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Posts tagged ‘recovery’

Nov 17

I Ran Long

This past Saturday, I ran long. Not long as in 15+ miles long, but long as in my new definition of long. Saturday morning I successfully ran 8 miles, my longest run since surgery, and it sucked. But was great, all at the same time.

Due to my paranoia about running on slanted sidewalks right now, I’m keeping most of my runs indoors. For all the miles that I run, I stare at a blank wall about 4 feet in front of me. (I’m working on my mental fortitude.) Before I headed upstairs Saturday morning to stare at this blank wall, I decided to meditate. I’m horrible about meditating on my own so I prefer to listen to a guided meditation. The meditation that I chose to listen to Saturday morning was about gratitude, and I thought it would be the perfect way to start the morning. During those 15 minutes, I practiced gratitude for many people, but I also made a point to be grateful for running. Right now I have a love/hate relationship with running. I love it because I love running and have for many years. I hate it because right now it is hard! My legs ache, my hips are stiff, and I can’t run as fast as I once could. But on Saturday morning, I took time to be thankful for this sport, no matter how easy it once was or how hard it has now become. I do still love it.

Eight miles on a treadmill used to be nothing, especially at an easy pace. Now it is a mental and physical battle to watch the miles go by, while staring at a slightly too close white wall. I decided to break my run up into 2-4 mile segments. Run the first 4 miles in my new pair of Zoots (thanks to the awesome new running store, Runologie, opening up next month), and the last 4 miles in my Brooks. The first four miles went by ok but then I thought to myself, how the hell am I going to make it 4 more miles? Thankfully, I had a few ideas to help me along the way. First, cover up the numbers on the display. Nothing makes a run seem like an eternity than watching the numbers slowly tick by. Second, play bad ass music kinda loud. (Thank you Eminem and Maroon 5 for helping me along.) And third, practice gratitude. Like I mentioned, I have a love/hate relationship with running right now. But as hard as running is for me, I still love it. I took the time during those last 4 miles to just be thankful that I was able to run at all. Fast, slow, easy, hard – it doesn’t matter. I was still doing the one thing that has made me feel “me” for so long and for that, I was thankful.

As I’ve started to run more miles and longer distances these past few weeks, I’ve come to realize something. Once again in my life, I am a newbie runner. If you had asked me 8 months ago about running being easy or hard, I would have declared easy! And then tried to understand why it is some people don’t like running. For so long, I’ve taken running for granted and thought it was something that just came easily to me. I forgot what it was long to be a new runner. Now I am reminded of just how difficult it can be, and it gives me a deep understanding and respect for those just starting out on their own running journey. If I could offer one piece of advice to those just starting out, it would be perserverance. It is the one thing that is helping me through all of this.

Two Saturdays ago when I was out for my first 7 mile run, the last 3.5 miles were so hard. I wanted to stop. I wanted to walk. I wondered if I was ever going to make it back to my car. Then I started thinking about my husband, who has a mental fortitude like no one I have ever known. (For example, he ran 35 of the 200 miles in relay event a month ago, with only having a few long runs of 8 miles and a weekly mileage topping out at 12.) I remember he told me a few weeks ago Once I make my mind up to do something, I just do it. That’s what it’s going to take to get me back. A decision to just keep going, no matter how difficult, how slow, or how uncomfortable. In the end, that is what is going to make the difference for me – a new level of mental toughness and a new willingness to just keep going, no matter the obstacle.

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

Baby Update: I’m a little over 16 weeks and feeling good. We had a doc appointment on Tuesday and all went well. We find out if it’s a boy or girl on December 9th, but I’m not telling anyone until Christmas. Sorry Mom, Dad, and Toni. 🙂

My first 7 mile run

8 miles on the treadmill

Aug 19

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Eight Months from Now… Boston, 2015

Bravery is a word being repeated over and over again, and very loudly, in my head as of lately. These past few months have left me feeling stuck, uncertain, and at an uncomfortable place in my life. As I stood at the Eminem concert Saturday night, attempting to rap the lyrics, I became overwhelmed with a profound understanding as to just why I loved him so much as an artist, a a rapper, and as a person. There are few people in this world who have been through all that he has and come out on the better side of it. There are few people in this world who have demonstrated the grit, the determination, and courage that he has throughout his life and for those reasons, I have respect for what he represents as a human being. I want to represent those qualities.

