Bluenose Race Day!

Today was the day that I have been planning for since I began running in February.  With great anticipation I donned the fuchsia run skirt I have been saving for this very day, along with a run singlet and sneakers and headed to the race course.  Unfortunately, I headed there as a spectator as I am still sidelined by my running injury, but that did not mean I could not look like a runner!  Because of this, my running partner had to tackle this solo, so I wanted to ensure I was there to cheer him on.  This was the first race I had ever attended as a spectator and I was surprised to see how many people were running.  I was worried I would not be able to see him, but luckily was able to cheer as he hit 2k and then later on we high-fived as he ran past at about the 8k mark.  

To be completely honest, I was a little teary on the sidelines under my sunglasses.  This race represented a lot of hard work and dedication, not being able to run was upsetting, frustrating and disappointing, especially considering that this was my first race, the goal that had jump-started my entry into this sport.  I quickly forgot my own feelings as my partner ran by, he was fulfilling his goal and I was extremely proud of him for doing so.  I also saw some of my other friends and running partners along the course and was able to enjoy being a spectator even if I could not participate. 

The day could not have been nicer; it was already hot at 8:30 when I left for the race.  It was inspiring to see people of all levels and abilities being active out in the fresh air on such a beautiful day.  I was extremely impressed to see parents running as they pushed a stroller, I only hope that I can be that hard-core if I ever become a mother.  

In terms of my own running, watching the race definitely left me with a desire to start running again as soon as possible.  Television is getting a little old; I cannot understand how people choose to lead sedentary lifestyles.  I am getting cabin fever; I could not do this long-term.  Walking more than 1k at this point (without pain) would be a real treat.  My exercise consists of bridges, ¼ one legged squats, some push-ups, other upper body exercises and additional homework from my physiotherapist.  If I want to go really wild I am allowed to ride the recumbent bike for 15 minutes on a low resistance setting. 

One advantage, and possibly disadvantage, to not being able to run is that I do not have to meticulously plan my eating around the running.  I cannot really do any cardio that would give me the runs, so, I can go a little crazy with the food!  For example, tonight, we are making my mother-in-law’s baked been recipe.  This is extremely exciting.  I never eat beans, and honestly, I may not live to tell this tale, they may just ravage me from the inside out.  But, it is a long-weekend, worst case scenario, we have one very “musical” evening and I spend tomorrow in the bathroom with several magazines.  If it really ends up being a shit-show, I pop a lot of Imodium on Tuesday before I head to work.  So, with that, I leave you for a feast of beans.  Remember, “run hard, be strong, think big”!  Congrats to all of those who ran the Bluenose today in Halifax!  

Me and my Tragically Hip

It has now been 22 days since I hurt my hip.  I have iced, I have heated, I have foam rolled, I have pill-popped, I have walked, I swam laps, I have rested, I have yoga-d.  I have been massaged, cracked, lasered and will soon have physio.  I have very little patience left.  In other words, I have not yet recovered from what we originally thought was bursitis, but what now appears to be a medical mystery.  I also regretfully acknowledge that it is unlikely that I will run or walk the Bluenose 10k on May 20.  I was given the go-ahead to attempt a run on Saturday; never in my life would I have expected to anticipate a run with such glee.  And instead of my usual “cursing out the run”, I cursed out my “tragically hip”.  (Tragically hip is the latest in a string of names that my husband uses to refer to me or my wide array of weird health issues.)  So, to say that the run was unsuccessful would be an understatement.  I started off sore and ended up far worse, to the point that I could no longer run, and barely walk to make it home.  And the total distance?  A whopping two kilometres.  My chiropractor suggested I rest this week, including no yoga.  I thought that yoga was resting!  I am going crazy here.  I negotiated with her and won the pleasure of riding the recumbent bike at the gym along with upper body weights.  Not the most exciting of prizes, but I will take it.

I realize that many runners face injuries, so, maybe this is just part of my path in learning how to run, however, I must say that I am pretty peeved about this whole affair.  I was not yet at the point where I enjoyed running, but, I was certainly noticing some progress, and that is pretty close to enjoyment.  I am extremely frustrated, however, I am trying to find some positives.  Running has actually been very rewarding thus far – I have slowly gained more control over my IBS.  It has been a long time since I mad-dashed to my apartment, or sounded like a band of trumpets while running down the street.  Running has introduced me to new communities both on and off-line and has helped me to bond with people in a way I did not expect.  It also fell upon my various running partners to get to know me in ways they never anticipated.  Few people can expect to “talk shit” quite literally with their running partner; they now have that claim to fame.  I have had responses from surprising corners regarding the blog and IBS in general.  It is very rewarding to hear that people can empathize with the situations that I encounter and that they are willing to connect with me to share their perspective.  Thanks to those who have been reading and thank you for connecting with me throughout this process.

I suppose the blog will have to focus a little less on the running part and more on the runs – much to your chagrin.  I will update you on the progress of my tragically hip; however, stay tuned as I begin to share some of my greatest moments as a girl with IBS.  Hopefully they will make you laugh; I can safely say they likely made me cry.  This is where you will really get to know about the glamorous life of poop-zilla.  So, get ready, because you will hear about my late arrival to my wedding, my close-call on my honeymoon while in Antibes, my very first camping trip, and of course, the Mexican hat incident of 2011. 

Something new

This blog has instigated a number of firsts for me, including my first blog, the first time I have shared my writing with friends and family, and now, my first foray into the world of Twitter.  I was definitely more afraid of Twitter than I was of blogging.  I knew the basic premise, I had read some tweets, but I am still discovering how to fully take advantage of it.  So, last night I decided to create a Twitter account, which took a lot longer than I anticipated.  I knew that the tweets were restricted to a certain number of characters, but had no clue that my Twitter name (probably not the accurate terminology) was also restricted.  After I discovered that Running from the Runs was too long, I was eventually able to shorten it down to Rnningfrmtherns.  Upon completion of this task I was ready to compose my first tweet – I tweeted about my new blog.  And suddenly, I had a follower!   And then another!  My husband was home studying, and I was tweeting and screaming.  And then, I noticed it.  To my horror, my follower was very interested in ... blowjobs?...  Not my target audience.  With that, my bubble was completely burst and I came to the realization that one of my two followers was in fact blowjob-related spam.  The other follower appears to be legitimate, but I am now paranoid and suspicious, I thought about removing them in case they were spam, but I really didn’t want to be rude.  So, I will have to keep a close eye on this situation.  A colleague of mine did warn me that I would have to monitor for spam, he wasn’t kidding, within an hour of setting up my account I had been spammed!  

In other news, I have signed up for my first 10K race as part of the Bluenose Marathon weekend.  I will not be aiming to beat anyone in this event; I just want to complete it without crapping my pants.  My running partner and I have been thinking about participating, but had yet to sign up.  I figured since I was on a roll trying new things that I should just bite the bullet, there is no backing out now!  We briefly considered attempting the half marathon, but, as I still can’t run longer than two 6-minute intervals in a row, I decided to play it safe.  This will give me a good opportunity to ease into it, especially since I have no idea what to expect from this event.  I really hope there are lots of port-o-potties along the way, otherwise, on May 20th I will be panic-stricken on some poor stranger's doorstep.