One Bad Mudder Runner

Three days ago, I completed my first mud run….a 5k here in NJ. As a runner, I run 5k’s 10k’s and half marathons all the time so you can imagine my surprise when I got to the mud run and saw that it really had NOTHING to do with running. Sure, there were SPOTS where you were supposed to run…..an 1/8th of a mile here, 1/16th of a mile there. So what was it all about? Well, 26 military obstacles over a 3.1 mile course of waist deep mud, sludge, water and obstacles that pushed my body to it’s limit. I finished it. I tore my legs up, I almost cried after jumping into a 6′ deep dumpster of ice and yet here I am smiling at the finish line.

I only THOUGHT I was in shape before I did this mud run. I can run 13.1 miles without stopping. I can race a 5k in 25 minutes but when it comes to carrying your own body weight up and OVER an 8′ wall, well that it a totally different ball of wax.

I am glad I did it and can cross that off my bucket list. It was challenging, exciting, invigorating and exhausting. It’s like giving birth….when someone asks me how my labor and delivery was, I forget the 12 hours of excruciating pain and only remember the exhilarating feeling after my children were born. I wonder if I’ll feel that way next year when it’s time to sign up again for the mud run? Hmmmmm.

On The Road Again…..

After almost four weeks without being able to run, having to wear a boot and go to physical therapy, my Achilles has just about healed. My doctor gave me the go-ahead to run again. My mind wanted to run “an easy 6” this morning but of course, my body had other plans.

I hit the road at 5:20 this morning. The birds were chirping and the sun was stretching up over the horizon. With my ear buds in, I ran…… It was slow and not totally pain free, but it was beautiful. I forgot how much I missed running. Well, truthfully, I didn’t forget since I missed it terribly this past month, but my body missed it. The elliptical machine, stationary bike and weights didn’t cut it for me. For me, nothing is more stress relieving and peaceful than an outdoor run in the early morning. I ran for 30 minutes and shortened my stride (as my sports medicine doctor suggested) and kept my pace slow.

I know it will take some time to come back to running 13 miles without a problem (or a pain) but I will do it. Our bodies are amazing mechanisms. It doesn’t forget what it has once done and it easily does it again with proper training – but not over training of course because that’s what tore the Achilles in the first place.

I’m feeling grateful today for logging a run into my calendar and look forward to the next one. My sanity and peace depend upon it.

 

Run on my friends.

 

As I sit here with a big, bulky boot on my partially torn Achilles heel, I think of how grateful I truly am….not that I’m not able to run, but rather because I WILL be able to run again soon. With the events in Boston on April 15th, there are those who will never run again. There are those who will never hug their loved ones again. There are those who are no longer on this earth and who will never develop into the beautiful humans they were born to become because they were so savagely taken from the streets of Boston in a senseless act of cowardice. Of course, there are others who have their own thoughts and opinions on the events but, as a runner, a mother, a wife and an American, this hit close to home for me.

Many times I’ve crossed a finish line with my arms up, feeling proud and grateful for my accomplishment: that God gave me the strength and ability to run. Once this boot comes off my leg, my next finish line will be not about me or my accomplishment. Instead, from here on, it will always be in honor and memory of those innocent victims of April 15th, 2013. I am a runner. I am proud. I am strong and you should be to. We shall not be afraid to run. We shall not be afraid to cross our next finish line. We will not be stopped – as runners and as Americans.

My next half marathon would have been this Sunday in Rutgers, NJ. I was asked “if you weren’t injured, would you go and run?” Without hesitation, I said “ABSOLUTELY”….. and I meant it.

God bless this country and all of the wonderful people, the first responders and those who help.

 

RUN ON MY FRIENDS….. JUST DO IT.

Runner’s Disappointment

I am supposed to run a half marathon next Sunday. 10 days prior to the race, I went to my sports medicine doctor to get a sore toe checked on. I casually mentioned to him, after he checked the toe, that my left Achilles heel has been really tight after every run for about 9 months now. NINE MONTHS. He felt the heel, looked right into my eyes and said “Laura, you have an Achilles tear and I won’t know how significant it is until we do an ultrasound and take some xrays.” Of course, at this time, in my head all I heard was “Achilles tear” and then “yadda, yadda, yadda” because my brain said “you are running next weekend. You are fine. You are going to crush your PR and then you’ll ice your leg.”

The next morning, I found myself back in his office (after a 5 mile run) and I had the ultrasound and xrays. The ultrasound confirmed a longitudinal Achilles tear. Again, I felt like it was all OK because hadn’t I been running on it for months without significant problems? I mean, what runner doesn’t have a sore Achilles every once in a while? The doctor said “I’m not telling you not to run but you need to know that it’s a 50/50 chance that your Achilles will rupture during or after a long run. Maybe you’re in that lucky 50% since you HAVE been running on it for months. I would suggest starting physical therapy right away and see how you feel next weekend for the race.”