The following night after the concert I had two very vivid dreams. One involving a flood and the other involving snakes, in that order. After a quick google search of the meanings of these dreams it seems that a flood can represent an overwhelming issue while snakes can represent a healing process. As I watched Eminem perform on Saturday that’s exactly how I felt. Overwhelmed with the past few months and done with feeling sorry for myself. There is nothing better than an Eminem song to make you realize it’s time to pick your ass up and move on. That’s how I felt then and I feel even stronger about it now.

September 12 is the day I can register for Boston. I’ve beat my qualifying time by 9 minutes and I know that my third chance awaits me. I met with my very aggressive, heavy handed, painful (but in a good way) sports massage therapist today and we discussed the possibility of running Boston. He says go for it, provided I have a plan and a coach to keep me in check. (Left to my own training plan, I might give myself a second hip fracture. I’m that hard headed.) I want to do it. I want to do it so badly it has become a constant thought in the back of my head. I know people think I shouldn’t do it and considering what has happened over these last few months, it doesn’t really make sense for me to do it. But do things always have to make sense? I think about all the times someone must have told Eminem he was crazy or out of his league, and he just kept on doing his thing. Following his path and his dream. I want to be that person too.

Tomorrow marks 8 months from the next Patriot’s Day. I have three weeks to decide if I’m going to sign up but I can already tell you my heart says yes. I want to do this. I want this to be my comeback story. Of course I realize that it may not be and that I may never make it to that start line, but I’ll be damned if I don’t give it a shot. I have to be brave enough to follow my dreams, my heart, and my path, wherever that may take me. I have to have the grit, determination, and courage to give it all that I have, because it’s going to take exactly that. And I’m ready for it.

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

 

Jul 28

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Update: Three Months Post Surgery (and lessons learned)

There is no greater teacher than life itself. For years, I thought I knew a thing or two about mindfulness, determination, willpower, the drive to push harder, etc. In fact, I knew so much about determination, that I walked 7 miles on a fractured hip. There is a thin line between how much is just enough and how much is too much. For some things in life, I believe I err on the side of too much. I’m not sure I ever really understood that about myself until this injury.

Throughout this entire recovery process, I always thought I could push harder and cross train more. I thought my successes were good, but not great, and whenever anyone questioned my ability to return to running, I’d use those words to fuel my fire. I never took the time to celebrate the small victories along the way, but more than anything, I wasn’t really kind to myself. My body is so weak. My yoga poses suck. I’ve gained 5 pounds. I should be doing more.

I’m hard on myself and I’m hard on my body. Even as I write this now I’m thinking that I should go for a short run, regardless of the fact that I already had an interval session this morning, which was followed by burpees, man makers (my new favorite exercise), and leg weights with my PT. Not to mention I’m juicing for the day, which has led to a pretty constant state of hunger. I try too hard. Last Friday, as I stood by the Whole Foods breakfast bar, staring at my spinach and eggs, I decided enough was enough. I picked up the biggest piece of creme brûlée french toast I could find and ate every single bite of it. Sometimes the battle isn’t worth it and you have to give in, embrace life, and stop fighting yourself so much.

