slow...slogging...dear bro leaving town

45 minutes; 3.7 miles
a few short walks in there.
wow. very tired. very slow!
avg around 12+ min miles
afterward...my sore spot on the inside of my shin...oh.my.gosh. muy painful.

i keep thinking (kept thinking, on my run) that the REASON is cuz i'm SO OUTTA SHAPE! how can that be? can p.t. for a few wks and little to no running for just like 2 wks REALLY take me that far outta shape?

could it be cuz it was later in the day than norm?
could it be cuz i'm SO EXHAUSTED?
my bro and sis in law and neice have been here for 10 days. it has been so much fun. pure delight. but we have all been "hanging out" for 10 days straight. some people are of the opinion that being around people constantly tires one out. do you think?

i know last nite hubby and me stayed up LATE watching icky movie: Red Eye. LATE. then we were up BRIGHT AND EARLY for church. had to get there an hour early for worship practice.

then, we never took a break all day. just kept going. going. going.

my run was actually therapeutic...always is. but all the IN-DOORS hanging out...can get kinda cabin-fever-y. so, i have really been craving a walk outside. perhaps i should bite the bullet and take more of those. i guess i figure if i have to go to all the work of getting all the comfy gear on, i might as well WORK OUT HARD CORE! is that stinkin'-thinkin'?

well, hi all, bye all. my bro et al leave tomorrow morn EARLY. i am so sad. i am not quite sure why his leaving makes me cry so much. except i guess maybe i should not over analyze it and take it for what it is. i miss him when he's gone. i love his wife. altogether i've spent, maybe the equivalent of 3-4 whole weeks with now? in our lives. they met when he lived far away and now, together, they live even FURTHER away. and my niece is a JOY and she loves me! she is only a year old. so precious and so willing to come to me and play w/ me and let me hold her. a pure JOY. a doll, too. of course.

so, saying good bye i could not stop crying as we drove away. my kidlets were so concerned. my 9 year old who doesn't want hugs any more...right now at this stage of his life...he hugged and comforted me and tried to console me. endearing.

it could be another LONG time b4 i see them again. Lord, let us go to Michigan someday. to spend that much $$, dh would rather take a fam.trip to disneyland. you know, w/ the costco tickets?! way cool. that might be next year. it would cost gee whiz...like a million $$ for our whole fam to go to michigan. i hope someday in the near future they will move closer to us. they have kicked that idea around. the hard part is: there, they are near HER parents. and they are a close fam. too.

i didn't mention the other part to this: sis in law is prego again! so i will have another neice in that little fam by august. wow.

i must mention that i do have my sis, bro in law, beautiful niece and darling nephew here in town! my kiddos love playing w/ their cousin! also, we have my hubby's sis, husband, and little niece on that side here too. we also have both sets of grandparents here! God is good!

greg, dear bro, is the one who got everyone involved and rounded up the $$$ to buy me the garmin forerunner! he did go running w/ me 2x during his stay here. he is more of an all-around exerciser than i am. very knowledgeable in all things athletic. he is always after me to join a gym or buy something...like an elliptical. I WOULD LOVE TO! believe me!

okay..... God bless you all!

beloved, let us love one another

for love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God

he that loveth not

knoweth not God for God is love

Beloved, let us love one another

1John 4:7 & 8

trails...ankles

another run...another...pain...

no, really!

my dear bro (the one w/ the enormous stride) asked if i was up for a "run" this morning. (that is a loose term as, for me it means "a very slow slog" and, usually for him, it would mean "a fast-paced, quick run"!) so away we went. went to the trails behind my home. kind of different from the 'trails' that people like rob-the-runner run on. i picture his trails as muddy or dirty, depending on the weather...and thru mountainous territory. mine, since we LIVE IN THE DESERT, are like sandy, dirty, and then, they are pretty much only used by folks walking their dogs, beer parties in the dark, coyotes chasing jack rabbits, and motorcycles or 4x4s traipsing around and cavorting thru there. so, i don't think so much "running" is done back there...whatEVER your definition of "running" is! =)

but "run" we did. it was fun...if only cuz i was with my BIG BROTHER! (he's BIG, but i'm OLDER, thankyouverymuch.) i'd like to go out there more often, but i dunno if i'll feel SAFE. w/ him, that is NOT a worry!

oh, and as for the 'running.' well, we ran, i got winded, we'd walk a piece. then we'd "run" (ah heck. JOG is the appropriate term. it just IS.) i'd get WINDED, we'd walk a piece. etc. you get the pic. my prob. might be that i talk too much. but that is the test of whether or not you're aerobic anyway. i like to stay aerobic. so i keep talking.