Ok, then. I was going to go to PT next week 3x and then be all set to run on Sunday. Ironically, the Achilles doesn’t really hurt that much when I run. Maybe I’m used to the “pinging” feeling during the first few miles but after the first few, it feels great. Maybe I AM in the 50% that won’t rupture.

Fast forward one more day. Yesterday morning came, I take a slower 50 minute run and now that I know about the tear, I’m thinking about every little leg ache wondering “is this it? Will this be when my leg goes out? Nah, I’m fine. It will all be OK.” I’m tight and sore after the run and an hour later, receive a phone call from my doctor’s nurse: “Ms. Laura? The doctor wants you to come in to the office today and be fitted for a boot. You will have to wear it for two weeks while you do physical therapy and then come back for a follow up.” I was stunned. What is she talking about? My response was one of denial and what came out of my mouth sounded like an addict. “Well, I have a half marathon next Sunday, so I am going to run it and then I’ll come in and get the boot next Monday, OK? You can have the doctor call me later.”

“The doctor is right here,” she said. She put him on the line.

“Laura, your Achilles tear is much more significant that originally thought. It is a large longitudinal tear in the critical zone of the Achilles. I need to let you know that the risk involved in running your race is great. There’s a 75% chance that it will rupture fully if you run on it. You should really be booted for a few weeks and give it time to begin to scar up and heal.”

Do you remember the teacher in the “Charlie Brown” shows that sounded like “Whaa, Whaa, Whaa?”  That’s basically what I heard after he said “75% chance of rupture.”

I am a runner. It’s my sport. It’s my therapy. It’s what I LOVE to do and hearing this news was like a kick in the stomach from my arch nemesis. I actually thought about not listening to the doctor and just pray that I’m one of the lucky ones in that 25% that will sail through this injury and not have anything bad happen. It crossed my mind and I sat in denial for about 3 hours before showing up at my doctor’s office, crying and getting fitted for a big, bulky black boot – no, they look nothing like Uggs.

I am a runner but I’m not invincible. I have gone through denial, anger, fear and disappointment all within the past 24 hours but tonight, I am at acceptance. Knowing that a full rupture would require surgery, months of PT and no running at all for a very long time, I’m willing to take a few weeks off and do as told.

I will be thinking of my friends on race day next weekend and looking forward to when I run my next one – stronger, healthier and free from pain.

Run on my friends.

CAPABLE

Two weeks until the half marathon I will be running. I just returned from 12 days down in Florida where I was able to run outside almost everyday. The warmer weather, the sun, the road….they all helped me feel like I could run 26.2 miles on a few mornings. Of course, 8 would have to do since the family was waiting for me to hit the beach!!

Coming back to COLD, NJ made me, once again feel tight, sore and just tired. I guess the warm weather can do wonders for my sore Achilles and tight hamstrings. This morning ,I hit the road with the anticipation of getting 8 miles under my belt. Feeling tired and cold at first, I pushed on, knowing that the first few miles are always the hardest for me. Today, I didn’t feel strong until mile 4 and I continued to focus on my breathing and the sun shining over the horizon. Mile 6 came and went. Mile 8 came and went and I finished strong at 10 miles.

Yes, the half marathon is going to be fun and inspiring. I have a love/hate relationship with running. I love it, I hate it, I love it, I hate it and then I love it some more. I feel so strong at the finish line and always say “why did you doubt yourself?”

We are ALL capable of much more than we ever think we are.

Run on, my friends.

NO LIMITS

I love to run….I also love to write. I have two children’s books currently out on the market now and I have been visiting elementary schools, reading to the kids and signing some copies. This is something (in addition to running) that I find such joy in. I find that I’m making a difference in a child’s life when I read to them and when I see their eyes light up at my surprise ending or at the tone of my voice.

Last week, I was reading to over 60 second graders and the room was SILENT. Really. You could have heard a pin drop. When in the world could you possibly be in a room with 60 children and not hear them talking? It was a real moment for me. After my reading, they asked questions about the book, about the illustrations, about my personal life….you name it, they asked it.

When I opened my mailbox yesterday, there was a large manila envelope addressed to me. Opening it up, I found a bound “book” of thank you notes and drawings from EACH AND EVERY child in attendance at my reading. They all wrote what they liked about the book and then drew a picture of their favorite part of the book. I was stunned and humbled at the thoughtfulness that went into creating this fine piece of art/literature. I am going to keep it forever as a reminder of the slight difference that one person can make in another person’s life – especially in the life of a child.

You might say that running and writing make it all ok. I tell the kids to “keep reading.” I tell my friends to “keep running.” Today, I tell myself to keep pursuing my dreams of doing them both. There are no limits, only limitations that I put on myself.