Wednesday marks three months since my surgery. Today I had another follow up appointment, and besides being told I should never have that screw taken out (which I really want to happen), it was a very successful visit. My X-rays looked good, my bone is healed, and my range of motion has greatly improved. (Side note: I was going to ask my doc for a pic to go along with this blog post, but I couldn’t do it. He’s kind of like the cutest doctor around, in a McDreamy sort of way, and I didn’t want him to think I was a stalker. Maybe I’ll get over my embarrassment by the time of my next visit. If I don’t, click here.) In the three months that have passed, life has given me the opportunity to demonstrate lessons learned. And because I like lists, I’d like to share my takeaways from these last few months:

1) Celebrate small accomplishments. I’ve been focusing too much on the end goal: running again. It has distracted me from celebrating my small victories along the way. My first 20 minute run, my almost normal range of motion, my warrior 3 pose that didn’t involve me falling flat on my face, the ability to tie my shoes again, my swimming, even if I’m not that great at it. These are all stepping stones along the path and even if they don’t seem like much, they are. It’s important to celebrate the small things.

The first pic in 2 weeks post surgery and the second was taken last week. I never thought my knee would get that close to the ground ever again.

The first pic is 2 weeks post surgery and the second was taken last week. I never thought my knee would get that close to the ground ever again.

2) I don’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations except my own. Having that runner part of my identity taken away has really caused me to struggle. I feel like everyone looks at me and thinks she use to be able to run this far and this fast. Now she’ll never do that again. This is a perception I have created in my own head and it is none of my business what other people think about me or my ability as a runner. Nobody else has to travel my path and therefore, whatever anyone else thinks has no impact on me. Only my expectations matter.

3) Negative self talk is toxic. I haven’t always said the nicest things to myself with regards to this injury. I’ve been hard on myself and I’ve sent my body a lot of wrong messages. These three months have taught me to practice a little self-love and to forgive myself when things don’t go as I expected. I should be my biggest fan. Period.

4) It’s okay to let go sometimes. I can’t tell you what a relief it was to eat that french toast from Whole Foods last Friday morning. It sounds odd but every time I go there, I always get a salad and eggs for breakfast. So many times I stare at the waffles or french toast and think how badly I want some. Friday I did, and it was the best feeling to savor every bite of that sugary deliciousness. And then, when I slept in until 7:00 am Saturday morning, I wondered what in the world had I been missing out on! I never knew it was so great to sleep in until after the sun came up.

5) Everything has a purpose. People always say everything has a purpose and I know this. But I’ve never really experienced something bad like this and had to search for the good in it. Every day I search for the answer and every day I come closer to seeing the good. Perhaps the most important and obvious thing this has taught me is that my body is completely out of whack and very imbalanced. My physical therapy sessions are a blessing. But I’m also finding a new level of mental toughness I didn’t even know I had. The first time I ever ran a marathon, I was certain I would cry when I crossed the finish line. I didn’t then and I never have. I believe that the next marathon I run is going to require a mental and physical effort like I have never known before. And perhaps that is the purpose of all this. To find out what I’m really capable of and how deep I can really dig.

Three months have gone by slowly, and quickly at the same time. I’m excited to see what the next three months will bring.

Happy Trails and Happy Running,
Tracie

May 20

My Beliefs Matter, Not Yours

A few days ago my mother-in-law told me I had mucha voluntad. If you don’t speak Spanish, that means I have a lot of will power, persistence, and tenacity. I took it as a compliment and used those words to continue pushing myself forward. I believe that I will return to running, just as I was able to a few months ago, with all of my mind, body, and soul.

However… several times throughout this past week, people have questioned whether or not I would be able to return to running. They told me they always knew running was bad and maybe now I’ll do something else. I don’t get mad often. That makes my blood boil. Slightly.

Today I was having a rough day. I don’t like walking with a limp and it’s hard. It hurts. I miss my normal movement patterns. And I absolutely hate feeling that screw poking through my skin. It’s so damn awkward. Then I made the mistake of looking up hip fracture/titanium rod and screws/running/recovery on Google. I didn’t read a lot of great recovery stories. In fact, I read quite the opposite. Add to that, I read over and over again that I might need to check myself into a nursing home for a month or two. I guess displaced hip fractures aren’t common for 31 year old females.

I realized this afternoon that I should never search those words again. It only added doubt to my mind and sadness to my runner’s soul. A few too many hip fracture articles later, I realized that I don’t care what everyone else says. I don’t care if people think I will never run again. What other people think is not my business. I don’t even care if most people never return to normal running after a surgery like this. That is not my story. If I surround myself with doubt, I will begin to doubt myself. I will not do that.

