Terapin's Journal: 5 yrs running! Couch to Goofy, Fracture to Fab, Baby to Dopey. Comments welcome!

[Miffy2003]

Good grief, you're going through the mill

I can totally relate to the no exercise / food issues thing. I broke my wrist last October (a week before my first half marathon, wonderful timing) and it was annoying and painful physically, but it's like a mental blow too. In my world this starts a vicious circle of: I'm fed up and grumpy so will eat. Because I'm eating badly I feel bad. Because I feel bad it's too hard to exercise. That makes me fed up and grumpy so will eat...and so on infinitum. Massive sympathy and I'm not going to offer any patronising advice as I guess you know it all already. But, huge sympathy.

 

[Terapin]

Thought I would pop in for a quick update!

Saw the orthopaedic doc yesterday and he feels my navicular is healed. Yay! My posterior tibial tendon is still quite inflamed and sore, so off to physio I go. He said I should also wear my orthotics 24/7. I'm gonna go ahead and assume I don't have to wear them in the shower or to bed

Life has been really busy, and then DP got sick so we haven't been to the gym in 2 weeks. Gotta get back this week. He had gastro and dropped 6 pounds, so he is still feeling pretty weak but by this weekend he should be good enough to work out

I was in New York this weekend and walked a ton. I figure as much as 10k the second day, and 5-6k the first day. My foot was sore, but recovered with rest. It was good to get back to lots of time on my feet.

Back to eating clean. DP is a bad influence as he loves take out food. It just doesn't work for me and I end up eating things I normally wouldn't eat when I am with him. We've pledged to going back to home cooked food. I'm trying to embody the principle that it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you cook it yourself. I'm not sure that is entirely true, but I suppose that if you have to prepare and cook it, you likely do prepare far fewer calories than you could easily order with take out.

Along those lines I am going to start tracking food again. Today I am going to bring a salad and salmon for lunch. Breakfast will be a fruit and protein smoothie. Dinner will be at the kids' school fun fair - eek. Maybe I should eat ahead of time...

So my plan to get back into things is to start back at the gym this weekend and start with the weights again. Eat clean. I signed up for Wine and Dine and now for the Star Wars Rebel Challenge so I might make a schedule of my plans to keep me on track.

Anyhow, that is my update.

 

[Terapin]

Good grief, you're going through the mill

I can totally relate to the no exercise / food issues thing. I broke my wrist last October (a week before my first half marathon, wonderful timing) and it was annoying and painful physically, but it's like a mental blow too. In my world this starts a vicious circle of: I'm fed up and grumpy so will eat. Because I'm eating badly I feel bad. Because I feel bad it's too hard to exercise. That makes me fed up and grumpy so will eat...and so on infinitum. Massive sympathy and I'm not going to offer any patronising advice as I guess you know it all already. But, huge sympathy.

Thanks Miffy - it's all totally true. I am a boredom and stress eater. Keep myself occupied and I don't eat. I also break up my day with food as a reward. I try to resist! Not always easily done.

 

[Terapin]

My weight is just climbing and I admit I don't quite get why.

So - I'm stepping up my game. I'm tracking calories and getting exercise each day. Today was yoga and tonight I'm heading for a walk. Yesterday was a short hike.

I'm doing physio on my foot (just started) and things are slowly getting better. I don't have pain all the time, and I can feel my foot feeling better. I still get pain throughout the day in the ligament, but resting it even for a few minutes takes it away.

I am SOOOOOO desperate to run. I'm feeling so fat and blobby.

That's all for now!

 

[Terapin]

Thought it was time for an update!

Unfortunately I am still not running. My tendon is still quite damaged, even after the casting and the shockwave therapy, the PT, and the rest. Ugh.

The next thing is to do Platelet-Rich Plasma injections which I started last Friday. Unfortunately they are not covered by insurance, and are $500 each! But I am quite desperate to get this healed. In a nutshell, they drawn 15cc of my blood, centrifuge it, and draw off the solids and inject those right around the tendon. The theory is that the area around the tendon is not particularly blood-rich and by infusing the area with healing properties from your own body you can jump-start the healing process and bathe the area in good stuff.