 

 

Running Gets Me Through….

Have you ever gone for a run and half a mile in you say “oh no, I am never going to make it today?” Lately, that seems to happen to me every time I head out at 5:30 am in the cold. In the dark. With the sun still asleep. I’ve been a runner for years and some days are harder than others but what I DO know is that after the first 2-3 miles, my body changes, my mind changes and my run changes. That “oh no” turns into “this feels great.”

Today, I know that running is not just exercise for me. It is therapy and prayer-time. It is social time with the girls on the weekends. It is the time of the morning when the kids and husband are still asleep and the hour belongs to me. I am the kind of woman who hates to shop – except for running shoes, clothes and headbands. The newest running gear is what I get excited over instead of fancy bags and dresses. Of course, they are just as expensive but of course runners can “justify” the purchases because they are needed for “my sport.”

I have NEVER regretted a run and when I am out there, wondering how I am going to get through it, I remind myself that pain is temporary and quitting is forever.

Keep running my friends. 

Mudder Runner

Well, I signed up for my first mud run. I know, I know. What am I thinking? I am a half marathon runner, a mom, wife, sister, daughter and friend but a mud runner? NEVER SAY NEVER. It’s a charity event this summer and it’s just a 5k so I thought “this will be an easy 3.1 miles.” After viewing the video and reading more and more about it, I’m wondering what the heck have I gotten myself into?

25 military style obstacles. Walking/running through waist deep mud/water. Slides that land you in a vat of freezing, ice cubed filled water. Don’t even mention the rope climbs, the giant  walls to climb over and the heavy rubber tires to carry as I run through the woods…..yes, carry while running through the woods. I can’t even carry my 6 year old anymore and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t weigh as much as a car’s tire.

All in all, I’m actually looking forward to the run. My regular running buddy and friend is going to be doing it too and so are our husbands. We convinced our husbands to do the run even though they are not runners. We told them that they would be GREAT at the pulls ups, the ropes, the walls, the military mud crawls. I actually told my husband those things with one selfish thing in mind: an extra pair of strong arms to lift my butt over the wall!!

Here’s to something new and exciting while doing what I love to do; running.

Run on my friends. Or should I say, mud-on? 🙂

No Excuses

The holidays are over. 2013 is here and I’m still running……So many people have said to me recently, “I’m joining a gym on January 1st” or, “I am totally going to lose weight this year.” I’m here to say that running out on the pavement, on the treadmill and wherever I happen to be, has kept me from making any weight-loss resolutions for years. I’ve been in the same body size for a loooong time and it’s all due to running and a healthy food plan.

Running is ME TIME. Running means peace for me; a time to breathe, pray, taking it all in before the rest of the world wakes up and pounces on me. After my run, I can tackle those pounces and usually have a great day.

“It’s too cold outside, I can’t run” is just an excuse for not being driven. When it’s cold outside, that’s an excuse for me to buy new cold running gear!! Forget about the fancy schmancy handbags, pumps and jewelry. Give me a gift card to Athleta or any running store and I’m a happy momma.

What are you doing this year to take care of yourself? What will you do for YOUR “me time?” For me, it’s running, spending quality time with my family and trusting that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. Whether it’s a 5 miler or a 13.1 miler…..running is running. It doesn’t matter if it’s an 8 minute mile or a 14 minute mile – a mile is a mile is a mile.

Wishing my fellow runners a happy, healthy 2013 that is filled with flat pavement, fun races and no resolutions.

Run on my friends.

What Drives You?

I run. It’s what I do. It’s my sport and I love it. I used to play competitive sports: field hockey, tennis, basketball and softball until marriage, motherhood and life outside of myself began. I picked up running as a kid with my dad who was a marathon runner. We’d jog together, but I always hated it. I could not run as far as I wanted to and my competitive edge made me feel like I was no good if I didn’t win. Running is a humbling sport and it has taught me many things about myself: I am capable of way more than I ever thought possible. I don’t quit when times get tough because the finish line is around the corner. I’m not as important as I thought I was. I have all that I could possibly need.

I began running again in college – as a way to burn off stress, lose all that beer weight and to connect with God…..running is a great time for me to pray. It’s just me, the road and God and that is pretty attractive to me. It’s MY time at 5:15 am and what drives me to get out of bed and lace up is knowing that I will feel like a rock star in an hour and  that I am doing something good for my body.

I am a little obsessed with half marathons and the adrenaline that comes along with crossing that finish line with gratitude and a smile. The difference now is that I no longer compete with anyone but myself. I’m the best I can be and don’t beat myself up over a hard run or a slower race time. I remind myself that it’s progress, not perfection and more importantly, it’s about having fun.

Run on my friends.