Nothing that I read, nothing that anyone says to me, and nothing that other people may use to discourage me, will change my mind. I wholeheartedly believe it’s the mind that matters and the attitude I choose, that will make the difference. It doesn’t matter to me what anyone else says. I can do whatever I want.

Have you ever heard of Amy Purdy? Or have you ever see this movie, based on a true story? That’s going to be me. I choose voluntad.

Happy Trails and Happy Running,
Tracie

May 9

One Week (and a few days) Post Surgery

One week ago today, I came home pushing my new walker. I was in pain. I hurt. And all of the pain meds made me feel a little nauseous. The couch would be my new resting place for a period of time and taking a shower would become my least favorite task. I wasn’t sad about being immobile. I was sad about hurting. Fast forward one week later and I’m down to using one crutch. I can take a few steps on my own (although with a very awkward limp), and I’m down to using zero pain meds. I’ve been to physical therapy twice already this week and will continue to go two times a week for the  next month. Today, I decided, was my last day of being stuck to the couch. Tomorrow, I get back to life.

Throughout my many walks up and down the hallway, I’ve had a lot to think about. Add to that a few good life podcasts, and I’ve come to have an actual appreciation for this injury/surgery. I’m not mad about this and I’m not sad about it either. If anything, I’m glad because now I can move on and do the things I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.

For so long, I’ve ran. I’ve run the streets of Raleigh more times than I could ever count. I’ve spent my Saturday mornings pounding out the miles and my Sunday afternoons pounding out a few more. I loved every minute of it and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Running has been my favorite activity for over 12 years. However, at the same time, there are so many other things that I’ve wanted to do. I’ve just never been willing to make time for these other things because running dictated so much of my life. Now that I can’t run, what better opportunity?

When I was a junior in college, one of my favorite professors had this very strange tattoo on his arm. For so long, I never knew what it was. Then one day I realized it was the Ironman symbol. I told myself within the next two years, I would train for and complete an Ironman. Obviously, that never happened. Heck, I’ve never even done a triathlon. All I knew was how to run, so that’s what I stuck to. Even though, in the back on my mind, I always wanted to test my endurance limits, I just ran. Swimming required extra effort (driving to the pool, learning technique, etc.) and I didn’t own a bike. Now these are the only two sports I can do.  Perhaps this injury is putting me on that path. Thanks to my friend Nikki, I already have a swim cap. That’s one step closer that I was last week.

Along with triathlons, I’ve always wanted to practice more yoga. There was a period of time when I did Bikram Hot Yoga every week and it was my favorite time of the day. There was something about pushing my body to the limit in 115 degree room that I absolutely loved. I loved the physical part of it and I loved the mental part of it. Every week was different with different challenges and that’s why I was so drawn to it. But again, running eventually became front and center of my life and yoga took a backseat. Now I can make a change.

Calisthenics is another area that I have always wanted to focus more on. Al Kavadlo is my calisthenics hero and I really want to use his workouts to build some serious foundational strength. Other than leg strength and some decent core strength, I’m lacking in a few areas. Fortunately, the doctor said as soon as I’m back to walking, I can start a strength program. Obviously it’ll focus more on the upper body for now but it’s a start.

And finally, Mario and I always said we wanted to start a family after Boston. Mentally, I struggled with the idea of having to cut back on my running and running slower times. Well now that’s a non-issue so no need for my mental struggles! See, everything does happen for a reason.

Monday I go to get my stitches taken out and for another physical therapy appointment. I’m curious to know how the healing process is going. If I had to give my input, I’d say it’s going well. But then again, I’m no doctor. 😉 Sadly, I have to miss out on a friend’s wedding next weekend. It’s a three hour drive  and the doc has advised me against it. Other than that, I’d say all is well on the healing front.

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

 

 

May 4

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My First Surgery (and it was a big one)

On Wednesday I posted that I would be headed into surgery in a few hours. It’s been four days since then and a lot has happened since April 30th.