In my case, they injected starting from where it inserts into my foot distally, and then up and around to past the knob on my ankle. The procedure was nerve-wracking and a little painful for the most part, and only quite painful for a few seconds.

Walking afterwards was difficult, and they gave me T3s which I didn't think I'd need. On the drive home I was glad I filled the prescription as it was really aching as the xylocaine wore off, and when I got home it was great to be able to take a couple and feel better. By the next day the pain was more like when the injury was acute, and a few days later I am limping but it's not too bad. I go back Friday. Eek.

He said that when he looked at the tendon under ultrasound the lower part in my foot looked pretty beaten up and swollen, and the upper part looked a bit better but not healthy.

So, that's the foot update.

My weight is vacillating between 225-228. UGH. But right now I am focussing on eating well, and staying positive about the foot. That is hard, actually. I am quite down about it. Adam reminded me that staying positive might have a better effect on the healing process so I am trying.

I planned to get back to the gym yesterday but was sick. So planning to go tonight. I've been going to the gym 0-4 times a week, but haven't been able to get solidly on track yet. Life has been uber busy and I've been traveling a fair amount. I'm juggling a new business and my regular life, and when something gives, it tends to be me time.

I gotta change that. I can't expect that my weight will go down without working on it.

 

[irishtwins1112]

You can do it!!!!! I am so sad that your foot is still down. I know that running was a big part of your life. Praying for healing!

 

[Terapin]

Time for an update!

The bad news: weight is about 235. I just kept gaining and gaining over the summer. I didn't eat bad but got very little exercise and it just creeped up. In total I put on about 25 pounds once I stopped running. Boo. I didn't do very well. To be fair, I was on some medication notorious for weight gain, but that only explains maybe 5-8 pounds realistically.

The good news: I am back running! Took a few exploratory runs over the last few weeks and then signed up for the Running Room half marathon clinic! We started last week. My foot held out ok for the first run, but it was only 3k. I forgot my inhaler though, and had a big cold-and-exercise induced asthma attack and that was pretty awful, but I finished.

I signed up for the Wine and Dine HM back before my diagnosis on my foot. My partner decided to run it - his first HM! I decided to start it so I could keep him company in the chute, and see how far I'd get before my foot complained. It started to hurt at 7k, and I bailed at 10k. SUPER HAPPY I made it that far, untrained, and on a recently healed injury. I wouldn't have even started it if my partner didn't want to run, but since it was paid for I decided to go for it and just see where I was at. I think I could have comfortably done 15k if the foot didn't hurt. It let me know my body still knew how to run, and 10k wasn't too shabby for a first good run since February. I'm glad I quit when I did as my foot was a bit swollen and sore the next day: another 11k would be been poor judgment.

I took it super easy with 2:2 intervals, as I find walking and running uses different foot muscles and I'm having an issue with fatigue in my injured foot. I managed a pace of about 9min/k throughout, even with the long walk breaks.

In the end I told myself my goal wasn't that race, it was to get back to running. And I did! Couldn't be happier

 

[irishtwins1112]

Great job! Glad to see you back at it!!!

 

[Miffy2003]

Well done - that is awesome, especially given the awful weather conditions!

How are you feeling about Dopey? It's getting close now, and I'm feeling a little afraid

 

[Terapin]

Popping in for an update:

Still just running occasionally - life was soooo busy this fall (moved my place of business from two locations to one big location, was 200% busier at work than usual, and moved my partner's two kids into our place). I also edited my first book, and got that to market. I found it very difficult to keep up with just the basics - and unfortunately running and fitness were not a habit after all the healing down time.

To combat the hurdles, we're in the process of installing a home gym. It should be pretty kick-butt, with some TRX stuff, a weight cage, free weights, a treadmill, and a running machine that is a kind of elliptical that simulates running without the impact (so perfect for my still-healing foot!). Since we are finding it hard to make the 40 minute round-trip to the gym, the gym is coming to us! My partner is into weightlifting and so he has been teaching me over the last couple of years how to lift, and I think the combination of lifting and cardio will be amazing for me.

