Advil and Ice Packs

When I 'came to' in the hospital about 12 days after the accident, I saw that both my legs were in bandages from my hips to my ankles. I remember thinking that they must have decided to put dressings everywhere because that was easier than putting a few small ones where needed. I figured there was no way there were injuries everywhere. I was surprised each time they changed a different portion of the bandages and I saw there were wound or fractures everywhere. I realized that almost every inch of my legs was injured!
Thankfully none of the bones in my knees were broken or dislocated, though they were so badly bruised that some areas of my skin are now stained from being black/blue for so long. For about a year, I couldn't kneel on them at all, but after the bruising healed, they've felt pretty good.

Since I've begun running, my knees have not given me much trouble ... until now :( I ran a small hill last week to see if I could. My legs were sore the next day and both of my knees hurt. I babied them for a few days - my legs recovered and I thought my knees were feeling pretty good also. But partway through Monday night's run - my right knee started protesting. I tried to ignore it - and walked more than I planned to. But my stubbornness kicked in at the end and I ran the last 1/2 mile with severe pain - I should have walked! My pain level Monday night was a 10+.
Advil and ice packs were my friends yesterday. This morning I have very little pain when walking on a level surface, but doing steps still hurts!
I'm not going to run today - because tomorrow I'm meeting the Reading Eagle photographer at Gring's Mill to take some pics of me running. I'm hoping I can!

And I have this!

Loving our February weather right now! Over the weekend, we've had temps near or in the 50's both days! On Saturday I ran around the Berks County Heritage Center. The trail along the river was still too slushy/muddy, so I ran loops through this bridge, the parking lot and the driveway. The drive into the Heritage Center off Route 183 has a giant hill. I walked up the hill to warm up, passing a man running down. Later running down the hill, I pass him running up again - he stops to chat, saying his run consisted of running the driveway from one end to the other 3 times equaling 4 miles.
"Good for you," I encouragingly said.
"You can do it too," He replied.
"No, I can't - not at this time, I'm just getting back into running after injuries," I said, as I prepared to begin running again. I don't like to be interrupted in the middle of a workout. I was planning to run a minute longer in this workout (6 min runs/1 min walk - 4 times) and I just wanted to keep going!
He continued to tell me I could do it and that I was just using my injuries as an excuse. I smiled sweetly while saying, "Enjoy the rest of your run" and began my run again.

Finishing the last 6 minutes of running, I looped the parking lot and guess who was getting in his truck? Yes, the encouragement to run the hill continued. "Come on, you are young (flattery!) you can do it, I know you can. If an old guy like I can (now he's looking for a compliment) you surely can. What kind of runner are you if you won't even do the hill?!"

"A few years ago, I could have done the hill," I inform him. "But as I mentioned, I'm just getting back into running."
"Yea, yea, whatever - just excuses," he says.

"I have a rod in my right femur," is my next attempt to make this guy go away and allow me to finish my run.
"So, I do too - I had injuries also and I do the hill!" He declares.

So now I try some flattery to end this conversation, "Well, good for you, injuries and you can do the hill 3 times, that's great."
I attempt to 'run away' but again, I hear, "Come on, no more excuses, go run the hill, you can do it!"
I turn back to him, lift my left pant leg and quietly say, "And I have this."

For some reason, he had to leave suddenly!

(But in his defense, before he left - he did tell me that I'm doing a good job running with the injuries I have.)

Reading Eagle Interview

Jerry and I flew home from CA on July 1, 2004 - 6 weeks after our accident. My parents picked us up at the airport in a wheel-chair accessible van. When we got off at the Morgantown exit of the PA turnpike, I saw a police officer in his car with the lights. I wondered if there was a problem on the road below. I was confused as my dad pulled our van up behind the officer’s car and got out to go talk to him. It was at this time that I realized there was a surprise in store for me.
My friend Lynne had asked me if they could do some type of ‘welcome home’ celebration for me. Never one to turn down a party or celebration, I agreed. But since none of us knew how I would feel after the flight home, she assured me they wouldn’t do anything that required any energy on my part. When Lynne and her husband Lynn (yes, they are Lynne and Lynn) decide to plan an event, they plan an event! No small scale stuff for them. They had not only rallied my family and friends, but the whole town by getting stories in the local papers about my accident and homecoming.

Sigh at my Homecoming
Reading Eagle - July 2, 2004

With the police car escort, complete with lights and sirens, and the traffic stopped in both directions, we slowly drove through the main street of Morgantown. Both sides of the street where lined with family, friends and people from the community welcoming me home. I was doing the best ‘parade wave’ I could, while being amazed at the hundreds of people I was seeing. I said hi to some, smiled at most, hugged a few and waved to all. Sitting behind me, Jerry was almost as amazed as me. Lynne had included him in the planning, but he never anticipated so many people.
We were blessed by the love and support of the community. (Thank you all!) People that we knew well, people we didn’t know well and some we had only meet once or twice, all came to welcome us home and wish me well. I would have loved to drive back and forth on Main Street all night seeing and reconnecting with everyone. But I needed to get out of that wheelchair and into a bed, so we did one slow drive through town and went home.