When the doctor told me I was going to have to have surgery immediately, I got a little nervous. After all, I still have my wisdom teeth and anesthesia was something completely foreign to me. But perhaps it was a good thing the surgery was that day. It didn’t get me much time to think about it. Or to get more nervous.

Around 1:00 pm I started the check in process at the hospital. The man who checked me in asked me what was with this date and Rex hospital. Almost three years to the day, I had been in the ER at Rex hospital because I had fallen seven feet from a chair and hit my head and broken my collar bone. (And for those of you who don’t know, this happened on my wedding night. Note: a wine dinner is fun, but one must be careful.) By 2:00 I was back in pre-op being asked 1000 questions. The nurses, however, made me feel like I was freakin’ amazing. When I told them how I fractured my  hip and that I still walked 7 miles of the race, they started calling in other nurses so I could tell them my story. They told me I inspired them. It helped with the nervousness.

Then they had me change into my lovely hospital gown and gave me an IV. I’ve never had an IV before and always dreaded getting one. After having had one, I can still say, I dread it. Yes, the pain eventually goes away, but the pressure for those first few minutes is so uncomfortable. I hung out in pre-op for almost two hours. Mario was there with along along with my good friend Nikki. She has been through several major surgeries so for 45 minutes I quizzed her on everything that may or may not happen. That helped calm my nerves.

Around 3:50 I was wheeled to another part of the hospital where I would meet with the doctor, ask any questions I had, and then head into surgery. Mario and Nikki accompanied me along the way and I started to get a little more nervous. Surgery was scheduled to start at 4:15pm. The anesthesiologist came by and reviewed what she would be doing. We decided on spinal anesthesia because I didn’t want a breathing tube down my throat and she said it would be easier to wake up from than general anesthesia. Around 4:10 they wheeled me back to the operating room. I had already been sedated and was feeling a little loopy. Then the anesthesiologist told me to sit up and I don’t remember anything after that. Two hours later I woke up freezing, with blankets all around me, and hanging out with Jennifer (the nurse) in recovery. It made me smile when I heard nurses started asking me about how I ran the Boston Marathon with a fractured hip. They again told me I was awesome.

I was in recovery for about an hour (I think). Jennifer didn’t want to give me any pain meds yet because I would get some when I made it to my room. The stinging was too bad and I asked for morphine anyway. Eventually they wheeled me up to my room and my sister and Mario were there waiting for me. It made me really happy when Toni showed me the early birthday present she brought me. In case you don’t know, I love Eminem. This would be my go home from the hospital shirt…

Yes, I love Eminem this much

Yes, I love Eminem this much

 

Wednesday night was rough. From the moment they moved me over to the bed in my room, I didn’t move until the next day. I couldn’t scoot over, move my leg, or anything. For some reason, I didn’t even feel like I could move my arms. That entire night, I watched the clock. The pain was so bad that I couldn’t hardly sleep. Instead, I waited for every three hours to pass so I could get some more pain meds. There was one point when I couldn’t even wait the three hours and asked for morphine in between doses of oxycodone. Mario was kind enough to “sleep” in the recliner beside me but I think he got as much sleep as I did. By 6:00am we were up, and I still hurt.

Right after surgery

Right after surgery

Around 10:30 by best friend Lesley came to visit along with my sister. Mario went home to shower and I stayed immobilized in the hospital. Then the occupational therapist came to visit me. Yes, I wanted to get out of bed. I wanted to move. But I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to experience. Debbie was very nice and very patient with me. Our goal was to stand up and then to sit in the recliner. Seemed simple enough but it was anything but simple. Getting my feet on the ground was hard, but standing up was harder. The moment I stood up, I started sweating profusely, the color drained from my face, I felt nauseous, and couldn’t breathe. I literally couldn’t breathe and it was scary. It was a feeling I had never experienced before and I didn’t like it at all. Debbie helped me to sit back down and gave me “the bucket” incase I got sick. Luckily, I didn’t. After five minutes, I finally caught my breath and tried again. This time was a little better and I made it to the recliner. Instead of going back to the bed, Debbie had me stay there for a few hours until Brian, the physical therapist, came by.