I've put myself on a strict diet to really work on the extra weight. I'm getting used to being hungry without panic.

My next goal is not a race - I am not signed up for any currently. I am working though some health stuff (nothing bad) that is preventing me from planning races for the near future. My goal is to get back to reasonable fitness, and get running without it being so difficult. Back to being able to go for a run and have it not feel dreadful. And get stronger. And leaner.

 

[Terapin]

So happy to be hitting it hard. Yesterday I was back to tracking my food and I was soooo food starved all day - completely emotional. I went and got some filling snack foods, such as edamame and different pickles, so I can munch and fill those eating-ish moods.

Today was much better. I'm re-learning how to choose low-calorie alternatives. Tonight we had spaghetti and meatballs. I had a small portion of meatballs (and measured my pasta) and substituted artichokes in water for some bulk. I also got in 30 minutes of running.

What I am super excited about is our new home gym under renovation!

We bought a weight cage, free weights, barbells, TRX straps, and a knee-lift/pull up 'cage'. I have a bosu ball, stability ball, treadmill, medicine ball, and some yoga equipment. I also bought this:
http://www.runottawa.ca/introducing-the-zero-runner/

So excited! We took the barbells and the weight bench, and the TRX stuff with us. The rest will be delivered January 10th. I am heading down to do some weights shortly to get back into it.

I can't wait to combine some core, with some home and road cardio, and some weight lifting. I think it will be a great combo!

Now excuses about a busy schedule possible now!

I feel like I am finally pointing and moving in the right direction. I put my framed medals down in the workout area to motivate me. Hoping I can do some races in the spring but scheduling around a health issue needs to happen first.

 

[irishtwins1112]

Way to go on making healthy choices! The home gym sounds great. Don't you hate when that weight just creeps up on you. I was 216 in September. End of October I was in the 220s but not worried. I continued to not worry until I got on the scale Christmas eve and saw 232. What?! I got to get back on track too girl! If you get a chance send prayers and pixie dust my way. Trying for Goofy in 2 weeks!!!

 

[Terapin]

Way to go on making healthy choices! The home gym sounds great. Don't you hate when that weight just creeps up on you. I was 216 in September. End of October I was in the 220s but not worried. I continued to not worry until I got on the scale Christmas eve and saw 232. What?! I got to get back on track too girl! If you get a chance send prayers and pixie dust my way. Trying for Goofy in 2 weeks!!!

I am rooting for you! Keep your mind in the game. Treat the half as an easy-going training run and have fun. The marathon is the real race.

 

[Terapin]

Well this year has been an amazing year. Bought a new house, moved in with my partner, have his 2 kids and my 3 kids each half time, and edited my first book which has sold very well (it's a Frozen comic book graphic novel). It's been a great year.

Unfortunately for my running career I was sidelined for most of the year due to my foot/ankle injury. It was really hard to see friends competing and running, and I cried so many frustrated tears because I sat getting bigger and more unfit as the days went by, and my confidence in my body totally plummeted.

I am back! Have been working out with dumbbells this week, and gotten 3 runs in. My weight is dropping. After Christmas I was at 141. Today I am at 138 and I know I am retaining water from the workouts as I can feel it. So hoping later this week brings more reductions. I am tracking everything I eat and keeping a net loss of 1000 calories a day. I really love my run days when I get about 1800-1900 calories to eat. That's so manageable. The other days I get 1500 and that't a bit harder - have to really choose foods carefully.

My goal is to be 229 or lower by Jan 25. Today is an activity day: no running or weights but I am going to try yoga or a Zumba cd I bought.

It's been a great year full of big peaks and big troughs. The highs were high and the lows were low. So so much going on. Moving, and business travel, and meetings and deadlines, and many sleepless nights, hard work, and my main stress-buster, running, was off the table. It was a wonder I didn't crack more. I cracked a few times, I'll admit.