Dan Kelly from the Reading Eagle wrote an article about the event - I recently contacted him to let him know that I'd recovered well and was running again. He emailed this morning and wants to do a follow-up article about me. I will be meeting him for some running photos and an interview next Thursday or Friday. Pray for a beautiful warm day - I hate being outside in the cold!

The First of Febuary was Fantastic!

Winter Beauty

Last April when I took my first steps (running) I was on the Union Canal Trail along the Tulpehocken Creek about 10 miles from my house. I love water, plus this trail is soft gravel and almost no hills, so it was a perfect place to begin my running again. I can't wait to run there again, so with temps near 50 on Sunday and a bright sun, Loretta and I headed in there. Well, the park system does a good job keeping the trails in nice shape, but they don't plow snow off of it and since we had a few inches of snow last week, the trail was still to icy/slushy/snowy to run on. I'll have to wait till spring to run there.

So plan B - we drove over to Blue Marsh Lake. The trails weren't 'runable' either, but all the parking lots were dry, so we measured a loop around the largest one (a little over 1/2 mile)

It was gorgeous - temps were perfect, sun was bright reflecting off the snow and my legs felt good! My legs were rested because I hadn't done any workout on Friday and then on Saturday I took it easy on the treadmill, only doing what felt comfortable, not pushing myself. Loretta is new at running - just started a few weeks ago, but she has improved at a good rate, so our workouts are different at this time. I was planning to do repeats of 4 mins running and 1 min walking. She was ready to do 12 mins running and 1 min walking. So we each set our timers and started together than did our own paces/times. Because we were running in a loop, we did run together for a few minutes here and there. I felt better than expected, so I ran 5 or 6 mins a few times instead of just 4 - yea! This run/walk reminded my why I like running again :)

Workout finished and still smiling - it was good day!

A week or so ago, I was still okay with the treadmill - now when I think about running on the treadmill, I want to quit this whole plan. Though I will force myself to use the treadmill when needed, whenever the weather is warm enough, I will be outdoors - I am so much more 'alive' when I run outside.

You don't get this* on a treadmill.

*View, feeling, joy, connection with the creator, peace - it's all there!

Ready to quit ...

I ran outside on Sunday afternoon with two friends - it was cold, and we ran longer and further than I've done before, ran 4 minutes, walked 1 minute - 6 times. Everything hurt, but the accomplished feeling at the end was good! Then Monday night I ran with the club - again, outside in the cold. Both times the nerves in my legs were complaining about being cold - but I tried to ignore the contracting and burning pain. Tuesday I had planned would be my rest day this week - and I was glad - because everything hurt!
Wednesday morning, I felt better, but my legs were still complaining. Yet I wanted to do the next workout on my schedule. It was run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute - repeat 5 times. I hit the treadmill in the afternoon after spending the morning writing. Two minutes into the run, every nerve and muscle in my legs was trying to boycott my plans. I tried ignoring the pain and pushing on - but I soon realized I wasn't going to be able to go on and I needed to changes plans. So I shorten the running time to 4 minutes and only ran 4 times. I was discouraged and annoyed - why couldn't this body stick to the schedule I had - after all it was a beginner's schedule! What did I need - a baby schedule?
But as the evening progressed, I was glad I had quit when I did - I was in so much pain. Jerry noticed my slow movements and grimacing face as I did some organizing around the house. He promptly asked if I'm pushing it too much. "No," I replied, "I'm just trying to do the beginner's schedule." Slightly annoyed at my reasoning, he reminded me that my body probably couldn't keep up with a standard beginner's schedule. I had unique challenges that I needed to take into consideration.
Listening to him, I knew he was right and that some part of my brain was still living in the 'good, old days' pre-accident. This body has been through so much - a dozen fractures, crushed pelvis, a zillion wounds - and I was trying to make it keep to a schedule designed for a body without those challenges.

Then this morning, I was editing/rewriting some things I had written earlier about the potential scare of losing my leg 7 weeks after the accident. After flying home from CA, I went to a doctor in Reading and he didn't think my leg would heal, he was fairly sure it would still need to be amputated. Reading that made me realize again how much I have to be thankful for and that I want to celebrate the walking and running I can do, not complain about what I can't do.