See that gap... it shouldn't be there.

Hip before: that gap shouldn’t be there and the femur should  be at a 45 degree angle instead of an almost 90 degree angle. Too much pressure on my femur and my hip would have been completely broken. 

While hanging out in the recliner, I was still trying to recover from the move from bed to chair. Unfortunately, the pain meds, anesthesia, and surgery finally caught up to me, and I did get sick. Thankfully my sister was there to help me through it. When Brian came to visit me, I could tell he wasn’t going to be as sweet and patient as Debbie. (It was actually a good thing.) Before getting me to stand back up, Brain gave me a few isometric exercises I could do while sitting down. Then it was time to get up. Brian reminded me I could put full weight on my leg. Nothing was going to happen and my leg wouldn’t explode. I told him it hurt. He said it was okay and just to stand up. With the help of the walker, I made it up on my own. Brian and I walked 10 feet to the door and then 1o feet back to the bed. He made me sit down on my own and taught me how I could use my right leg to get my left leg into bed. That was the extent of my walking that day and I was exhausted.

New hip! I have a rod and two screws holding the bones together.

New hip! I have a rod and two screws holding the bones together.Notice that the femur is more down and at a 45 degree angle. 

Thursday night by neighbor Geoff came to visit. And to help Mario sleep a little better in the recliner, he brought a few delicious beers. Yes, I admit it. I had a few sips and it made the misery of being in the hospital one more night not so bad. I slept much better Thursday night. The pain was a little less and I could move a little more. I did still take my pain meds but not every three hours like the night before. Friday was my birthday and I felt just a little better than I did the day before.

This past week has been crazy. Wednesday morning I went to the doctor and by Wednesday night I had a titanium rod with two screws in my hip. I’ve been poked and prodded more than I care to remember and I had my first experience with a catheter. Every day for the next week I have to give myself a shot in the stomach to prevent blood clots. I use a walker to get around and have one of those seats over the toilet that you usually see in assisted living facilities. Mario has to change the dressings over my incisions every morning and I can’t even look at my hip because it’s so swollen. It slightly freaks me out. On the plus side, every day is a little easier. I walk better. I can stand on my own two feet. And I’ve had so many visits from friends and family.. it’s been great! My birthday wasn’t exactly how I imagined but I think Mario and I will postpone our celebrations until June. (His birthday is Tuesday.)

Headed home in my new favorite Eminem shirt. :)

Headed home in my new favorite Eminem shirt. 🙂

I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. I’m not mad or upset this happened to me. It’s just something that happened and I’ll be just fine. The recovery period will be long but at least I know when this is all over, my hip will be stronger than ever before. In the meantime, I’m going to focus on swimming, biking, yoga, and weights to keep up my fitness. (Doc says I should be able to return to activity in 6 weeks.) I’ve always wanted to do an Ironman so maybe this will put me on that path.

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

 

Apr 30

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Surgery

In one hour I will be heading to the hospital. Apparently I have a displaced fractured that needs surgery ASAP. The doctor is going to put in two rods to push the bones together and then I’ll have a new, stronger hip. I like to think of it as I’ll have a bionic hip. Oh, I can see the race potential now…

I’ve never had surgery before so I’m a little nervous. Perhaps Mario will take a video of me waking up from anesthesia and I”ll have something funny to say. Some have asked if my running days are over. Absolutely not! If anything, I think this will put me on the road to finally achieving my goals. Maybe my injury streak will come to an end.

I’ll be in the hospital for a day or two. Hopefully I can make it home tomorrow because Friday is my birthday!! Celebrating my 31st birthday in the hospital isn’t really how I imagined the day to start.

When I get back home, I’ll post an update. Until then… here’s to my bionic hip! 🙂

 

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

See that gap... it shouldn't be there.

See that gap… it shouldn’t be there.