Here's hoping to an easy '15. Just settling into our new life, organizing things, settling things, getting back my body. Putting everything in it's place and everything right.

Cheers.

 

[irishtwins1112]

Sounds like you have a great outlook on 2015!!! What Disney races are you planning on in the next couple of years? I think my next will be Glass Slipper Challenge 2016. I am looking for some folks to split hotel with if you are interested. Thanks for the encouraging words about Goofy. I am totally insane, lol. I am having huge mood swings. One hour I am all "I got this....nothing can stop me....my training has been great". Then the next hour I am all "What am I thinking....I can't do this.....I am going to crash and burn....I am too chubby". Tried to block out that last set of thoughts is hard. It is here upon us now. We leave next Tuesday for Disney so it will be here in the blink of an eye. I am trying not to wig out.... but most of the time I just feel helpless. Nothing I do between now and then will help/hurt my chances.....I hate the waiting game.

 

[Terapin]

Hi Irish-

No plans yet for races - I'm hoping to do some gentle ones this spring and summer, and be back to running better for next WDW Marathon Weekend 2016. My partner is planning on doing Dopey 2016. He's a strong, fast runner - kinda annoying, really. He did his fist half marathon 2:14 and he was completely *untrained*. He also ran it without fuelling or drinking. Sigh.

You will do just fine - and I totally get what you mean about just wanting it over! Bring some treat for mile 18. Text people if you need motivation. Make yourself eat and drink ON SCHEDULE. Do not deviate when your mind tells you it's not thirsty or you are too nauseous to eat. Enjoy the wet sponges and don't throw it down. If it's hot you can refresh that sponge and it will feel goooood. And doing something with it will pass the time. Just tell yourself you MUST finish unless you are broken somewhere. I kept reminding myself how good it would feel to be done, and have done it. And while quitting would feel good in the moment I would regret it forever.

You've done the training. You can do this!

 

[Terapin]

Well, I didn't make my weight goal. But, to be fair, I am on huge doses of medications that are widely known to cause weight gain, even in very fit people. I know that sounds like an excuse, but there it is. I have been running about once per week, but have been ordered to stop for this month by my doctor due to some medical reasons. If things don't work out, I can go back to running in a couple of weeks. I'm sure someone can do the math of what is going on behind the scenes. It's all for a good cause <3

It's hard to be unfit and overweight again. But there are some times in life when other things take priority. I will get back there again - I know it.

I'm at Disneyland this weekend after a short business trip Thursday and Friday and all the walking has really made my food hurt. It is less healed than I thought. I think it's going to take another 6 months to a year for the ligament to be fully healed. I can walk around the house barefoot now without pain for a few hours. If I am on my feet a lot the pain sets in. It sets in with running, but lightly so, and seems to go away quickly.

I think I need to get back to yoga. If I can't run much for the rest of the year, I need something to get back some fitness. Yoga plus weights in our home gym should be great.

When I think about how far I've slid back I get almost panicky. I feel a lot of shame and guilt, but when I break it down I *couldn't* run on my foot, and even moving my foot hurt. That took forever to heal. I tried to get back to a running schedule this fall the first moment I thought my foot could take it, but some medical stuff took priority, and some of it caused some significant mood issues and sadness. I'm trying to figure out the balance of not letting myself off the hook, but also not being unfair to myself.

This year has been SO busy with so many competing priorities. I long for the days when I could run easily and it felt good. I want to get back there.

I made a plan with A that I will support him to run Dopey in 2016, and he will support me for 2017. I think I will need more than 11 months to get ready myself, and I should be totally ready for serious training next year.

Anyhow, that's the monthly update! Thanks for reading.