but he was a sport! i did turn my ankle. nice, huh? i turned to him to offer to wear his coat he'd taken off, around my waist, and at that very moment, when i looked AWAY FROM THE UNEVEN GROUND, i stepped on a huge rock (why didn't i see it 100 yards away?) and TURNED MY ANKLE! i almost went down!

now, i've often rolled my ankle. but i must have really tough/strong ankles. cuz i've never bona fide sprained or twisted or anything: my ankle. to where it stopped me for days. never! so i just rolled it around, stretched it out, felt it to make sure unbroken (duh) and we went on. i bet dear bro was quickly thinking: o.m.gosh. i HOPE i don't have to CARRY her home! (funny, i didn't think of that then!)

but, it is sore. i see no bruising. i iced legs and ankle today after run.

LOVE having a running pardner!

all praise to our God and King!

back on the path...not in poo

i had p.t. today. it was a nice surprise to get on the treadmill for 6 minutes w/ NO PAIN in my pain spots!

wooo-hooo!

joe-p.t.-guy did some of that deeeep muscle PAIN massage...and that hurt and still hurts tonite but overall...this almost-2-week break from running has done wonders! i'm still gonna take it easy, believe-you-me. but i see light at the end of the tunnel.

my bro and sis in law and niece came into town today from the far off land of michigan. since i'd "RUN" this a.m. @ p.t, i was all excited to 'go running' with him. i've never really run w/ him before. greg has always been a super athlete, but every time i've been in the same city w/ him over the years, he's never been a runner. maybe once or twice did we run together in high school. if he ever went w/ me later in life, he'd usu.ride the bike whilst i ran cuz it was late at nite and everyone (but me) feared for my safety!

so, i was looking forward to this.

we took off at 5:30 pm or later...dark. but nice to be with super giant - protector man! wow, what a huge stride hath he! i felt like a rat in a cage, scampering to keep up with him! so, tho joe-pt-guy said to "have your brother take it easy on you"... it was a pretty quick clip for me!

3 miles
30 min
10 min/mi

oh, so, i was "back on the path"....poor greg, however, needing more of a challenge than trying to go as SLOW as i, ....turned to the path BESIDE the path....and stepped in poo.......

sorry, greg!

i'm glad beyond words to be able to run, folks. ever-thankful.

my plan is to take it real easy, as i've said before...and build a good base. do the exercises joe-the-p.t.-guy has given me. a couple of weeks of 3 milers ...only 2 a week. then add one day like a 2 miler? i'm not attempting the 16 week plan, folks. sorry. i know my gggggoooood friends who are trying to make the Coeur D'Alene marathon at the end of May will be disappointed that i WILL NOT BE JOINING them. perhaps i could still GO...and be a support team? wow, that's an idea.
i would like to shoot for, maybe a fall marathon. perhaps i'd be more likely to lose a bunch of weight training more sssssssllllllowly.

whatdya think?

i really need to buy a secondhand stationary bike and (most important) a TREADMILL! put them up in my garage and turn our little space into a gym!

but guess what, it's supposed to get down to SIX DEGREES here this wkd! the cats will be allowed to sleep inside (instead of the garage). where does it get to 6 degrees????? i ask you!

thanks for reading, y'all! thanks for praying for me! love you all! --kt

alas and alack

wow. it's been so long, i almost forgot my password! and it's only really been about a week i guess. this is the point --in my former life-- where i'd say poo-eeey on the whole thing and give up. i'm trying not to be that way. i am trying to have faith that one of these days i'll wake up (almost typo'd that as "quaked up" which would also be appropriate) and go for a little 2 or 3 mile run. and i won't be in too much pain.

i have not been walking.

i have not been stretching.

but, good thing, and glory be, i have also not been to p.t.

can't exactly recall the last day THAT was.

there's just so ding-dang much been going on here.

i kinda feel like our fam put life on hold for a week to let a dear friend of the family pass away. yep, he's dancing with Jesus now, of this we are all sure. but while he was having his last week, his daughters, good good friends of our's needed some help w/ their kiddos. so a few times we had them over (each daughter has a passal of 3 little ones!) or headed to the park w/ them to let them blow off steam. respite.

