's just taking much longer than I thought it would to get there.

December: In Which I Celebrate My Blogiversary

It's been a quiet month, relatively speaking of course. The holidays always make December just fly by in a blink. My least favorite holiday but I try to make the most of it and not be too grinchy for my daughter's sake. In fact, just a few weeks ago, she nudges me while we are sitting on the couch and says, "Mom, this is totally going to be your tree when I move out."

My future Christmas Tree

Or maybe this one....

In any case, it's been pretty quiet around here this month. I celebrated my birthday, my blogiversary, Christmas and now we've said goodbye to 2012.

My daughter did end up getting the one thing she really really wanted for Christmas....

Only about an inch...but it made her so happy!

I am looking forward to 2013....I will run again this year and it's going to be good.

Merry Christmas

It's My Blogiversary.....

Today.....I have been writing all about my running adventures for one full year. My very first post was a recap of a 10K race that I had just done. And I just kept going....

When I started running, back in July 2011, I was training for my first half marathon. I completed that training cycle and ran across the finish line of that Half in November. At that point, I knew it was a done deal. I was in love with running and this was not going to be a one and done kind of thing. In order to keep myself motivated and accountable....and because I wanted to be just like this girl....I decided to start my little blog.

One year later, I am still going strong. Despite the fact that I've actually been out of commission for the past (nearly) 5 months. I actually feel pretty proud about that. I was determined to keep at it....even when I didn't have anything much to say...I didn't want to let my handful of readers down and I knew that if I kept writing, even just a bit here and there, that I would be glad that I did.

Because the day that I will get to run again is getting closer. Unfortunately, it's taking much longer than I thought it would. This is a stubborn injury....one that I'll probably have to deal with for the rest of my running career. But I am determined to have one....I just love it too much.

So thanks for bearing with me readers...I appreciate it! I'll be back in action, hopefully better than ever in the near future....and will be celebrating many more of these Blogiversaries.

A few of my favorite posts from the last year:

Luck of the Season -- This was my first experience grappling with a less than stellar training cycle. It was good to get out the frustration while simultaneously giving myself a break.

Mercer Island Half Recap -- My second half marathon was awesome. And I knocked nearly 10 minutes off my time.

Wear Blue: Run to Remember -- I joined Wear Blue last April....here's why I was inspired to join this amazing group.

Heroes Half Recap -- Half marathon #3....this was the day I met a really really cool runner chic. Who then invited me to be on her....

Ragnar Relay: NW Passages....It's ON! -- team...Little did I know.....

Long Run...In Pictures --  This was one of my favorite posts....a little hometown love and a long run...what's not to love?

Seattle Rock and Roll - Wear Blue Mile -- My first time running a race with the larger WB group. Amazing experience and still my favorite race to this day.

Sea of Blue -- I posted quite a few on this particular race...this picture post was also one of my favorites...along with my first post after the race....It was such a moving experience. Can't wait until next year!

Ragnar: Odds, Ends and Awesome Stuff -- I wrote many posts about Ragnar...but this one collected most of my favorite moments in photo form....

How Do People Do This? -- My first post where I start to realize that denial re: the injury wasn't going to get me anywhere......especially if I planned to run there.

The Results Are In -- Official diagnoses of a labral tear in my left hip and a wicked case of upper hamstring tendonitis. And just like that....it's temporarily game over.

Finisher - Marathon #1 Done -- Except for this. Ha. I got permission to walk some of this race that I'd registered for prior to said injury but ended up walking the entire thing. Fortunately, it didn't set me back on the injury...and I can say that I've now completed a full marathon. And since I walked the damn thing, I'll likely knock a couple hours off my time when I actually get to run one!!

The Show Must Go On -- Speculating on the NYC Marathon that was scheduled right after Hurricane Sandy battered the NJ and NY coastlines. Then it was cancelled.....

Progress....Real Progress -- The patience is starting to pay off....I am getting there. I plan to return better than before....but it's slow going.

Thanks for reading this year!!

Make Yourself Monday

 Free....I hope to free myself from this injury soon.....

Make Yourself Monday

Extraordinary....

November: In Which I Get Closer to Running Again.......

Which, yay! I can feel it, taste it....whatever. Point is, I am making progress!! That I can feel.