 

[irishtwins1112]

Sorry you are having problems! I am aggravated with myself, too so I completely understand. I go from being proud that I have lost some weight since I had kids.....to being really down on myself that I haven't lost more. Then I think about the weight I have lost and gained over and over. April 2012-278lbs, January 2013- 242 lbs, September 2013- 216lbs, January 2014- 228lbs, September 2014-216lbs, Now- 231.8. And know I am kind of in a limbo between goals. We aren't going to be able to afford marathon weekend next year like I had hoped so I am not sure what my next goal will be. It is so hard for me to exercise and try to lose weight when I don't have something big to look forward to. I know people say it all the time and it sounds so cliche but "The struggle is real". Hugs to you!!

 

[Terapin]

Well, it's the middle of February and while I don't have a lot to say about my fitness goals and falling far short, I am thrilled to announce that the reason for all this stopping and starting is that we are expecting a baby in the fall! It's been a year of fertility drugs and stuff, and being ordered to stop vigourous exercise (which seems to be the only kind I can do - all or nothing!). My plan is to eat really well, and to try not to get much more overweight in pregnancy. I'm sitting at about 243 right now. I HATE it, but the goals have been to make a baby, and being on mega doses of hormones (still am), and what can one do? I have felt like I have PMS for about 10 months straight - bloating and water retention, and such. Not to mention the ups and downs of the journey. Some days it was hard to do anything but just cope when bad news keeps coming and coming. We finally got our good news!

I started back to working out yesterday with some light cardio (trying to keep my heart rate below 140) on my Zero Runner. It was bought specifically for working out pregnant and not stressing my foot (which, incidentally, feels better than ever with not working out for the last month). But the weather has been so crappy here (today it is -25c) that my partner has been loving it. He did 11k on it last night! So yesterday I did some light cardio for 15 minutes (the machine really works my quads and at the end of 15 minutes I couldn't use it and keep my heart rate under 140 so I stopped), and some yoga and core for another 20 minutes. Felt AMAZING!. I'm going to build up to about 30 minutes as I get a little fitness back.

I need to buy a new running bra - all the ladies that have been pregnant know how much the first trimester can impact these things.

Dp Adam is planning on running Dopey this January so I am helping plan his race strategy this year, including a fall marathon. I'm considering entering some 5ks along with his longer race entries, just to keep motivated and going. I figure I can even walk them if the running becomes significantly uncomfortable. That way we can hang out on race day together, and I can stay motivated rather than disheartened as he gets his medals and I get rounder ;-)

My goal is Dopey 2017. That's about 15-16 months after the baby comes to get back into fighting shape.

So now I guess this is Couch to Goofy to Dopey to Orthopedic Doctor to Baby to Dopey? Or something like that. :-D

 

[Terapin]

It's been awhile and I thought I would update! I was exercising in pregnancy and then got diagnosed with placenta previa, and all exercise came to a stop. The universe REALLY doesn't want me to run these days - LOL. What can you do? So, I am trying to watch my weight and not gain too much while pregnant. I am now 255 (BMI 36) now, so 12# gain at 18 weeks. Pretty happy with that (well, not happy with where I started but happy I'm not gaining a ton). I'd like to keep my weight gain to less than 30 pounds. I haven't gained much anywhere other than my belly and chest so I am feeling good about that.

I have plans to get back to running shortly after the baby is born. My partner is signed up for Dopey and the baby and I will accompany him to cheer him on, and I plan on doing some events in the spring and really get back into things. I am considering doing the 10k of the Princess weekend in 2016, as we already have a trip planned that coincides with that. I am not sure about being away from the baby as long as I would need to - getting up at 3am as a sleep deprived mom may suck too badly. We shall see. We are both planning to go to the Disneyland Paris half marathon in the fall of 2016, and I am really considering giving Dopey another shot in 2017. So what I really need to do is use this time to work on my foot. I still have ligament pain after long walks or bad shoes. I need to get back to the physiotherapy and get it healed in this window of opportunity. I admit to being surprised that I still have pain and it isn't healed entirely. My foot is much stronger and about 90% range of motion, so that's something.

I'm hoping the previa clears so I can get back to some exercise. I don't want to lose every bit of fitness I worked so hard to get!