that, and then on friday last i SUDDENLY came down with the most horrific chest cold known to man. my daught had had a cough (JUST a cough) for about 4 days at that point. well, with a BANG i developed an awful pain in my chest and an IMMEDIATE cough! productive and all! that, my friends, has never happened to me. usually a bit more gradual than that! what ensued was 3 days ( i kid you not ) of fever, chills, and aches! what is UP? just toDAY i'm coming over it.

well. and all that to say. i've not been up to a darn thing!

my bro and fam from michigan will be here tomorrow! yeah-blippety-hoo! can't tell ya my excitement. yes, this is my bro who instigated the buying of my garmin-forerunner. for all my appreciation, whilst i be able to run a single mile with him? i shore do hope so.

yes, i'm bummin. i have a p.t. appt tomorrow morn. not looking forward to it. i'm, by now, convinced (w/o running atall yet) that a layoff completely of a week has cured a lot of my woes. ails. i wish i hadn't-a-had to do it. i have had to change my outlook. i'm hoping to start again. and start slow. and build a bigger base. i'm NOT planning on any marathons in the near future. time will tell, eh?

would you believe i also have my TWENTIETH high school reunion this summer as well? good grief.

thank you all my supporters and prayer partners! let's keep on praying together even if we can't run! =)

wow...ASTYM...wow

okay, the title makes it sound like, "wow, astym really worked for me." well, the jury is still out on that one. but here's the lowdown.

last thursday afternoon i went in to p.t. Instead of my regular intern p.t. guy Joe, i got the head honcho, Ken. mega-p.t-guy. he's the owner of the business. a hugely impressive guy...in stature and PRESENCE.

well, a few minutes into it, after talking over Joe's notes and my problemos, he brings up "ASTYM." this is a technique whereby they take a sharp-edged, plastic tool (looks like the tool you spread wallpaper with...or puddy over tiles...yknow?) and SCRAPES it up and down your legs. he did both sides of my shins on fronts of legs, both calves, AND both back of upper legs (hams?). the objective is to break up the tissue and muscle fibers that have healed wrongly or are cross-bridged, etc.

let me tell you, this procedure was .. no less than...EXCRUCIATING. i mean...OW. WOW! i didn't know if i could help SCREAMING in pain! i kid you not. i didn't but...i'm not sure how i w/stood it. it was awful.

side effects were that i could turn black and blue (really? ya think?). well, by sunday (could've been saturday too, i can't remember) i had bruises but only mostly on my upper inside of fronts of legs--right below knees. today they were round spots. looked more like the HULK had grabbed my leg and left his fingerprint bruises. youch.

supposedly, it can be like a miracle thing. people who were in so much pain they were stymied, are able to get up and DO their sport (or MOVEMENT) of choice. how could i refuse this? so i acquiesed.

he said i could run 2-3 miles the next day. i might even do it sans pain.

i did run 2.5 the next day. but not pain-free. i guess the other thing is that it could take 7-10 procedures to get where you want to be. joking, right? i am not sure i could willingly GET inflicted w/ that sort of pain again. let alone numerous times. i just do not know.

i walked saturday. pain toward end. but not the extreme pain of running. nothing sunday. but on my feet a lot. aching legs/feet by end of day. nothing today. busy busy. wanted to walk tonite but too scared to go out in the dark.

p.t. today. JOE taped my legs up. wants me to walk WITH the tape ...see how it goes. he said the tape might last 2-3 days. so i hope to go out tomorrow morn.

i have some ideas about what my life is changing into ... i'll save it so this doesn't become too long. 'preciate all the support and prayers!

oh yeah. also went to doc. for itching. it became unbearable. he gave me a steroid (6 one day, 5 the next, 4,3,2,1 for a week) and an antihistamine that doesn't knock me out. well, the itching stopped for 3 days so i didn't start the 'roids. then, with itchy hands Sun.morn. I decided to go ahead and go on them. so, i'm on day 2. i feel good. seem to be having something akin to mens.cramps. oh yay! but dunno if that's really a side effect. he's hoping to 'restart my system.' i hope it works and i don't see that ugly itchiness ever again! ugh!

yes, sarah, i think i just need to sllllow it down and start over. one of the things head honcho p.t. guy said was i just might need a bigger base and build much more slowly than the 16-week plan for the marathon. i keep telling myself (and others) i want to be active for life. i want to run for life. not just for the marathon.

so, folks, while it's been fun, i might disappoint a few and not do a 'thon till fall or later! t.b.a.

on a happy note: my bro and sis in law and NEICE are coming to town next week! can't wait!

love to all
kt