November raged in with a ginormous 'Frankenstorm' on the East Coast. Hurricane Sandy came ashore in New Jersey and the outlying areas of NYC just before Halloween. Less than a week before my #1 dream marathon was scheduled to take place.

One of the many crazy Post-Sandy flood pictures

In the aftermath, NYRR and the city of New York decided that the marathon would go on. Which resulted in a backlash so loud and impossible to ignore that Mayor Bloomberg decided to cancel after all -- less than 48 hours before it was supposed to start - after most of the international runners had already arrived. While the final info regarding refunds and automatic entry to next year is still not clear due to haggling with the event's insurance company, this will likely affect the Marathon for years to come. Good did come out of runners descending on NYC anyway -- thousands of those that did arrive helped where they could and some of them held their own informal 'race' in Central Park anyway. 

Runners headed to Staten Island on what would have

 been 'race day'. Source.

That was only the beginning of the month! What an eventful November....right after all this brouhaha, we had the election, AKA Nerd Christmas, an actual real holiday I just made up. I was totally captivated along with the nation watching people decide on the future of our country....God, I love Presidential election years! Except for the commercials......those can go away and never come back.

Since I was so preoccupied, I probably didn't mourn quite as much about missing Ragnar LV Ultra with my girls. It was, however, very cool that one of my amazing teammates, April offered to run her first leg in honor of Wear Blue and a fallen soldier. She ran those miles in honor of Army Spc. Sarina Butcher, who was KIA on November 1, 2011 serving in Afghanistan. 

You will not be forgotten.

This month also brought two holidays that provided an opportunity to reflect and say Thanks. For both Veterans Day and Thanksgiving  I wanted to let our Troops know that they are appreciated and that we honor their service to our country. And for Turkey Day especially, I wanted to recognize Military Families and their sacrifice as well. 

Following my absolute favorite holiday, I got to continue participating in my newest Thanksgiving weekend tradition- the Seattle Marathon. No running for me this year but I spent a couple days volunteering and had an excellent time. It was great to be a part of it, despite not actually running....but speaking of running...

I am that much closer to it. I started PT back up this month and it was nice to find that I am actually healing and moving closer to being 'back'. Still have a month or so before running will start again, but I am working hard. Doing my exercises religiously and now walking 3x a week to start prepping my body to being able to run again. I cannot wait. I can't believe it's been 4 months now. But we are getting there....slowly but surely! 

Overall, November was a pretty eventful month! Onward to the very last month of 2012. Hopefully this will not be the last ever month in review.....but if the Mayans are right and we are all gone after the 21st, it's been real people. Ha.

Make Yourself Monday

Love it....running on a beach sounds nice about now.

Progress.....Real Progress

I am finally feeling it. The 'it' being closer to running again. Yay!! I am finally healing and feeling like I am getting stronger too. Working with my PT has brought a better understanding of my body and it's particular structural issues, if you will.

Mainly, I've discovered that 1) My core is not strong. At all. 2) The lack of engaged muscles deep in my abdomen and pelvis allowed my pelvis to shift slightly with the continual force that running was putting on it. 3) The miss-aligned pelvis and lack of core strength caused an imbalance and overuse of the left leg, which led to the injury.

To 'fix' this, we've been focusing on core strength. I've been doing a set of exercises at home that are targeting the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. I already feel more balanced and stronger. It's been really helpful to learn how each part of your body is engaged while running and we've been working to stabilize the core so that when my body is balanced on one leg (which it always is while running), I am in line and my muscles are engaged properly.

We've started incorporating walking back into the picture. I will be spending the month of December walking to build back up to being able to run again, likely after Christmas. Boo ya! I was assigned a 3-5 mile walk over the last couple days and it was so nice to get out there, listen to music and just let my mind wander. Oh how I've missed that so much.

The plan is to continue PT twice a week through December. In January, we'll go down to once a week as I am able to start building my base back up. A few weeks after I am consistently running again, we'll go to once every other week for a couple weeks and then as needed. But once I am running again, she is going to give me a pretty detailed plan on building the base and smartly increasing my mileage back to where it was. I will also be focusing on being more well rounded so that I can keep my body healthy to keep doing what I really love. Strength training, yoga and incorporating warm ups and cool downs, which I've never really been good at doing. All of that will hopefully keep me injury free and prevent a relapse of this awful injury.

Yay for progress!!