Feb 20

6 Comments

A Breakthrough

Yesterday my very wise G+ friend told me that perhaps one day I’ll look back at this race as my “breakthrough moment.” According to Google, the definition of breakthrough is “a significant and dramatic overcoming of a perceived obstacle, allowing the completion of a process.” In my heart and in my mind,  I think my very wise G+ friend is right.

My running is cyclical. Run a lot. Get injured. Bike a lot. Forgive me when I say I am fed up with this sh*t. Why can’t I just be consistent? I learned two very important things about myself this past training season. One, I learned how much I really do love running. It’s not something I do just so I can eat my turkey burger. I really do love it and I am completely addicted. The second thing I learned about myself is I am fast and I can be much faster. I know the runner I am and I know the runner I can be. I believe my goals are well within reach and one day I will surpass them.

As I’m dealing with this injury, I’m no longer mad and I’m no longer sad. Now I’m just determined. I realize that I may not be running for a month, and I’m okay with that. I’m okay with it because I want this time to really address my problems. I am reevaluating what I do, how I excel, and what my body needs that I’m not giving it. Maybe 50 miles a week is too much for me and I need to substitute a workout with cross training and strength training. Maybe my easy runs need to be about a minute slower. Or perhaps I need to do running drills every other day. I don’t know but I look at this as a complete breakdown and a chance to build myself back up. I’m not worried about losing fitness. I’m not worried about my next race. Right now, I really don’t care about those things. I care about realizing my full potential and giving my body what it needs in order to excel. I care about finding myself in this running world. I care about completing the process.

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

Recovery Update: I’m walking much better today. I went to the doctor and it went just as I expected. It could be this or it could be that. Come to PT twice a week and let’s see how it goes. I think I now remember why I never go to doctors.

And check out one of my race day photos:

I never take good racing pictures

I never take good racing pictures

Feb 18

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Road to Recovery

I can not do much about the fact that I have injured myself. The 13.1 miles have come and gone and I have been left in this not very fun condition. Life happens. As I said yesterday, I do not want to hurt anymore. February has not been my month and I will make March a different story. Therefore, I am going to do all I possibly can to get better, faster. Today I spent some time reading about things I can do to speed up the recovery process, and I think I have a plan. Here it is: Read more

Jan 28

10 Comments

Brominated Vegetable Oil

For all of you who drink Gatorade, y ou might be interested to know that PepsiCo is removing the controversial ingredient brominted vegetable oil from some of their Gatorade drinks. Why you may ask? Well because the ingredient is patented as a flame retardant. Yummy. The ingredient is said to be linked to neurological disorders and is actually banned in the EU and Japan.

Stephanie Storm, The New York Times:

Brominated vegetable oil is banned as a food ingredient in Japan and the European Union. About 10 percent of drinks sold in the United States contain it, including Mountain Dew, which is also made by PepsiCo; some flavors of Powerade and Fresca from Coca-Cola; and Squirt and Sunkist Peach Soda, made by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. PepsiCo said it had no plans to remove the ingredient from Mountain Dew and Diet Mountain Dew, both of which generate more than $1 billion in annual sales.

I spent some time looking through the ingredients labels of the many different flavors of Gatorade. I only saw B.V.O. in the Orange flavor. I haven’t bought Gatorade in a long time but kudos to them for taking out the ingredient. However, my next question is when are they going to remove red 40 and yellow 5? I think beet juice and turmeric would be a good replacement. 🙂

Happy Trails and Happy Running,

Tracie

Running Update: Since I ran 21 miles yesterday and I woke up feeling pretty run down this morning, I only did weights and a little cardio at the gym this afternoon. Originally, I wasn’t going to do any cardio but then I saw there is now a stair climber beside the treadmills. I absolutely love the stair climber for some reason. Not one of those little crappy ones but the big ones with the rotating steps. I couldn’t resist and had to jump on. Then when somebody got on the one beside me, I had to up the level x10. I couldn’t help it 😉  It really is one of my favorite cardio machines.

 

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