So the sun was bright this afternoon, with temps near 30 so I bundled up and headed outdoors. I feel closest to God when I am outdoors, so I wanted to do whatever workout I could outside rather than on the treadmill today. I went with the mindset that I will do what I can, the best I can - but I will listen to my body with reason. I felt pretty good during my 5 minute warmup walk and I was thinking - cool, I can run 5 minutes at a time. Well, 2 or 3 minutes into the first run, that thinking changed - the fatigued/painful feeling of my legs forced me to reconsider. I decided to run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute. I did that around a local loop that is almost 2 1/2 miles.
It was a doable run - not easy, but also not torture. I am feeling okay now (an hour after the run) but I'm hurting, so I want to do some gentle stretching now and then hit the hot tub, while thanking God for the walking and running I could do today!

Running Indoor or Outdoors

This is where I like to

run this time of year -
inside where it is between
65 and 70 degrees.
I don't mind the heat
and the sweat!
The lights are on and
I can see what I'm doing!

But last night I ran outside - in the dark with temps in the low 20's.
Why did I do that?
Because I ran with this group of women - tough, strong, encouraging women! THEY have the power to get me outside in the dark and cold!

Beautiful Weather!

Today my corner of the world, in southeast Pennsylvania was given a surprise! The sun was bright and beautiful - the temperate was close to 50 degrees (about 45 degrees warmer than the 3 degrees we had on Saturday morning)
I usually don't ran two days in a row and since I had run yesterday - today was just going to be an easy walking day. BUT with the weather so nice - I had to get out there (sorry Doc) I drove to my local state park and did the workout next in line for me on the Runner's World Beginning Runner's Training Program. I ran 3 minutes and walked 1 minute - 7 times in a row. My lower legs and ankles felt okay, but my upper legs and hips hurt! But I kept reminding myself that I'm fortunate to even be walking and that by taking one step at a time, I could do it!
Step by step I was able to finish it - and the end result was a feeling of accomplishment and joy. Plus, there's something about being outside that just fills my soul!

Transcending: Words on Women and Strength by Kelly Corrigan

If you do nothing else today -

watch this!

I did another walk/run workout this morning - it was tough, but I made it. Ran 2 mins - walked 1 min - 8 times

Following a Beginner's Running Schedule

What a difference the correct information can make!

After the miserable run on Monday, part of me was ready to quit this idea of running again - who's great idea was this anyhow?! But there was also part of me that knew I wanted to continue. I also 'sensed' that if I was to continue running, help would come - didn't know what that meant or what it would look like, but just decided to wait and take one day at a time.
So when a friend at the Runner's Club found this Beginning Running Schedule this week, my interest was peaked and I realized that it could help me with both my lungs and my legs.

Here's the schedule for the 1st week - each following week the running time is increased.
Week 1
Mon. Run/Walk - Run 1 min, walk 2 min - Repeat 10 times
Tues. Walk easy 30 mins.
Wed. Run/Walk - Run 1 min, walk 2 min - Repeat 10 times
Thurs. Walk easy 30 mins
Fri. Run/Walk - Run 1 min, walk 2 min - Repeat 10 times
Sat. Run/Walk - Run 1 min, walk 2 min - Repeat 10 times
Sun. Rest

The combination of running/walking is how I began running when I first ran in 1994, but this time for some reason, I thought I could just jump right into running with walking breaks. I would walk to warm up, but then I would try to run continuously without any walking breaks.
I just finished the Friday workout and am thrilled with how well both my lungs and legs cooperated! I'm still playing with how fast my pace should be - today this workout equaled 2 miles. Tomorrow I'm going to try and pick up the pace a little.

So thanks to good information, I will continue putting one foot in front of the other and dream of that April Marathon Relay.

Exercise-induced Asthma

Running for me now (post-accident) involves different issues than it used to, but I found out on Monday night one thing that hasn't changed is the exercise-induced asthma I've dealt with since the day I started running in 1994.
I've been running indoors on my treadmill the past few weeks, but Monday night we had the first running club outside- it was cold (too cold) but there were 8 women ready to run, so we did! We warmed up with a short walk, then started running. Plans were for everyone to run out the road for 1/2 mile, then we'd turn around and each person could choose to run and/or walk back.
Well, that plan fell apart for me 2 minutes into the run - my airways promptly closed up and I could not breathe! I knew from years past, there was nothing I could do but walk until I could breath easier. After a few minutes, I was able to jog for a short time, then I walked again and finished with a feeble jog - I think I jogged just shy of the desired half mile.
Then we went indoors and did some stretching - throughout the stretches, I had 'coughing fits.' I think my lungs finally cleared up about an hour later - ugh! I was disappointed, but thankfully I know from years past that with proper warmups and training, I can still run successfully.

As for the other 7 women - they all did great! Each one ran at least 1/2 mile, with most doing a mile.